THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 4621, 20 December 1877, Page 1

THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

Sir George Grey’s reception yesterday afternoon was most enthusiastio. Two triumphal arches had been erected.in Qaecn street, and the shipping and public buildinc 9 were gaily decorated with flags and evergreens. The Hinemoa arrived at 4 p,m,, and Sir George Grey lauded at half-past, accompanied by Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.8., and several personal fcien4a-from Kawau. Sir George Grey was received on the wharf by Mr Boylan, Chairman of the Harbor Board, and other members, with a short address, to which he replied. The wharf-.was thronged with who cheered lustily. At the entrance to Queen street ¥ platform was erected, on which the Mayor and Corporation, members of the Assembly, and the Reception . Committee awaited the appearance of Sir George Grey, . Here the Mayor read an address, to which .Sir George Grey responded in a few earnest words, as he deferred fuller expression until later. A carriage drawn by six greys, with three postilions in scarlet, -then -drew up to the platform, and Sir George Grey entered, with Mr Brown and Mr Mitchell, and drove through the streets, preceded by the Mayor, and followed in prc| cession by carriages containing officers of the Corporation and other bodies, members of Assembly, &c., the bands playing “See the Conquering Hero Comes” all along;the route, which comprised Queen Grey street, Symonds street, Shortland street, Victoria street, and Albert street,. to the Star Hotel. Great crowds rendered the progress very slow. At all the windows heads crowded together to watch the veteran pass, and ladies waved their handkerchiefs. It is computed quite 12,000 people turned out. The Volunteers were not present in uniform. The police had hard work to keep the ' enthusiasm within bounds, but the crowd generally was good humored. At the Theatre the ceremony began at eight O’clock, the dress circle having been reserved lor ladies and gentlemen with ladies. The address presented contained a reference to last year’s reception at the same place, and contrasted the circumstances. The address was as follows We offer you. In the capacity of leader of the people, respectful oonnratala&oßS on the progress made in establishing the gnat principles you have so unflinchingly maintained. We feel that vigilance and earnestness are still necessary to secure permanently the fruits of victory. We rest in the confident assurance that you mil not oease your great and self-sacrificing labors until our new political institutions are so moulded as to secure for tl • people of New Zealand equal eights and certainty that the control, of their own revenue shall not pass from their hands into those of any particular class or classes, to the exclusion and .injury of the rest. This, sir, as we understand it, is the primary object you bare in view. We appreciate the difficulties yet to overcome, but have no doubt whatever of your final success. We hare witnessed with contempt the efforts made by disheartening personal attacks and impediments of all kinds to prevent yea from pursuing the noble course you hats marked out. We assure yon of our heartiest sympathy, and that you will receive our faithful and loyal support, for we hold it at so graves crisis the Co’ony has the services of a leader whose disinterestedness, ability, love of right, and deep sympathies with all classes no man can venture to gainsay. We pray that the Almighty may i preserve to yon the health and strength' tdrooinplete the work so well begun, and that the foundations of the liberties and rights of the people of Kew Zealand may be so firmly laid as to enable them lo resist the attacks of all enemies now and tor ever.

The following is a portion' of the address presented to Sir George Grey-by the Mayor (Mr H. Brett) The Mayor, councillors, sad citizens of Auckland, recognising the great services which you bate rea* dered to the Colony; and especially to the North Island of Hew Zealand, by effecting the 'removal of grevious injustice in relation to the appropriation off revenue arising from the Crown lands, have felt we your ardneu Parliamentary by a public manifestation ef the approval with which yeur policy is regarded in this large and populous district el the Colony. Daring along and eminent career, closely associated with all the vicissitudes ef thi* prosperous and loyal section of Her Majesty's dominions, yen have received many marks of esteem from the people of Auckland. We believe, however, that never before was there a more widely diffused desire amongst' all classes of cit'zeus to unite in honoring a Colonial statesman or high official of the Crown. We trust that yon I will be long spared to carry out the measures which i are demanded by the present circumstances of the Colony, and that yon win reap & reward 1 surate with your patriotic sacrifice.

