MR MACANDREW'S SECOND REPLAY TO SIR JULIUS.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 94, 27 April 1876, Page 5

MR MACANDREW'S SECOND REPLAY TO SIR JULIUS.

,i?| '«'■" •■•/ir. | , ( ."A j< ♦ .*'•'.";''■•'''•'. '•''" "■■ i-.v .The! .following' is' d copy! of Hr MacA uqdr^vy'sj. reply to Sir (Julius Voxel's iettprrTrr^lso'^pubHsJiedAin '/piifr 1 present issue :— -,j i J^J'J' •' ll - !,: - : 'A r ' : A :i - Vj " : - 'A, =;-■ - •• " Sir, — I haye i ,the r honor, to acknowledge the reeeipirof- your letter plji3ts April^fVoi^vhich' 'it, is' clear, that, your ppinioh.Aand riiiue r as totlie 1 effect, upon the Province of" ' Ota£(?,' of its' aboli-,-tion, arp widVas the poles asun'dSr. ' '■*■'• • . "I therefore feel' thai t'#suld be only wasting your time v arid : my" ; 6wn -to prolong this corre.- . sporidence. ! At the same time I cannot refrain from referring to some of the ! leading points, in '.'.your "letter. :Ancl here;l may say ,that,l do not ( think you were called; upon- to re'view : the actions of the Provincial,, Council of. Otago— a body re- ' i i■ ; . l■ i >.-,,.. .. , o 4 . :*;-,• sponsible solely to ; the electorate, pf the Province, Lri'or : was it necessary itp assume that everything :yburGroyernment, .thought: fit to propose would (Receive the; sanction of. tlie Colonial' Parliament"

' 1 "your letter is, of caurse, a political iriani-' jfesto tq.coiivince.tho people of Otago of the good" I they \yiU,obtftm'by' ! th i e 'abolition 'lof • -'their Pro- 1 ...vinco and. their local 'Parliament^ and by the.ab.sorption of their" 16cal i; reveh\ies,-'*and you. must (jforgivb mo if T- follow 'your I 'example in entering upon a political discussion which,,! .deprecate. ; . ' ' I m ayj say that Shaldi yoit been administering a law,' and called upon mo to aid you in so'doing, I should not! have withheld my aid or advice. As. 'it is/-I was advised,] and; l am also of. opinion, that the sending of the .Commissioners was with-

out • legal warrant . .or ; constitutional' authority. .The Parliament never authorised such a step, and' never voted funds for such a purpose. Your letter of instructions', as well as'that'now under reply, foreshadows a policy, that tho Parliament has riot yet f considered, far* less satisfied A There is rio local Government Act;' arid as' yet' no provision made' for carrying'' on '' tlie departments of the Provincial Government.

