Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1885. Sir George Grey on Political Affairs.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1682, 15 May 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1885. Sir George Grey on Political Affairs.

Sie Geoege Geex has made a speech to the citizens of Auckland, under the auspices of the Liberal Association, one part of which was devoted to a consideration of the political position in this colony. With respect to this subiect Sir George Grey made a slashing all round attack upon the present Ministry, the members of which he apparently thinks are merely sham Liberals, possessed of little in the shape either of sound principles or honest convictions. In holding this view Sir George Grey is very near the right mark, and a large body of the people are gradually coming round to a similar opinion. Referring to Mr Stout’s late speech at Auckland, Sir George Grey said that it had utterly confounded him. Practically, it was stated in Mr Stout’s speech that politics consisted in bamboozling one’s fellows iu the General Assembly, and by playing upou their cupidity and weakness to carry the measures which it was desired should be passed. Sir George then referred to the early abuses of the Canterbury land system and condemned the proposal to give a million acres for the East and West Coast Middle Island Railway. Sir George next made a trenchant attack upon the abuses of the land system in Canterbury, showing clearly how the present state of commercial stagnation in that provincial district could be traced to the wrong disposal of the public estate in the past. As to the grant of a million acres to a foreign company to construct the Middle Island West Coast Railway, Sir George Renounced it as being simply a bribe given by the Government to secure political support from the Canterbury members. The speaker added that when he (himself) was in office, arrangements were made to get that railway done without sacrificing a single ac;e of land. Tbelaud should be kept for the settlement of the people. There was but little good land left. Sir George Grey denounced Mr Ballance’s scheme of leasing, and the leasing regulations, which would practically make the tenants servants of the runholders and social serfs. We should like to have the full report of Sir George Grey’s remarks on the leasing system, before commenting upou them. Then Sir George assailed Mr Ballauce’s sped al settlement scheme, but his remark; on this point |are not fully reported, Coming to the question of the nationalisation of the laud, Sir George contended thu. the State, if necessary, could ro-acquiro the possession of lands sold to private persons by the Crown—of course paying compensation. On this point the speaker

“ llie Premier (Mr Stoat) had told them that the lands sold were gone, and that their resumption was beyond the sphere of poetical politics. He did not tbinh so. There was no wrong

without a remedy, and much of the land which had passed away was wrongfully taken. If Mr Stout was the great lawyer Sir Julius Vogel said—as their coming Chief Justice, as he supposed he would be—it ill became him to say there was no remedy for such injustice as his own colleague, Mr Ballauce, admitted to have been done. If the people of Auckland left him in his present position he would bring in a Sill to compel every owner of 1000 acres of land to keep a laborer on it on full wages throughout the year, and an additional laborer for every additional 1000 acres ; also a measure to enable inquiry to be made into all laud purchases, to purchase some of these lands at fair rates, to protect innocent purchasers of Crown granted lands, but to trace out every wrong doer aud'to recover all of which the State has been defrauded.' ■ No injustice will be done to anybody. Public credit would not be imperilled, or any of the other evils predicted come to pass.” 7 The Remaining ■ portions of Sir George’s speech were devoted to a sweeping and scathing denunciation of the action of the Ministry in almost every respect. He condemned their proposal to purchase the district railways, and their improper creation of a fresh batch of members of the Upper House as pensioners for life upon the colony. Altogether, Sir George Grey’s speech contained a powerful indictment against the present Ministry, each count of which was urged with trenchant and crushing force. Sir George Grey, in effect, declared that the present Government could not be considered in any way to represent the real Liberal Party in the colony—a party of which he, in effect, claimed to be himself the leader. When Sir George Grey denounces Mr Stout and Mr Ballance as having shown themselves to be nothing more than sham Liberals trading upon the name of a great party for selfish and personal purposes, he only utters what is the absolute and simple truth. But when Sir George declares further that he himself will head the Liberal Party, we very much doubt if he will get any large number of adherents to accept his leadership. As a member of the Opposition in Parliament, the vigorous assailant of a peccant Government and the eloquent denouncer of wrongs and abuses, Sir George Grey wields a considerable amount of favor, and accomplishes certain useful purposes. But if Sir George Grey led a political party and thus got into office and at the head of public affairs, he would be almost certain to prove a disastrous failure. When Sir George Grey was in office as Premier some years ago, he and his colleagues made a terrible mess of the administration of the Government. We do not think that the people of the colony would he inclined to trust Sir George Grey in office again. But all the same the majority of the colonists will be inclined to. think that Sir George Grey is serving a highly useful purpose in denouncing !ho short comings and blunders of the men who at present hold the reins of power in this colony. An able and eloquent leader of the Opposition can always do good service by assailing an incompetent Government, as the result of such efforts usually ultimately result in changes for the better being effected.