THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2466, 11 January 1871, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MR MACASSEY AT THE WATER OF LEITH.

Mr Macassey explained his views to the electors at the Water of Leith Drill She I last evening. There were over 100 persons present, aud Mr Edward M'Glashen was voted to the chair.

The candidate premised his remarks with 9, reference to his previously expressed opinions on the subject of the commission of the pciice and the relictions that had been made upon them ; and to enable the meeting to judge of the fairness of the statements he had made, he appealed to a higher authority the authority of menders of the General Assembly, who, he knew, were respected by the electors, and who had themselves filled the office of Justice of the Peace for many years. The question he now adverted to received the attention of the House of .Representatives during the course of last year, and in the progress of a discussion on the Petty Sessions Act, a number of members expressed themselves in terms as strong, if not much stronger than he ventured to use. One of the members, Mr Dillon Bell, said, on the occasion referred to, “He was glad the attention of the House was directed to a matter which at the present moment was a dying evil to the country. As one of the ohiest Justices of the Peace in the country, he constantly felt, and did feel now, that the Bench had been disgraced by some of those who had obtained the commission of the peace. He hoped the House would legislate on the matter, and that there would be some support given to the Government to take steps towards purging the commission of the peace and only placing persons on it who were really fit to administer justice.” Now, however much some

gentlemen might differ in opinion from Mr Bell, they would all admit that he was a gentleman and a thoroughly houorable man, t and certainly Mr Bell’s remarks were ex-* pressed in much stronger terms than he (Mr Macassey) ventured to use. Mr Fox, in addressing himself to the question, said, “It would strengthen the hands of Ministers if resolutions were passed by the House relating to the defective state of the commission of the peace, and authorising the issue of a new commission.” Again, Mr Cracroft Wilson remarked that “If any honourable member would bring forward a resolution for purging the list of justices of ' peace of the colony, he would have his support.” Now, was ho to be told that, after t hose'expressions of opinion on the part of three of our leading politicians, the language which he himself used iu addressing the electors at the Masonic Hall was fairly open to censure? He next showed how the commission of the peace as at present constituted contained many glaring defects, such as including the names of gentlemen not resident in the colony and practising solicitors, and suggested that the first mentioned absurdity might be got rid of by enquiries being annually made through, the district registrar of the Supreme Court or Resident Magistrate respecting the names of those gentlemen who had acted as Justices of the Peace and who were willing to 'continue to act. He emphatically disclaimed being iu any shape or form the apostle of squatterdom, and in proof of his assertion lie cited his opinions on the subject of the reform of the Legislative Council and manhood suffrage. He next referred at some length to the questions of the re-union of Southland, the relations between the mother country and her colonies, the bankruptcy law, and the English mail service, and in reference to the latter question he said that the result he had arrived at in regard to the Sau Francisco service was, that as the colony had been bound by a contract to the service we should endeavor to secure it at the lowest possih’e cost, but still retain the Suez service with its hitherto unexampled puuct ’.ality. That was the only thing he desired to say in addition to what ho had previously said. He had not the slightest animosity against or antipathy to the San Francisco service; on the contrary, he desired to see the liberality of the American Government in voting the handsome sura of L 75,000 met with equal liberality on the part of the Colony, if it could be done consistently with other claims upon the Colony. Turning to the financial policy of the Government, he repeated that the scheme should not have been passed into law before the constituencies had been consulted. On a previous occasion he stated that he was of opinion that it was very problematical iu. deed whether the loans would be negotiated on the London market. He held in his hand a return showing the debt of the Colony from the year 1860 to 1860 and population during that period. The first questions asked- by the London capitalist would be—- “ What has been done in New Zealand ? how far has it progressed ? what security would it offer when it asks us the financiers of London to place this enormous loan upon, cur market?” In 1860 the public debt of the Colony was L 844,000, -while the population was 79,625. Nine years afterwards—in IB6o—the public debt was L 7,556,216, and the estimated population 250,000; so that in nine years, while onr population increased 3J times, our public debt hadfincreased nine times- -a very favorable subject for the London financier to dwell upon. Now he might tell them that those very figures had been brought before the Legislative Council by the Colonial Secretary when introducing the schemes of the Government to that august body, and he presumed from that circumstance that they were regarded as telling of the power of the Colony to contract the loan rather than the other way. Another ci:> cumstauce which might be referred to sa showing to some extent the power of the Colony was its resources. Of course it htd been argued, and always would be argued, that, as the population of a country was increased, so would be increased its resources and debt-carrying power. According to a return laid before the Assembly in 1867, when the population was 318,090, the Curtoms revenue amounted to L 864,000 ; aud in 1870, while the population had increased fp 250,000 —being 32,0Q0 more than in 1867 the Customs revenue had diminished to L 816,000 : in other words, while the pipulr? tion had increased by 32,000 in three years, the revenue had diminished by L 48,000, Then it might be said, “ But if it is imporsible to negotiate the loans, why trouble about them?” Very true; but as he had already argued he would again argue, that, if they were successfully negotiated, it would be to no purpose to say that Otago shall have nothing to do .with them. Pay for them we must, and therefore he contended that instead of setting their faces deliberately against them, the electors should adapt the policy to the cir* cnmatances of the Colony, aud make it as useful a policy as they could.—(Cheers.) Ho was 'sure they would admit the scheme was capable of modification in many respects. There were several points upon which the stamp of certainty might well he given. A million of money had been provided for the purposes of immigration, but there was not *;-,e word in any of the statutes defining in what way the money should be appropriated. There was nothing in the scheme to prevent any Government —he did not speak of a particular Government paying an extra L 20,000 to any Province, and therefore he said that while that feature remained it would be the mean? by which provincial log ; rolling would bo carried on and would exer ; oise the same dominant influence as he he. lieved it unfortunately ever had.—(Hear.) Tim electors should insist upon some amend* ment being effected aud some provision being made for th* proper distribution of the money on the principle introduced into the Railway Act? according to relative population. He was opposed to a colonial system of immigration; he thought the work of introducing immigrants could be better carried mi by the Provinces.—(Hoar.) With reference to the water race scheme he had to make the same observations as he had made in regard to immigration ; -no proper provision was made for the expeudir ture pf the money. A good deal had been said regarding the financial scheme. He admitted that it was a very fair argument that we should not be encumbered with a liability pn behalf of provinces unable to pay for themselves. But, he he said as the electors interests were his interests, if i e were relumed as one of their representatives, he would do everything that lay in his power which would secure to the Province its fair share of the loans. Ho had contended that it was utterly useless to set oiiT faces deliberately against the schemes—(Hear)— bccaqso ho thoroughly

