NEWTON ELECTORATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8500, 26 February 1891, Page 6

NEWTON ELECTORATE.

SIR GEORGE GREY CONSENTS T STAND. < In accordance with > the arrangement mad at the meeting.on the . previous evening, deputation of Newton electors waited o Sir George Grey yesterday afternoon at tw o'clock at his home in the Avenue, Parnel The deputation assembled at the Victor) Arcade, and drove out in two cabs. Itcoi sisted of Messrs. S. C. Brown (Mayor < Newton), T. McMaster, J. King, J. Jenkii and J. Carrie. Messrs. T. English and J J. Ambury arrived at a subsequent stage < the proceedings. After the deputation had been intn I duced, Mr. Brown, who acted as spoke; man, explained the steps which had bee taken upon Mr. Goldie's resignation b< coming known. At a meeting of Mi Goldie's committee, held on Tuesday ever ing, that deputation had been appointed t wait on Sir George Grey, to ask him t consent to nomination for the Newton , sea in Parliament. The meeting had been ii no sense a meeting of gentlemen wh could bo called political supporters of Si George Grey, and it would therefore b gratifying to him to learn that the resolu tion appointing the deputation had beei carried, with only one dissentient voice. I Sir George Grey would consent to be nomi nated, the connection would reflect honoiv on the constituency, and it was though that in the present state of politics Si George Grey's presence in the Bouse woulc be of" great benefit to the country at large Men of all shades of political opinioi were agreed that ho had the welfare of New Zealand and its people at his heart He trusted Sir George Grey would see hi; way to accede to the request now made He concluded by congratulating Sir Georg< Rrey on his renewed physical vigour, anc by mentioning that it was at Mr. oldie'; suggestion they had waited on him. Mr. Mc Master said the members of Mr Goldie's late committee were all of opinioc that Sir George Grey was the proper mar in he present state of politics in New Zea [and to check abuses and prevent matters which would not be to the advantage ol :he colony. They did not as a constituency want anything personally. Their interests were the general interests of the colony, rouching on some points strongly supported oy the Ivewton electors, he said they were strongly in favour of retrenchment, they lisapproved of further borrowing, and the Treat bulk of the electors also advocated ocal option without compensation. Mr. Jexkix explained that both Mr. Withy and Mr. Goldie had been in favour jf local option. Sir George Grey said he should think it in honour to represent Newton, and he -bought it specially an honour when he iieard that the electors of Newton did not lesire their own interests, bub the interests 3f the whole colony. That was a noble sentiment. Hitherto there had been in many places a great effort to obtain a large shareof public expenditure, and nothing could be more cheering than such an expression of apinion which had been given that day, that the Newton electors looked to the general good, and not to their own interest's. He thought that would make him serve them with a pleasure and satisfaction he could hardly express. He felt it was just possible that he might not be ible to attend in Parliament in all weather, tie might not be able to get there at night, and if returned they would save to extend to him that indulgence. If anything of importance occurred, he would always be present, but when there was nothing of great importance he would prefer to preserve his health for future exertions. If from any unfortunate circumstance he had another relapse, he would ake care to give his constituents ample yarning, so that before Parliament met they vould have time to choose and elect another nember. lie would have to make these wo conditions in reply to the proposal they sad honoured him with. Regarding the joints which had been mentioned, he did lot think there had been any stronger advocate of reduction of public expenditure ,han himself. He bad worked always with Mr. Withy and Mr. Goldie upon these joints, and he might say tkat in working .vith Mr. Goldie he found him a most thoroughly energetic and sincere man on that particular subject. He could nob help adHiring his consistency in this matter ; and t was the same with Mr. Withy. With regard to local option, he had always seen an advocate of that principle, He had always struggled for it, and le did not believe temperance had had i greater advocate than he had been or many many years. .... On the ques,ion of compensation he was only in favour if that if the people themselves desired it. Supposing at any time the people of Newon thought that in any particular case :ompensation was required, he would not oppose it. He never stood in the way of benefit ailing to his fellow men, and he would :arry out the views of his * constituents cn he matter. As regards the amalgamation if public offices he had always been in avour of that measure. He had invariably laid that this was the only way that reactions could be made in this country, ?ormerly, when they had provincial institutions, the civil service had been very much imaller. At this stage Messrs. Ambury and English, who had been unavoidably delayed, )ut in an appearance, and apologised for iheir late arrival. Sir George Grey briefly repeated the dews to which he had already given expression, and, continuing the subject of the imalgamation of offices, declared his •pinion that the expenditure could be greatly reduced by this means. He was :ntirely with them on this , point. As regards no further borrowing, he was of >pinion that it was impossible in modern .imes for a nation to advance without a :erbain amount of borrowing. England had ■isen to her present pitch of greatness in hat way, and every great city in England; 0 his certain knowledge, had risen to preiminence through borrowing. wisely. Take he case of Liverpool. That city had be:ome what it was from loans judiciously nvested, and now a large amount was being sorrowed to construct a port at Mancheser. What was called the public works ystem here had been begun 15 years before ,t the Cape by himself, and the very argunents used here had been used by him to ustify that policy at the Cape. But when le left the Cape its debt could not have been nore than half a million. He understood he term in a very different sense to the way b was understood here. In a new counry like. New Zealand or the Cape leople when they first arrived found , waste, producing nothing. They went n creating farms and visible wealth, nd ultimately they found that they had reated an invisible wealth as well as a isible wealth. The invisible wealth was he public credit, and he believed that the üblic credit wisely used enabled them to dvance to a condition of greater stability ban they otherwise could do. It seemed d him wise that the existing people should ot be called on to pay in five or six years normous sums of. money to £ret some work one, and that the people who would follow ■» say 40 or 50 years should pay for some hare of the enormous advantages they ot from the money laid out by others, fe thought ib was impossible for them to xke up the position that there should never e any further borrowing, but he agreed liat we had borrowed too much, and could ot afford to borrow any iurther till we 'ere in a better position than at present, le thought that for four or five, or six or jven sessions, there should be no need for lrbhcr borrowing, but he should not like ) think that New Zealand was never to or row again. These were bis feelings on lat point. The public credit wisely used r as a very necessary and advantageous ling, but they might rely upon it that he ould assent to no further/ borrowing till ley had brought about a different state of [fairs to what at present existed. Mr. Ambury thought this was exactly hat they wanted. Till the finances were loroughly sound there should be no furler borrowing. Sir George Grey : That I perfectly agree i. Continuing on, he said that there was wise system of public works, and there as a reckless one. He could nob help feelig that what was done at the Cape whs ie wise one. They first constructed a great irbour, which had been most successful, hey had thus the means of import and ;porfc. They then began about 30 years jo to construct railways slowly, and he id heard the other day that they had now tmething like 2000 miles of railways conducted right into the interior ; and this id been done without burdening the >lony"in any unnecessary way. At the ape they went on the principle of first mnecting the chief towns, and he thought)

that if they had here gone on connecfcin Auckland and Taranaki it would have bee better. If; the good country be twee 0, Taranaki-and Auckland had been opene up ; with a J railway five or .six years age e Auckland and Taranaki would be in a " totally different position to what they wer now. .. . n 1 Mr. Brown, on behalf of the deputation *> thanked Sir George Grey for his courteou 1. reception. He understood that he accept© a the nomination. i- Sir Gf.orok Grey : Oh, certainly, jf Mr. Brown said it only remained for bin i, to wish - Sir George Grey a pleasant anc 5. speedy voyage to Sydney and safe return. »f A nomination paper, with She date lef blank, signed by Messrs. Brown am ). Ambury, was then produced and signed bi 5- Sir George Grey, after which the deputa n tion withdrew. •