THE ELECTIONS. MAJOR ATKINSON AT THE ODD FELLOWS' HALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3218, 4 September 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE ELECTIONS. MAJOR ATKINSON AT THE ODD FELLOWS' HALL.

Major Atkinson addressed tho electors of Egmonton Thursday evening, 28th August. The attendance was large ; there was also a large attendance of ladies in the gallery. Mr. Standisli was voted to the chair. Major Atkinson, who was verr warmly received, said : Mr. Chairman and Gentlomen, — (Criesof "And Ladies"). I was in doubt as to whether I ought to include the ladies, as I was to address a meeting of electors and ladies are not, unfortunately, yet electors. I am much gratified and honored by many of them being present on this occasion, and it was from no want of respect to them that I am not addressing them upon risiug; being one of those who look forward to the time when ladies will take by right a par*, in uuch meetings as this. I will therefore, with your permission, gladly include the ladies, and commence by saying, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen: I have had several opportunities lately of addressing the electors of the Egmont district at various points within the districts, and I have taken occasion to address those meetings from somewhat of a local point of view. To-night I wish to address you from a more general stand-point. The first question which I shall speak upon tonight — and I have no doubt many of you are ready to ask me the same question — is, how is it that at the time when the country is suffering from a monetary crisis both commercial and Governmental, and when a Maori war is imminent according to the Premier and Native Minister, the country is being plunged into the turmoil of a general cleci ton, instead of the Government being in a position to attend to the measures necessary to remove tho present unsatisfactory state of affairs. This is a very serious question, and I am unnble to answer it satisfactorily. But the Government have given a reason for it. Sir George Grey said the reason was that the late vote of the House of Representatives was not really against his mal-ad- j ministration, but against his liberal policy, ft policy which he was striving for, which the country ardently desired, and which a Conservative House would not pass, and therefore it was necessary to appeal to the country. That was a very lame excuse, indeed. If time allowed, I should very much like to examine Sir George Grey's lustory from the time he was a captain, or subaltern in the army in Ireland, when he first shed tears for the oppressed, to trace him as a despotic Governor of Crown Colonies, as a Superintendent elected by the people, and yet one who rode rough-shod pver all the* constitutional powers of his Council to the last degree, and of whom his Provincial Secretary, after many years knowledge of him', declared in the Provincial 'Cdttricil that for good or for evil, it was imto bind him ; he would go his own way despite overyone. I will, however, only ask yott to look to his action as Premier, to look at Sir' George Grey's professions and his notions, and seo''how far he is sincere with respect to the grand Liberal policy which he asserts that he and tho country are longing for,"a'hd which 'the 'House would hot pass, j Now 1 the gfarid Liberal programme for which Sir George Gtiey 1 'says he is contending consists, of manhood suffrage, triennial Parliaments', re-distribution of seats upon a population basis, a liberal, land law, and an income i*nd property tax. ( I propose to take each pno of those measures, and to show you that jt. is entirely owing to the acts of Sir George Grey that these measures are not now all on our Statute Book. Now, with regard* to ' universal suffrage. The Government last session introduced a Bill extending the franchise, giving two qualifications — a residential one, and a ratopay* ing one — each guarded by proper restrictions qs. to registration, &o. Sir Gerrgc Grey, in speaking, to this Bill, informed tho House tfyat it would extend the franchise to 70,000 people, who were tho pith and marrow of the Colony — not very complimentary to the pro- j sent electors, who may at any rate claim to have done something for the advancement of j tho Colony. That Bill was passed through all its stages in the Lower House, but before it was finally passed, the Government — wholi itwas in committee — introduced an amendment respecting the Maori franchise, which would have given the power to any Governmont to swamp eight or nine constituencies in the North Island by Maori votes. Had that become law this district would have been entirely at the mercy of the Grey Government. The Government showed every determination to carry this olause, and they succeeded by a majority of two in passing the Bill through the