MR WHITAKER, M.H.R., AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 883, 19 February 1878, Page 2

MR WHITAKER, M.H.R., AT CAMBRIDGE.

Mr Whitakßß« member for Wax kato, met his constituents last night at tne Cambridge Hall. The nutting was largely and tnfludhtially attended. Major Wilson proposed, and Major Clare seconded, "That Mr Mr Every Maclean take 'he chair." Mr Marleau stud : We have in Mr Wbitaker » u,au «>f great experience, and »n olil and tried polificianT m»y say that there haa dardly been a Govtrnuient but feaß iaked , Mr Wbitaker to become a member ot it, and he hits been a member ot most since the Constitution Act. Mr Whitai>er s»id he came to tha Waikato twoyt-ars-ayo, and was. returned on tbat <cc'.>ion m a flattering manner, without <>j,M<>»itiou. He had »b>n ata<ed the course. he intends d £o pursue. He -ad hoped to addeaa tb'in lust \ear, but he iru.st»d to b>.-excused a* he had to assist in bringing tr h\* Counties aud Municipal Coi t o.a. .

tions Act, in the Province of Auckland,— indeed balding a new constitution. However, he now appeared to give a report of the past and allude to the fat.re. He went n> t )<e House to secure A boli had. their consent to do so. wills he had done. tie had not wish. j d to become a niember of the Government, bnt he did so because iui found that a new constitution we. to be built up, and wished to assist. He. had asked his colleagues to release him when the new constitu tion had been created, bat they refused. However here he was before thijjin again a free man und unencumbered by the ties of Office. Sir G. Grey had brought in a Permissive Abolition Biil. He disagreed with this because the Assembly could noi be bound for future sessions by an Act passed in any one session. It could not be wondered at that Sir George Grey wished to keep alive the Provinces, because he was their father. But he thought Sir George Gcey now accepted the position, of wnioh he was glad. This must be undftistood from Sir G! Gray's speech at Wellington. Jtie was sure the colony would find ifcseii better oft now than it was before tue Provinces were abolished. We had done wisely in getting rid of eighc or nine Governmeats, and having one -only. There was now plenty of means of communication by railway/ steamboat, .and telegraph, and we could well dispense with such forms of Government as the Provinces afforded.

SEPARATION. I told yon when I addressed you before that separation was impraciioable. Sir George Grey was a great sepurationist, but I did nob believe that financial -affairs could be adjusted to the satisfaction of the .North j but a proposition *as brought forward by Sir George Grey advocating separation, and as tome were sanguine I Supported it,as it was said that fiuau. cial arrangements had been mad-1

I aIBO addressed you on the *u*vjeu of li Educatiou."' We were not a bit to establish an educational .scheme for uckland because we had no monej. In consequence of this, I bent my mind to a colonial scheme, and I believe thi.t the new scheme, brought forward by the Government of which I was a member, will he a "workable one, and conducive to a high class of educ ition. I was com pel led,, because I thought it won d bring about bickerings, to oppose itiy scheme which embraced religious education. Not ih it I wish to Jepreciate religion, but I think it a matter tor the" di'iioioina;ions aid their cergy, and, ijiat the State should only carry out the seculai portion., With regard to the Lmd Law, I think it will be a fair and liberal measure. I niay say, with respect. to this, that.l Jhid io leave Welling io|i before, / the Bill was finally passed. There is an ex'raordmary circumstance in iefer«nce to this Bill. It went through both Houses, but the Premier (so the newspapers say) refused to advise the Governor to assedt to the BUI. Jam not prepared to way that the papers reported this correctly. But, if it be properly reported, I think it is an improper proceeding and without precedent, but perhaps it may be explained by the Premier. It is sure however to be discussed next session. In reference to the Canterbury leases, I think the matter was fair I }' dealt with. I su ported the Bill; Mr Whi'aker * then proceeded to describe the nature of the tenure of the Canterbury runs. ,-. He contended that there, was a sort of equity existing between the Government an I the runholders. He .laid down • this prinoij le— That the people bad a right to deal with the lands, but obligations existing as between landlord and tenant should be lespected If a tenants right expired he might be required to pa a higher rent, and this was what was done. Tho tenant should not be entirely ignored. The arrangements made could not prevent thr use r of the land because any] person could select any piece of land held under lease or li sense by the payment of L2 per acre. The rent was to be fixed by the Government, 'and not by the householders; and even after that there was an appeal to the, Supreme Court. What other possible arrangement could be come to F Was the country to be at the loss of ail the stock by the sum ; ary expulsion of rhe runholders f Wha* was to be done with the sheep? VVhere were they to \v->. put. Great loss must have.fallen On the country. On reference to • Hansard' they would find bis views on the Native Land BUI. Be thought that some of the opponents ■of the Bill considered it was atrt.pl Bilk But it was made a political Bill. It bad been understood that it should not be ma en jio'i'ic' Bill, but it hud l*en k> d- n*-. Th< objections oit "were ve»y fr v os, The fist was as* to the fcen-r of the vhief• Judge. It was saii in 1876 it waa wrong to i»a»e ids ajpointment permanent. But in 1877.1 was said it w-.s wrong to make it

