THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2471, 17 January 1871, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

MR MACANDREW AT THE MASONIC

HALL

Last evening Mr Macandreav addressed a meeting of the electors last evening at the Masonic Hall. Although the night was very wet the Hall was ciwded. Many persons Avcrc unable to obtain seats, and there could not be fewer than seven or eight hundred persons present. On Mr Macandrew appearing on the platform he avas received Avith loud and continued applause mingled Avith a feAV hisses. Mr Reynolds Avas elected chairman, and after a feAV remarks requesting the meeting to aid him in maintaining order, he introduced Mr Macandrew, who on rising Avas received Avith continued applause and some hisses, Avhan silence had been resto:ed, he said If the meeting desires it 1 will sit down ; I think it Avould be better perhaps if some of the surplus steam Ayere let off- I am very glad to see some life in the meeting, and at the same time I am glad to say that In those present I have a good many friends, and perhaps a good many opponents. With regard to the litter, 1 only hope that they will show that they are fit for selfgovernment by governing themselves. — (Applause. ) Mr Chairman and Gentlemen So much has been said, and both spoken and written already Avith regard to the political ♦hut I do not KUOAV that I shall he situ aiio u - - address to say any. able m the course ot nij /

thin>' which is new upon the present occasion. 0 I must say that it is a very difficult matter indeed toaddress you— at least I feel it so—at any length without going over ground which has been traversed to a great extent, previously by many gentlemen who have addressed you in public. I must therefore claim your indulgence—l hope those who arc opposed to me will grant me that favoi

whilst I endeavor as shortly as I can to explain the circumstances under which I appear before you to-night. As you are aware I appear before you as a candidate for the office of Superintendent of the Province, an oilice to which 1 have had the honor to be twice elected on previous occasions, and to which, I venture to hope, I shall have the honor to be elected for the third time _ —( Applause.) A pood deal of dissatisfaction has been expressed with me, that I should have held meetings or rather conferences with my neighbors on the Peninsula, and it has been said 1. slighted the electors of Dunedin by not first breaking ground here, loin assure you that there was no such intention on my part, and 1 can assure you further that the meetings at the Peninsula were not got up r.t my instigation. I may say I was specially asked to meet neighbors there for the purpose of affording them what information I could with regard to politics generally, and I expressly stated that I did net appear before them as a candidate for the Superintendency ; hut that having an opportunity, perhaps better than most of them, of becoming acquainted with the state of politics, I would impart that information to them.— (Hoar, and cries of “Oh.’) If that is a crime against the citizens of Dunedin, I am vi ry sorry for it. My only regret is that I cannot hold similar conferences in every hamlet and in every corner of the Province ; because without egotism this good could he done —much of the political ignorance which exists would he dispelled.—(Applause.) As you are aware my tenure of office would have expired in the course of a month or two by effluxion of time. From the aebi an which the Provincial Council at its lavt meeting thought lit take with regard to the financial policy of the Assembly—action which involved a refusal by this Province to avail itself of the loans for public works, immigration, water supply to the goldfields, and other matters provided for by that policy, and no doubt th t action was ostensibly to enable the constituencies to express an opinion upon the subject—l deemed it right under the circumstances, and in order that there might be no unnecessary delay, to request the Governor to dissolve the Council, which as y u a-c aware Ins been done. The question which has mote immediately led to the election now pending I take to lie this- - I hope there wilt be no exuberance of party feeling, but that I shall be allowed to try to state the question calmly—shall this Province, or shall it not, borrow money for repro luctivc works?