Lower House; but tho Legislative Council rejected the amendment, and restored tho bill to its original form, as introduced by tho Government. When the bill came back to the Lower House so amended, the Government refused to agree to the bill as amended by the Council, and it was~therefore withdrawn. In other words, the bill was pitched by Sir Geo. Grey into the waste paper basket. Seventy thousand persons — the pith and marrow of the Colony — were forgotten or disfranchised, because Sir G. Gr,ey< could riot obtain the power to swamp some obnoxious constituencies in tho North Island. Seventy thousand persons were permitted by Sir G. Grey to remain disfranchise.i, and therefore slaves, for thin reason and this rensbn alohe. If Sir G. Grey's object had really been to enfranchise tho people, and not to disfranchise certain Northern constituencies by swamping them with Maori votes, the bill would not havo been lost. Can nuyonoj after this, believe in Sir George Grey's sincerity, whon he tells us that ho longs to enfranchise these 70,000 serfs ? With regard to triennial Parliaments, a bill was introduced lost session by a supporter of Sir G. Grey's, Sir G, Grey might havo passod

it if he had made itT a Government measure, but, although he was begged to do so, he declined, and so the bill was lost by a meagre majority. With respect to the re-dis-tribution of seats. A resolution was introI duccd in the House that it was the duty of the Government to bring in a bill to that effect, but the Government decliucd to take any step in the matter. I now proceed to the question of a liberal land law. The present Act was framed by the late Government. It was drafted by Mr. Donald Reid, a thorongh friend of small holdings, and' carefully considered by myself. That bill had gone a considerable way through the Houso when we went out of office, and it was taken up by Sir George Grey. He found no fault with .the Act on account of its not being liberal enough ; if there had been any such fault to be found' in it this could have been altered by Sir George Grey introducing some clauses amending it in the right direction, and they would have received the hearty support of Mr. Reid, myself, and the late Ministry, as our one object in the bill was to make it as liberal as possible, compatible with honest settlement of small men. Sir George Grey did not do this. He only took objection to the clauses in the bill known as tke " Canterbury Clauses." And you may judge of his sincerity in this matter of the great wrong done to the people of small means, which he has made a cry through the length and breadth of the land, when I tell you, that he permitted his Treasurer, Mr. Larnach, to vote for these clauses, and so venial did he consider the aid of Mr. Larnach, that he not only continued him in office as Treasurer, but sent him home, giving hijn £200, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting Sir Julius Vogcl in floating the loans, when really Mr. Larnach was going home to float a large company on his own account. Sir George Grey has made absolutely no attempts to make the land laws of the Colony more liberal than those proposed by the late Ministry, although he has had ample, time and opportunity to do it. Then with regard to the income and property tax. The House, the session previous to my going out of office, passed a resolution declaring it to be the duty of the Government next session to introduce an act imposing a duty upon income and property, and relieve the necessaries oi life. This resolution was passed before Sir George Grey took office — before he made all those speeches asking the country to uphold him in imposing this tax. There was thus a majority in the Houso in favour of the tax; but what did we find the session after Sir George Grey took office ? Simply that he made no attempt whatever to introduce an income or property tax. He was quite satisfied with having talked about it during the recess, aud we have instanced the wrotched tax — than which no unfairer tax has ever been imposed in New Zealand— the Beer Bill and the Companies Bill. I should just like to say a word about the Land Tax. It seems to me it has been imposed by persons who, without thought, compare this country to the old feudal countries of Europe. In the old countries referred to, the land is all owned and occupied, but there we have twenty-six millions of acres belonging to the Government, about five millions of which arc classed as first-class agricultural land. Now the main object we have in colonization is the occupation and cultivation of the waste lands of the Crown. We are introducing immigrants into thia Colony at great expense, to settle upon and cultivate the land, and what do they find when they come ? — that the Government says to them, "if you go on land we shall tax you," exceptionally invest