Sir George Grey at Linwod.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6017, 27 August 1887, Page 4

Sir George Grey at Linwod.

Sir George Grey addressed the Linwood electors in the East Belt Oddfellows' Hall last evening. The hall was crowded, and on the platform Messrs Eeese and Loughrey occupied seats. Mr Toomer was in the chair, and in a few remarks introduced Sir George, who on rising waß greeted with loud applause. He spoke as follows : — EDUCATION. He put before them his views on education. They offered splendid advantages to the youth of this country to get a good education. In his belief it went much further. He believed it was the only portion of the Government expense which reaches fairly, almost equally every home in the Colony. It was not only necessary that their children should get a fair education, but many women were now supporting a widdowed mother and a young family by teaching in the schools. They had already men who had sprung from small origin filling distinguished positions and stations in life. They must all know of some such instances. They had a better system of education than any other country in the world. He knew no other place where there was such a high state of education as the one they had here. The first person who had taken a very great interest in the present education system, and who had absolutely proposed the free system which New Zealand now possessed, was Sir John Herschell, whom he (Sir G. Grey) had spoken to on the subject. They must all have heard of him, as he was one of the world's greatest astronomers, one of England's most learned men. He conceived the idea of this system of education that they had here in our primary and secondary schools. Sir John Herschell was, at the time he conceived this system, at the Cape of Good Hope cataloguing the stars of the Southern Hemisphere, and rendering a most wonderful service in that respect to mankind. He occupied himself with these studies entirely from a love of science. Sir John Herschell assisted the Government of the Cape, the Governor .of which Colony was then Sir George Napier, to establish a system of education. That [ Colony could not afford to give the highest education to its youth. They could only carry it out to the fifth and sixth standards. They had not the money to carry it any further. To complete their system of education in this Colony, they should teach the youth to educate themselves after they left school. Any man who had made a figure in the world would tell them that he had only learnt to read, to write, to reason in arithmetic and geometry at school to a certain extent. Further than that, he would tell them that ne became acquainted with books and the names of the authors and had acquired a fuller knowledge after he had left school, and that he had occupied his spare hours in study, and advanced himself to that degree of learning which afterwards made him a figure in the world. He (Sir George) therefore thought that if it was not for this free system, many of their distinguished men would not be able to go to the University and obtain the highest education. THE LAND. Sir Georgo repeated his remarks, which have already been published. He nevjr had had a large landowner support him. He did his duty in resisting the Government in raising the land rents. They broke the law to oppress the people; What beneficence was there in the Government offering the people sums of mpny to clear the land. He believed in giving the land on freehold if they should give it all. In the United States, the plan of giving land for railways was not adopted, and the Government there would not buy the railways. They would suffer if the West Coast Railway was carried out under the present proposal. Four or five thousand people had already been taken from amongst them and put upon the village settlements. (A voice : " Better that than to starve.") He asked them who made larger incomes than the lawyers? (Here Mr Loughrey shook his head, and a cry of " Three cheers for Loughrey " was responded to.) He asked them again who got larger incomes ; than the lawyers ? (A voice : " The docj tors.") The Premier had fathered in the House a Bill of fines and penalties by which no working man could enter the bar, and the lawyers, with the Premier at their head, banded together, as they liked, to prevent any man interfering with their monopoly. They had here a magnificent port, capable of supporting an enormous commerce, and they had also a magnificent city. They should open their lands. He detested such a system of landdealing as that followed out in regard to the village settlements. He had gained half of what he had strained for in connection with the legal profession. He would soon gain the other half. Two cessions ago he carried the second reading of his Law Practitioners Bill, and was confident he would get the third reading passed. He detailed how his Bill had been thrown out by the action of the lawyers, getting into the House just before the doors were shut, and seeing the Bill defeated and his friends hammering at the doors to get in. Mr Holmes had supported him very well in this matter. (A voice : "Mr Loughrey will.") We were capable of choosing our own Governors. Mr Weld arid Mr Broome, who had come from Canterbury, had been elected Governor, and there were plenty more men here fitted to fill the same position. Their Superintendants had been virtually Governors. Sir George concluded amid loud applause by stating that he would answer any questionf.

QUESTIONS,

Sir Geokge gave the following answers to questions put to him : — He had not read Mr Froude'a book called " Oceana." He did not like to read anything about himself. He had a great regard for Mr Froude, who was one of the most eminent men of the day, and he thought it was a pity that that gentleman had not visited the Southern part of New, Zealand. He thought a man's salary should be ascertained, and that he ought not to receive any fees as he thought it was a very bad system. Mr Simpson would propose a vote "of thanks to Sir George for his very able address, and that this meeting has full confidence in the Stout- Vogel Government." In doing so, he would state that he had made a pet hobby of the Law Practitioners' Bill, and would teJl the meeting that Mr Garrick was against the Bill, and that Mr Loughrey was iD favour of it. Mr Penfold seconded this.

Mr J. T. Smith would move as an amendment — "That the meeting give Sir George Grey a vote of thanks for his attendance here, and for his admirable address."

Mr Clephane seconded this, and tried to speak to the motion, but he was not allowed.

The amendment was carried. Three cheers were given for Sir George Grey, and three groans for Mr Reese. Sir George thanked them for the vote of thanks, and said he would do his very utmost to advance their interests in Parliament if he was returned. He would ask them to pass a vote of thanks to their Chairman, whom he thought had conducted the meeting very ably. This concluded a meeting which, by the presence of several young men who apparently attended with the idea of creating some amusement, was not very orderly.