PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3331, 1 June 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

MR BRYCE AT WAVERLY. (By Telegraph.) Patea, May 31.. Mr Bryce addressed a well-attended meeting of his constituents last night at Waverly. He said when he last addressed them he was a Minister of the Crown, but now he was a member of Her Majesty's Opposition. Thoy would remember on the House meeting after the last General Election, the Atkinson Government resigned without waiting for a vote. Mr Thomson, m his address at Otago, had taken occasion to state that the fact of their resigning without bringing a motion before the House, was proof that they ought to have resigned the previous session. He held that it did not follow, because they resigned after the election, that they were tod weak the previous session, as on their resignation, what present was substantially the Government, took office, but were defeated by a larger majority than any previous Ministry ever had, and yet practically it was the same Government as was now m office, Mr Thomson, who moved the resolution, tried to form a Government, but failed ; Sir George Grey also failed. Major Atkinson formed a Government, which was defeated by a majority of eight, and then Mr Stout formed a Government. The present Government took means to secure their tenancy. They loudly declared that dreadful disclosures were going to be made, and those were of so important a nature that nothing but physical force should remove them from the Government benches j but when the disclosures were made they turned out to be all moonihin©. For their further leeurity they

introduced what they called "poliuy bills — the District Railways Bill, the Eaat and West Coast Railway Construction Bill, and the Woatport and Greymouth Harbor Bills, m which tho direct interest of Members or of Members' friends was appealed to, and gave the House to understand that the Bills must stand or fnll as a whole. Tho result was that if you were interested m one you must vote for the lot or imperil the ono m •which you wore interested. Such a huge piece of logrolling was never known m the colony before, and that was saying a great deal. These policy Bills really formed the work of the session. The District Kailways Bill authorised the lease or purchase of district railways which had been formed by large speculating companies. They were formed to enhance tho value of tho property through which thoy passed, but as going concerns they were found not to pay. Now that tho companies' objects had been attained, they camo to the Government and said — "Take over the lines." The lines might have been taken over, but it should bo on terms favorable to the colony. At present it was understood that their value was to be taken not as the cost, but as the cost with the arrears of rates super-added. These Companies had to get a vote of the ratepayers, but tho shareholders were almost the same, and it did not add to one's comfort to find that Sir Julius Yogel was a shareholder and Chairman of Directors of one of these Companies, and Mr Stout was solicitor. Ho would not say thero was anything corrupt, but it did not add to one's comfort to find that the necessary power to arrange on behalf of tho colony with these companies would rest with these members of the Government. The Bill was rejected m the Upper House, but tho Government were so anxious to get it passed that they really re-embodied the Bill m Bomo resolutions, and asked the House to pass these, and the House did so. Many disliked the Bill, but did not vote againßt it for fear of throwing out others. They wanted the East and West Coast Railway Construction Bill proposed to form a large Company to make this line. It was strange Government, who professed to be anxious to conserve the lands of the Crown, should be prepared to grant a million to a million and a half acres to a syndicate. He took exception to the statement that the land was bad and rocky. It contained valuable coalfields, and would tap valuable minerals. The Bill also had a provision if tho land m the vicinity were not sufficient to pay half the cost of construction land Bhould be taken elsewhere. Such a policy, he held, was bad m principle, not to be tolorated for a moment, but m addition thero was a provision that the Government would take over the railway when completed, and give tho Company 35 per cent of the gross earnings without regard to whether the railway would pay or not. He contended that a Minister who would advocate such a thing had not the interest of the colony at heart. In addition to these policy bills the present Government wus to put straight the finance. They said it was terribly wrong, and must be put straight. The way m which this was proposed to be done had been explained by Mr Thomson. Tho following authorities had been taken for borrowing : — Fov the North Island Trunk Railway, £1,000,000 j loan of 1884, £1,500,000 ; loan to the extent of the accrued sinking fund, £2,792,808 j loan to tho extent of the sinking fund this year, £244,000. In addition to these direct loans, authority had been for an indirect borrowing power as follows : —For the Westport Harbor.gSOO.OOO; guaranteed debentures, £158,000; Otago Harbor Board, £750,000, bringing the total amount of borrowing authorised m one session to £9,436,808 (sic) — all except the million for tho North Island Bailway, authorised last session. The philosopher's stone, which wa« to save the colony £244,000 a year, turned out to be seizing the sinking fund. On old loans we were bound to pay the sinking fund each year out of revenue, but to save the colony paying this Sir Julius Yogel borrowed on debentures for the revenuo, . and added the debentures to the debt of tho colony. This was done to restore " confidence." Sir Julius Togel argued that the higher tho transfer value of land the better. That was not the settlers' view, that land was worth what you can make out of it, and no more, and that so soon as you go beyond this you get a fictitious value and an unsound position. Debentures had been issued to the amount of £247,700, for the purpose of raising money for the Consolidated Fund m order to pay the Sinking Fund. This was to enable the colony to "advance by leaps and bounds," as Yogel promised. When Mr Stout went to Dunedin, it was expected he would explain tho local government schemo, but he made a very weak speech, "and norer mentioned local government. This surprised everybody, and Sir Juliuß Yogel was sent for, and told them a great deal about local government. He described tho present form, with very minor- alterations, and called it a new measure. The whole colony was waiting to see how he proposed to give the local bodies an assured income. When described it was found to be not very assured as it consisted of subsidies on a sliding scale which must be voted by the Assembly if and when it liked. Tho new system was worse than the present and would end m complete disappointment. Tho Premier was horrified at £200,000 being spent m roads, but if it was proposed to repeal the Roads and Bridges Act the Government would be acting m sympathy with the settlers. It was Baid that power was to be given to native Committees to deal with tho title of land. It was the merest folly to deal with native land before tbe title was determined, and it was a grievous wrong to the colony to go on with the central railway route with no prospect of a definite settlement, largely increasing the value of land for the native owners who were liable to taxation. Ho (Mr Bryce) was a North Island man, but ho said most emphatically that not a sod ought to have been turned till a satisfactory title to tho land through which tho line passed had been obtained. He now came to a subject he would like to have passed over — the present irritation on the West Coast. He did not attach much, importance to it, if it were firmly dealt with. He would simply enforce the" law with the natives as with Europeans, and if this were firmly and fairly done no harm would accrue. No amount of palaver could take the place of enforcing the law. He would touch briefly on finances, but would not bother them with figures. He was sorry he could not take so hopeful a view as did Major Atkinson. He observed a greater tendency m the men of to-day to fly financial kites than to dig. colonial potatoes, and unless that disposition took a turn for the better he could not help feeling that this colony was m a serious position. If prosperity were to bo secured, a different plan must be adopted than that which was being pursued by tbe present Government. It had lived foolishly on exciting expectations T.hich could not be realised, and it would die politically of tho disappointed hopes it had created. A vote of confidence was carried unanimously.