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The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1870.

“ Up to the present time, I have “ always stated that I believed the “ Separation of the two islands would “ be a bad thing. I believe so still; u but there may be worse tilings. If “ wp do separate, we may have to make sacrifices; but the question has bet( come an important one in my mind u —Whether we had not better separ- “ ate at any sacrifice 1 Personally, I “ wish to avoid such a contingency; “ but the bringing forward propositions “ of the kind now before us, and the “ threats which have been held out, “ are warnings which we ought not to “ lose sight of.” These were the words of Mr Hall, who represents the Canterbury constituency of Heathcote in Parliament. They point to the effect that Mr Creighton’s proposed resolutions to make the land revenue Colonial revenue, had upon the mind of one who has hitherto been a staunch opponent of Separation; and they point to the grave character of the movement that is making such headway in the Northern mind. # Those proposals also made a convert of Mr Rolleston, who in a similar strain said—“ I have always “ endeavored to promote the unity of “ the Colony, and I regret to see a “ proposal brought down to this House " which may tend to the Separation of u the Colony; but there are circum-

“ stances under which the people of “ the Middle Island may say, ‘ Rather “ ‘ than commit onrselves to a scheme “ ‘ of that magnitude and . character, “ ‘ which will involve loss of credit “ ‘ and insolvency to the Colony, “ ‘ rather than that, we will take up, “ ‘ with willingness, the largest and “ ‘ most liberal share of the liabilities “ ‘ of the Colony up to the present “ ‘ time, and maintain our determina- “ ‘ tion to pay our way, and maintain “ * our credit aS a Colony.’ ” The feeling in Mr Rolleston’s mind when he uttered those words was that “ the “ country genei’ally will see the con<c nection which exists between these “ (the Government plans) and the “ throwing the land funds of the “ Colony into one common stock. It is to be regretted that such an idea should have been raised in the mind of anyone respecting the proposals of the Government, because there is no necessary connection between the two plans. But the fact that such a plan may be in the mind of some member of the Dresenb Onvoi'mout, amf that it certainly forms part of the creed of those who will in all probability ultimately supersede the Executive, is quite sufficient to rouse every inhabitant of the Middle Island to a deliberate investigation of the subject. Singularly enough, notwithstanding the motion of Mr Creighton was so long on the Notice Paper, all the speeches excepting his own bear marks of wants of preparation, as if the members were taken by surprise. Perhaps this is attributable to the belief that at the earnest request of the Government the motion would be withdrawn. But it is worthy of notice that those members who are looked upon as leading men, Messrs Gillies and Stafford, spoke somewhat in favor of the motion —the former on the ground that “ the moment “ this House desires, or considers it to u be wise, prudent, and judicious to re- “ vise that arrangement (the resolu- “ tions of 1856), they are acting in “ accordance with that arrangement, “ and not in repudiation of it,” Mr Gillies moreover maintains that in 1863, “ when the Native Lands Act “ was passed, taking away the only “ right the North had to acquire an “ estate,” the arrangement was broken “ in regard to the North.” Mr Stafford supports the proposition on the ground that Otago, Canterbury, and Auckland are the only Provinces that have not misapplied their land funds. It will be remembered that Mr Creighton’s argument is that the Middle Island has really had more than its shave of Colonial revenue because of the large land revenue at its disposal. By his mode of calculation, the gain over taxation amounted to a bonus of £7 per head for each inhabitant. We thank him for the hint of how to estimate the benefit, for it is_ equally applicable to one island as the other. Seven pounds per head at the price of land in Otago, is equal to seven acres of land at the upset price. Now let us see how this method of measuring benefits applies to Auckland. The debate on the financial policy of the Government was a sort of free fight, during which much statistical information was given that u ill help us I o solve this problem, Mr MM K\x, .m his defence of the Native policy, tells ns that the result of the Government system of acquiring land by purchase was, that 2,400,000 acres of land in Auckland had been obtained without any dispute as to title. On this large area, purchased for a mere trifle, we are told that the Government, on account of its security of tenure, were enabled to settle a large population. The land revenue, including the gold duty in Otago, at the upset price of a pound an acre for agricultural land, from 1853 to 1869 inclusive, was £1,781,972. Now as Auckland is as populous as Otago, it might naturally have been supposed they would have paid the same amount for land ; but no—they have only paid £302,000, and, according to Mr M'Lean, nearly half a million of acres has been given away to settlers. Thus estimating the population of the two Provinces to be equal —say about 50,000 —and neglecting altogether the advantage of buying land in that Province at one-fourth of the price paid in Otago—itself a bonus of 10s. to 15s, an acre—there has been a bonus of ten acres per head given to the Auckland settlers. The true way to look at the matter is however this : —The settlers in the Middle Island have paid a high price for land, equivalent to taxing themselves in order that they might make roads, provide schools, prosecute public works, and introduce immigrants; and they have paid an additional tax for the sake of defending land belonging to settlers in the North Island, who had it given to them gratis. Not satisfied with this, those Northern men now seek to take possession of the remainder of our unsold estate, that a portion of the proceeds may be expended in making fortresses, roads, bridges, and railways for them, and .to introduce immigrants who, like those already there, may haply get their land for nothing. While unwilling to ta*

themselves for their own benefit, they are quite ready to take what they can get from us. We have not overstated the case, and ask when, if not now, should the question of Financial or Insular Separation be pressed 1 Mr Reynolds was not wrong in moving in the matter.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18700808.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2263, 8 August 1870, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,143

The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1870. Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2263, 8 August 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1870. Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2263, 8 August 1870, Page 2

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