MS JOHN OLLIVIEE'S ADDRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6292, 17 July 1888, Page 2

MS JOHN OLLIVIEE'S ADDRESS.

IKTEODUCTOKr AND COMPLIMBNTART. Mr Ollivieb, who was received with applause, then addressed the meeting. He said he was exceedingly delighted at, the kind manner in which Mr Verrall had met his request to be allowed to take advantage of his meeting to address the electors. Mr Verrallhad said he expected aheckling from him, hut he mast say that he (Mr Terrall) was far too good-natured a man to provoke another to say anything hostile to him. He could agree with a very great deal of what Mr Verrall had said. BAISING MOKKT : EXAMPLE <$¥ JER6ET., As an endorsement of the good that accrued from the State issue ol noteß, he might in&lance the building of the market place in the Island of Jersey. Jersey stood in need of a market place, but the means to build it were not forthcoming. At last some noble-hearted legislators came to the rescue, by saying that the money should be provided by a State isaue of noteß. The notes were issued, and were declared to be a legal tender in the island, and by them the market place was built. On its completion stands were let, and produced a large revenue, which was collected, placed in the Government chest, and afterwards used to buy up the notes. In a very short time the whole of the, notes were redeemed, and the market place now yields the island a splendid revenue. (Applause.) If it is a necessity — and it is a necessity — that 60me large work should be started to provide labour, let the State take into consideration some such way as that adopted in Jersey to raise funds, and ultimately they would have, as the result, a standing memorial of the good work done by the legislators. (Applause.) FREE TO SPEAK AT I.AST. Why was it not done? Because the system of Government was so utterly rotten — rotten to the core. They could not remedy matters until tbey sent men to Parliament prepared to fight against the rotten system. He deprecated pirty Government as fostering all eorte of ev;?3, some of them being those referred to by the previous speaker. Why was this allowed to be so? Ifc was simply because the people had not sufficient interest in the Government of the country to lead them to send tho proper class of men to Parliament. Ho kuew something oi tVie rottenness o! Government, and if they saw fit to return him their representative, ho would do his best to stem the current of evils Hitherto he had had a padlock on his lips, which he thanked God had at last been wrenched away, and he was now freo to speak his convictions. a BExrna sxsxeu. _ They must be careful thatLfcnejr hxn

Ministers who will pxeaideovertn c coui^y aright, and. who really do mean to represent the people, and to guide the Parliament properly. A form of Government modelled on that of the Municipal Corporation would answer admirably if well carried out. Let the Premier of the House be chosen, and allow him to select his colleagues. Let them come down with their measures, and then the House and the people could carefully consider them, and form their opinions. He believed that this could be done, and if it were done they would have the remedy for the existing evil. They would have men with the interest of the Colony at heart, instead of a lot of log-rolling going on. Local government was what was wanted. The statute books were crammed full of statutes which he defied anyone to unraval. Half of them were passed to remedy faults in the other half, proving the legislation to be carried on in a haphazard, careless sort of fashion without thought for the people. The Counties Act, for instance, had been amended until he defied anyone to make anything of it. LOCAL SELff-GOVEENMENT. They talked about locallegislation. Where did it begin or where did it end ? All he wished ior was a return to the Provincial form of Government, tha doing away with which was the greatest mistake ever made. (Applause.) Why not give to the Counties the powetß they ought to posaesa ? Why not do away with such an unnecessary governing body as the Board of Education, making the County Board the Board of Education? If this were done they would be able to obtain redress of their grievances at their very doors. Now they had to march to Christchurch if they had any grievances, and take the chances of the Board listening to them or not. If the latter, they had no remedy, for there waa no higher power than the Board to appeal to. Then, again, was there ever a more absurd power than that conferred by the Licencing Act ? Put the administration of the licensing laws also into the Hands of the County hoard, and not leave it to parties to fight over. There was now so much difficulty surrounding the proper administration of the law that a man might commit almost any breach of it and escape puniahment. IMMIGRATION. When was there any question that should interest them more than the immigration question. There was at' present distress existing in Great Britian of a character that made the blood run cold to think or talk of. The remedy they say is immigration. Here they have th& country, whioh, he said, without fear of contradiction, no other place on earth could compare with, but it was not a country to receive a pauper population from Great Britain, and, unfortunately, that was the class Great Britain waa trying to Bend ont to them. (Applause.) They wanted men willing to put their shoulder to the wheel and help the country to prosperity. PERPETUAL LEASES. He looked upon the perpetual leasing of the land as one of the noblest things ever devised for New Zealand. (Applause.) Go down South with him and he would point out to them acres upon acre 3 of land upon whioh a few years ago they might perchance have seen a sheep or two running, but which were now occupied by thriving farmers and their families. That waa what they wanted to benefit the Colony. (Applause.) .If a law had been passed in the early dajs promoting the Bale of the lands, they would have been just as well ; off if allowed to have a perpstual lease for a small rental. Having made joar " pile," and feeling able to retire into that " cooler shade of respectability," all that you would have to do would be to have the value of your improvements assessed, cell out the same to your successors and have his name entered at the Government office aa the future occupier of the land in your stead. (Applause.) PROTECTION. He thought that in a country like New Zealand it waa impossible to live without Protection. What was the labourer to do without protection to his labour ? Were , they going to have State capital at war with labour? If bo, labour must inevitably go to the wall. Cheap labour and machinery had produced such a state of distress in England that if it were not for the kindness which lies iv the breast of every tiue Englishman, leading him to do his best to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and starving, rebellion would be the natural outburst. The people will not starve, must not starve, shall not starve ! (Applause.) CONCLUSION. It was only at a late hour on Saturday night he made up his mind to offer himself as a candidate for the Ashley seat. He could not be looked upon as an outsider, for he wna both an elector and a freeholder of the district, owning land in Oxford. He certainly laboured under the disadvantage of not being a resident, and if they thought fit to reject him at the ballot, he would bow to their decision with good grace. He would say that,late as it wao, if any local gentleman came forward* he would at once retire in his favour. He should not canvass for any votes, as he should consider it an insult to any of them to ask for their votes. If they thought fit to put him in at the head of the poll he would thank them. By doing this they would cast upon him a solemn duty and an vduous one, and he trusted that they would have to thank him for fulfilling it in a straightforward and honourable manner. He could not resume his seat with paying his tribute of respect to the late William Pearson. He had had the honour of knowing him and his family for many years, and he could B&fely Bay that he never met with amorehonest-heaited or purer-minded man, when engaged in public service. He spoke with him at -Wellington before he left for bis home for the laat time, and little did they dream that this was to be their, last parting. He (Mr Ollivier) greatly regretted his loss to his family, and also his usb to the district as their representative. (Applause.)