SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 13

SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Chhistohokoh, May 18th. This evening Sir George Gray addressed a public meeting of the electors of Chnatchutch in the Odd- Fellows' Hall, which was crowded to overflowing. The gallery bad been sat apart for ladies, and was well filled* On Sir Gsorge Grey appearing on the platform, he was greeted with a burst of tremendous cheering. Tho chair was taken by Dr Tumbull, president of the Liberal Reform Association, who briefly introduced Sir George. . Sir George Grey, who was again enthusiastically cheertd, said be was still their ropro sentative, although another person bad been put in his place by a method which was adead.y stab at the liberties of the people of New Zealand -(Hear, tu,&r.) He had been ousted as the representative of Chrifetchurch contrary to all precedent, aud contrary to law and the decision of iudgea. By tho decision oftheHou* the votes of 1300 of the electors of ChmfccburHj had been thrown away. (Choera. ) He pledge d himself that every session he would move tlut that vote which deprived electors of Christch nrch of their just rights should be expunged from tho journals of the House.-(Oheerß. I It waa bis duty to do this m order to defend the rights of the electors of New Zealand which had been outraged in the persona of the electors otChn.Gchurch. H#hen alluded to tho allied expose of private telpgrams, which had been made by the present Premier in order to damage hs Predecessors in office. Every letter ana teleSam be had received helefs in his office ana therefore, for the present Tremier to sond a*d search the telegraph office was sm unwarranted actmerelyto damage those who.hadi weeded him in office.-(Cbeera, and cries of "That is Johnny Hall.") He denied that l,e was a stump orator, but bis object was to instruct his fellow men, to address large assemblages, to teach them how to rule, and for ths purpose he did not go to any m obscure village under the pretence of addressing his con-Btftuents-(cheerß)-but he met large assem-SSS-10W) They were all working men There were only two classes-one fisting o those who, flnrrounded by parasites, did all they could to benefit themselves and their followers • and the other class waa the people whom he Twas'endeavouring to educate to teach them what were their rights. AKarnst the former he was at war, because he beheved it was for the cood of the commonwealth that such men Should not enrich themselves and their parasites at the public expense. -(Cheers .) With regard to the Auckland compact, which had been eigned by the Premier, he characterised it as iniquitous, and one which would not bear the " light. He could assure Them that the Auckland people re jeot* d with ecorn the bribe thai had been held out to them. He contended that it wan £c bounden duty of those in power to openly proclaim what they intended to do, and he would venture to say .that never except in New Zealand, would it be found that the Premier went away .to an obscure village in order to proclaim the intention of the Govern-ment.-(Oheers aud laughter.) .He did not approve of such a course, preferring to live in the affections of the people by being open and known to all, and therefore be had been called a stump orator. He gave up office because he would not consent to a moßt disgraceful series of jobs, Buch as voting L 4,000,000 for railways to benefit private persons He would net agree to this, neither would he agree to certain & jobs, and therefore he lost votes, preferring to remain with dean hands rather than remain as Premier to the disgrace of himself and his constituents. He defended the course he had adopted in advocating the nomination of the Governor by the people for appointment by the Queen, rather than that the nomination Bhould be in the hands of thTsecretary of State. So far from such a rnfiftsure having a tendency to weaken the bonds betweeTthe Colonies and the Mother Country, it would tend to strengthen them. He believed that they would see that he asked for nothing improper in that reject. With reeard to federation, he contended that the federation they ought to eeek was the federation of all English-speaking communities in the world. That, if earned out, would put a stop to wars, and unite those communities in one common bond, very different from that minor federation which had for its object the assembling of a federal parlia ment in Groat Britain from which laws would Ssue-a scheme which he believed to beim. practicable. Alluding to the necessity of economising the expenditure, be contended that a very considerable saving might be effected with regard to the honorariums paid i&egislative Councillors. He would refer 'mSIi Tsore subject of taxation-one on which he felt particularly sore, because he had been accu8 P edofhaviDgthroughh«lavishexpenditure brought about this. When he took office he had no money to spend, and when he got money it was spent in useful public works, not ouch works as were recommended by tho gentleman who had been put in his place, viz., to spend hundreds of thousands in the erection of forts to beat off the Euesians— an utterly useless expenditure, which he opposed because heknew that there would be no war. The necessity for taxation arose from the vast auino that had been given to individuals whese lands had been benefited by the construction of railways, to pay for which those lauds ought to have been taxed— (cheers)— but instead of vrhich they had been paid for out of tho public purae.