OPPOSITION PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13830, 18 February 1907, Page 6

OPPOSITION PARTY

SPEECH BY MR JIASSEY. THE LAND QUESTION. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. c (Pan Uhitid' Psisa Association.) I AUCKLAND, February 17. ; A complimentary garden party was tendered to Mr AV. F. llnssey, M.H.R., Leader of the Opposition, at Pukekobc on c Saturday by tlio Political Reform League. ' ( Despite the threatening weather thero was j a largo attendance, the number of people present Iwing dose upon 2500, including, a largo contingent from tho Auckland, Manakau, and AVaikato districts. The visitors from Auckland went out by special train. Mr Mnssey, in replying to an address of ; welcome, referred to the position taken up by the Opposition party last 6ession. He ; said that the Opposition had exercised an ' important influence for good on the Statute j Book. It was generally understood that , tlie (inly of llio Government was to lead ! Parliament, but tho present Opposiiion ■ on many occasions had U?<l the Government. As instances, ho referred to the advances to workers legislation, flic proper ■ audit of llio public accounts, and other ; matters. It was only the determined stand , taken up by the Opposition that had prevented tho .Government's obnoxious Land < Hill being forced upon (lie country last ' session. Had it not been for the Opposition's altitude the lands of the colony would have been " M'Nabbcd "—(laughter)— and successful settlement would have been rendered impossible. They had Jet tho ' Government understand that if they pro- , cccded with the Land Bill flio.y might make [preparation for eating their Christmas dinner in A\ : ellington. This prospect did ■ not appeal to tho Government, and they knew t.lio result. Ho held that a proposal which involved the nationalising of the 17,000,000 acres of leased and unleased Crown lands, and the making of it impossible for the tenants and their successors in all time to acquire the freehold, should not j be passed until the electors had been consulted.—(".Hear, hear.") That was the ' position tho Opposition had taken up, and they were prepared to adhere to it.— (Applause.) The vessel launched in Wellington last session with a blast of trumpets and beating of drums, and with the title "Land Bill, 1906 " painted in big letters across her bows, turned out to bo not a battleship, but a scow—(laughter),—and Admiral Ward and Lieutenant M'Nab showed that iiicy wore more inclined to cut and run than to advanoe to the attack. (Laughter.) The dictum that tile defeat sustained by the Opposition at last election would prove a crushing one had not been verified. The Opposition party, •or " the Moderates," if he might, use the expression, wove now niuc.li stronger in the country than they had been for tho last dozen years. This was proved by such a largo 'gathering that afternoon, in spile of the unpropitious \veatlicr. If they wanted another proof, they had it in the presence amongst them that day of Mr Lang, M.H.R.—(Applause.) In spite of the efforts of Ministers, who had come up to the Manakau electorate at the publio expanse, and the assistance of the whole following of leaseholders, land nationaliscrs, and single-taxers Mr Lang .had won the election.—(Applause.) That "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" was as true now as ever it was Those who. believed in the freehold should remember that tho other side was working quietly and silently, and working all the time. Tho people of the colony were simply being played with in connection with the Crown and Native land questions and publio expenditure, especially publio works expenditure, and appointments to tho Legislative Council.— ("Hoar, hear.") Referring to these appointments, he said that ho was no supporter of a system which allowed one man, or a set of men, to appoint legislators for the whole community. AVhilst, however, this system obtained it was the duty of the Government for the time being to recommend tho Governor to appoint tho men who were tli.s best fitted to occupy the position.—(" Hear, hear.") He would not. ' refer to any individual cases, but lie would say that men had been appointed to the Legislative Council who had not the slightest chance of being cleeted to the Lower House—men who had never been of the slightest use to their fellow-colonists, iV'ul who never would be. (A voice: "They arc of the right colour.") Yes,they were of the right, colour, it was true; hut they could l>e of no use to the colony during the seven years for which llie.v were entitled to draw £200 a-year and travelling expenses. Men had been appointed _to the Legislative Council who had vainly appealed time after time to the electors. It seemed to be a ease of " if you can't set ii by the golden gate, get over the garden wall."—(Laughter.) The present system of appoinlments, under which the power of appointment was used for party purposes, was a blot upon our democraov. The appointment of some of the men included in the last batch was nothing less than a positive affront to the electors.—(" Hear, hear.") He loped (hat the electors, assisted by the press, would help the Reform party :n Parliament in bringing about a state of affairs more in keeping with democratic principles. There was, ho was glad to say, still a strong party in tho country who believed in honest | government and in genuine democracy, and , who wera anxious to do tho be6t possible for the peoplo as a whole. ~ Speeches wore also made by Messrs [ Lang. Herrics, Bollard, and Mander, , M.H.R.'s, R. Monk, and J. Parr. | Mr Herrics, in the course of his speech, s said Hie time was coming when it, would : not be a question of AVard or Massev, but ' of a strong country party under the leaderi ship of Mr Masscy. At rbe conclusion of the speeches the 1 presentation of a handsome feather boa was '■ mado by the Ladies' Committee to Mrs 5 Masscy, as a mark of esteem and apprecia- " tion of lior husband's services.