Mr. Reader Wood's Speech.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1710, 11 August 1875, Page 3

Mr. Reader Wood's Speech.

Mr. JKeader Wood was received with loud cheers from the Opposition. He said the legality of the course pursued had not been exhausted, although it had been treated with extraordinary ability by Sir George Grey, and the very opposite by Ministers. Unless it was shewn they are acting within the four corners of the Constitution and Acts dependent on it, they were simply wasting time. Ministers and their supporters misinterpreted the AttorneyGeneral's opinion. Every member must think that on the face of the AttorneyGeneral's advice it was culpable neglect on the part of a Government not to take his advice. He quoted Gillies' opinion as to the power of the Assembly to deal with the question, and referred to the past attempts to alter the Constitution, which attempts were invariably followed by legislation to set at rest doubts which each attempt called into existence. Now, more than ever, would it be found that such doubts existed. The Government proposals were bribes to support the centres of. population at the expense of the country. With regard to the question of abolition, pure and simple, his duty was very clear If in the smallest degree the bill represented his views, it was a duty for him to vote for abolition. But its finances were so largely mixed up with the finances of the colony, and had so little connection with abolition, that he must vote against it. It must be admitted by the public at large and the House, that the provinces had totally failed to carry out their original intentions. If they wanted to find a "financial scandal" they need not go so far as Auckland. They could find that nearer home. . Exactly opposite was the case in Auckland. It was that of a good man struggling with adversity. He admitted that there was for a few months a little derangement of Auckland's finances, owing to the Superintendent's death. But the Auckland Government after the interregnum astonished the people by telling them the truth. They then drew in the reins, and resisted all pressure. And now what was the case—actually credit at the Bank. The Colonial Treasurer knew nothing about it except from the newspapers. Was the province to be held up as a scandal when in its finances it had cut its coat according to its cloth, and acted like an honest man should act. Supposing the province had been unable to pay, whose fault was it ? The fault of the Assembly, for reducing its Customs revenue first from five-eights to three-eights, and then its action with regard to the capitation grant, which the Assembly gradually reduced to 15s. He had told the Southern members that, if they allowed the bill to pass—that if they once allowed the Government of the country to get their hands upon their land fund, as surely as Auckland's share of the Customs revenue had vanished, so sure would their land funds be swept into the Maelstrom of colonial finance. The Abolition Bill abolished nothing but Provincial Councils. Why not vote on the estimates subsidies to Road Boards and Municipalities, and leave the question till next year, when all doubts might be settled ? Mr Reader Wood continued, and criticised the high-handed manner of the Government in saying the measure was good, whether constitutional or not. But if the Act was disallowed by her Majesty's advisers, who would bear the reproach ? The hon. member reviewed the financial statements of last session, when Mr Vogel said they would have plenty in the treasury to meet everything required for the next year, but when he got home he found he had to raise three millions at once. That was deception, and clearly indicated disaster looming ahead. Last year he expressed certain views on abolition. Had the bill been at all in conformity with them he would vote for it. The hon. member then proceeded to state in reply to the taunts that the financial state of Auckland was a scandal to the colony, that with all her poverty, great as it was, she owed not a shilling. There was not one unliquidated debt against her. Simply because when the real state of their purse was ascertained, they resolutely declinedto incur liabilities they could not meet, and if Auckland was embarrased, it was alone the fault of the House it was so. If they passed the Abolition in its present form it would plunge the colony into a maelstrom of financial difficulties. It was ill to call this an Abolition Bill. It was merely substituting another name —that of Provincial districts. The stereotyped form of laws was still retained. It was true they would not have Superintendents but they would have satraps in their place, nominees of the General Government. He could not disguise from himself that the real object of the Bill was to cover an enormous deficiency in the revenue, and tha,t to pass it would throw the finance of the colony into inextricable coninsion.

Mr Pyke regretted that eloquence was not always a convincing argument. It was so that evening. With all the eloquence displayed nothing had been said to influence a siDgle vote in favor of the existing institutions. The position was exactly what it had been described to be years ago by the honorable member, for a vote when going to that hduse, namely, that the whole country was over-governed, and a radical change was required. Still with all the necessity for change he contended that as they bore the burden of provincialism for 20 years they could stand it six months longer so as to have the unmistakeable voice of the poople with them on so momentous a question. He urged them not to be hasty if not afraid of the verdict of the country. Why not wait for it? He hoped the Government would do this. Whatever good provincial institutions worked once they

had latterly altogether failed to do, and having degenerated into centralism of the worst kind. As an instance, gold was discovered in Gabriel's Gully in 1861, and it was 1874 before the main road to that place was completed. As for all the clap-trap they heard about sweeping away the Constitution, it was simply making fetish of it. As for Superintendents' representing a large number of the people, he had only one vote in the Executive Council, and was no more than a member representing only a few electors. In fact he was simply Chairman of the Executive Council. He ridiculed the idea of the New Zealand colonists being a down-trodden lot. One of the chief reasons which made him support the Bill was the clauses relating to to land fund. Without those provisions he would oppose it tooth and nail. To do otherwise would be aiding repudiation. Doubtless the compact had been broken in many essential points, but the last stand must now be made to preserve the honor and credit of the colony. He trusted every member of the House, including Sir George, would assist in making the Bill a complete and beneficial measure.

Mr Thomson, in a long speech, strongly opposed the Bill, which he said should have been brought down by the member for Timaru. The Ministry ought to have resigned and allowed Mr Stafford to form a new Ministry and introduce a Bill. He "twitted" the Government with having originally taken office as conservors of provincialism : now they had changed their minds, and coolly asked the rest of the House to change their minds also and follow them. The hon. gentleman condemned the management of the public works, of finance, and of the way Ministers' neglected their official duties, and generally reiterated the leading arguments used against the Bill by the Opposition members. Mr O'Connor moved the adjournment of the House at 12.26.