EVENING SITTING,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3580, 1 October 1879, Page 3

EVENING SITTING,

The House resumed at 7.30. TIIE ADDRESS IN BEPLY,

The Hon J. Hall, on rising to move tho amendment, congratulated the mover and seconder of tho Address. The former was essentially a working man, one with whom he had been associated in the Provincial Council, of Canterbury, and he hoped tho ofcher speakers in this debate would follow the moderate tone they had taken. He denied, however, that tho Government supporters, as they had set forth represented a larger number of the inhabitants of the Colony than did tho Opposition. He quoted a number of l instances to prove this. The facts were that a few districts in the North Island pro- i nounced in favour of the Government, while those South had dono quite the opposite. Tho last House of Representatives bad declared by a largo majority that the Government had not the confidence of the House, ancl they, as tho successors of that House were bound at the earliest date now that they had returned from the country to test the ration in tho House. His first charge a^ii..st the Government was that they had totally failed in carrying out their promises. They promised to reduce the cc6t of the Civil service materially. Sir Georgo Grey said ho could do it by £100,000, whereas it had been increased, tho first year £8000, and the next year £15,000. Then again their own personal proceedings had been conducted on tho most extravagant scalo. Ministers had brought down a proposal to reduce their own salaries. It was opposed by their own supporters, the mover and seconder of the opposition being punished by boing mado J.P.s, aad tbe proposal was not again brought down. Then, ognin, tho extravagance in connection with the Government steamers wbb something notorious, and thafc might have in a great measure been saved by Ministers travelling in privato steamers. The expenditure in Native affairs had likewise been most extravagant, and yet the position of Native affairs was not as good as it had been two years ago. The present Nativo Minister promised great things when be got into office. He admitted that affairs were not what could have been wished when he took office, but still ho maintained tbat bad Sir D. M'Lean been spared, things would havo been in a very different Btate. Great prospects were held out by the Government, by the intervention of the great chief Rewi. They had not heard anything as to the result of that intervention and he could only conclude that they had come to nought. The state of matters on tbe West Coast was next referred to. It had been alleged that the Government was not to blame for that unsatisfactory Btate of affairs, but their predecessors in the Government. That wsb just what they expected in view of tho failure of the Government efforts. He would contend that there was a state of discontent and a feeling of lawlessness which was not the case when they took offi.-e. The mistake had boen in tho attempt to administer Native affairs on a different principle from that of the European. Regarding the question of finance, the stato of the finance was what every ono wanted to know. It was well known that a great deficiency existed. He did not blame tho Government for thafc deficiency. Whafc he blamed them for was, that they had formed far too high an estimato of certain branches of the revenue.' In asking them to authorise heavy loans it was absolutely necessary that a full and detailed statement of the financial affairs of the Colony should be furnished. What was the case when they were asked to authorise the last heavy loan ? Referring to Hansard the speaker read a paragraph stating that no noto had been taken of it for certain reasons. In reality, Mr Hall continued to say, there was no financial statement to make at all. Thafc was a state of affairs which would be bound to operate againsfc the Colony in the estimation of the Homo money market. He next alluded to the ohargo that tho Government had tampered with tho newspaper Press. They had taken away their advertisements from an old established paper in Wellington City and given them to one established not moro than eighteen months, of which members of the Govornmont wero shareholders. A similar course had been pursued in Christchurch. That was a most unfair course of procedure, and was calculated to defeat the very object of advertising altogether. The same thing had been done towards the Press all over the Colony. He next alluded to the special wire. In consequence of that arrangement, one paper io Christchurch got the telegraph system for £300, while another paper had to pay as much as £1200. The speaker noxt referred to the unfair dealings in the Civil Service. Ho reiterated the charges brought against tho Government on this score by Sir William Fox. Reference was next made to the appointment of Mr Luckie. Civil servants were not a3 a rule well paid,