The meeting at the theatre was densely crowded, and hundreds could not gain admit* tauce. About eighty of the principal citizens and members of the Assembly occupied the platform. Mr Shera was voted to the chair, and introduced the subject of the gathering. He was confident that few residents in Auckland would not rejoice that at the present crisis a disinterested man like Sir George Grey was at the head of the Govern, ment. He then read the address. Mr Edward Isaac moved the adoption of the address, and Mr J. L. Wilson, proprietor of the * Herald,’ seconded. On being put from | the chair, the address was carried unanimously with great cheering, which was taken up by the people outside. Mr Shera then signed the address on behalf of the meeting. Sir George Grey on being introduced, was received; with tremendous cheers. The whole assemblage rose, and hats and I handkerchiefs were waved for several I minutes. When silence wee restored, Mr j Shera read the address, and at its conclusion I the cheering was renewed. | . Sir Geo. Grey then replied. He thanked them sincerely for the address, and could I assure them he and his colleagues had been encouraged by knowing they had the entire support of the people of Auckland. As long I as he had health and strength the people of I Auckland might rely that his efforts would never be relaxed.—(Cheers.) And he might add he had no doubt they would be success* ] ful if the people remained faithful. In con* I elusion, he thanked them again for the de* mnnstration. He regarded himself as a 1 representative man who stood forward to receive, on behalf of his colleagues, the { honors of the day.—(Cheers.) - Having re* I plied to the address, Sir George Grey pro. I ceeded to address the assemblage on public I affairs. He first alluded to we - debt he owed to City West for making : him their I representative. Although he was no longer their member, he felt it was owing to their I kindness that he now represented all lof the community. What their friends I longed for was to forward the interests of I the community at large, and withr'the con* I fidence of the . people , they would succeed in doing great good. . The. first thing I wanted was fur that | all classes might exercise dne mnopnee in Sublic affairs—so that all might be trained to e able to do service to the State, At peeI sent there was no -her repreeenWtien. Ik

