THE HON. R. STOUT AT INVERCARGILL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3376, 3 February 1879, Page 3

THE HON. R. STOUT AT INVERCARGILL.

[special.]

INYEECABGHJE/, Feb. 1

The Hons. Messrs Stout and 5 Ballance arrived by the express from Dunedin this afternoon. A crowd had assembled' on the platform previous to the arrival of the train, but there were no demonstrative proceedings. The visitors were simply welcomed by his Worship the Mayor, Mr Feldwick,. M.H.R., and a few prominent citizens, accompanied by whom they walked to the Albion Hotel, where they are staying.

In the evening, the Hon. the AttorneyGeneral addressed a large meeting in SamBay's Hall. There was a large attendance in the lower part of the building, the gallery, which was reserved for ladies, waa not, however, well patronised. With Mr Stout on the platform were several leading members of the local Beform Aesociation.

Mr Joseph Schneidbb wa3 called to the chair.

The Hon. E. Stottt said he had readily consented to address a meeting at Invercargill, because he thought that those connected with politics Bhould address the people as often as possible. He thought they should glance at the past as well as at the future. He then referred to the struggle between Abolitionists and Provincialists, and said that after this question was disposed of it was felt that there should be two distinct political parties. These parties were in existence everywhere ; the necessity of the case demanded it. No two men looked at anything from the same point of view. Men were differently constituted. When the Abolition question was disposed of, it was felt reform was necessary. What did they come to the Colony for ? They had come hoping there would be a better social life in this country than in the one they had left, better government, and better laws. There were many who thought some reform programme should be sketched out, and one had been sketched out by the Grey Government. That Government thought, in the first place, people should be properly represented, and they had conceived the scheme of electoral reform. They had brought in a Bill that would bring about reforms in thia matter. Last session the Government attempted to get two Electoral Bills carried, which would have bettered the condition of the people. They lost them, and he would tell them why the Government lost the Electoral Bill. They were aware that in this Colony there were various systems of franchise. In their Bill they extended the franchise in two important respects. One of these was manhood franchise. It was right there should be universal suffrage. They should not re-organise leaseholders or householders in preference to others. In addition to this the Bill gave ladies who had property a right to vote. They thought women were entitled to have a vote in the election of members of Parliament. These were the main points of the Bill. Then there was the registration of qualified electors. The Government did not see why men should not be able to register at any time. The point that led to the dropping of the Bill was the Maori franchise. The Natives at present; had an equal right with Europeans. In addition to the special right enjoyed by them, they were justified in having a special privilege. The Natives thought that they could get disputes adjusted through Parliament, and not by the sword. Some had proposed that Maoris should have the right to elect members of Parliament and have all others swept away. The Go--vernment, however, .had found it was impossible to introduce a. Ec-distribution of Seats Bill, and therefore they proposed that Maoris . should have the freehold qualification. In putting that in the Bill they took away some of their rightß,,so.that Maoris were shorn of several privileges they had enjoyed in the past. Various faults were found with the Maoris in the Legislative Council, and. the Council, mapy of whom disliked the Bill, struck out some of its points entirely, and when it was njturnod to the House, Government said- they could not accept it. Government then proposed a Conference, and he would tell- them what took place at that Conference. He held in his hand tli£> original documents that were submitted to the Conference. It had been said, they wished to swamp some of the- Northern constituencies. This was not feme.. The hon. gentleman then referred in detail tothe matters brought up at the Conference, aad argued that Government had done their best. Ho declared the Council were stubborn; on the matter. 110 put it to them, what was the position of Native affairs ? Maoris had now come into union with thorn, had allowed men to go over their country, and. get land. Had they adopted the Electoral Bill they would have deprived the Natives of the right wliich they were fully entitled to. He then spoke as to the treatment c£ the Natives by the Atkinson Government.. Electoral reform he considered was only a means to an end ; it had an object in view. He did not place Electoral reform in the first rank, but. thought it was the stepping stone to higher measures He hoped next session Government would be able to accomplish something in Electoral reform, and also that they would carry a Bribery Bill. This Bill proposed to make it an offence if there were any of the cabbing and drinking expenses attendant upon an election, as at present. There was the Eedistribution of Heats Bill, too, and he hoped this would me^t with favour in the House next session. He would now allude to other reforms they considered necessary. The system of Public Works had greatly enhanced the value of land, and he considered the land should bear its proportion in the expense of the Colony. He then referred at length to the question of " unearned increment." The Government thought the land owners should contribute to the revenue, and they proposed a land tax to bring thia about. They did not wish to tax improvements. What they wanted to geb at was the land. It was better that the improvements should go untaxed. The exemption clauses of the Bill were much fought against. The Government found that the sjßtem was carried out in other countries, and lie argued that it would work equally well here. Conservatives wished to have improvements taxed, but that was unfair, yet the Government were denounced strongly for what was called an " unequitable system of taxation." Some Conservatives urged they should have an income tax, but submitted that this would not answer. The Government had had to some extent to defer to the cry for taxation all round, and they embodied the Joint Stock Companies Bill, because these companies had certain advantages over privato individuals and private enterprise. In reference to thiß question their opponents said they were putting a tax on industries, and a tax that had met witli much disfavour was that proposed by the Beer Duty Bill. After referring to that Mr Stout said * that two questions had always been coming vp — the Land question and the Education question. Luckily they had not State religion. The State should not teach religion. Ho should like to know what religion they were to teach. The State should have nothing to do with religion, and should not interfere with the religious beliefs of the people, but should confine its endeavours to giving a really sound secular education. Touching the Land question, he gaid that in time gone by, if a man had died in New Zealand having a few thousand pounds worth of property it would go to the eldest son ; a most iniquitous principle. Now, the Government argued that this money should be equally divided. He thought the aim of all New Zealanders should be to settle the country with small holdings. No country would progress satisfactorily unless this was done. He believed this country would never be really prosperous until some reforms were made in this direction. Other reforms, too, were necessary. Then they must have some alteration in the constitution of the Legislative Council. They were aware members of that Council were nominated for life, but this was a system, ho thought, that should not be tolerated. He desired also that there should be an elective Governor, and he would like to know why the people should not have the power to elect the head of the Colony. He denied that a claim to elect the Governor would savour of disloyalty to the Queen. He looked upon the question from its educational advantages, and believed that were the Governor made elective it would greatly help the political education of the people. He then referred to the social and other reforms the Government had endeavoured to set before the people, and referred in eulogistic terms to the bold proposal made by his colleague, the Minister for Public Works. The works it wan proposed to

execute ttould be of immense advantage, and he considered a gross blunder had been committed is- not allowing the Government to borrow the£4,ooo,ooo. He then touched upon the forms of pur local government. His opinion was that the Counties should unite to execute large works themselves. The method of dealing with Native lands should be altered. Speculators had raised the cry of "Free trade" in connection with Native lands, but this would not anßwer. It meant that a big I block of land would be secured, and the 1 country would at that rate never be settled. The Government should, he thought, have the power to buy up the land, or else the man with small capital should have an equal chance with speculators. He then referred to what he thought the people of the Colony should do ia regard to politics. He thought everyone should have the courage of his opinions, and should not be bound down to vote according to the dictation of- anyone. The hon member, in concluding; appealed to the people of New Zealand to look to the future, and not be contented with the' wrong they had been subjected to in the past, so that this Colony would be free from the abuses of other lands.

Mr Stout sat down amidst loud and prolonged applause. ■ Mr Kinross then moved — " That this meeting thanks M!r Sfcout for his address, and considers it the duty of every Colonist to support Sir G. Grey's policy." The motion was carried amidst much applause, and Mr Stout having returned thanks, the proceedings- terminated.