j and when a comparatively, easy and well p»,d ' situation was vacant it was, the duty of the Government to advance some of theu* old servants, and not go outside the service and appoint a person on the plea solely of the political support he had rendered. The judicial sjstem was nexfc attacked. He referred to the delay of the Government to appoint a Resident Magistrate for Lyttelton, to tho great inconvenience and bss of the district ; and the neglect of tho Government to supply gaol accommodation at Addington, iv Canterbury, although that accommodation might have been provided for without the slightest trouble on their part. Tho scandalous conduct of the Government in neglecting to provide proper accommodation for lunatics was next commented on. Recent reports on the subject were read and commented upon and condemhod. In all these cases tbe charges were not against the Government officially, but in reality they, were blunders committed by Ministers individually. The Premier was in a very great measure primarily responsible for this state of things. He took the sole control of matters infco his own hands, and would nofc allow his colleagues to exercise the discretion they were entitled to exercise. He instanced a number of acts on the part of the Premier, such as thafc which compelled the late Colonial Treasurer to resign. The poinb resolved itself into this : Wero they to have personal or were they to have Constitutional'! Government? Tho manner in which thaGovernment attempted to influence the late elections was nexfc mentioned. If ever there was a time when these elections should haye been loft to the unprejudiced judgment of > the electors, it was the last election. But.whafc did they find ? The two Government steamers wero put in requisition, and speaial trains were set in motion, for the purpose of conveying Ministers to various parts of the Colony to influence their elections. Haiithe Opposition had fcho same opportunities- for, rushing about, there could have been no doubfc but that Government would;, in-, stead of occupying these benches,, have slood a3 private members on tho^ floor of the Iloueo. Then it was. well, known thafc the telegraphic system had i been largely employed in these elections.; but they did nofc know tho full extent. A question on the point the other day- elicited the reply that a telegram of this ki-d;had notbeen paid for, but that it would bo paid for. ; Then, again, the time of commencing, certain ; public works, by somo curious coincidence, j wasjuEtthe time when these elections, took place. Tho commencing of cartain publieworks at Ross, on tho West Coast, was cited as a case in point. Tho hustings, speech of tho member for the district was produced and read showing tbat a whole column, was taken up with promises respecting these works, and not moro than four lines wore devoted to tho communication! of his political opinions. Tho speaker wonfc on to ask with • ail these influences brought to boar- oa these constituencies whafc chanco- was left for an Opposition candidate ? The visit of ihe Premier to Christchurch was next referred to. Not having any other thing to gito tho olectors of that City he gave them a clock. On a subsequent visit of tba Premier aa application was made to him bo know when the local subsidies would be paid. Tho roply was " next day," and they wore paid accordingly. A neighbouring district in which he (Mr Hall) was interested saade a similar application, and up to tho present timo its subsidies had not been received. Mr Hail went on to argue that if the Government took upon tbemeclves to use tho Government steamers for their own private purposes, they might just as well use other Government, property for the same purposes. Years ago ib had "been laid down that an abuse of this kind in the Imperial Parliament was a very serious thing indeed, and he hoped tho House would be prepared to affirm that doctrine. The speaker then proceeded to review tho various articles of the Government policy. He agreed with Triennial Parliaments, because ifc appeared to be the wish of tho Colony. His own idea was thafc a four years Parliament would, in the first instance, bave been much bettor ; still ho would accept it, seeing that ifc was tho avowed wish of tho Colony. A redistribution of seats he also agreed wilh. He felt that readjustment of taxation was also required. It required, however, to be adjusted on a fair and broader basis than at present. Then, again, many points of social reform vere urgently required. It reflected no credit on the Government that tho Charitablo Aid question was not adjusted on a better basis. One po'nt still greater was that the la^ s they had got should bo honestly and energetically administered, no did not believe that that would be done by tho Govornmont, aud it was for that reason ho now moved the amendment. Sir Geobgb Grey said ho had expected quite a different speech. The matters referred to were trifling and altogether unworthy of tho great things the Opposition claimed for the Colony in viow of a change of Government. The question timply was whether the old stato of things should be swept away ar.d a new stato of things instituted. They had been charged with maladministration of the affairs of the Colony. It was the Opposition thafc bad been guilty of maladministration of the law. What tracks of the country had thoy acquired for themselves, and what country had thoy gridironed for their own purposes ? Ifc had beon stated fchafc fchoy had wanted to reduce their own salaries, and that two gentlemen had boen rewarded by being made Justices of tho Peace. That was a most absurd and most unworthy assertion. He next alluded to the charge about tho Hinemoa, and in doin^ so he would remind them that this was a peculiar country cut up into clusters of islands, and the services of a steamer under such circumstances were absolutely essential. They did not order tho steamer. They found the steamer there when they got into office, and he maintained that ho was entitled to mako uso of tho Bteamer in going about and making himself acquainted with tho affairs of tho Colony, and to bring great and important matters affecting tho welfare of the Colony under tho notice of tho people. If ho had dono right he was entitled to the thanks of tho Colony, and if he had done wrong tho Colony would condemn him. But ho believed no such condemnation would follow. It had been sail that when they camo into office Native matters were in a tranquil state, but he denied that statement. Native matters were then in a worse condition than they were now. Ho denied that tho advertisements given to the newspapers could possibly have influenced tbe Press, and ho wondered at any one who could stand up and make euch a statement. It was unwise, unjust, and untruo. Tho charge that no writton statement had boen made regarding tho financial state of the Colony was equally untenable. They wero on the eve of a dissolution, and under the circumstances he mado such a statement as he thought right. Ho would liko tho Civil Service to be appealed to as to whether or not they had acted unfairly towards it. He rested satisfied that tho service itself would acquit him of all unfair dealing towards it. The charge of neglecting to make provision for lunatics was next referred to. He had great sympathy with these unfortunates, but bo reminded them that provisions of this kind were made by the provinces, and when provincial institutions wero ruthlessly abolished, no adequate provision was mado for such institutions. 'It had been said tbat his previous education unfitted him for tho post of Premier, and in arguing the point, ho referred to the injustice of tho charge. In the matter of the Canterbury runs, ho was quite prepared to know that tho Equatter interest would pursue him until he died, and tbat was practically what they were doing now. Reforring to the Electoral Bill of last session, ho contended that the Natives had a double voto independent of that Bill altogether. What thoy proposed doing was to get the Bill passed and sent fco (he Legislative Council, and then the Government would communicato with the Natives wifch a view to taking away one of these votes. That wns precisely what the Legislative Council would not allow them to do, and under the circumstances ho considered that ho acted right in the course he took with tho Bill. Be understood from what had been said that his going about from place to placo prevented the electors understanding the question at issue. His going about enabled them to understand that issue, and what the Opposition wanted was to prevent him going about, and by that means keep tho Colony in ignorance of the real state , of affairs, and the real point at issue between the Opposition and the Government. New Zealand had one of fche freest: Constitutions in the world. That Constitution was destroyed by the Opposition and their friends. They destroyed i*, and were never able to ■ establish anything worthy of ifcs place. Thoy