"" ■ What law, T ask, ' are you administering.?','. • ; ■< . "I looked upon the actionfoi your Government as an encroachment upon s the a-ights of this Pro"vince^ which, as its elected head, I was bound to . ■resist yand I. feel assured that . had. you been the, head of thofPrpyincial Ex.ocutive.ypu would have counselled more ■ extreme .measures' than I' resorted -to. : -Indeed, . I. K cannot , but remember' how .nobly -you aided ;rae with your advice and influence in resisting the .General Government ehcrpachment, pn our rights nirio years ago. ; „ ."You eniiroly'rnisapprehe.hd me by supposing that because 'the weilth.pf Otagc far exceeds tba'. of jOiiliet Provinces', itß' interest, in my opinion,* is. to eyade^a*'sh!are : of -"the' geri^r'al responsibility., -On tlie 'contrary, I, for one, am quifce^prep&red^ that the • 'Province 1 should 1 ; assume . a ; very, large proportion^ of the;^ast ohligatipgsipf t ,the. Colony, providediLitiis relieved of, alAfutux-^ liabilities* otherlthan those jfcp 'befii^curred^y^lt^elf for its ;own-benefit, T> pr.thp^e which may be necessary 'for federal j purposes.; 1 ' . ."'. ' X! ' -A'lhaye no,desh:e, .tp dispute with, you that,' .-since 1870, Oliago'has" received a large share of* tlie Public, Wqilts and immigration loan. *'I ; sub-'J , mit,; however, 'thit'it'has J 'nx)t received' more than its due proportion*,' Pr ! than Li t• is'a,blb -^o'repay,.. aid this I fear is more th'ah' can be Said! in respect ! 6f variotispthei' 'portions of the! Colony.} -While , 'upon this s pbiAt'l'iwould} most; ■ emphatically,, pro-; •test against thafe phase;; of -y^ur;, present;policy,- - which propogesl.to -. render- Otago liable for- the • * , -.-j-w . -v. j, i,,fj. r , ;.;jj , "•>.!•* i •{ debts jincu.rreflanjthp^iMMtr^ctiPjn. byr railways in ; btlierjparts of r : -thia',: Colony „np,twi.thslancling' the, isfolemAassuranceihat to each j?rp'vlri'ce' would ' j .'j.77,. Ij.-r,'; nj'i : !(.;i; , .').i' i .'fii i'.'t-' r [belong.the profit -and loss which^ might accrue . f r;ona th e, railway^ constructed' within 1 ' iA-assur- 5 ; anco embodied in' the liriiriigi7atib'ri r and' -Public - Works' Act,' and but ' for' v wriich that Act never; ; would have be'eri on the 1 Statute-Book. ' ; •)•'•:' j (:■,-: L ',' It 'is' this Readiness' -with -which, -.at.'tbe in'stkrice bf aftoWefityl ©overnmehtjAtliejgqo.diaith. 'of the Colonial PdrUtfment:. to-day-may -he, ■cagt (Lp ._ : the'WihdS .to-morrpwf-(jyh|9hr.^Bhakes,, ; ,the con-. Mdenc^.pf imyaelf- jantlfpth^ ;in „the stability^ of which prpfe^es. tp^s^cure tp'any. jiar- ' 7ticular.'part ,of jth.e Colp|u^ th,p y exclusive enjoy'i merit ofijbhoie^adya^^eSjWhich.may Jti&vp b"66h j derived, frbnr4ts "owji oforethouglit^and' superior' *• ] i-Jj.i-.tv-- U\:, io .'HIrSJ.fKfVT ill f^L.-L-i .energy. ;• , '....,,.,. , * . - , '■ u-:- - Idp jjpi hpow thatl'njjirt'ly . nrtetpret your; im'earing.when y the ppihiohs'of%ose "who" supply Sthfc ni6hey.fpr| developii/g' our resphf cce ss' so:> ''* ' ' o:> .'• n< r!i m f L-<■• jj, j j *■_-■ "IfAih _^6uiairtglrtioS-iloliti^iMfl^t}^'|iojis i^pbn %hicn the f riltoejhappiucss'^qdjl'rf^d^n^of, • ourselves au'dibun childrpn; so largely d^|>end.;we >otre jbo-be>it^iiencedi;byt.yip j . J o j r)inis)n i pf. money- j flendnrs^all I can sayjathjat^it w^-1 .^e'arsall *da^' -}forHeWfZe*laud^wheii.,th^JfmecorriesA v; " <•'- ---,-fy'iHow you can roconcile. your a^sertibn ; that ! .Otago, ,has r ;npt been 7a'"Buffo'?er.'by' ; Goloriial-: firiancel with the fact that'j.in'aildifedn'W itfe'dV J ,ligitibn in 'respect Sf "' tlie'lPviblicWb^ks' feidßef /fenU ! lp4ns i ,' I it i hk4 , 'lbbn£KV^yffiu^ " rhillibris ! of a^ney-tSthd Col6riialichfestsf.oiiw.hich{ 'it' has received little or nothing in return, saying, '•'the empty hbfibr?6f)-being;repw'sented),i%.^h3^ GenferaT- Assembly,* is," L .conf es9-,fbey pjid jby jcom-ir -7preheri'sion;-if: /J At ;r:>J AnWi.--n A ' R}?|f ahl I'.Oneistrong.rfas^h^vhy, 4n ( y|?ijr j)pMon> 'fhe^ . .-Provirice should .bp, abplishadk is,, .during fhe

past session of the Provincial Council, appropriations were passed' ib'ilie* extent'of £909,000.- -„ - ;; '\Tp my. mind, thia affords one of the best arguments in favor of thH Provinco becoming' an independent Colony. Largo' as this sum is, it is far short of what is needed to' meet necessary, requirements; arid far short of what the Province would have at its disposal,' but for, that vicious system of Colonial finance in which it.has become so unhappily entangled^a system , which will be '• stereotyped should Abolition bo, carried out.

