POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

Hastings Standard, Issue 34, 5 June 1896, Page 2

POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

SIR R. STOUT AT THE PRINCESS THEATRE.

Sir R. Stout addressed a large and attentive audience at the Princess Theatre last evening, and was frequently applauded. Mr Fitzßoy, Mayor of Hastings, occupied the chair. Sir Robert, who was received with loud applause, precluded his remarks by saving that the Opposition, although numerically weak, deserved the thanks of the community, as they had had a hard battle to fight against the overwhelming majority of the present Government, They had met to discuss the political situation, and it was their duty to deal with the things of the present rather than revive the memories of those who were dead, and who had possibly made mistakes. Unless the laws could be so framed that a better race could be built up, there was no use in our legislation. The speaker reviewed the history of our predecessors, quoting authorities to prove that a higher order had always been aimed at in the way of political and social reform. It was therefore necessary that we should have a free and just Parliament, and a Government that was observant of the law. He intended dealing with things as they now existed without disturbing the memories of the past. FREE PARLIAMENT. He was sorry to say that it was a Parliament that had the least freedom of any in the world, and instanced the arbitrary action of the Government in preventing private members from moving motions by the appropriation by them of private members' day. By the Standing Orders, motions could only be taken on "Wednesday, but, in consequence of the large amount of work which had accumulated through the absence of Mr "Ward from colony this day was taken for Government work, and it was only on one or two occasions that private members' had an opportunity of getting their motions discussed. He declared that the Standing Orders had been violated and returns, which were necessary in the discussion of the financial position of the colony, had been refused. The Public Works Statement appeared no less than 123 days after the date opening of Parliament, and all that time members knew nothing about the position of the affairs of the colony. Seven months of the year was gone before the Statement was produced. It was then laid on the table of the House on the Monday evening at 7 o'clock ; the following day being a very busy one they had not had a .chance of perusing it. and were considerably taken aback when the Premier announced that the Government intended to go into Supply that evening on the Statement, without allowing members an opportunity of discussing the Statement or Estimates. The Premier had stated at his Hastings meeting that he (Sir Robert) had to attend a musical party and therefore had left the House in disgust, but as a matter of fact he was only absent from the House for a short time, and on returning he found that the Government were considering the Estimates without discussion. He consequently refused to return to his seat along with a number of other members. He said it was a most scandalous proceeding for a body of men to put Estimates through to the extent of some £700,000 without allowing time to members to discuss the same. He asked those present if they could call such a proceeding freedom of Parliament *? JUST GOVERNMENT. It was the duty of the Government to allow every man and woman a vote, but was it just that people should be persecuted for political color"? "Spoils to the Victors " was the policy being practised in New Zealand at the present time, and he described this political phase hi this colony as likely to rival that of some of the States of America. The Civil Service was closed except to those of the right color—overriding the purposes of the Civil Service Act, which provided that every person should have an equal chance at the examinations. It was only fair that those who were successful should receive the appointments to which they were justly entitled, but what did we find the present Government do'? In one instance, instead of No. 1 receiving the appointment that honor was conferred upon No. 76, simply because he was of the "right color." The Act had been evaded, and numbers had been placed on the list as " temporary cadets" and there allowed to remain. With regard to the

NEWSPAPERS throughout the colony the same system of of boycott existed, as shown by the amounts received for advertising by Ministerial and Opposition journals in a list quoted as follows : —Oamaru Mail (M), ,£'l26; North Otago Times (0), £69; Lyttelton Times (M), ,£450; Press (0), £S8B; "Wanganui Herald (M), .£lB5 ; "Wanganui Chronicle (O), £'.)■'>; Taranaki Herald (M), £'l3B ; Taranaki News (0), i£33; Napier Evening News (M). ,£135; Napier Telegraph (O), £76 ; New Zealand Times (Ml. £526 ; Evening Post (O), £250. He contended that this was bribery and corruption, and this was done irrespective of the circulation of the papers. It siinply meant because a paper was in opposition it was to be persecuted, which he declared was gross political corruption.

NEW LIBERALISM. Ho declared lie was a New Liberal, and recognised that the State would have to take more responsibilities than in the past, but if these were abused it was casting a shir upon political reformers. It was entirely contrary to the spirit of Liberalism that State money should be used for the purposes of corrupt government.

THE LAW HAD BEEN DISOBEYED on more occasions than one. The Public Accounts Act, relating to the quarterly returns, had been violated, and it was required that the resignation of any member should be transmitted to the Governor as soon as possible and that a writ should be issued forthwith. In the case of Mr EepTes this was not done, the Government waiting until a candidate was selected before tendering the same. Another instance would be sufficient to convince those present that the law was disregarded, and that was that there were eight Ministers of the Crown, while six were only provided for by Act of Parliament. FINANCE. Sir Robert then recapitulated the seizure of the Sinking Funds, and said he was prepared to submit his opinion against that of the Solicitor-General. He then described how these funds had been created, and was emphatic in his opinion that the law had been set at naught. It simply meant that the money raised for local bodies would ultimately became part of the public- debt, as the present Government was using it for the purpose of bolstering up 1 arge surpluses. Up to March, 1895, no less a sum than £'85,000 was due to the Local Bodies Sinking Fund.