..on-permanent. who.e Ifonse turned completely round. This, however, would have be-m e silv remedied. It had a«j.«in i eeu said chat Natives shou d deal w th tinquestion, Thcve who U -.trr tnont of Li e Native ■» kn-'W his iw d ot be. done. He te<sv-l!«ct(.da tfj-tm jurj bat «at at the Th itnes ffe had been count*! in the pn cee-'iurt. Ho.i Tepa wa« ioremm, m I B»tct*l legal gen; lemeu were h<re. He turned ruaad, aud fjuiu 1 .or T ua

asleep, tin had ir.n awakened, one he went to sleep A third (.hied time it happ nei, n.i-t 0.. again being awak-ned, hj« **x preyed great disgust at, audi proceedings, an ho <aid she ktiew a gre.tt deal more about the oase r.nan the follow wh ■> was giving tt'vidi'tiuo. Tina marker however, could have been altered i»y the House, >f thought nece s.uy. fiie Native

must important In tiie South, the settlers had been free from native difficulties Here they had this terrible incubus heavy upon !.kem. Until the nacive title was extinguishad it was impossible foi the northern couutry to go ahead. If the native title was gone for ever over all the country t twaroa Taupo, what a grand place this would be that hb was speaking in. The first purchase system had been a failure aud a bill should be passed enabling any persons Co pui chase native land. The present Act is a law for soecul tors. The bill Ik had introduced would enable jinj p rsou to buy Native Laid. IV present bill was too complicated. It took too much money to get a tiile. If the process was sini,<lifitid, as he wished it to be, the poor man could have a chance. At present native laud wa not taxable. It was far better t get it into the hands of European , when it would contribute io the general taxation. A land tax woulu then affict it. Way had tiawke'.-. Bay become prosperous and Tara uaki fallen behind. Because in out province the native title nad be. come exiinguished, and in t ie a tter it had not. It was ot the first im portance that a good Native L.uni Bill shuiild be pissed, and ha wou'-o endeavour to do so.

Bo far as the Laud Fund w • uoucerned, the centralization of i had been of use because it knocks on the head the "compact" .Bn there w-is no real mciease to th Colonial Fund. Theie had beei

oy previous Government a char.;; maie for tue e.donial purpo, i: against the Land .Fund in tu\ Various Provinces. Tnat hj absorbed more than we now g i lioui the Land Fund, Je.ss the JO cent whieli had be.-n a so to titi .Southern Provin e>. il« d,] u .,:, believe in this deduction, or 20 p<-r cent. The wh >le L-iud-Fuud w,n the property of tm- Colony. He hj I reinsert 10 agree to a iy He wanted the who e of- ihe' L»u I tfuud for the Colony, and no dedu - ion, and lie would sull ry and gev. it. Under the presen, sy.-t/tu w should ne L 200.000 short in th revenue next t , ear.

:\exo si-a-aou there would be

con&i eraliou of Purlin meneary reproposed reforms in the representation, aud in the constituencies, and also vote by balliv J.hese opinions were then rejected. They were toad vanceJ. The Ballot Bill w»

Tirown out. The Bil, taking nwa\ representatives from smaller con stituencies aud giving ibem to elec toral districts, passed the Lower House, but was thrown out in t .< Upper House. Hh h«d presse<those- reforms again in 1866, hut. having io leave th« House in 1867 he had not been able -to get through with thr-ra. In his opinion the re presentation should b seii-adjnstinjr,-upon a basis of ol population, so a* to do away with member-: coming to the House fur " another member " for their district. What appeared to him to be a reasonable suffrage wa this. That any perso iof mature ag. having resided a certain length o? time in any district and registeringmyself should have a vote. He believed in manhood suffrage. I was practically that now, but •<» sort of bastard manhood suffrage. He had said that he believed in triennial Parliaments. He wished to a certain extent to retract. He thought it was open for consideration at all events. As to the incidence of taxation a great deal had been heard about taking off certain duties and putting ■he onus upon land. He objected to placing a tax upon land to be absorbed into the revenue.

