Sir G-eorge Grey Dissected.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 655, 20 March 1879, Page 2

Sir G-eorge Grey Dissected.

[From the Dunedin Morning Herald.]

" A gross official outrage," " a fad, 1 ' 'humbug," "a job," " most Pecksniftian or jaunty manner," " stumping the country with promises," and " vindictive legislation*" Such is the classic \ocabulary that an ex-Superin-tendent of Canterbury employs in describing the conduct of the Ministry. Mr. Rolleston is not a brilliant man, but he is solid ; for him to be allured into the use of language so vulgar and contemptuous is proof of the strong sentiment of disgust that Sir George Grey and his colleagues have succeeded in creating and confirming in the mind of a sober statesman, who is no novice in public affairs. He has but one word in favour of the Government, that they are not to be held responsible for short clippings and bad harvests ; the decade of commercial cyles will come round whoever is in office ; though he more than hints that the pressure of hard times will not be lightened, but the contrary, by the policy advocated or adopted by the Premier and his friends.

Mr. Rolleston arraigns them before public opinion and impeaches them on every leading point of their action. There is but one question lie discusses that was not the parcel of the Ministerial programme ; this is Education. Like the voters in Auckland City West, he repudiates all denominationalism ; there he stops, and affirms that the least with which he will be satisfied is Mr. Bowen's compromise ; the Bible Association will therefore count upon his vote and influence in favour of their object. The Electoral Bill receives first attention ; Sir George Grey's vapid fluency, with which he deluged all the towns of the South, is shown to have been as thin as it was attractive. Seventy thousand voters dwindle into scores beneath his criticisms, and the Maori complication is made to show the glaring inconsistency of " the champions of humbug." The financial policy is analysed ; the reduction of customs is condemned — the working man gets nothing by it 5 the sacrifice of a hundred thousand — the interest on two millions — is too much to throw away, when six times as much has to be made up out of the uncertain and diminishing revenue of lands ; and the artizan's desire is not so much for less taxes as for plenty of work and good wages. The Land Tax is specially denounced by the member for Avon. He spots two noteworthy blots in it — the one, familiar to all, that it will not always pay for collection ; the other, less known, that in default, the owner of the freehold shall be liable ; but the Crown lands are taxed, so that in default the Crown must pay its own taxes. Perhaps the runholders will rarely be crushed to that extent. This absurdity illustrates the great carelessness with which Acts are being drawn. A Land Tax must come ; it must come in part by local rates relieving the central funds ; it m\ist come, further, through a more carefully considered measure than that now in force.

Mr. Rolleston does not believe in direct steam communication with England. He thinks it won't pay. He complains at such a proposal being brought in at the last hour of a session, and does not quite like the little experiment that is being made through the Union Company. He speaks so strongly, indeed, as to raise the ghost of a suspicion that another contract may be in the wind. We cannot believe it ; though past surprises and dodges make us readily imagine such a feat of highhandedness on the part of our most democratic rulers to be one of the possible things.

Mr. Rolleston expounds his own views of the country's policy with the reticence and restraint of an old Superintendent and practised hand. He is open to persuasion ; these views may be modified by discussion with better men. He sums them up in three propositions : Money should be spent by those who raise it ; money from the land should be returned to it in works and immigration ; no part should be fostered to the neglect of others. This programme makes no direct appeal to the selfish passions of a crowded audience. There is no ringing party-cry in these proposals equal to the " unearned increment " and "every man a voter," to excite popular applause. They point more to administration than legislation, and incline to the restful adage, ' ' What is best administered is best." Mr. Rolleston has spoken to but sixty persons at Papanui ; he has addressed the whole colony through them ; and the tone of his speech will encourage people to give " a quiet and steady attention to these matters."