your money in any other way and it shall go free, but put it into land, of which we have 26,000,000 of acres for sale, and we will tax you exceptionally. Oan anything be more unfair and unreasonable ? The Beer Bill was rejected, and rightly so. When I was Treasurer, and required money, I considered the question whether it would, be advisable to put a tax on beer. 1 saw the collection would bo simple, and I gathered full information on the subject; but when I came to. considor the question in all its bearings, I rejected it at once, as I saw, if imposed it would be the commencement of an inland excise. To this lam very much opposed, considering it the duty of the Government to foster and protect local industries. I objected therefore on these grounds to the preamble, and voted against it, when it came beforo the House (applause). The Companies Bill also was really a tax upon small people, and consequently wo rejected that Bill also. Now you must bear in mind that the House had two Sessions boforo passed a resolution in favour of an income and property tax. Sir G. Grey had in the recess been bogging the people to help to impose one, and in the House there was certainly a 'two*thirds majority in favour of suoh a tax. Yet Sir G. Grey never attempted to imposo such a tax, introducing instoad those wretched bills, two of which were rejected. The Government had not the courage to stand or fall by these bills, although they stated thoy would do so when thoy were introduced : they preferred their scats to their honour. I have now reviewed the whole of the measures' which Sir G. Grey stated the country were longing for, and which the House would not pass ; ana you will see that it is entirely owing to the conduct of Sir G, Grey that they are not all now on the statute book. Therefore, wo are driven to the conclusion that Sir G, Grey does not really desire those measures to become, law, but that he only wished to have the credit of desiring them. He wishes for them on the hustings, not in Parliament. H6 wishes the country to believe that he is desirous of* thoso bills becoming law, and ho wishes to trade upon that credit. Having shown what reliance can be placed in the sincerity of the Government statements so far, I will now examine their promises and performances in financial matters in relation to public works and native affairs,

Sir George Grey, upon first taking his seat in the House, represented himself as a heavenborn financicr,'a finanoier of the first ordor. He told the House in one debate that he understood all about colonial accounts wlien I was in my cradlo, or in my early youth ; that this subject had been the study of his life; Ho said that £100,000 could be easily saved upon the departmental expenditure, and that £359,000 could bo taken off the duties on tho necessaries of life, the revenue being recouped by an income and property tax. All this, ho said, could bo done in half-and-hour by men fit to bo Ministers. We ought to retire into our room, and do it easily in that time— this in opposition. Now let mo show you what Sir George Grey has done in this direction sinco taking office two years ago. I shall take him at his own estimation as a heaven-born financier, and we shall see how he has performed all that he promised. Tho first thing that Sir Georgo Grey did when ho came into office wa3 to take the estimates which wo had prepared for tho general services for the year, and he stated (what was quite reasonable, although not from his point of view) that he wanted time to considor how ho was going to reduce the expenditure. He took our estimates, saying they were unsatisfactory and extravagant in the extreme, and pledged himself to greatly reduce them. Let us see how he has kept his word in this respect. For the nine departments of state — the Public department ; Law and Justice ; Postal and Telegraphic ; Customs ; Marine ; Native department ; Constabulary, Militia, and Volunteers ; Domains ; mid public buildings. Upon these nine departmects our proposed expenditure was £870,000. Sir George Grey said the sum could be reduced by £100,000 ; but when we came back next session we found that the actual expenditure was £877,000, or £7,000 more than wo had asked ; and that the estimates for the ensuing year were ££85,000 or £15,000 more than the estimates of the previous Government ; and although we could not get any Financial Statement from the Government this session, it was quite apparent, from tables produced by the Govern* ment, that the estimates had been exceeded. Sir George Grey, as Treasurer, was placed in a deplorable position — every one could see, from questions which I asked him, that he knew nothing whatever of tho Colonial accounts or of the expenditure — ho could not answer the most simple question. It is the first time that a Treasurer has figured in that