PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

Evening Star, Issue 4653, 29 January 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

MR ROLLFSTON AT AVON. Mr Rolleston addressed his constituents at Avon on Saturday night, and explained and defended the action of the Middle Party during the prist Bession, giving reasons why it was desirable to eject the Atkinson Government. He said it was intended—in fact the Middle Party stipulated—that Sir George Grey Bhould nnt be Premier. A fair trial would, however, be given to the latter, and Parliament would have his measures next session, and then would be the time to juilge whether the Premier should remain iu office or not. Ho th< ught a good and stable Ministry could be fornud independently either of the Atkinson Ministry or of the Grey Ministry. After reviewing the Bills brought d»wn during the past session, he referred to the Native Lands Bill, which, he said, placed Native lands in a much more satisfactory position than before; but he considered thn Government ought to take into its hands the surveys of Native lands, and not allow that to ba done which had been done over the North Island to a great extent-viz., the giving of liens over lands as seenrity for the cost of surveys, which had been sometimes the cause of very improper transactions in respect to drink and otherwise. He referred at length to the Premier's remarks at Auckland respecting the terms of renewal of the Canterbury Pastoral Licenses, asserting that tlu-y were incorrect and misleading to a very serious extent. While admitting some new ; arrangement respecting the lanl fund had , become necessary, he said there was no ! finality about the measure introduced by the I present Government, and he strongly objected to the arrangement by which 20 per cent, of the land fund was to be given in the counties in which it arose. It should bo allocated to the Provincial districts to be distributed to the counties in proportion to their arcasaidtherateelevied in euchcounties. Be- ■ ferring to taxation he strongly deprecated '

the Premier's suggestion of taking taxation off the necessaries of life and patting it on to property, but agreed if farther taxation was required property should boar its share. He was strongly opposed to manhood suffrage, but the franchise should bo simplified. Tho exceptional franch : se heli by miners should bo abolished, and he would like to see the Maoris brought under the same law as the Europeans. He objected to the proposal for representation to be on the basis of population. It was important that their industries should be represented, and he thought education might fairly, as at Home, be also rej resented. Efforts would be made to split ud counties into email areas, but that was a mistake, as they would become little more than large Road B >ards, and would interfere with such Hoards. If Otago obtained a resident Minister, Canterbury and other districts wruld want one, and the result would be the creation of a bad form of autocratic superintendents. Thv Civil Service regulations required overhauling, and in the interests of the servants and of the country there ought to be some sort of court of appeal to adjudicate on any grievances that might arise. There must also be some better form of local government than now existed. He was dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, and Sir George Grey was certainly not the man to be at the head of affairs. For these reasons he did not see any prospect of being able to support the present Government.

A vote of confidence in Mr Holleston was carried unanimously.