All moneys raised from the la.id be p-iven ba<'k to it in roads, bridge*. &c. It should be looad' spent, and not g) to Wellington to pay iutereat upon the deb' and t ? keep up the Government establish aients. He filly agreed to a lan ■ t.vx. Lei tibeiu put; it on as much as th':*y li;-;e, but let it be spen tvhere it was rained. Tber<! *sln>uli« oe also one general v-du'tion tiiroughouc the c autry. Tiien, if any tax was to be "collected it conld >»e colltJCted upon this v .lu-.t ion. As to plurj.iity of v t\s in Counties and Load Boa/ds it had got mixed up wioh ihe qiestion of Parliameutaiy Repres.mtrtiion. It was a difficult question. There dionld be tone limit to th< j vo^inj-

owera of ine man. He him e f md suggi'Ste i turf.: votijs t. . Bi

•..ik(*ti.e it'll r nx re ii's I w »u ! be hardly fair that twenty per«;n j pay nj perhaps £lo der auniLU u, a fun i. .-should have twenty times the say of a man who perhaps yaid CIOO to the aaxai fund, which would <■.-:, the ca.se ,f all the men who paid a rate at all of whatever am unt had an equd Th a matter muat uui bo il..cd up vvioii Pailia:rteuc.i<y ropieoumtaUon. »,r Wiucaker denied that he had been a party to a factious opposition. Sir George Grey had *tu.ued ouc vU* rovern'nunt, of winch iie w*s a merab t, bu« he, at th.s siiinj tune, had a A norifcy of three, he carried on with i>mt Btato of chmgu. it was nit constitutional, »nd therefore he oppo«*l it. .I<.;»erer, he wan'glad that !Sn- U»>rjn Gray had had a trial, if the Goreminent acted up to then" promise it was all right, If not, th<jy ohould #o out. They

had made many promises. The question was would they f uifili them. There was a pergonal matter he wished to explain. This was the Piako swamp question. Thoy had oftea indeed heard the word oorrupt used in reference to it. He had a great deal to do with oom.jleting this purohase, but he had never seen a miuistor about it, neither had M r liu*3ell but on one occasion. Tho matter wa3 conducted by letter in the ordinary business way. He could have bought it for 2s per aore at one time. It wailying open for sale at 5a for seven or eight years. No one knew what the interior of the swamp was like, and there was a great risk to *»ny speculator. Mr Whitaker went at length into the history of the transaction, and said that he gave all allegations of this nature of corruption an absolute denial. He had challenged enquiry, and this had elicted nothing against the transaction. Had not the whole country be benefitted by the operations, at the prseent time, 150 or 160 men were employed, and 50 or 60 horses. If all the swamps in Waikato were given away to men who would drain them and then cut them up and sell them, it would be a blessing to the country. With reference to Public Works; he had an object to get the railway to Te Awamutu. He sincerely hoped <tjhat Sir oteorge Grey, would suceeed in getting it through to Taranaki. He would help him if lie saw a chanoe. He had also got a survey of a Road from Waipa to liaglan, as he had said he would, and he uuderstood the present Government would proceed to carry the work out. The Waikato and Thames Railway he had tried hard to get undertaken. It required time, surveys to make, etc., to get 60 or 70 miles of line completed. He had got a survey made of this line. He had intended after this to have got the line constructed. He hoped the present Government would carry out this work, he would give it his his unqualified support. In conclusion, public works, representation and native lands would occupy the whole of next session. He had told them his, views upon these subjects, and he should heartily endeavour in their interest to carry them out (loud applause). Mr Gray asked about the freight on Railways. Mr Whitaker said he would look int< the matter.

Mr Kirk wood asked if the Hoi Member would support a branch liu co Cambridge from the Thames. Mr Whitaker would urge a survey o: uhe Government, and on seeing cost, &j. would give the matter his attention. Major Wilson spoke about the Waikat j.nd Taupo Road. Mr Whitaker said during his term oi »ffice great attention had been paid t /tus matter, and so far as it wad prudeu tj press the Government he would so pre taem.

Major Wilson said natives could be pu upon the work, and it could go on.

MrFantham asked if it would not be ad visable to put a tax upon all estates over 200 acres, to- be spent upon main road and bridges. >r Whitaker quite agreed to the principle of applying money raised from land locally

Mr Hicks asked whether the basis of taxation should not be upon unimproved land, and not upon improved value. Mr Whitaker hardly saw how this was to be done. '

Mr Hicks explained at length his views. Mr Whitaker replied to him: — The Hoa. J. Williamson thought taxa. don should reach the absentee.

Mr Whitaker said that he thought tho tax on land should be upon the unimproved value of all lands, and that w ere uud had been improved, it should be taxed upon its value before it was so improved. The Hon. J. Williamson thought this right. If they taxed improvements they ware not only taxing land, but the money .spent upon it. Major Wilson moved a vote of conudence in Mr Whitaker, and in doing so referred to the benefit of the Piako swamp to the district.

. This was seconded by Captain Ruhcr man, and carried with acclamation.

Mr Whitaker having thanked the electors, a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was suitably replied to, terminated the proceedings.