Supplement to the "Taranaki Herald," Sept. 4 1879.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3218, 4 September 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

Supplement to the " Taranaki Herald," Sept. 4 1879.

question, which, of course, is a most important one to us, and I wish to point out to you what was the position of affairs when Sir George Grey took office. In the Session of 1869 the House decided (and, I think, foolishly) to leave off fighting. At that time we had beaten the Maoris everywhere, but had, . not really conquered them, and, consequently, by leaving off fighting them, the fruits of our victory were _ lost. The House decided that the future policy was to be " flour and sugar" —(laughter)— that fighting was to cease, that public works were to be pushed on, immigrants introduced, apd the Maoris incidentally subdued by the weight of the European population, and that policy was faithfully carried out till 1877, when Sir George Grey took office. The policy worked very well, ondfor the seven years that the socalled continuous Ministry were in office it was a success. Under it the district has enjoyed many years of great prosperity, although we have had much to put up with from the Maoris. When Sir George Grey assumed office the position was this. But first let me tell you that ever since 1870 the one great object which the Government has had in view in native matters has been the settling of the Waikato and our West Coast difficulties. Many is the consultation Sir Donald McLean and I have had over this business ! At last it was c etermined to survey the "Waimato Plains, and it was decided to begin upon a block of land of some 70,000 acres, lying at the back of Hawera. This was in t^e same position as the Plains, having been confiscated but not occupied. Major Brown was directed to survey this block. He was also instructed to tell the natives who held it that he would begin the survey of. the Waimate Plains directly he had finished this block. Through careful management Major Brown succeeded in surveying for sale the whole of the land fit for settlement in this block, and it was sold, As you remember, this block was not surveyed without difficulties or opposition, but surveyed it was and taken possession of. When this survey was complete, thie surveyors were under orders to go on with the Plains. Arrangements had all been made', and the time fixed for beginning the work, when we went out of office, and Sir d. Grey assumed the reins of power. After we went out of office one of the first acts of the new Government was to direct Major Brown not to proceed with the survey. This was an unfortunate step, for it raised false hopes and expectations in the native mind, Which have been the cause of terrible trouble to us since. But in order to understand this correctly, let me explain Sir G. Grey's and Mr. Sheehan's position with regard to the natives. Mr. Sheehan had for years belonged to what was known in Hawke's Bay as the Repudiation Office. He had been engaged for years as the advocate for the natives ; he was looked upon as their Pakcha, and naturally the natives thought when he went into office that he would stand on their side as against the whito man in all questions between the faces. The natives look upon him as a man who would take up their side on every question. Sir George Grey had also represented himself for years past as the one friend of the natives, and the natives undoubtedly believed that in tho installation to office of Mr. Sheehan and Sir deorge Grey, that their time had come at last ; that their confiscated land would be returned to them > and that they were once more to become the dominant lace. Thus it was that the natives were highly pleased nt the accession to office of Sir George Grey, and when his first act was to stop the survey of the Waimate Plains you can easily understand what expectation would be raised in the native mind. You may recollect when I met you here after the session in which Sir George Grey took office, t declined to go into the native question, but I stated upon that occasion that I hoped that the stopping of the surveys would not be a serious matter. I was afraid to say more than this for fear of embarrassing the Government, although 1 thought very seriously of it. It was, I think, a great surprise to the natives when Sir George Grey determined to go on with the surveys, and it was evident from that day* that they meant mischief. They would hot meet the Commissioner or the surveyors to settle the question of reserves, referring everything to To Whiti, and we know the result. 1 say the Government were greatly to blame in beginning the survey when they were not prepared to carry it out. It was the duty of the Government to first place themselves in a position to carry out what they had determined upon doing. They had not the least notion of the importanco of the dtep they took. They seriously compromised matters by stopping the survey in the first instance after the natives had notice it would begin at a certain time, for matters were going on smoothly up to the time they took office j and, finally, Mr. Shcchan brought matters to a conclusion by that unfortunate visit to Parihaka, when he was grossly insulted by Te Whiti. He was called a murderer, a thief, and other insulting epithets, and immediately afterwards, as though to mark Te Whiti's contempt for the Government, the surveyors were turned off tho Plains, and then, as if not conteut with this humiliation, the Government advertised the land for sale both here and in Australia, and almost directly without any reason withdrovy it from sale. No man, with any pretensions to statesmanship, would have acted iv this way, but Mr. Sheehan, to console his wounded self-love by what seemed vigorous action, appears to have entirely lost his head. Wo will now look at the state of affairs in the Waikato. With regard to Rewi, tho late Government had been on friendly terms, and in communication with him for two years before they went out of office, but Sir Donald MoLean never endeavoured to separate Rewi from his people. He knew that the moment Rewi came out as a Government man, his influence with tho natives would be greatly weakened, if uot lost,

