UNKNWON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5372, 4 February 1879, Page 2

UNKNWON.

VERCARGILL. IJf * [per " HERAJ' D ' SPECIAL WI P . E _ LsvsncJsoiu, Saturday (he Hon. Messrs. Stout Ba! liDceam by the express from Duaed.li this afte,^ 61 The Hon. Attorney-General ada." ea 3ed a u"" meeting in Ramsay's Hall. The *e large attendance. Mr. Stoat said h , h JS readily consented to address a m „ ' in Invercargill, because he thought connected with politics should" -rU the people as often a3 po 3d itl e referred to the strut-ele "bet®. Abolitionists and Provincial',fa 611 said after this question had bp posed of it was felt there i. d "' be two distinct political parties T? n)4 parties were in existence everywhere necessity of the case demanded it wiT e I the abolition question was disDo«,) • 11 was felt that refortn was necessarv rl !t were many who thought some reform e gramme should be sketched ont Pro " one had been sketched out by th» p"" 1 Government. That Government thl l e} in the Erst place, that people i* 1 be properly represented, and th ß l i , conceived the scheme of electoral rif 14 They had brought in a bill that would about reforms in this matter. Last Government attempted to get two »il 7 e bills carried which would have condition of the people. Thev lo«t- «. and he would tell them why the Govern™l lost the Electoral Bills. He main poinia of the Electoral Bill ti, e there was the registration of 'nn-S electors. The Government did not 4e A men should not be able to reeister\f J time The point that led to the dropping the bill was the Maori franchise. The nat? at present had equal rights with EuroDM^ 3 in addition to a special right theui. They were justified m havine BMO 3 privileges. The natives were taucht tW they could get disputes adjusted thronrt Parliament, and not by the sword Som had proposed that the llanris shouid haw the right to elect members of Parlj, ment and other rights swept away Tin Government, however, had found it was im possible to introduce the Re-distribution of Seats Bill, and therefore they proposed that the Maoris should have tLe freehold qualification. In putting that in the bill they took away some of their riehts. so that Maoris were shorn of .several ptivi leges that they had enjoyed in the past The Council, many of whom disliked the bill entirely, struck . ut some of it 3 points, anj when it was returned to the House, the' Government said they could not accept It The Government then proposed a conference. He then referred in detail to matters bronght up at the conference, and argued that the Government had done thair best. He de. clared the Council were stubborn on the matter. Had they adopted the Electoral Bill, they would have deprived the natives of a right to which they were fully entitled. He then spoke of the treatment of thj

I natives by the Atkinson Government. Electoral reform, he considered, was only a means to an end. He therefore did not place electoral reform in the firat rank, but thought it was the stepping-stone to higho ; measures. He hoped that next session the Government would be able to accoraplish something in electoral reform and also that tliey would carry a Bribery Bill. This bill proposed to make it an offenca if there were all the cabbing aud drinkiog expenses attendant upon an election, as at present. There, was the lie-distribution of S-ats BiiJ, too, and he hoped this would met with favour in the House next session. We would now allude to other reforms they considered necessary. The system of public works had greatly enhanced the value of land, and he considered the laud should bear its proportion in the expense of the colony. He then referred at leugth to the question of 4< unearned increment." The Government thought the landowners shonld contribute to the revenue, and they proposed a laud tax to bring this about?. They did not wish to tax improvements. It was better that the improvements shoold go. The exemption clauses of the bill were much fought against. The Government found the exempting system was carried out in other countries, and argued that it would work equally well here. Uouservatives wished to have improvements taxed, but that was unfair; yet the Government were denounced strongly for what was called an 4 'intquitable sj stem of taxation." Some Conservatives urged they should have an income tax ; but he submitted this would not answer. The Government had, to some extent, to defer to the cry to taxation all round, aud they embodied the Joint Stock Companies B.IJ, because these companies had certain advantages over private individuals and private enterprise. Id rethis question, their opponents said they were putting a tax on industry. A tax that had met with much disfavour was that proposed by the Beer Duty Bill, : and after referring to that, he said two questions had already been coming up—the laud question and the education question. Luckily they had not a Srate religion. The State should uot teach religion. He ahould like to know what religion they were to teach ? The State should have nothing to do with religion, and should not interfere with the religious belief of the people. The Government should confine its eadeavours to giving a really sound secular education. Touching the land question, he saidchafc in times gone by if a man had died in rtevv Zealand having a few thousand pouuds worth of property, it would go to hi 3 eldest son -a most in;quitou3 principle. Now, the Government argued this money should be equally divided. He thought the aim of all .New Zealanders should be to settle the country with small holding?. No country couid progress satisfactorily uules3 T^ v,s dune. .fcL* thought the aim of all New Zealanders should be to envour to settle the country with small holdings. No country could progress satisfactorily unless this were done. He believed this country would never be really prosperous uutil some reforms were made in tuis direction. Other reforms were necessary. Then they must have some alterations in the constitution of the Legislative Council. They were awara the members of that Council were nominated for life. This system, he thought, should not be tolerated. He desired, also, that there should be elective Governor ; and he wou d like to know why the people should not have the to elect their hea i ? He denied that to elect the Governor shewed a feeling of disloyalty to the Queen. fle looked upon the question from its educational advantages, and believed that were Governors made elective it would greatly help the political education of the people. He then referred to social and other reforms the Government had endeavoured to set before the people, a?.d referred in eulogistic terms to tho bold proposal mrvde by the Minister of Public Work?. The works it was proposed to execute would be of immense advantage, and he considered a gro33 blunder was committed in not allowing the Government to borrow over £4,000,000. He then touched upon the forms of local government. In his opinion the Counties should unite to execute large works themselves. The method of dealing with native land 3 shonld be altered. Speculators had raised the cry of * ( free trade"' in connection with the native lands. This would not answer. It meant that big blocks of land would be Secured, and the country would at that rate nevt*r be settled. The Government shouW* he thought, have power to buy up land, or else tho man with small capital would not have an equal chance with speculators, j The lion, gentleman, in conclusion, appeal to the people of New Zealand to look to the future, and not to be contented with the wrongs they had been subjected to in the past, so that this colony would be free from the abuses of other land?. Mr. Sfcont sadown amidst loud and prolonged applause. Mr. Kinross then moved, '* That this rneetiug thank Mr. Stout for his address, and considers it the duty of every colonist to support Sir George Grey's potic}'." The motion was carried amidst much applaud and Mr. Stout, having returned thanks, the proceedings terminated.