POST-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1476, 14 June 1879, Page 2

POST-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

THE HOST. E. KIOHABDSON AT CHRISTOHURCH. (By Telegraph.) OnaisTonußCH, June 13. The Hon. E. Richardson, C.M.G., one of the members for the City of Christchurch m the House of Representatives, addreseed a meeting of bis constituents this evening m the Oddfellows' Hall. The attendance was but thin. The Mayor of Chrietchurch took Die cbair. The Hon. E. Richardson said that he had invited his constituents to meet him thut night m accordance with a custom which he adopted since they had elected him. When he last addressed them it whs immediately after the Premier's tour through the colony, and when he made certain promises whiob, had they heen carried out, would have benefited New Zealand, and for all time. He (Mr Richardson) went to Wellington determined to endeavor to support the Government m carrying out Ihoso promises ; but when he got there tie soon found that the Ministry wera to disunited as to I heir opinions on various measures, that it was exceedingly difficult for independent members to know what the Government really intended to do. With regard to the Electoral Bill, he thought its beßt features were the exclusion of the miners' frnnchise, and the extension of the franchiao to those who were not householders. Its other good features were the allowing of registration at any time m the year, and also the allowing of written nominations; but the Bill had failed m providing for tint most important question — the redistribution of seats. He was of opinion that Mr Stevens had understated the effect of the Maori dual vote, whioh he (Mr Richardson) believed would, if /carried into effect, have enabled the Government, with their enormous influence with the Maoris, to swamp cloven, constituencies m tho North Island. He muoh preferred Mr Wbittaker's Bill, and he trusted that means would be taken to secure the representation of minori:ties. He would support a Bill which would extend the franchise; but before that was done he should certainly m ht on a re-dis-tribution of seats. As to the question of taxation, he disapproved of the reduction of the duty on ten and sugar, as he believed that it vw tlss u.erchants and the largo employers of labor who were benefited, and not the actual consumers. It would have been far better to have left the duty on BUgar untouched, and to have taken it wholly off tea. He objected to a land tax, and was iv favor of a general property tax up to a certain point. He thought it very hard to tax a mortgager for his land, whilst the mortgagee was to be allowed to co Bcot free. He said that it would be unfair to tax land now upon a valuation made m January last, when property Jwas at its highest valoe ; and he knew that the tax now would be felt to be oppressive. He was, however, m fevor of a tax upon unimproved land, and that was the only laud tax he would support. He : opposed the Companies

Bill, and would do no agiiu, for it would have been most unfair m its operation. Be also oppoied th<; Beer Tax because it was the beginning of an excise duty, and, moreover, it would have pressed upon the consumers, and not upon those who, iti his opinion, were able to pay it— he meaot the brewers. He ••< as still m favor of secular, as opposed to denominational education. There was a question which hod excited a greit deal of interest last ce a sion — he alluded to direct itom emmunioation wit'i Great Britain. He beli-ved 1 hat the Government intended to ask for a subsidy of £80,000 o year, which he thought would be laying too much for a few steamers to cutne direct to -N'eiv Zealand. He believed that the Government had made a great mistake m giving their advertisements only to partial papers, and as to the special wire question he thought that although it was desirable to s. read news as much as possible, jet the public had bpen placed at a disadvantage by means of these special wires. He believed that, there would be an organised Opposition during the upproaching session — an Opposition not necessarily to turn out the Government, but as a check upon them. With regard to public works, it was plain that m order to carry them out they must have a new loan, and if the money was to be judiciously spent upon reproductive works, he would certainly go m for borrowing liberally. Mr Richardson then read a comparative statement compiled from the statistirs of Victoria and New Zealand, and paid that, seeing the enoi'inous resources of New Zealand, he did not think they could do better than borrow a further loan, provided that the money was spent on reproductive works. He criticised Mr Mncandrow's proposals for the construction of milways, the credit of which, he contended, belonged not to Mr Macandrew, but to Sir Julius Yogel. He strongly condemned the action of the Government with regard to the Tapanui Railway, which he felt it to be his duty to bring before the House last ecßsion. Tho Government had not taken warning by fiat, but had since then involved the country m the expense of constructing the Thames and Waikalo Railway, which had never beon before Parliament ut oil, and consequently that work had been begun without consulting Parliament, and this matter he intended to bring before the House next session. He wob of opinion that the Railwuys Construction Bill would have to bo much modified, because it went back to the old plan of leading the people to expect the Government to o'o everything, and that, therefore, they should do nothing to help themselves. He was of opinion that considerable reform might be effected m the administration of railways by means of which very considerable increase might be made m their earnings, and this, he believed, might be brought about by slightly lowering the rates of traffic m certain districts — lake, forinstnnce, the district of Timaru as an example. He complained that as yet the Government had not given enunciation to their proposals ror tho comiogsession. Itwastruetliat Sir George Grey and Mr Stout, had spoken, but there was not much definite information m their utterances. Sir Georgo Grey had promised to introduce a Rnform Bill and a 8.1 l for the establishment of triennial Parliaments. The first of these ho would support, provided there was a re-distribution of seats, and the latter would certainly have hit support. Ab to the proposed Licensing Bill, he certainly would not support nny Bill which gave power to close publichouses without compensation, and he believed that if temperance reformers moderated their demands, and would consent to giva compensation to publichouse-keepers, they would get nearly all they asked for. lie advocated steps being taken to put a stop to the sale of intoxicating drinks, and he thought that a great distinction should be drawn between respectable hotels and mere drinking shops, where adulterated liquors were vended, and the same remarks would apply to the bottlo licences. Then us to the defence of the colony j it was true that the Government had procured guns from England, but they had taken no steps to place them m position, and the colony was as defenceless now as ever it was. He now came to the native question, and he must say that native affairs were m a very critical state. Still he hoped that if the large force now m Taranaki was retained, it would be put upon some public work bo that the public, as was the case m 1873, might receive some benefit from the expenditure of money upon that force. Mr Richardson then reviewed the native policy of the Government, which, he contended, was at tho bottom of the present difficulty, for although they were warned of the effect, yet when they came into office, the first thing they did was to stop the survey of the Waimata Plains, and when that survey was recommenced, the difficulty arose. Then too, the Government had pandered to those natives who bad always been opposed to them, and neglected their friends. Before he concluded, ho wished to state that ho was not, nor had he ever been, as had been attempted to be insinuated, an obstructionist. On the contrary, he had always endeavored to promote tho interests not only of his constituents, but of the colony at large, and this he should always endeavor to do. (Applause.)