Thereforo he never attempted to humour or tease him. But when the Grey Government came into office, they were going to do in a day what it took Sir Donald McLean years to accomplish, going to do great things. Sir Georgo Grey and Mr. Shcchan appear to have thought that they wore cleverer men at diplomacy than Rewi. (Applause.) They forced themselves upon him at the Waitara meeting. Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan announced that Rewi had at that meeting consented to give the land for the purpose of a railway .from here to Auckland. You remember the banquet when Mr. Sheehan made a statement to that effect, I believe, in Rewi's presence. Now you will perhaps be astonished to learn that Sir George Grey at the Waitara meeting never so much as mentioned the subject to Rewi. Mr. Hobbs, M.H.R., son of the missionary,and then astrong supporter of Sir Georgo Grey's, who understands the Maori language well, determined to attend the Kopua meeting to hear what wf»s going on. He had a conversation with Rewi, and in course of the conversation he found out that Sir Georg^ Grey had never spoke about land for the Auckland-Taranaki railway to Rewi at the Waitara meeting. Mr. Hobbs went to Sir Georgo Grey and said, Rewi says you never mentioned the question of his giving land for a railway at the Waitara meeting, and Sii George Grey confessed that he had not, but that somebody else had, but that H somebody else " has never been found. It is quite certain that Sir George Grey never once mentioned the railway to Rewi, notwithstanding the statements dn the House and in the Governor's speech. Nor is that all, for the present position of the negotiations according to the Government is this— that the only proposals made by Rewi are that if the Government will consent to certain stipulations, namely, that no native land court shall sit, or any dealing with land take place within Rewi's territory for twelve months, Rewi will then, at the end of a year, tell the Government what he is prepared to do. (Applause.) This looks very hopeful for our Auckland railway, and yet this is all that Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan have accomplished after two years' negotiations with Rewi. Let mo tell you further that there is no evidence of a real difference between Rewi and the King — they arc as great friends as ever. Rewi is working in the interests of the Maoris, not in the interests of either Sir G. Grey or the Europeans— and who can blame him 1 This is the state of affairs to which Sir George Grey has brought us after being two years in power. This is the fruit that his policy has borne, and yet, ladies and gentlemen, this is the man who is now passing before the country as the heaven-born financial legislator, as the great apostle of liberalism, and Native Minister, and as the one friend of the working man (applause.) All I have to say is I pity the working-man who has only got him for a friend (renewed cheers), and if they will take my advice they will trust to no such broken reed to lean upon in the future. He will fail them as he has failed every man who trusted him in the course of his life. (A Voice : He has got plenty of money.) Yes, but how does he use it, and what good does he do with it ? I have been obliged to go into these matters because the real question before the country is whether Sir George Grey is arbitrarily to rule New Zealand, or whether we are to be governed constitutionally by the House of Representatives. I shall now proceed to stkte the measures which I shall advocate, supposing you do me the honor of ajrain returning me to Parliament. In finance I should support economy in administration, and should further taxation be necessary, as is clearly the case, shall support an income and property tax, and repeal the land tax. In public works, 1 shall support their vigorous prosecution. There is sufficient money now to complete in a short time the connecting lines between here and Fox ton. I shall do my best, on grounds of public policy, 'to push that most important work forward as rapidly as possible. In native matters, I shall support no Government that is not prepared to proceed at once with the surveying and occupation of the Waimate Plains. (Cheers). I shall support no Government which is not prepared to show Te Whiti, by such measures as may be necessary, that the Queen rules in these parts, and not Te Whiti. I think that ample reserves should be made for the natives ; that we should prosecute public works from Stony River to Waingongoro, so as to open the Plains for sale and settlement in small holdings, as soon as possible ; and that we should not rest satisfied until the Queen's writ runs as freely amongst the natives on this coast as it docs amongst us. With regard to. Parliamentary reforms, I shall support the Act passed last session, which oxtends the franchise to all persons who have resided twelve months in the Colony, and to all ratepayers. I shall not do so under the belief that it will enfranchise 70,000 persons not now possessing the qualification, for I have quite satisfied myself that there is not more than from five to ten per cent, of adult males in Now Zealand who could not, if they took the trouble, be placed on the electoral roll under the present franchise. I shall support the bill because it will bring our theory and practice into harmony. With respect to triennial Parliaments, I do not think they will tend to true Liberalism in the country. Ido not think they will give the electors greater control over the representatives. I believe they would be found to give greater power to such men who could afford to contest the elections frequently. To such men frequent contests will be nothing, but poor men will feel them a good deal. I am persuaded if the Triennial Parliaments Bill is passed, it will not have the effect some people imagine. Were we in the position of the old country, I should strongly advocate shorter Parliaments. There the members are separate from their constituencies — Court and class influence is brought to bear upon them, and their interests frequently arc uot identi-