NON-BORROWING had been the ticket on which the Seddon Government had got into power, but how did this fit in with the additions that had been made to the debt- of tlie colony by those in office. Although the Premier had said that an addition of only about £1,560,000 had been made to the public debt, he would direct their attention to the Legislative Council Journal, which was certified to by the Auditor-General, that the gross debt of the colony had been increased by £*2,281,624 during the period /' mentioned by the Premier. During the T past financial year the debt had been V added to to the extent of ,£'2,000.000. Of course, there was a difference between the net and the gross debt, but Mr Seddon was bound to quote the lowest amount. "With the various amounts sanctioned by the last Parliament, he estimated that the sum of £8,000,000 had been added to the debt of the colony, and this, too, by a lionborrowing Government. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. The idea of the late Mr Lallance was to utilise the money of the Post Office Savings Bank and the Public Trust Oltice, which now amounts to close on two millions, for this purpose; but this idea was abandoned by those who took up the reins, and the consequence was that the Government are now acting as collectors for absentee landlords. lie did not believe in this system of mortgaging at all. Some thirty-five years ago he advocated the practice of farmers leasing their land from the State, instead of paying cash for the same and leaving themselves without the wherewithal to stock their land. This system of advances to settlers had been tried in France, and had proved a failure, and he was under the impression that it would prove a failure here. THE RATE OF INTEREST

had not been affected by any action of those in power, but was dse to the plethora of money that was seeking investment in the Home market. He quoted numbers of instances in this and the other colonies to show that there had been a general fall in the rates of interest on mortgage. They might just as well say that the price of Consols had been affected by the passing of the Advances to Settlers Act. If they wanted to assist the farmers they should use the money accumulated in the colony instead of converting the Government into a collecting machine for English money-lenders. In connection with the borrowing of this money we had pledged ourselves for fifty years, whilst a great French economist says that it is wrong to borrow for more than ten or fifteen years. LAND SETTLEMENT. It was to be regretted, lie said, that the Lands for Settlement policy of the Government had not been successful; but he did not blame the Hon. John McKenzie for the present condition of things. He believed that largo estates should be cut up, and the people given a chance to settle on the land, but he had always objected to the provisions of the Act which made the acquiring Board a political one. His idea had always been that a judicial Board should have been set up. A great number of the properties had proved utter failures, and lie attributed this to the political element which had undermined the transactions. THE POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT was next touched upon. The position of the Premier in accepting a seat on the Assets Board was stigmatised as indefensible, while the action of lending his services to a Foreign company which intended to explore the quartz fields of New Zealand was nothing more nor less than a bribe. He submitted that the Seddon Government had proposed no

MEASURES OF REFORM, and whatever Bills had become law were the emanations of previous Governments, the present Government having no policy, but were catching any popular cry that was raised. IS CONCLUSION Sir Robert said it was necessary that, the electors should study themselves and their children at the next election by seeing that honest men were returned to Parliament, and who would be amenable to the law. A grave responsibility rested with the people, and unless they exercised their privilege in returning men of known integrity to legislate for them thoy would have a similar state of things existing here as in some States of America, where bribery and corruption go hand in hand. It was said that the world was watching the social reforms in Xew Zealand. Such being the case, they should be careful of the men they sent into Parliament. The speaker ended with a telling peroration on the duties of a Liberal. Sir Robert resumed his seat amid loud applause. Mr J. Bennett then ascended the platform and moved—" That this meeting accords a hearty vote of thanks to Sir It. Stout for his able address." Mr Goldsmith seconded the motion.

Mr T. Doney then made his way through the audience, amid much interruption, and mounting the stage proposed the following amendment—"That this meeting has every confidence in the present Government, and that the people of Hastings desire to have nothing to do with lawyer-professional-politicians." Mr Popplewell seconded the amendment.

On putting the amendment and motion to the meeting, Mr FitzKoy declared the vote of thanks carried, there being a large majority in favor.

CAPTAIN RUSSELL AT CHRIST- * CHURCH.

Captain Russell addressed a large meeting at Christchurcli last evening. Ho avowed that Ministers had not got a shred of policy, and had worked out every idea they had in oration. Therefore they had wanted the Opposition to bring down a policy in order that they might collar it. The Government had lived almost entirely on the frugality of previous Ministries, and would have to borrow openly, as they had been doing privately. They" had done nothing but humbug the people. He claimed that the Opposition wished nothing - for themselves. They had done a se!f-V* r sacrificing work in opposingthe sycophants and parasites who were now in office. The National Association were endeavoring to bring about purer adinistratiou and more self reliance amongthe people. He claimed that the Conservatives had introduced all the Liberal measures which had passed Parliament, including the ballot, manhood sufi'erage, and female franchise. He discredited the administration of the Minister of Lands and condemned the Premier for accepting a seat on an Anglo-German goldmining company. Ho concluded byexpressing his conviction that if selfreliance amongst the people had not been killed by Government interference the colony would be the most prosperous in Australasia. The speech was interrupted onco or twice, at one time with cheers for Secldon. A motion of thanks was declared carried as against an amendment in favor of the present administration.