POST-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1467, 4 June 1879, Page 2

POST -SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

MB. W. A. MUREAY AT MILTON. Dtjnedijt, June 3. Mr W. A. Murray. M.H.K., for Bruce, addressed his constituents at St. George's Hal , M lton, lant evening, ibout 50 persons were present, and Mr R. R. June*, tho Mayor of Milton, occupied the chair. At the conclusion of the address a vote of confidence m Mr Murray wus {proposed and carried unanimously. Mr Murray condemned the present land tax, and advocated a property tax lie also condemned the Companies, and Beer taxes, and the remission of sugar duties ; the Maori clause m the Electoral Bill ; and the recent appointment to the Legislative Council. He was opposed ts Triennial Parliaments, but thought members should be compelled to reaigu when proper requisitions were sent, from their constituents to the Speaker. The Government had not carried out their promise to bring m a Drainage Bill. On the Education question be asked would they like their children taught religion by the Attorney-General, who was once a schoolmaster m Otago ? But without the schoolmaster teaching religion, God's Word need not be excluded by Statute from the schools of the colony. The recognised teachers of religion should have the right, and also all persons nutho:iß'd by Ihe Committees, to use the school b'.ii dingx, uml-r fair and reasonable ■ egulutions, to i>u\>nl moral and religious instruction to the youth. The school teacher should not be interdicted by law from repeating the Lord's Prayer, or on approved unsectiirian • form 1 'of prayer, asking God's blessing on the great and noble work m which he was about to engage,, and m 'siifiuristian innd God's Word should not, by law, bo a piosoribed book. Ho disagreed with any syßtem of immigration which only brought out men from Kuglnnd because they were poor und neglected. They should bring out capital as well as labor, tie would support special settlements which would induce farmers, with sone capital, to come out hero, paying for land m scrip at a fair interest. Regarding the loan, be said Sir Julius Vogel's policy only made railway construction a means to get hold of loans, and expend them for political purposes. A competent authority hud assured him that m addition to what was wasted of the loans m that manner, £2,000,000 was thrown away m bud construction and purchases of quantities of iron rails, now lying unueed on the reclaimed land m Wellington, whilst the present Government were buying steel rails m England at £4 10s per ton. Still it was gratifying to know that the Otago and Canterbury lines paid interest on the cost of their construction. He condemned the native policy of the Government. ______^_^^___