position in the House, and I hope that it may be the last. From papers laid on the table I made out the expenditure upon tho nine departments above referred to, and found that it amounted, to £92(J,000, including liabilities, being an increase of £56,000, instead of a saving of £100,000, as promised by SirG. Grey. The expenditure of the Native Department alone was £60,000. This department was their speciality, and yet notwithstanding their promises, they increased the .native expenditure by over £20,000— not including defence. Both Sir George Grey and Mr. Shechan had promised greatly to reduce the expenditure of this department, and instead of that there was an increased expenditure of over £20,000. I have not the least doubt myself that when the returns are made of the whole of the native expenditure, it will be found to exceed the estimate by a still larger amount than I have named. When I asked.Sir George Grey whether he could inform the House as to the cost of the Native Deparinent, he sent for Mr. Shechan, and whon Mr. Sheehan came he said that the vote had been exceeded by £5,000 or £6,000. Mr. Sheehan was indignant that I should ask him how much the Native Department had cost. He said it was unfair, as he was not in a position to defend the expenditure, and it was therefore unreasonable to ask its amount. This was a now doctrine in constitutional Government, but the House laughed at its audacity, and voted the estimates. With regard to Sir George Grey's statement as to tho reduction of taxation on the necessaries of life, which could be easily made iv half-an« hour, I have already told you that he pro* posed to reduce taxation on tho necessaries of life by £359,000 at least, if not to the extent of £450,000. Now we found that after two years of office £1,20,000 has beon taken off, and that in such a way as nob to give an appreciable benefit to the pooror classes. You will thus see that tho quostion of reduction of taxation in this respect has not been grappled with. The Grey Government attempted to make peoplo be*, lievo that they were going to be relieved to a great extent. I ask, has relief been afforded ? have any of you received relief 1 Now, are wo not driven to the conclusion, eithor that Sir G. Grey is insincere in his financial pro* posals, or that ho is oulpably ignorant of a subject upon which he olaims a perfect knowledge? I will now call your attention to their general finance, for it is a question that affects us all. There is no doubt that through the mismanagement of the Government the couutiy has been brought into greater fiuaucial straits than it need have suffered had wo had competent raon at the head of affairs. First, I would like to say a few words with regard to the four million loan. You will lmve scon it stated by the Government and tho Government papers that the Opposition acted unpatriotically in reducing that loan to £2,500,000, and thereby causing much of the presont financial embarrassment of the Government. There ia not only no truth in these statements, but the exact opposite is the truth, namely, that in the smaller loan wo largely increased the spending power of the Government. It is well known that when a loan is once raised you cannot without risk! to your credit change tho purposo of that loan. Sir Georgo Grey askod tho House to grant him tho £4,000,000 for the following purposes : —He wanted a million-and-a-half for Public Works, £500,000 for Provincial liabilities, £300,000 to repay a debt of that amount duo by the Consolidated Fund to tho

Public Works account, £832,000 to redeem Treasury Bills, and £1,000,000 to meet the short-dated debentures issued under the Loan Act of 1870 — this, in all, amounts to more than £4,000,000, but £4,000,00 D was asked. The reply of the Opposition was " You don't require £1,000,000 to redeem the short-dated debentures of 1876, they can be better redeemed by an issue under the Act of 1876, or I under the Inscription of Stock Act." The Go vernment thereupon reduced the loan to £,3000,000, and subsequently raised the £4,000,000, as suggested. Wo then said you don't require £832,000 to take up Treasury Bills, they can be inscribed, or met under the Treasury Bills Extension Act ; as a matter of fact, those falling due have been so dealt with. You don't want £300,000 to repay tho Public Works account, that can be done by the Consolidated Fund, and, notwithstanding Sir G, Grey's protestation to the contrary, it was repaid, and there was a balance to the credit of the Consolidated Fund at tho end of the year, of £120,000. You don't want £500,000 for Provincial Liabilities, as £300,000 will be sufficient ; and, , as a matter of fact, £78,000 remained unexpended on the 30th June last out of tho £300,000 granted. Now you will see that out of the whole £4,000,000 only £1,500,000 was or could be applied to Public