MONDAY, AUGUST 22. SIR GEORGE GREY'S ADDRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 17

MONDAY, AUGUST 22. SIR GEORGE GREY'S ADDRESS.

There was a great crowd in the spacious Columbia skating rink to-night, when Sir George Grey received the birthday address from the people of Wellington. The Speaker of the House, the Hon. R. Seddon, the Hon. W. Rolleston, and other members of Parliament were present on the platform, a carpeted dais in the centre of the hall. Sir George, who spoke for 40 minutes, recognised that politics had to be excluded from such a speech, but yet succeeded in making some neat allusions on behalf of elective Governors and the single Chamber system. He told the story of the New Zealand constitution, drawn up by himself at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, whither he had gone, accompanied by a few Natives, to be free of all disturbing influences while engaged in that work. At the close of his address there was an enthusiastic scene, the audience rising and cheering vigorously. The address, which was beautifully illuminated and enclosed in a massive gilt frame, expressed the sentiments of over 3000 personS. MrH. D. Bell (mayor of the city) presided. There was a very large attendance of the public, and on the platform were many members of both Houses of the Legislature, including the Hons. R. J. Seddou, W. J. Steward, and \V. Rolleston, and representatives of local bodies.

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT,

Au experiment in co-operative fruit-growing is about to bo made by a Wellington association, and the Government arc promising to give the idea every possible encouragement. A bill has been prepared to give legislative sanction to the experiment, whirh will be on the following lines : — The Wellington Fruitgrowing Association to obtain from the Government a lease in perpetuity of a block of land known as Ngarara East, containing 8729 acres, and situated about 30 miles up the Manawatu railway line. The rental to be at the rate of 4 per cent, on the capital value, which is estimated at L 10.129. Tho association to undertake to have half of the block settled within

four years, in sections ranging from 10 to 300 acres each. The object of the association is to grow and export fruit on co-operative principles. The proposal has been heartily taken up. This experiment might well be extended to other districts of the colony, and probably the bill will be framed so as to apply to any similar association desiring to take up Crown lands.

JOTTINGS.

The Native Land Court Bill is being printed in Maori for distribution among the Natives.

Members now amuse themselves on "off nights" with a new form of spelling bee, in which each person contributes a letter until the word is complete. The loser stauds drinks for the crowd.

Mr Ormond, while the Council was considoring the Dunedin Ocean Beach Public Domain Bill on Friday, suggested that there should be a fixed proportion in tho voting required to sanction all local borrowing. That was the third time this session the Council had had to deal with the subject, aud this want of uniformity in the proportions was exceedingly uudesirable. Other members agreed with this view. Mr Reynolds strongly ur^ed that in regard to all local borrowing bills tho Government should as a matter of course institute careful preliminary inquiries. In the published report of the discussion on the Electoral Bill, Mr Moore is made to appear as having moved that seamen, shearers, and commercial travellers should be deprived of an elector's right. This is an error. The real effect of what he did move was to invest every qualified elector with .the privilege of voting nnder an elector's right. Mr Moore's amendment, in fact, went iv tho opposite directiou from that stated.