MR BEETHAM AT GREYTOWN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 245, 22 August 1879, Page 2

MR BEETHAM AT GREYTOWN.

In spite of the inclement weather, there was a large attendance at Mr Beetham's meeting. Mr H. Udy, sen. was voted to the chair, and introduced Mr Beetham, who said that having a considerable amount of time on his hands, he was willing to devote that time for the good of the district. He had said in his address, that there had been maladministration in Sir George Grey's Government, Perhaps it had been with the best purpose, and so might be said of thfc previous Government, but the Parliament of Sir George Grey

came in to lessen the Civil Service expenditure, but instead. of lessening it, it had increased. Mr Larnach, who had proposed the vot* of Want of Confidence in the Atkinson Ministry for maladministration, after leaving New Zealand, went home to.England to'help to raise a loan, being voted £2OOO. Mr M'Cullough Reid had received a bonus to go to England as Immigration Agent when the necessity of immigrants was parsing away, and received £BOO a year, and a free passago there and 'back. He would next speak of the Thames Railway. He tried to avoid party feeling as much as possible, but he thought that a grave error, if nothing worse, had occurred. A moro political education was necessary, but he wished to know where was the Liberal leader, when a connivance was done witiiout his protest. A certain rmlway was authorised.. It was mentioned as a railway from the Thames to Hamilton, at which last place it was to have commenced, but the work was commenced at the Thames. It goes side by side with a navigable stream, and cost the colony £300,000. • fle did not think this was economy. We have wants in our district, which have been neglected, and it ought to be the duty of a Representative to guard the public purse. The railway had not been commenced in a legal way. The railway was carried out without the authority of Parliament. If the Public Works Minister can do this, lie can work for his own friends. During the session of l&i'J, Sir George Grey had drawn attention to the wasteful expenditure of the Atkinson Ministry in connecwith the Hinemoa, but he did not Bee that any change for the better had oaken place in this respect, during the Grey Ministry's term of office, but to the contrary Sir G. Grey had used the Hinemoa for his own purposes in a way which was detrimental to the interests of the colony. It had been proved by a large majority that the maladministration of the Ministry had been condemned, but Sir George Grey had appealed over the heads of the repretatives, to the people, and it now remained witli.the people to say whether he (Sir G. t (key) should remain in power. He had always had the impression, by the result of Sir George Grey's visit to the King country, that it had .placed the colony in a false position. It looked as if we bent the knee to the Maoris, but it was necessary that in this country, the Saxon race should be supreme. He did not wish to speak slightingly of the weaker race, but a Maori King was an anomaly. The Maoris cannot yet be governed by the same laws. The King movement had been fading, and the Maoris were getting tired of their isolation, and were ready to hold out the hand of friendship to the white man. He could not have condemned the action of Sir George Grey in meeting the King. The settlement of waste lands was the next point he would speak on. It was important in this district, and compared the level clear laud of the South Island, and thought that the settlers in this district required more consideration than those who got cleared land. In this district the waste lands were principally bash lands, and the settler who wished to go onto his land at once wont with his axe in his hand, and very often the axe was in his banc all his life time He thought the price of the land should meet the means of the people. A certain amount of land ought to be set aside for settlement on deferred payments, and a portion for cash, and those for cash to be sold on such conditions as would give the deferred payment settler work to help him on. The necessity for froo immigrants had passed away and should be stopped; but he supported a nominated system as the nominated immigrants were a desirable class. Settlers would hardly nominate people who would be a burden to them. He advocated a Property and Incoms Tax. A former Government had said that it should be introduced the next session, but it had not been introduced by Sir George Grey, who, instead, had introduced a Land Tax which was not suited to this country. He would deem it a portion of his duty to assist in remedying the blunders that had been made by the Colonial Treasurer, in the repeal of the timber duty we must depend on the saw mills of the the district to employ a lot of labor. He was by principle, a Free Trader, he admired the struggle in England, but he could not help thinking that we required protection to a certain extent, America had refused our wool without a duty and we ought not to receive her timber without duty. He advocated amending the Counties Act, he thought the County system is better than the Provincial system. The Local self-Government had done a certain amount of good, but amended they would do greater good, he would not ask them to run blindly into debt, but ho could not help feeling that the expenditure of a few hundred pounds would give ease and comfort to many. Subsidies must soon come under the notice of Parliament, when the provinces were abolished it was understood that the subsidies were to be granted for five years that would soon expire. He thought that the treasuries would not be x. lo lo grant subsidies to the same extent and thought that certain districts ought to be subsidised that really deserve it, there was 90 miles of road in the district that would require it, the money must be found to keep this road open, he drew a comparison between the North Island and the South, and stated that in Canterbury they must have money out at interest, while here we have no money to expend. He contended that such districts that had surplus funds should not receive £ for £, but that special subsidies be granted for roads which pass through land on which we have no control, The Electoral Bill was the next item he would speak on, It had often been said by Sir George Grey, and others that the landed clas3 will not allow fair representation to the poorer class. A measure was brought in by Sir George Grey and it provided a Liberal franchise, no one objected to that and it included a clause for Moori franchise. But in the passage through the House a clause was introduced which was a grave injustice. Fortunately the Upper House excised this clause, viz.:—" The dual vote," this disgusted Sir George Grey so much that he withdrew the Bill rather than accept it as it was first introduced by himself. He did not think that was a Liberal measure. He believed in extention of the Franchise, and would give every man a vote with a residental clause of six months. The present debt' of the Colony was very heavy, but he was not afraid of borrowing, the country was fertile and reproductive. He was sorry to see that Mr Cartel should make such a reumrk about any member of the House of Representatives as to say thst members who had voted against the £2lO a year had taken it and put it into their pockets to carry on this election with. He had taken it, but £SO only would go into his own pocket, the rest he would not use in electioneering or for any private purpose, but he did not intend stating to that meeting what he intended to do with it. He would not say he would give it here or there to catcha vote, he would spend it when, and how he liked.—(Applause.) If he was returned he would do his best for them in future as he had done in the past. —(Applause.)

In answer to Mrßeydhousehe thought that the Chinese question did not require legislation, at the present the Chinese population in the Wellington district was 8 and in the Wairarapa nil—(a voice, why there are fourteen inGreytown), well if, there are they are not on the census return, but should there be any danger of further encroachment he would oppose • their introduction. y _Jf~^-\ Mr Smith wished OTraow how Canterbury received sjch a dqe amouutof subsidies as £500,000. Mr Beetham explained that that was not all subsidies'"" but proceeds from sales of lands, but what he wanted to shew wa3 that Counties receiving so large an amount of income should not receive £ for £ aa against districts which has little or no such income. Mr Salmon wanted to know if from what Mr Beetham had said he would go over to the Grey side if the people elected Sir George Grey again. \ In reply, Mr Beetham saifi" he was glad to explain if there was a misunderstanding he would no doubt be found in the Oposition, but not a Factious Opposition, and he begged to say a few words about triennial Parliaments, he had voted against it sn strong advice, but he found his old supporters did not agreo with him on that, and if they wished he would not object as he did not feel very keenly on that subject, but he did not believe in a man departing from his fixed principles. He also wished to say that Mr Bunny and he had always worked together for the district, if Mr Bunny moved in anything for the good of the district he always assisted him, and vice versa, Mr Wood, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Beetham, said that although he knew the meeting was in favor of Mr Beetham, he would not add a vote of confidence, as there had been an understanding last night, that they should not do so. He therefore moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Beetham, for his address. Mr Haines was most happy to second the motion, which was carried unanimously,

Mr Beetham moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman.