MR ORMOND'S ADDRESS.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 251, 9 April 1886, Page 2

MR ORMOND'S ADDRESS.

Mr Ormond, M.H.R., delivered an address of over three hours’ duration on Tuesday evening at Napier. We extract from the speech some of the remarks he made on the native question and the land question. On no single question (he said) was he more opposed to the Ministry than on the system of personal government which the Native Minister was adop.ing with the Maoris. (Applause.) Looking bad;; to the native administration of Mr Bryce they would that its essential principle was doing away with personal government. Mr Bryce discouraged personal application from natives, and required them to have recourse to the laws. For this Mr Bryce was deemed harsh, but really, for the sake of the irfives themselves as well as for the country, the course he pursued was kind and wise. The present Native Minister was, on the contrary, building up great trouble for the country by his treatment oi the Maoris. They could not take up a newspaper without finding in it some account of his having petty meetings with the natives, and receiving in one place a present of a spear, and something equally paltry in another. (Laughter.) Tie (Mr Ormond) held that the time should not be far distant when a Native Minister should be dispensed-with altogether, ’nt what Mr Ballancc was doing was perpetuating the office. Ho held meetings with the natives and advised them not to sell their lands, hut , to lease them. He pointed out to them instances in the South where the natives derived incomes of thousands from lands leased, and he told them they mast do the sixmo. That, he (Mr Ormond) maintained was a rctrogado line of policy. (Applause.) The colony did not want to have a dominant race of Maori landlords. (Renewed apnlanse.) Mr Balbxnce told the Maoris that their lands should not he taxed —that they should not be subject to rates —but that when thenland was sold it would he taxed. The time ho (Mr Ormond) considered was come when the natives should contribute their share to the taxation of the country. (Loud applause.) He had advocated that in a former Farliainont, hut had met with no support. In the present Parliament he advocated it again, and found that members were largely coming round to that opinion. It was being scon that largo tracts of land could not be allowed to remain waste, and to be untaxed because a number of Maoris were the nominal owners. (Applause.) Mr Ormond then spoke in reference to the Native Lands Disposition Bill, the title of which has now been altered. The opponents of the bill said that .the time had come when the Crown should resume its pre-emptive right, and purchase the native lands at .a fair value; making proper provision for the Maoris so that they should not become paupers. The question was of very serious importance, and v-oqld doubt ho fought out next session. There were many members who had arrived at the conviction that the vast territory hold by the natives must bo rendered amenable to taxation, and have the same liabilities ns land owned by Europeans. Ho believed that there would be no difficulty in bringing this about, aqd with the precautions he had suggested for preventing the Maoris becoming paupers he could see no harm in placing them on the same footing as Europeans. (Applause.) The natives should not be allowed to stand in the way of :he advancement of the country. Was it reasonable that such men as Renata Xawcpo should hold large tracts of land without contributing anything to the of the country 1 ? The time was gone tei' such a. state of things tube allowed to continue.' (Ueufawtij applause.) Speaking of the proposal to* 1 purchase largo estates lor cutting up for settlement, ■ Mr Ormond pointed out that the Act .passed last year, under which 1000 acres iii any L/i, o district could bo purchased by the Goveruffieut for that purpose, was practically valueless;, because the piuM+ase i could only lie made if the owner was ■ willing to sell. The law, he considered, should be altered in that respect. He did not see that there was any harm in taking the land at a fair value if it was required lor bu-ljapent. (Applause.) Judiciously and carcliflly v, inUiod Co as to sec how it acted, such' a System for eucuui-agu.g £,cttloment would, ho believed, prove advan- : tageous. Of course it would bo subject to fair compensation being given to the own1, cfs fpr the land taken. He noticed the pthqt flay M at a little paper in this town was Quite pfi ojii bvcau.oi,' y. hafr MrStout said ou tUo subject.’' ’ (Lottd,

I langter.) Mi- Stout snid that was no , necessity for anything of Iho sort, as the Grown hml eighteen million acres of land. Mr Stout did not mention tint there were thirteen million acres held hy natives, llowever. notwithstanding win* Mr Stout said there was kcvv jirohahilitv of the course he (Mr Ormond) indicated becoming law. 'Lhere were last, session a yreat many leading men who were in tavor ol it. His (dir Ormond's) idea was that they should first take the unimproved land —the land o! persons who left it. unimproaed. It should he done tentatively.' anal people should ho put upon the land who could work it. so that there should he im loss. 110 held that if was a right tinny to do, for what was good for the mass of the people should he the law. It would, however, be opening a road to jobbery it they put the matter into the hands of the (lovermuent to carry on! and make bargains. The experiment should he tried, hut the work of carrying it out must ho relegated to some, officer or oUlcers outside the Government, and they should set their faces against a system which was liatde to jobbery, Mr Ormond, in conehuliny his address, thanked the mooting for the patient hearing that lead been accorded to him. In the approaching session lie would not go to the House favoring the Government. Ho was opposed to thorn on many large questions. He would go to the House with the determination of doing the best lie could not only tor the district he represented, but for the entire colony.