—(Hear, hear, and cries of “No, no.”) That is the question—shall we or shall we nob borrow for immigration on a suitable s ale, for railways, and water supply to goldfields? It is not so much whether this man or that man is to be Superintendent; I repeat the question is—shall the country be opened up by railways ? and the only way this can be done is by borrowing money.— (Applause.) Are yog content to drag out a weary existence, going on at a snan's pace? are you content to rest satisfied with such public works as wo can execute put of that portion of the revenue which conies to us—the crumbs off the rich man's table —(oh, oh) —that portion of the revenue which I regret to say is getting every day smaller by degrees aid beautifully less?—(Hear, hear.) The question which has led to the pending election is—Do you prefer going a'ong in bullock drays up to the axles in mud, or do you prefer bowling along a smooth road at the rate of 30 miles an hour ?—(Hear, hear, and cries of “ Oh, oh.”) _ The question is —with the untold mineral and auriferous wealth under nnr feet, are wc prepared to allow that wealth remain buried in the earth, or shall we undertake a loan for the purpose of bringing in water to bear upon it, and so provide emp'oyment for 10,000 people? —(Applause.) With a land flowing with milk and honey—(loud laugh- ; ter)—a land capable of supporting two or : three millions of people —a land which we cannot possibly occupy ourselves—(cries of “ Oh j.”)—l say the question .is, Are we prepared to deny to our fellow men, who are dragging out a miserable existence in the overgrown countries of Europe, the right to share this land with us ? and are we to deny to them the opportunity of occupying these waste places ? I maintain, no matter who is Superintendent of the Province, that is the real question at issue at this moment. No doubt I sh ill be told that the obstructive > party in the Provincial Council are just as anxi us to carry on public works as lam; I will bj told they arc just as desirous, and as ready to go into the Eugli hj money market to any extent as I can be, but that they desire (he people to have an opportunity of expressing their opinion upon the matter. Well, it is not for me to doubt the sincerity of these professions. But 1 know it lias invariably been found that wherever a political party wants to shelve a question, j; is always i i order to allow the people to consider the matter. These are the invariable tactics of all political parties : these were the tactics .in the Assembly in 1805, means by which I succeeded in throwing out the Otago Waste Lauds Bill -the result of which was tln),t through the indifference of the people, that measure became the Otago Waste Lands Act of 18(5') —gu Act which, figuratively speaking, “ has brought death into our world, and all our woe.”—(Laughter ) I see Mr Stout is rather amused at that. That Act led to the so-called obnoxious Hundreds Regulation Aqt—an Act, moreover, which has* afforded mon of the stump a political paradise.—(Applause,) I repeat that the question which is to be tested on the hustings and at the ballot box is—ls this Province to avail itself of the borrowing power of the Colony ?—(Cries of “Yes,” and “No.”) Unfortunately for us, I say wc have no borrowing power ; and so Ion" as New Zealand continues one Colony, so long as we continue under our present Constitution, I believe there ia not the slightest chance or hope that this Province will be allowed to borrow cn its own behalf. Owe of the most remarkable features of the political situation, if I may so call it, is the fact that this Province, by means of its representatives in a sup rior Legislature, has, j think almost unanimously, pronoiuicea in aavor of this financial scheme, whereas by a majority of its rcpesenhitjves in an iuferitji. Legislature it has disapproved pf the scheme—'a disapproval of if not off the merits of the case, but founded apparently off personal antipathy tq the aqt})qr of the scheme.— (Applause.) I must say I never felt more surprise than to see men in the position cf legislators cajmly and deliberately declaring tlpat they would Oppose any scheme which emanated from Mr Julius Vogel.—(Cries of “ Name ! 11 and Mr Stout : “ Where ? ”) I refer you to the newspapers, showing the debates in the Provincial Council, where that was candidly avowed by a great many members of that bodjo I say, Heaven help tills country if those are to be the principles which are to animate its men in high places ! My own idea is that if even his Satanic Ma-