believed they could not get the Assembly deliberately reverse the policy of Inst sessio The electors might make up their minds that; he was perfectly prepared to sta that modifications might be obtained ; ai for them he was an advocate. The Candida then proceeded to explain his views < financial separation. He considered it n possible. From the moment the Consolid tiou of Loans Act was adopted, ;t bccan impossible. It Avas perfectly plain that tl Colony having assumed liabilities on helm of the Provinces, would not willingly rcloai its secuiity—it would be absurd to expect i It mu it be borne in mind that at present tl Colony had practically no security over tl land fund, and would only take it when Pr vinces were unable to satisfy claims for ii terest and sinking fund of their sever loans. The moment they attempted to s cure separation, tbey would find the Legist tore would insist upon the land fund - or i all events take very good care to provide i self against any indebtedness incurred o behalf 0 of the Provinces; and looked i calmly and dispassionately, the fairness < the thing must be perfectly plain. Thr view bad presented itself to several men hers of the Assembly. Both Mr Fox an Mr Fitzherbert had declared until separatio beams a realised fact, no interference woul be made with the land fund of the variou Provinces. When the opinion was expresse that the result of the financial scheme avoul be to impound the land revenue of Prc vinces for the engagements of. the Colony o their behalf, Mr Fox declared that under n circumstances Avould an attempt be made t interfere with the settlement of the questioi in 1856, unless an attempt was made t separate the two islands, and MrFitzhcr hert made a similar statement. If however a scheme of separation provided’ properl; and fairly for the liabilities of the Pro vinces, it might perhaps be practicable Referring to the land question, he said it wa unwise to be constantly tinkering Avith tin laud laws. First, they had an Act intro duced, it was afterwards amended, am another was introduced to explain th( amendments; and lastly, the lot were repealed That was an extremely undesirable state o: things. In what he Avas about to say, ht might take a more liberal and Avider view ol things were the land question about to bt wholly revised. As to free selection ~he did not admit the fairness of the principle that a person should go upon the land of the runholder and select what land he pleased, leaving the runholder to “whistle.” He was prepared, if the land laevs Averc comEletely revised, and the claims of the runolden extinguished, to alloAV free selection in any part of the country. In 1866, engagements were made Avith the runholders —lie did not know whether wisely 01 not—in 1869, the Hundreds Regulation Ad was passed—he thonght .unfairly, and many who had benefitted by it stated it was unwisely passed—the value of pastoral pro tferty had increased, property had changed hands at increased prices, and new interests created. It would therefore be umvise tt attempt to repeal it, unless provision was made in some way for the altered state oi things. Experience had not proved free selection to be a successful experiment in Southland. Ruphalders there said it had practically been their salvation, and from time to time they had told him that but foi it they would have been ruined. In the event of a revision of the landlaAVs, he would endeavor to. re-iutroduce the system Avhicli prevailed here very successfully for a number of years—he referred to, the Otago Land Act of 1866. He was opposed to deferred payments, neither did he think that the leasing system—however much it might he fjr the interests qf the State—would he popular. In conclusion, he cautioned the electors against being led away by personal considerations. The candidate having answered a numbei of questions to the evident satisfaction oi the meeting, Mr James Copeland moved, and Mr W. Simpson seconded, “That Mi Macassey is a person well qualified for the post of representative of the City in the General Assembly.” The irrepressible John Graham moved amotion that Mr M acassey Avas not aHt person, &<?., but it found ro seconder. His speech Avas very personal, and the meeting bore with him good humoredly for a time, when there was such an expression qf opinion averse to him that Mr Graham, who remarked, amidst much laughter, that Mr Macassey had, been endowed by Nature Avith a good head, a,nd Avas therefore dangerous, Avhile Mr Bathgate, whom he advised the electors to, return as their representative, was not blessed with a good head,” was forced to sit down, at the same tiipe withdrawing his amendnaent. The nrrwinal motion was carried unanimously.