diminished tbe resources of the country, and burdened it with, an enormous debt. In tbat respeofc fchey have been the enemies of their ■ country. The-members on the other side of the Houee.alliclaimed fco be Liberals, but what did t_ey,find,?.- The leader of the Opposition himself had declared that the franchise was a national right of all men. The speaker then-went oa to detail tho many evils resulting to other countries from a restriction of the franohise. JTo that fact was to be charged the numerous-evils under which the Mother Country groaned, atd the members on the other side of : tho House would be only too willing to sse many of these abuses repi atedin thii-Colony. Ifcwas a mere mockery for them to claim- fer themselves tho name of -liberals. Ho. defended the- Government against the chorgo of unfairness in the odjusfcmant in tho- incidence of iaxation. Eb- referred to- past administration, the oatcasie.of which was* the abuse of the land laws, by- whioh the lands of Canterbury had been. gridironed,,a_dlbhey had acquired fc.r them--eelves and their friends largo tracts of country. They were rapidly coming to a state o3» things eimil_r to what existed in Scotland*-. .Ireland; and England, where a few persons jheld tracts, of Gountry bearing a lar^eo jproporlion of the whole acreage extent" jof those kingdoms. The result of sr^via-. state.- of matters was that ifc n*fc. ttoly, impoverished fche masses, but h-r f - dened the hearts of the landowners to the. distress, of the population. The r»al : question was whether that system shoul 1/hei in fchis country, or a new sta!».of. things brought about. Ifc was nofc a queclttn?,,' as.hadtbeen. alleged of personal govern:_?flt, Which was afc iesue. Thafc was the real cjaea,tion, th«.one he- had indicated, and the fc,was .what ho andi those on his side of the Houso. aimed, afc establishing in New Zealani,, and :what they would continue to aim at r» long ■as they lived. They cared nothing f4«,,the false accusations made against thorn. < They wei> determined to stand true to the '_pitiop, ; they sought for something greater a_i something noblo, something more abiding, than, the good opinion of those who E_sghfc..to dofraud New Zealand of its birthrirjlfc, Mir Saundebs supported tho ar_«ndnient..