1 > " Youido not seem to be.aware.that when the , Appropriation Ordinance was passed the Province contemplated being, able to. float a loan, and that : a large portion of the appropriation was for the .competion of .important public 'works,' the' exe,cutio\ipf which will, extend over several years.' 1 • "'-You say' that ' concurrently " the Provinco has sacrificed its lands by large' sales to runholders. As to this you have' been' completely misinformed,, inasmuch as there -have been no .sales' to. i'unliolders during .the- past four years, excepting' the pre-emptive areas to which they ■ are % law entitled. With regard to its landed estate/ I amnot called upon to 'defend, all that the Province has doneintheipast, but. were I to itraco/tho cause of bur! difficulties, -in dealing.,, with (O.ur was"te' lands, I shouldhave to attribute, them, chiefly jtp'ithe action taken by yourself in ' grant-' (ing a renewal of so. many; .partial leases in 1866. . If, largej sales are.impioper,ij, have, yet to learn that.anjr sale in Otago has been 'iii violation ' of la\\r„,or made until tlie absorption pf its revenue by the Colonial Government forced such actibiv on- theTPrqvinco. For yourTGbverriment to.complain of large sales of land after tho various.ro-, ports by .Parliamentary Committees on its' land' transactions in tho. North Island -transactions which no financial exigency, demanded— seema to me,: to say the (least of it, to be singularly inappropriate.. > ! In thus referring to the' action 5 of the Colonial .Government, 1 also am only acting- m' self -.defence. You must'thereforo excuse my re-> ference to the uh'-'6alled'for sacrifice of the public ' ; estate ill .^Auckland. ■ •' 7' ' '"''■" • ' „ "If^her.eis one thing' more- than 7 another for i ...which the Provincial. Government may, claim I credit, it is the extent! to. which the public estate | of Qtago lias been husbanded and disposed of for actual settlement and profitable occupation. I venture to say that in no other part of the colony does this 'apply to.a greater extentA 7 '-' " One of my chief- reasons for opposing the policy now in. question, is that under its' operation ' the administration of the Provincial : estate, must be; regulated ,by J the exigencies of Colonial finance., " : ' ' '' ' ' :: "'-• «•= •■-■ ■ • "ißut? even assuming that your r information' had- been correct, andthat the Province had dis-, posed of large' blocks of hill-land to . runholdprs, . .there are many-'a-nd, cogent reasons . whicli might well have driveu it to this course. „ Among these might be enumerated the, refusal of the Colonial Legislature to onablo the Province to anticipate' its land revenue for the construction of those : public works, without which the land' would be comparatively valueless for settlement," and alsio the" difficulty experienced in ' obtaining payment from the Colonial Government of moneys, to whiolr by law the province is entitled. : . ;"I would point out to youthat there is tak-, , t ing place in Otago a very considerable amount of . agricultural settlement on deferred payment, and. tbat this has to be followed x\p by providing the meanb of communication, schools, and many -'other' requirements, to meet which money must bo had. '

