PRE-SESSIONAL.

Evening Star, Issue 6842, 4 March 1886, Page 4

PRE-SESSIONAL.

The Hon. Mr Tolc spoke at Auckland last night. He pointed out the state of parties when the present Parliament met, and though he had recognised one man as his political leader, he had also said that if a coalition had been possible between Sir George Grey and Major Atkinson no man would bo more loyal to them than he (Mr Tolc), and at the time he felt that this statement had the sympathy of his constituents. He then detailed the events of the session of ISSt and the formation and failure of successive Ministries. From whatever reason, it was manifest that Sir O. Grey and Major Atkinson could not agree upon any common platform for combination. Major Atkinson essayed the task of forming a Ministry without Sir G. Grey, and offered him (Mr Tolc) a portfolio. Circumstances were such that he could not without loss of self-respect accept the honor. The coalition which formed the present Government seemed the only way in which in the interest of public business the difficulty could be surmounted. He (Mr Tole) did not jump at office, and was determined not to join any Ministry if it entailed a sacrifice of political friendship nr principle. He followed Ids natural impulse in consulting all the party with whom he had been acting for years, and first of all Sir G. Grey. They all not only consented, but regarded it as Ids duty, in the state of parties, that he should join the Ministry. If further justilication were needed, it was to be found in