Works, This was all the Government asked, whereas in the reduced loan of £2,500,000, £2,200,000 was applicable to Public Works, and has been handed all over to that fund and most of it spent. So'inuch then for the statement that Publio Works have suffered through the reduction of the £4,000,000. Tho Opposition gave the Government £700,000 more for Public Works than Sir G. Grey asked for, and left him. other and better modes of raising the other money required ; as a matter of fact, £3,500,000 was put upon the market at one timo and subscribed for, and more than £500,000 has since , been raised for tho purposo named in tho £4,000,000 Loan,. The Government estimated in 1878 that at the end of the last financial year there would have been a small surplus, but it was founs about last Christmas that the Land Fund ho 4 greatly fallen off, and that it wonld bo impossible to carry on the Public Works expenditure as proposed. Parliament ought therefore to have been called together at an. early date. But instead of calling the Hous* together as soon as possiblo when they found themselves short of money and getting daily shorter, they put off the session to the last moment, apparently, knowing {.hat their fate was sealed directly Parliament met. Thus thoy sacrificed every consideration of the welfare of the country to their over selfish ends in ordor to cling to office as long as they could. Wheji Parliament met we found finance in this condition. The Government had spqnfc all thp loan money they had in .I^pndon ; the !Cplpnial payments were all " hung up, as many of you know to your cost ; and, m the v4#s\ of a commercial crisis— the most severe v^ have experienced since 1868— the jGbvernr ment had actually remitted from t;he Colony £317,000, to meet public works liabilities, , ifl. London. Then, instead of receiving holp in. these hard times from sources applicable tp Public Works we were actually remitting money to London, and for no other reason than that Government were afraid to meet Parliament. Any Government that would act thus is unworthy of the confidence of the country (cheers). So pressing were our liabilities that we had to consent to pass the £5.000,000 Loan Bill without proper discussion, iv order, to meet our eugagements in London. Wp had no timo given us for consideration, because if we delayed, the mail would have been lost| and our credit ruined in the London market ; therefore we were forced to either pass tho Bill without due consideration, or to run, the risk of bringing discredit upon the country by not meeting our engagements. I think the House did right in passing the Act, but there is no excuse for tho Government infringing the House into tho dilemma, ana that act alone should cause their immediate expulsion from office, The, prospepts !of tho coming year are not very bright. The total expenditure last year, including, liabilities, amounted to J. andjhq, tptaj.re; ceipts were £3,750,000.; so that tb,pre was.an, apparent deficiency of £100,000 ; |mfc (i thjkiiif reduceatyq by the balance whioU comes, tp,%j credit from the year before and by the assets, so that practically there ,was not a d.ieficiencs about which we heed bq ; uneasy— if we have the whole expenditure before qs. The ,land revenue fell o^ nearly £lpo,ooo from[ who,t $ had been estimated to yield, in addition pq c tho £700,000 which Mr.'Macandrewcxpecteft to get from it for Public Wqrks. The, prospects for tho present year .are i anything but satisfactory. Sir G. Grey e^timiate.s the receipts at £3,450,000, that is, spqJQwhorq, about £400,000 less than the actuaVexpepfU*; turc of last year, and this did not incluflp any interest on the five million Joan, which,' will amouut to, perhaps, £100,000 f. or th> year, so that we shall be obliged to imposQ, fresh taxation, I fear, to make, both emjs meet. The receipts from, the railways have, been very satisfactory, o.nd we have to congratulate ourselves on the prospects in this respect. The receipts, after deducting all' expenses, will pay at least 2£ per cent, on tho expenditure of £8,000,000, and thus le.aveonly one half the interest on this item to be paid 1 out of tho ordinary revenue, When we consider, the number of uncompleted lines which, bring in no return, our railways aro indeed in a very satisfactory state, and no doubt, when all the linos are completed, the receipts will tend greatly to relieve taxation, The public works scheme of Mr. Mac'andrew Was, supposed by some to be a new and grand ! sohciue, but there is little really new in it, excepting this — that it, was proposed to reserve lajid for lhq purpose of recoupiug their cost. This is go9d as tar as it ( goes, but means a diminution in th'o present land fund, and i 9, therefore, in conflict With tho financial 1 part of tho scheme, which has completely broken down. Now Igo to tho uativo