Settlement of the Land.

Now I will give you another instance. There is the position of the land policy of page 11 the colony owing to a land act which is one of the grossest bungles ever perpetrated by any Government or House. Although you do not attach much value here to my words, yet in the South I am recognised as one of the best authorities in New Zealand on this subject, and if I chose to stand for any agricultural constituency in Otago there are not very many men down there who could oppose me very successfully. (Laughter.) It a fact. The agriculturists of Otago swear by me, and I could easily get a seat in that province. Not only have I been asked, but I was pressed to stand at the elections three years ago, for more than one constituency in Otago, but my reply was that my business would not permit it. I was even told, "If you will only stand we will guarantee the scat to you." If you do not believe me read Civis's "Passing Note," republished here in the Star the other day, in which he states that Mr Connell is indeed a stranger in Auckland, but that if he wants a seat he could more easily gain that honour in Otago. Now, in reference to this question of land settlement, I wish you to mark that if you send me to Parliament it will be one of my first objects to endeavour to get rid of a lot of ignorant newspaper editors like Ballance, and lawyers like Stout—men who have got a lot of dangerous ideas into their heads, and who know as little about land as that candlestick. It is men like these who have made a mess of the legislation of the colony. But the moment we have got true colonists into power you will see a very different Act from the one you have now got. You may imagine the utter incapacity of these men when I tell you that at this moment the magnificent land revenue of New Zealand is absolutely and utterly thrown away. The mere expense of administering the Land and Survey Departments has more than eaten up the whole of the land revenue of New Zealand. I ask you, are you desirous of our affairs being placed in the hands of practical men, or are you content to allow this mismanagement of the country to be continued under the theoretical ideas of a lot of men who know nothing about the practical settlement and work of the colony?