the fact that he was asked by the Premier (Mr Stout), who with Messrs Ballance and Larnach had been former colleagues of Sir George Grey, and therefore in allying himself with these gentlemen he was adhering to his old policy. It was duo to his colleagues to say that they bad not taken office for office sake, but to carry measures designed in the interests of the people. He paid a tribute to Sir Julius Vogel, stating that there was no abler man in the Ministry, none more submissive to tho decisions of his colleagues, nor one who regarded the interests of the Colony from a more truly colonial and impartial standpoint. He dealt with the work of the session of 1884, and then passed on to last session, which lie described as one of tiic most memorable in our Parliamentary history. It was memorable especially on account of what had not been allowed to bo done. The Government had conducted the administration in a manner not'equalled by any previous Ministry, It would be impossible for a Government at whose head Mr Stout was not to carry on business vigorously, for he was a giant in ability, energy, and appetite for work. The finances and expenditure had undergone a scrutiny, and were administered with a care which resulted in a surplus instead of a deficiency. Native affairs had been placed on a peace footing ; and though by some it was said in ridicule, it was nevertheless remarkable that peace and economy were secured by the “one-policeman” policy. Public works, especially the North Island Trunk Railway, which had been hitherto neglected to a degree almost criminal, had been pushed on with earnestness. A Colonial Exhibition, which gave an impetus to manufacturing enterprise, was inaugurated. The colonial defences had been vigorously carried on, under tho auspices of -a Governor in the possession of whom, to supervise the works, the Colony should be justly proud. Tho mining industry had received the undivided attention of a Minister, ami with good effect, as instanced by the establishment of a School of Mines at tho Thames. Mr Tole passed over the administration of his own departmei t. The management of gaols throughout the Colony ho characterised as excellent, and the staff efficient ; but he felt it imperative, in order to carry out the proper classification of prisoners, that there should he proper prison accommodation in each of the four large centres of population. All this efficiency on tho part of the Government did not shield them from repented motions of want of confidence. With regard to the legislation of last session, he thought the Government could show a highly respectable record. He instanced the Hospitals an. 1 Charitable Aid Act, the credit of framing and passing which was duo to Sir Julius Vogel and Hie Hon. Mr Buckley. Though not a perfect measure—what Act was?-still it was a material instalment of local self-government, placing the management in the hands of local authorities and not in the central administration, as it had hitherto been, when hundreds of thousands of pounds bad been spent at the discretion of members, without method or without proper control by Parliament. He considered this Act alone was sufficient achievement for one session. Tho Fisheries Act would attract hardy and thrifty settlers to the Colony and develop an enormous industry. He dwelt upon the State Forests Act, and he thought so serious was the question that it would be worth while to establish a Forestry Department with a separate responsible Minister, who could give his attention and skill to tins important subject. He next referred to the Land Act of last session, and to the vigorous manner in which special settlement lands and other lands under settlement conditions had been taken up, to the amount of 200,000 acres, during the short time the Government were in office. The perpetual-leasing system would establish a permanent State revenue, and would secure what is styled the increment, relieve taxation, and guard against the creation of large estates and absenteeism. The principle of the resumption of land round large towns, as propounded by Sir George Grey, had not escaped the attention of Hie Government, who had imported that principle into the Land Act. He next spoke of the tariff proposals of last session, and showed that the increases in the Customs duties had proceeded on the principle of increasing the revenue, and not for protective purposes only, and by referring to specific articles showed that moderate and not prohibitive duties had been proposed to be levied. In this connection he pointed out how we must preserve our industries, and bow a million and a-half of money was going annually out of the country for articles capable of manufacture within it, and this notwithstanding that duties upon these particular articles have been from time to time increased of late years. Speaking of the policy of the Government, about which Ministers had individually spoken and seemed pretty well agreed (though matters had not been settled in Cabinet), ho might say at once that the policy to be was a vigorous prosecution of public works, especially railways. We could not lag behind neighboring colonies and leave ourselves to become depopulated, but must march on with them. We must open up our lands and attract a useful ami capable population to aid ns in developing onr resources and sharing our burdens. He pointed out how during the past five years nearly a million of money has been spent—--1.000,000 on railway construction and over 1.200,000 on material—on unfinished linos, and that this money was bearing interest while the material was rotting. This taught us the folly of allowing such a state of things to continue. He asked how much wo had been losing by not completing the North Island Trunk lino and North Island north of Auckland railways. The policy hitherto had been to spend a little here and there over Hie country. Would it not be bettor to have a trunk line finished in three rather than in eight years ? This was the only way to tap the wealth of the country and let it flow in abundance. Tho East and West Coast Railway, though not in favor in Auckland, would have to he made. Local jealousy was an ignoble reason to assign against it. He quoted Sir George Grey and the Hon. Mr Richardson in support of the view that It would bo an advantage to the Colony. A groat cry was made about Auckland not getting its share of public expenditure on works. This was the fault of members themselves. No Government could have brought down a hotter programme of works for Auckland than the present Government.; yet they found eight or nine Auckland members allied against thorn, and in support of Major Atkinson's motion to stop expenditure over a million and to cease making trunk lines, as also to prevent borrowing a million of money, thus compelling the Government perforce to draw upon the North Island Trunk Line vote. In a like manner they supported Captain Russell's motion to reduce the expenditure by half a million. The Government proposed to expend within the year only a million and a-quartcr, but to be in a position to let contracts beyond that amount; but by tho action of the Auckland members these reasonable proposals had been frustrated. In this way nearly LSO.OOO on railways alone had been lost to Auckland.* How could other parts of the Colony help Auckland if Auckland members would not help themselves? It bad been said that borrowing was good, but that it should be postponed until after the passage of a land tax and other measures to secure for the State the unearned increment. But the country could not stand still for the settlement of these questions, A vigorous policy would not impede consideration of these questions. It was their first duty to employ the people and keep them bore. He said the simple question for the people, as the ultimate tribunal, was ; Shall these unfinished colonial works stand still and these men who profited by tiic past be able to say “We shall have no more loans—your present condition is good enough for you ; if not, you can go elsewhere and let us monopolise what you leave behind”? If for no other reason, a dissolution was necessary to pronounce emphatically on this point. At the same time, it was only just to the Governor to say that the Ministry had no promise that a dissolution would be granted. He concluded by saying that if tho country supported the policy of the Government he conscientiously believed it would rapidly and materially accelerate the progress of the Colony, and make her, by the development of her own resources and her relations as a commercial centre with all the islands

of the Pacific, the premier Colony of the South r.i Seas. A vote of thanks and confidence was almost unanimously passed, there being only one dissentient. An amendment expressive of regret that MrTole had allied himself with Sir Julius Vogel was rejected by an overwhelming majority.