MR DONALD REID'S RETIRING SPEECH.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3045, 20 May 1878, Page 2

MR DONALD REID'S RETIRING SPEECH.

\ ■■ ; DUNKDItf, Ma 7 17. Mr Reid, M.H.R. forTaieri, addressed his constituents at Mosgiel last night. He commenced by referring to the criticism of the speech which he delivered to them last year, and said that the Boanerges of the Opposition, Mr Robert Stout, had written letters commenting on it.- Mr Reid then went on to show that Mr Stout's statement, "that to outward appearance he remained one of the Grey party down to the time he delivered his Taieri speech," was not correct. Mr Stout bad stated that his conduct degraded politics, but he maintained that he was as respectable and as much respected as most popular members of the present Ministry. The belief was not abroad that he had sacrificed his principles for power or place. He did not believe in party Government without principles, and held that the system of party Government being initiated in this Colony by Mr Stout and others would have a moat injurious effect upon politics. Some of the resolutions passed by the Dunedin . Convention were exceedingly injudicious. Reading Mr Macandrew's address thereat by the light of subsequent events, the '•■ whole thing must have been a very great fiasco. No doubt one of Sir George Grey's aims when he entered political life was to prevent Abolition, but he also wished to get the land fund of the Middle Island, for it had been his programme in every address which he had hitherto delivered. The. men around Sir George Grey who. had aided him in this object ■were but minions in hia hands, and Sir I George Grey, having accomplished his 'object, was no doubt the most popular man in Auckland, The Opposition to the late Government was unconstitutionally and dishonestly conducted. The 'then Opposition had no policy and no principles, and when they came into power they had to adopt the policy of the: previous Government. It was dis- ; honestly conducted, because an attempt S was made to undermine the private character of members of the late Govern-, tnent by insinuations and assertions which 'it was impossible to refute. The Piako S vamp and Waiho land transactions were not commented npou, and the speaker proceeded to say that the supporters of

the Grey party, when in opposition last year, wasted the time of the country purposely and deliberately in needless talk. Referring to the policy of the present Government, as indicated by the speeches of Sir George Gray and Colonel Whitmore, he said that the Government had two policies, one a demagogue and the other a conservative policy. He pointed out that, notwithstanding what had been said against the financial proposals and bills of the late Government, the present one adopted them when it got into power. The consolidation of the land fund was referred to next, and he said that if he had sworn to protect the Otago land fund, as others had done, he would have retired at once and, for ever from political life rather than consent to the passing of that measure. Sir George Grey had said that the interests of the Colony would be sacrificed by a Waste Lands Bill; if it were. bo it would be the fault of ihe Minister who .has charge of the Act v If Sir George Grey believed that this bill was. a fraud on the entire people of New Zealand, as he stated in Dunedin, he should have endeavored to do everything to prevent its being carried into law, and not have waited till it had passed, and thenseek to get the, Governor to disallow it. He would like to see the Parliament of New Zealand occupy a high standard, but he did not like the present political arena, and , considered the tone of the debates had deteriorated to a remarkable extent since Sir George Grey's advent to Parliament. A motion expressing regret at Mr Reid's . resignation, and strongly urging him to re-consider his intention, was carried unanimously.