wu in no degree apportioned to the population. Districts which showed the greatest disparity of representation were those which had been most identified with a partii ular party. Then the franchise was not fa ; rly apportioned. Counties had large subsidies which were raised from the whole population per head. Taxation so raised should be spent in the same manner—that it is to say, all ought to have a voice as to how it should be spent. Counties were broken up into ridings, and the law made it possible that many men had no vote at all; also many had only one vote, while others had as many as forty-five votes, so that the former were swamped.—(Shame.) Large properties had been obtained by unfair infinencies, and had been increased in value by railways and public works, which were paid for by the people of the Colony Having now, therefore, given this property its value they had to submit to one man swamping them with forty-five votes. _ Both himself and his colleagues were determined to remedy that system, and to make the voting powers equal. They considered that every man resident for a certain time in a district was entitled to a vote as much as a man with property, life was much; human affection was much; and should be represented, if that primary object could be attained. If matters were arranged so that elections could be conducted properly and quietly, they thought that the people would afterwards be able to keep their advantages. The taxation could be made fair, every man paying to the State according to the Sravautages he derived from it. The evil arising from absentees would not be felt.—(Cheers.) No man could come from England and live here drawing a large income from English property without payment to that Government, and he and his supporters believed the people were willing to follow this example and make property pay in due proportion to the State. In this they fully expected to have the support of the people. He and his colleagues also believed there had been no fair distribution of j the public lands of the Colony. They believed everyone in the Colony should have an equal I chance of getting land. They were all aware I that not only had there been an unfair distribution, but that while some provinces are rolling in wealth derived from the sale of public lands others were starving or languishing in penury. They knew it had Been raid that if anyone tried to alter this they would perhaps be puzzled; but he could tell them the members feared a dissolution. They knew that the people would have justice, and they knew that if they as bad servants went back to their masters with a bad character they would not have been admitted to their former place.—(Laughter.) He didn’t think their masters were such fools as their members took them for; they were not likely to be blinded by one favorable vote, and at the end of two long sessions.—(Cheers and laughter.) There were practical points of statesmanhe had the honor now to allude to, and some points of higher statecraft. —(Laughter.) They had all heard of the secrets of statecraft. He wanted to see all this done away with. He believed in having everything fully discussed by the Press and by the public— not that all were capable of judging; some take such curious views, some selfish views, and some partial views, but altogether the conclusion arrived at by the mass was generally right, and if a statesman had the pluck to follow this he would generally be successful. Public taste was better cultivated in great cities than in the country, and he had chosen to go into higher subjects in Auckland. They were aware that there were Governors in the Colonies. An idea Lad become prominent that the Crown must be supported. At Home it was the Established Church and the House of Peers ; here they had the squatters, and these were the Governor’s supporters.—(Laughter.) They filled the place of the great landed aristocracy. If this idea was to prevail, where would they all be l&nded?—(A Voice: In the Piako Swamp ! —lmmense laughter.) In England the poor had no aspersion such as we had in the Colony, and he could well understand that statesmen would hardly dare to open a new track. But here the plana now in vogue were upheld of allying the Crown with squatters and the Upper House, and to endeavor to obtain advantages for them hateful to the people at large. Then the people would rise and create a form of of government chosen by themselves. (Cheers.) Anyone who placed the Crown in that position would be an enemy to the best interests of the Empire.—(Cheers.) The only way to prevent that was to create a real responsible system of Government—to compel the Governor to take the advice of his advisers—(immense cheering)—to make those advisers the real governors of the Colony. These advisers, knowing their advice was to l>e followed, would be very careful hot. to give advice that would bring upon themselves the odium of those who could easily turn them from their positions. For instance, let them imagine the feeling of himself and comrades that day. Did they think they would easily throw away such love ? On the contrary, they would dare everything to maintain the relations now existing. The Governor should be like the Crown in England, without power, except to cany out the advice of his Constitutional advisers. Then it would be in the power of the people to reward or punish their representatives—and offer them demonstrations like that of to-day, or punish them by making them slink through the streets like criminals —(Criesof “Billy Bowel”) They should be ruled by the people whom they ruled. He had tried since his arrival at Kawauto work out some instances of how, if they had things all open and above beard, they would have enjoyed advantages such as he was afraid they would never enjoy. In years gone by he had made up his mind that Auckland was destined to be the Empress of the Southern Seas, as her position was better than any other. He received offers from Fiji, Samoa, and other islands to be t iken into the Colony of New Zealand. It seemed to him that a great federated union of the Pacific islands could have been perfected with a government resembling the late Provincial system. They would have sent out their own Lieutenant-Governor, and had a magnificent opening, for the young people were nearly all splendid sailors. This scheme was spoilt by the opening of the Crimean war, and the ceding of the New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands to Prance, Things had turned out exactly as he had anticipated. The slave trade had sprang up, and England had been obliged to take what islands she conld under very disadvantageous circumstances. Had the people at the time known of these negotiations the popular voice would have forced the Imperial Government to aecede to them. In 1851, when the mutiny broke out in India, the Natives of Taranaki wrote to him asking to be allowed to raise a regiment of 1,000 men to ' fo and fight the Seapoys. This was while e was at the Cape, but the letters were sent to him by Governor Brown. The Natives made an unfortunate condition, that he should be colonel of the regiment, and this led to the rejection of the proposal. He wrote a warning note, that it was no good expecting all these men to stay at home and try and confine themselves to agriculture. If they wanted to fight the Indians it was clear they would have to fight somebody, and if they obold not fight our enemies, they would fight us. Some time afterwirds, when the Home authorities

been angry with him through defeating the scheme to endow Canterbury with four millions for bishoprics, they reproached him as a barbarian for proposing to send savages to fi ht our enemies. After this the War Office sent to him asking him to raise a regiment of Kaffirs to send to India, and when he reminded them of his former proposals they were more a gry with him than ever. In this they saw a case in which, if things had been open to public opinion, those men would have been sent to India. Another instance he might refer to was the recent attempt to get a dissolution. The Governor was of opinion that the power of granting a dissolution of Parliament was a weapon given to defend himself.—(Laughter ) He should like to know what there was the Governor wanted to defend himself from at present. Ministers’ power was very limited ; but it ought not to be, for if it were extended their sense of responsibility would prevent them from abusing it. They could see no reason why statesmen here should not have the same power as statesmen at Home. They must insist upon this point—namely, to have everything in the Government perfectly open. They must keep their representatives continually before them. It was the duty of all representatives to come before their constituents, and it was also the duty of the Premier to go through all parts of the Colony. He had spoken to Ihem as the representative of all New Zealand, as an old friend who owed them much, and was endeavoring in his old age to repay them, and who, if he could do anything to benefit them, would only be too happy to do it. Messrs J. C. Brown, Reader Wood, Rees, Dr Wallis, O’Rorke, Swanson, Tole, and Dignan spoke eulogistically of Sir George Grey as a leader. The proceedings concluded with enthusiastic cheering.