cal with tho interests of their constituencies. But this is not so here — the membera in our Parliament are selected from tho people they live and work amongst, and their interests are identical. I cannot therefore see any advantage to be gained by triennial Parliaments, but if it is the desire of the country I shall be prepared to give them a fair trial. But it would be because the country desires it, aud not because it was according to my own judgment. On the subject of immigration I have to state that I am iv favour of its continuance under proper restrictions. I look upon it as being absolutely necessary to our progress as a Colony. Our public works scheme must fail if we do not go on introducing people into tho Colony. There is no doubt we should get into serious financial difficulties unless our population increased rapidly. In every country of which we have had experience, so long as immigration and settlement continued that country always prospers. It is when the population of a Colony does not increase that it is not in a prosperous state. I am not an advocato for low wages. I think with Mr. Brassey that cheap labour like" cheap goods— is cheap, nasty, and unprofitable, and therefore if I believe that immigration would reduce wages I would not desire it, but I believe by that means only can wages be kept up. Some years ago when this question was raised, it was represented that if the public works were not going on our men would be starving. I found that out of some 27,000 male statute adults introduced under the public works scheme, only between 3000 and 4000 were employed on the public works, the remainder being employed by the ordinary employers. This must convince you that the country was then in a healthy state, and that it was not the public works that really finds /employment for immigrants, and there is no doubt but that the proportion holds good to this day. The real work of the settlement of the country is going on, and that gives employment for nil. The land is also being taken up and satisfactorily settled upon in nearly the same proportion in respect to the population as before free immigration began, so that from these facts it is quite clear that the immigration scheme is a great success from every point of view, and must be continued. I think I have spoken upon all tho subjects on which I intended to address you to night. I need only add that I hope and believe that upon the re-assembling of Parliament the trickey and incompetent Government will be at once turned out of office, and if, as I think will be the case, earnest and comperent men our put in their places, and some such scheme as I have advocated is adopted iii connection with the native difficulty, there will be an immediate flow of prosperity into this place, such as some of us have only dreamed of. With our harbour works progressing, with the Waimate being opened and settled, and with the settlement of the native difficulty iv our district^ we shall sec Taranaki in reality what it has long been called — the Garden of New Zealand.

After several questions had been asked, and satisfactorily answered, it was moved, and unanimously carried, " That this meeting thanks Major Atkinson for his address, arid has every confidence in him as a representative for the Egmout District in the General Assembly."

A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.