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Observer, Volume 2, Issue 36, 21 May 1881, Page 385

"Y\ hen Sir George Grey announced on Monday evening that lie had evolved from his inner consciousness a new and most important plan for augmenting the home influence of the Colony, and that he wished the great scheme to he first known in Auckland (hurricanes of applause), people stood on tiptoe with expectation, and you might have heard a pin drop. When, however, the truth leaked out there was quite an anti-climax. This great design, this almighty regenerative project, turned out to be what ? — why, nothing but a proposal to the effect that the House of Representatives should discuss all great questions agitating the British Empire, table an opinion thereon, and forward that opinion to the House of Commons in the form of a resolution. An absurd cr proposition was never put before a public meeting. It will not bear even an instant \s thought. "Why, if the proposal means anything it means that the affairs of the Colony (which we pay our members to look after) are to be shelved, and that the Assembly is to be turned into a. gigantic discussion class to debate questions of imperial importance, on many of which the members would be wholly incompetent even to form an opinion. Let us take the Coercion Bill for instance? AVhat do the members of the House of Representatives know about that? Arc there any of them frish or English landlords ? and how many are there who have studied "Griffith's valuation," or know what it means? Why, the very idea is absurd, and Sir George Grey must be in his dotage to gravely propose such a scheme.