' "Assuming that funds cannot be obtainod otherwise than from land sales, I am of opinion that it wo,uld be far preferable to" sell" purely pastoral larid to runh oiders, at .2os an acre than to .| place in the market for disposal by wholesale to speculators large areas of valuablo- land which stillremain, _and .which it t is the policy of the Provincial Government to preserve to meet the j requirements of agricultural settlement. ! ■ -." You further allego that the Province has - sought ,to withdrawn from ordinary purposes (whicli, , l, presume, moans from sale) enormous .blocks of country, 'for fear the hind might be otherwiso absorbed.' ' '-.' - . . , ......! ". " It is, qhite true "that; years ago the Provincial, Council resolved' to set apart" several millions of acres as endowments foAeducation, hospitals, and other public purposes, in which .resolution the , Colonial '.Government did not concur. Ultimately^ however,, 500, 000 acres wbreagreed to be Crown granted. I fail to sco in this action of the Provincial j Council any reason why -the Province . should ibe abolished, but the reverse. I am, dis- j posed to regard this action as a' far-seeing appre- ; hension of that centralistic policy against -which \ cbnteridingAa policy.' which,- whatever' may J 'be your present, intentions,, rnustj inevitably re... -suit in 1 the general, consolidation of .public assets (arid liabilities jthroughout. the Colony, Among | 'the. former, of, course'Airiust be included 'our land \ funfl, Joiireducatiori reserves, £ an l dA as likely as ) not, all other reserves. Besides, I would not for J " aVriibmcrit" impute to 'you' 'any present intention, j in this direction,' bxit'fcarinot disguise frojn.myself ,- ; tn'e'^f eeliiig-th'at yott are 'now; eriibarking upon an 'ocean of icircunistanceSiwhi^hryou will<be unable; ito coritroAcircumstaneesjii. which, jthe, Colony ; must inevitably drift into jthe position ' I ; havb ' (indicated. .APri might as ; \vell expect the Ethib r * fpian to change his skin, as' s ttTat >; Centralism iri ,-New Zealanct will 'be-cpiateiiv^ritli anything! shorts of that'pb'gitiph'A 7 ■••';-~ Mil t'i .'.''A--'"'. A' llo^^6ii f sAy the people 'of Otago. do pot. realise,,), "arid are misinformed £s toi what abolition means. '"If'this-'bei so,' why not submit jfosr, -the .considera!tibri ofi the peppha tJiose,jmeasp:es., which willable them to interpret for. themselves; its real •meaning? those measures, which .'are to usher in' , the political,mUlennium*. To my nYiridA 'what- 1 --.--, *T * i.i „- "rr;i;.f -•-;;; ;i t ; j* -j ;' , -, .•*'-,,. r ;.: ;evcr the -measures - may, turn out tbbe, J -the-inari' ' •'■' i i, Jlt lA^ -l i - l S < --- ,4' Wfljj,^ -:>n,i A..- £ ' ; il '>■ .must be blind indeed, who r does not realise in the I whole ( actioti or Centralism'in'New^Zealahd'dUr?; \ nig th%'7^ast twjerity-Fiye ' yeArgi -W Oho- ipiirae if or I ttlie jQolony '^a cbii^irhrriktibrii totally. uireGonrf' ' cileable > With'y(}u:r'-c6n^iction.Lthat theil3,n,d,fun,d ■; and 'public reSbrves»of..:th'ef respective £r^yin©ei». : u mlljb!a. , localisb'4, v ;u.i> .'v* -LL,-. r \i ■ ...... j; . ; 7 :. I -„. -» -Ji;-.!),i; -if,, /(J |; ; A' -You say that in respect of Imn^i^atjpn.and , •Briblic--IWhrkSi7?it)ip .Qplony^has ,dpne„niore A for 7, , Otago in five years than } the Province could haye' ,don p for itself in; ten. i -To -this '■ I-must' entirely r -> demur: i.lt, would not be difficult to sho w'that* •■ - Ati jU.'II. J.,'!', l ') 'J !l/if' j'J (1 | li'fl.'tr I-• ',-i )jhsd : ij^o. Province .bequ .permitted to' cpri'duct jthose. j operations foivitself 'tlie' Result •w6Uld,'- i tb ! j spy the.least of ' i|, j lvavjg been equally 'satis v factbry,- ; , jiud ihlairpVo^aDilit^ri^uoU^orS^sol'-* Yl'Mve* rib { ii^sitillib^^^ example, would haye 1 he^^cpnatructcft^byjitliefl "afetitally cb^tA ! 'l 8' 'I'HtilaiU'ua Oi! him A.ride ''t You'f&y'ihatithjQ oGpveijnments^^yaYincial , «hdGiaerahtbgefeer i .|i^ i ]gpen4'ug^^ M^n/th9d3pJonyA^n aft"ord. &(f^ i;ybu agj rjeg^i^j^e.^ttigr^iMl |f ; -ph^U; JTO^wfr in/faVbr of^'XboliH&n, iß* may,.f<urlvi),e, urged as a reason forUbolishmg- the--Gen^ ;6oyemmeW* 'WfjsWjfcfils bf very^ greatly- cuyt&Uinjj'iti^xp^ jioWSMhij . strangijtha? iiMe of !?"SH*S^*hai)^" .^i^i: ■ ! ' : -'{£">::•?« W -jfjiifj AunyiA.A A,Ayy Ar.A

