MR REYNOLDS’S MEETING.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2307, 28 September 1870, Page 2

MR REYNOLDS’S MEETING.

Mr W. H. Reynolds, M.H.R., root his constituents at the Princess Theatre last evening, and reviewed the legislation of the last session of Parliament. At the appoinfc I hour, eight o'clock, the Theatre was only partially idled ; but as the proceedings progressed the audience increased, and before their close there must have been close upon 900 persons present. His Worship the Mayor was called to the chair, and before introducing Mr Reynolds to the meeting, read a letter from Mr T. Birch, M.H.IT, in which the writer intimated that he would address his constituents on an early day, on the various matters affecting the interests of the City and Province generally, and expressed his regret at being unable to attend the meeting, in consequence of a prior engagement. Mr Reynolds, on stepping forward, was received with applause. He premised by stating that he felt some little difficulty in deciding upon what particular points the meeting would like to he informed, as so many matters came before the Assembly during a session of throe months, that it became extremely difficult for a member to decide what subjects were of most interest to his constituents. He would, however, touch upon those subjects which ho considered most affected the Middle Island, and this Province in particular. Shortly after he left hero to attend the Assembly he heard that the Homo Commissioners were ncgociating with the Imperial Government for a loan for the Colony, and that the loan was to be divided thus : —One-half to he expended in the North 1 sla ml on the employment of Na ives in that island; onc-quartor on immigration and public works in the North Isl:v d ; and one-quarter on immigration and public works in the Middle Island. By this means thremquarter.s of the loan, which it was then supposed would be LoOJOOl), would have been spent on the North, and onequaUcr on the Middle Island. Upon hearing this, he thought it was full ti nc that some one from the Middle Island should take action in the matter, and accordingly gave notice in the House of Representatives that lie would move certain resolutions. [Mr Reynolds here read his resolutions, which are known as the Financial Separation resolutions ] His intention was to do away with the whole of the Provinces in both islands, and establish two Previn es in their stead —one Province for each island. In proposing these r solutions lie had done nothing new ; they had been advocated for the last ten years not only by himself, but by almost every Otago member who had been returned for the Assembly or Provincial Council. He had thought the present a good time to bring them forward, because in the opening speech the Governor was made to say that the nock of the rebellion was broken—in fact, that the Native disturbances were over. Such being the case, he thought the North Island could not now complain at the Middle Island bemg free from the responsibilities under which it had hitherto labored. Hcmight tell them candidly bis own impression was that the Native disturbuncos were anything but over; he believed that at the present time the Natives were in a sort of dormant state, and would break out as bad as ever ; and so long as we were prepared to holster up the Native Department, so long would we have Native disturbances in the North Island. The only objection to the resolutions was that they were ill-timed—out of place ; hut why they wore ro he never got a satisfactory answer. Before proposing them for acceptance by the House, ho showed them to most of the Otago members, and, so far as he could judge, they were all in favor of them. But when the resolutions came on for discussion, he was mot by the previous question, an 1 finding that a good many who had promised to vote for him were averse to doing so, he accepted the previous question. After referring to his effort to have the question of Separation referred to the constituencies, and the rejection of his motion on the subject, he said that he believed had he received the support from the Otago and Southland members that ho might have expected, he would have carried the resolutions. Nothing showed more the necessity for them Can the Financial Statement By it the expenditure in the North Island was to he at the rate of about LlO Ms to every man, woman, and child ; whereas in the North Island there was only to be spent somewhere about 1.4 17s per head. It must be borne in mind that the whole consolidated revenue of the North Island amounts to about L4lB GO;), while that of the Middle Island is L(533,500; so that, in reality, according to the Financial Statement, we in the Middle Island arc contributing about one-half more to the total revenue than the North Island, yet we should receive marly a third leas special appropriations, besides various other nest eggs granted to the North Island, such as the confiscated lands, the property of the Colony, and the only thing remaining to us out of the three million loan, from which the Middle Island received pq advantage except about LSfi.OOO, He wou’d not be seliidi towards the North Island, and if it were necessary to spend money in encouraging population to settle in the North Island, he would vote funds for that purpose ; hut ho hcliceod that tin whole of this money would he frittered away in supplying the natives Avith sugar, flour, and blankets. He thought the financial legislation of the session anything but satisfactory. It was possible wo might pay too dear for immigration and railways, and if for every pound iqumt here mi tfiose objects we Agere to pay T24 or Iff per cent, he thought wc should be far better without anv such scheme as that detailed in the Statement. As to the San Francisco service, he did not believe any ocean steamers that would come down from San Francisco to take up the Australian service would think of coming down this coast for anything like the subsidy granted, which would not pay for a quarter of thp coal consumed. As to the Colonial University. He pointed out that an article in the Dully Time*, of 1 Dili July last, nearly upset the proposal to convert the Otago University into a Colonial University. It was there stated that by the Council of the University, in appointing professors, regard would be shown to nation-

alitics. There was not the slightest foundation for the statement. But even now there were difficulties in the way of making the University a colonial one, and he was not at all certain they would be overcome. He next referred to the Ballot Bill, the Land Registry Act, and other measures. In answer to questions he said he thought 10,00!) a year was too large a number of immigrants to be introduced into the Province. Small manufacturers should be induced to come out and establish such industries as woollen manufactures, bottle blowing, &c. At present the colony could not absorb 20 000 immigrants a year; and unless immigration was founded on a proper and sound basis, he would object to it. under present circumstances. He thought the Native department should be abolished, and if members received a lump sum instead of LI a day honorarium, the sessions would he materially shortened. He supported the Ministry asa Cabinet, but not their financial policy, to which he was thoroughly opposed. So long as he held a seat in the Assembly he would never give his vote to reinstate Mr Stafford. He pointed out the way in which the Stafford Government obtained support by holding out sops to certain Northern and Middle Island members, and instancing the ill-treatment Otago had received at their hands, he said:— In 1855 the Loan Allocation Act was passed allocating to the North Island the sum of 1/214,000 which had been expended out of the Ld,000,000 loan of 1850 in forming roads and other public works in the North Island, In 1857, when the Stafford Ministry felt their supporters leaving jthem, they introduced the Loan Allocation Act Repeal Act, thus throwing the burden of this debt on the Colony, notwithstanding the fact that it had been admitted on all sides of the House, in 1857, as a just charge against the North Island only. By this means they got the support of all the Auckland members, who previously had hceu in Opposition ; one of the Auckland members remarking as an important division was being taken “Wc’io a’hove.” By the Repeal Act, an injusthe was done to the Colony. Th n again by tl c Surplus Revenue Adjustment Act, 1857, Otago was to his mind unjustly mulcted jin some L25,0()0 which was paid over to Auckland. After a number of questions had been answered, Mr Chant proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Reynolds for addressing the meeting, which was carried unanimously. Mr Rbvnoli s intimated his intention of again seeking the suffrages of the electors.