— (Hear ) A number of these gentlemen had be»n placed in the Legislative Council, whilst others had been returned to the Housd of Representatives by small constituencies— so small that they mignt almost be termed pocketboroughs. Those people, with great meanneaa, Bhrank from bearing the burdens of the State themselves, and endeavoured, by means of customs duties, to throw them upon the poorer cbsseß rather than lax the laud. Kel o; - ring to the property tox, ho characterised it as most unjußt, despite the feeler which was being thrown out, and which was to the eftect that the properly tax should only be enforced for one year, acd that .after that cubtoms duties were to be increased rather tban that the land should be taxed. He did not believe the people would submit to that. -(Cheers, and cries of " No, no. ) What he advocated was an increased land tax and an Income tax, bo tb&t taxation might fall oa the

rich as v/eU as tho poor. Rather than tax tie land, the3u men would slop education for fiba next four or fivo years, in n, aiwilav manner as had been done in England for ficmefciire Tb^y would ko.»p back Via jioopla from b-in^ cd<\ catacl. He and hf« friir,.<(h were detr-imin<,'i \fcr.fc every child iv Neiv ZoaUjxo' b'jc-uM heve m chtmce, and be 'uka i Uiera to stamp ou' every attempt to dnprivo tho ehikkau of Ih<* )ilfs«r.£< <■{ education.— (Oncers.) -tie co.i tended that the in'-ti'uticn'i J^r higher education thnuM lv< common to tvn\y young him in Now ZuiiJand who was woitby lo recrive if;. The cardinal points cf those now iv power v/ere io take taxes from \hv land suid tax tho n'C-'HP.'iri^t <-i lite, and fui'thor, t>iry would stunt the kea of lrno-.vlor! ( >o ; but the people would not allow llmfc.— (Cheers.) Then, too, they talked of etoppiutf the subsidies, instead of giving the pubstantial endowments promised by tho Treasurer when be advocated doing away with the provinces. Instead of rtoing tbia, they would take away their charitable aid and their hospital?, for they would not help tb.9 aickjand the suffering, the aged and theindisent. They might save in education by doiDg away with education boards, and allowiug the school rominiltees to correspond direct v;ith the Minister of Education, ar.d also by helping teachers to be economical and to provide for their old age. He denounced tho jobbery which was going on at present wuh regard to the Native landu, and that with the connivance of the Government. Such a system ought; at once to be put a stop to. The lands ought to be kept from greedy speculators — laud 3 which belonged to the whole people of New Zealand. God made the land for men, intending thab they should live upon it, and not that it phould be Heized upon by a few, and then be -let out under restrictions, ao that those who occupied it shouli be held under thrall by thoto who had got the land. W«ro they to bsve repeated hero what had t»Ven plac-i iv Ennlaud and Scotland, where 16 people held two thirds of tho country, and the rest were regarded aa serlß ? He argued that they ought to insist that the Premier, when ho addressed the vnsi concourse of people whom he was to speak to on Thursday night, should solemuly pledge himaelf that 'the Nativo lands— tho public lands —should not he allowed to p%ss into the hand-i of ppficulators, but should be opon to the public. Si>: George then alluded to the various commisaions which had been roamiiog over the country, and said that he alao hunted tbiit they would znako Ministers leßponsinle within the limils of tho lasv, and not; allow them to break tho law and then shield themselves by means of an Act of Indemnity. Such a state of things must be put an end to at once.— (Cheers.) Referring to the subject of dealing with Native lund-i, ho xneutioned that his mouth had been shut in CoTnmittee > because he wished to expo.se the manner in which those lands were being dealt with. He then proceeded to relate the steps which he had takun to prevent 1 plural voting, by means of which the votes of the residents in a district were swamped by outsiders. If he was to represent them again— (tremendous cheering, and cries of " Yes, you are")— he would do all in his power to put a stop to that system of plural voting.— (Renewed cheering.) In conclusion he would state that it was their boundon duty to see that the public lands of the Colony were not tampered with by speculators. They should do that, and also take care to see that every individual had his rights preserved, so that the rights of these single individuals might, as the rights of the whole, be sacredly preserved.— (Cheers. ) He finally concluded by announcing his determination to persevere iv the course he had taken until his life's end.— (Loud and prolonged cheering.) A resolution waa proposed by Mr Andrews, M.H.R., expressing regret at the circumstances which had deprived them of the services of Sir George Grey, their thanks for his addreaf), their renewed confidence, and that they still regarded him as their representative. This was carried unanimously, amid loud applause. Sir George having returned thanks, a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and a brief speech by Mr Montgomery, member for Akaroa, terminated the proceedings.