Mr A. McDonald at Tauranga.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 875, 28 August 1879, Page 2

Mr A. McDonald at Tauranga.

♦ On Saturday evening a meeting of the electors was held in the Temperance Hall to hear an address by Mr. Allan McDonald. The Hall was densely crowded; Mr. J. T. Gellibrand was called to the chair. Mr. Allan McDonald, on coming forward, received an enthusiastic ovation. He said :—Gentlemen, I am extremely sorry to have to oppose Captain Morris on the present occasion. If Captain Morris had remained on the same side as when he entered Parliament, I should not be here to-night (applause). The Opposition have behaved badly to this district — the largest in New Zealand ; they have denied us our rights — they have prevented us from having two membsrs, as we ought. About four year* ago, Mr. Kelly brought in a bill to remedy this. Sir Donald McLean telegraphed to Captiain Bead that if we would pledge ourselves to return Mr. Moorehouse we would get a new member, but we would not, . and the bill was thrown out. Then the present Goverement asked the Opposition to allow them to pass a Representation Bill (hear, hear), but they would not allow it, the result being that we will have to remain as we are for five years should the Opposition party succeed, but only for three years should we succeed, as - 1 anticipate we will (oherrs), because we are going in for triennial Parliaments (hear, hear). Accounts from all parts of the country, south and north, show that the Opposition candidates are nowhere (hear, hear, and applause). At Wanganui the other day, Sir Win, Fox addressed a meeting of five hundred people, and only forty hands were held up in his favour, and at Waitemata Mr. McFarlane met with a similar reception (cheers). He knew the House did not represent tho people nor the country, and when the new Parliament meets you will find the present Ministry will have a large majority. When I came to the North Island eight years ago, I went to Napier and applied at the Waste Lands Office there for land, but could not get five hundred acres in one block in the island. I did not belong to the clique, and of course my application conld "not be attended to (laughter), though there have been a million acres sold since (laughter). It was the same way in Poverty Bay. You could not buy an acre except through Captain Bead. I came here some years ago, and tried to get some land about here, but it was all locked xip (hear, hear). On making enquiry, I was told it was locked up by a man named Clarke, Sir Donald McLean's right-hand-man. That was eight years ago, and I was here several times since, and it is locked up still (hear, hear). Whose fault wfts that ? Who was in power then? The Opposition have been in power twelve years, and it was they locked up the land. Who else did it, for they were in power? They had the handling of £20,000,000. Did we get anything? Not a shilling. Before Parliament dissolved, the Government wanted the Representation Bill passed, so that the new Parliament should be elected on that basis, but the Opposition would not allow it. They knew very well the feeling of the country was againdt them (cheers). Nature has done a great deal for the East Coast — in no part of New Zealand is there such land as on the East Coast. You have a splendid harbour here — far better than we have at Poverty Bay. Now, whose fault is it that large emigrant vessels — such as the Lady Jocelyn — are not allowed to come dircet here, instead of having to bring the passengers to Auckland ? There is no reason why everything should have to come round from Auckland to this. You have a splended harboxir (hear, hear), and it should be made a port of entry for imigrant vessels as well as Auckland. That's a matter I'll see about if you select me as your representative (applause). If you do not look out, and get a line of railway made from this to trie Lakes, railway communication will be opened between the Lakes and the other side, and then all the Lake traffic will be diverted into another channel. I should like to see all the land vested in local bodies, and not in Waste Lands Boards (cheers). To give you an illustration of the mismanagement of this body :— The Waste Lands Board put up Patutahi lands at £20 an acre. There was no bid, and then .they put it up at

£10 and acre, and still there was no bid. Why not put it up at £1 an acre, and let it go at at its value 1 (applause). I should like to see the land vested in local bodies who could do what they liked with it— cut it up into small sections, and get it speedily settled (cheers). Now, there is no doubt the North Island has not got its fair share of the public money (hear, hear)- Who is to blame for that I— Mr. Ormond, as the Minister of Public Works. I find 890 miles of railway opeued up in the' Middle Island, at the cost of £6,000,000, and only 330 in the North Island, at a cost of £2,000,000. That is not fair play (cheers). The Opposition say they approve of the measures of the present Government, but not of the men (laughter). With the exception of about a couple of years, the Opposition was twelve years in power. Why, during that time, did not they bring in liberal measures 1 (hear, hear). No, they did not, but they see the country is in favour of the present Government and its policy, and hence they say — We'll accept the measures it proposes, but we do not believe in the way it manages (laughter). That is too transparent not to, be seen through (hear, hear)." Then, a word as to this honorarium, business (laughter). Look at the disinterestedness of these gentlemen ! (laughter). The members who were only three or four week* in Wellington this session, and though the Opposition, with their majority of fourteen, could easily have carried a measure reducing the honorarium, .they did not think fit fro do so (laughter). No ; they pocketed all they could, and would have taken as much, more if they could have got it (renewed laughter). Mr. Sheehan, Mr. Whitaker, and Mr. Stotit brought in a bill to appoint three judges to settle all questions to titles on the East Coast. When that measure was introduced Mr. Ormond, and Sir William Fox showed such an obstructive spirit that the Government withdrew it, and the result is that several titles here and in Poverty Bay are left in uncertaintly (hear, hear). I Bhonld like to see a judge appointed to sit here and settle titles to land in dispute to natives, Europeans, and the Government (hear, hear). Until that is done very grave . injustice ■ will be suffered by many (hear, hear). Until these, matters are settled <by arbitration the [titles .will never be certain. A man named Robert Cooper has been buying^ great blocks, and as the title is unsettled, the. Government cannot get at the land, and he is not allowed to do anything with it— it is lying waste: There are three ways of settling the native question any of which might be adopted — first, give the natives a crown grant ; secondly, let the Government hold a preemptive right over the land ; thirdly, let the Govern* ment sell the land by public auction for the natives, and hand over the proceeds to the native owners, after deducting the expense of sale and survey (hear, hear). Being a Scotchman my feelings are in favour of denominationalism, but the country is too young for that yet. (Hear, hear.) We cannot have half a dozen schools in every small town, otherwise I should certainly go in for denominationalism. I should be sorry to see the question stirred up in the House until the country ■is ripe for it.; ; • . • '