lony can afford, the Government should have been so-desirous, during the past fow sessions of increasing that expenditure by the establishment of new and expensive departments. " And now; one word more as to what is to be in the future. • You may be right in your assumption that whatever your Government proposes; the Assembly will sanction. 1 may be pardoned, however, for saying that Governments as strong as yours have in tho past had to submit to a public opinion they* could: not control, and I feel convinced that tho opinions of , so large and , important a section of the Colony as Otago, will not bo lightly set aside by the Colonial Legislature. "It should not be the aim of statesmen to ignore the feelings of those oyer whom they rule, and if one'la'rge section of any country is forced into a hostile attitude towards the Government, and its ' opinions and feelings ignored, history tells us that there aro evil days in store for such a country. '„••■..,

"The justice of Otago's claims, which yon say ore '-chimerical," lriayY.l trust, yet receive from - the Assembly that consideration which is denied \ by your Government A '■ ',-■■'•- A A I fail to sco how the country . districts of . Otago can benefit by your, proposed scheme. Hitherto, for example, the Provincial, Council has given no subsidy to iDunedin, as thoy feel it their duty to tleyotetlie.roy.en tie to making roads' ' and bridge's, and building schools throughout the country districts, . You, as the; first step in tho 'decentralising process, have given a subsidy of £10;000 to Dunedin, and promised, that 'it -shall - bo perpetuaLj How, therefore, Dunedin can'be said to have benefitted'more from Provincial ad- . ministration than the country districts, I cannot , understand. You have forgotten that ;the;dis- , , tricts' which have hitherto been most jealous ; of , Dunedin, and farthest- removed from it. have re- , turned/as members of tho Colonial 'Parliament strong? Provihcialists. ■ The>people of , Otago aro , not) so, " mishiformcd '' : as you seem to imagine, and if, as you say, the Province has been spend-, ingmore money, than th& Colony can afford, o£ course yo.ur scheme means . >(, stoppage of publio' ' works throughout the .Province, unless, indeed, you imagine that the credit of the Colony will not be injiiredby every county ahd Road Board borrowing what theyj please.' You cannot, ■ however, consider that allowing a County op Road Board to borrow is a good- thing, whilst • granting the same right tda Proyince is an. evil thiiig. "• " A' ''' : '' ' ' " • "I would only say further, that, : believing as I do, that, like' myself, you are aiming at making ■ New t Zealand a great, prosperous, and free country, it' is to tne- a source of the deepest regret.that we^do.not agree as to the most effective and only means of accomplishing this end. " ' ' "Much as I should feel disposed to defer to your judgment, I cannot ignore the conviction which a life-long experience of New Zoaland politics has forced upon me ; and if, in the heat of a political controversy, not of my seeking, I have used any expressions distasteful to you, you . will; I trust Apardon such, ;'.,-; .'...,; ."lamwell aware that . in every , discussion some expression may seem harsh to an opponent that was not so meant by the writer. . " l-lad it not been that you ,had hitherto so i loyally, and under , much obloquy in the past, supported the Constitution, , and. did ' I not hope that calm reflection may yet induce you' to re- ' turn to your previous, ; political platform, I heed' not, perhaps, have entered into so much detail: I .feel, however,, that' you will pardon thelength'; -' and, perhaps, ardour of my letter; drid believe!' me to be actuated by' a strong' desire for' the con.- • • timiecl prosperity aud advancement not only -of .* . Otago,-but also of all New Zealand." - ' ' • : . . r• , "I have, &c, ;* p ,-i -•■■.>:( J. MAOAKDaEW,:"- „ , " Superintendent of Otago. ; " The Hon. the Premier." . . !, „...'.,'