jesty propounds:! a sclieme which is to, benefit the country, we are bound to tie*! with that scheme on its merits without reference to its author. (Applause.) I not here to sound the trumpet of Mr Juliui Vogel. Many of you know that I have no cause to do so ; but I should consider myselc more than a coward, notwithst md'Ug the inju-y I once sustained at his hj inds, if t were to shut my eyes to the fact that in many respects ho is one of the ab'est men m this Colony. (Cbeers and some expressions of dissent.) There is no d mbt whatever that his is a master mind, which was not to be cowed by either the jealous feelings or mere hello wings of those members of the Provincial Council who attempted to put him do wn in the Theatre the other night. (Cheers and hisses.) I predict that, before many years arc oyer, yon will lind that gentleman occupying a very prominent position in the arena of Imperial politics. In order that I may carry you along with me, I will carry you back to the Public Revenues Act, 1867, by which you are no doubt aware no Province is allowed to borrow a single farthing, or guarantee interest on any undertaking whatever. Many of you are aware, since the passing of that Act, at the instigation and with the concurrence of the Provincial Council, I have applied to the Colony to be permitted to borrow money in respect of various public works in the Province ; but the Colony, instead of complying with that request, has itself resolved to borrow largely for the purpose of carrying on public works in various Provinces. I am nut here to vindicate the action of the Assembly, which not only re* solved to borrow, but determined that the Colony shall retain control over the expenditure—a resolution that was passed by a very large, majo-ity. Although, no doubt, such provision might he necessary in some Pro* vince?, whose administrative machinery was uoi; sufficient to enable it to deal with large sums of money, in this Province, I am free to admit, the Executive is quite as competent, perhaps more so, to expend a few millions as is the General Assembly itself, Howev r much I desire that, it is in fact a c .si of Hobson’s choice with us. We m s': cither accept the terms of tbo Colony, or go without. (Cries of “ No.”) You may declaim as much as you will, but that is the alternative : wc must either forego public works and immigration which we stand so much in need of, or avail ourselves of the loan subject to the conditions the Colony may impose, Ho doubt many will tell me we are the Colony. Certainly we arc a very large and iiqportaqt part of it. Admitting that wo are the Colony, thay will then say we shall get these c mditions modified ; I have had some experience of the General Assembly, but although you return nineteen men of one min 1 to morrow, I do not believe that these conditions will be mate* rially altered —(Cries of “Oh, oh.”) If they are modified there is not the slightest doubt it will be in a contrary direction. We should not disguise from ourselves that the prc» vinccs are being gradually “ clewed up.” I shall be very happy to attempt to have the conditions modified, but I kuow it will be a forlorn hops to make any such attempt. However, I must say this, if the Provincial Government had been willing to co-operato and act in harmony with the General Gc* vernment I believe notwithstanding that the law is as I have stated, we should practically have the control of any portion of the loan expended within our Province. 1 have no hesitation in s lying had the Colonial Treasurer been met in the same spirit in which he had come down here, we would have had arrangements made, which would have resulted in half-a-million of money being pet in circulation here.—(A Voice, “When.”) I do not mean-to-morrow, or in a month, or in a single year, but the preliminaries would have been "arranged involving that expenditure. 1 speak advisedly: a contract has been entered into for the commencement of the South Trunk Railway.— (A Voice: “Two miles.”) Better small fish than none. That contract instead of being taken and dealt with outside, the Provincial Government, if the Provincial Government had been' agents for the General Government in the matter, would have beeti dealt with in the Public Works Department of this Province A great deal has been said that if we avail ourselves of this loan wo shall make ourselves responsible for the pay. mcnp of public works constructed in the’ socallxl bankrupt provinces of the N(jrfch Island.—(Hear.) I can only siy that’the newspaper writer or individual who makes use of that argnm nt must be wonderfully ignorant himself, or must presume largely upon the ignorance of others. This Province is already liable to the outside creditor for works in the Northern Island, and it is not by refusing to participate in that loan that we shall relieve ourselves of that responsibility. If by doing so we could prevent its being acted upon, 1. could see sonic force in the arguments ; but it is not by depriving ourselves of the benefit of public works that we can prevent the North getting a share of the spoil, livjt by sending nineteen inch to Parliament who will prevent any Government dung injustice to either the Northern or this Island—(Cheers') Th( jre is another fascinating argument that lias been used very largely in this placp aiuj elsewhere : that this Act' to devote quu land fund t'q pub, lie works, fy this and ip the Northern Island. It does nothing of the sqi t. If you will read the Act you will see that the loan has to be secured on the consolidated revenue of thq Colony—that is on the customs and stamp duties—(Hear, hear.) If you refer to tbo Public Revenues Act, 1867, you will find there is an express provision by which the land fund is not considered Consolidated Revenue. In fact, to all intents and purposes, the land revenue is Provincial revenue —(No, no.) Constitutionally it belonged to tho Colony, but practically it Ins to be dealt with by each Province, an 1 I believe it will be your own faults if that arrangement is disturbed. Had Mr Stafford’s Government remained in power, and bad we continued the war nnbVw ” . j ... o t j«nuing millions of money in gunpowder and cutting the throats of the Natives, nothing could have prevented it being impounded, but as it , is, it seems to me impossible. I believe the resources of the North Island are very much greater than we in tfie South are inclined to admit, By those better able to judge than I am, | am informed that the North Island is derlined to carry a larger population than the Middle Island - (What has that to do with with it f) This—that money spent in constructing railways, bridges, and roads—would. bo most judicious means of settling the North Island difficulty, and the most efficacious meaus of relieving us from Northern re--5 opgibility, Until that is done, the North will be a millstone about our necks whether we will or not. I find there are a great many amongst us averse to borrowing altogether, on the ground that this country

is sufficiently taxed. In my idea, no argument can be more fallacious. _ If a loan were for building a tower, it might he so, hut when we want it for ro-product - ve worus, to make a’railway, for instance, it wears a very different aspect. What has been the cost of metal roads in the Province per mi'e? I believe if you take the cost of maintenance and interest in the cost of construction, they have not cost less than L4of) per mile pier annum. By themeasnre proposed, by the General Assembly, we shall be able to substitute for them railroads at L 275 pier annum- that is the interest of L 5,00!) a mile at o', pier cent. I believe in many parts of the Province half of that will suffice. We are on the eve of a revolution in railway construe 1 i m. 1 am glad to think that many who were doubtful of making railways at twice five thousand a mile arc quite sure it is p sfiblo to construct them for that. So that it must be quite clear, instead < f the taxation, you will actually diminish it by coin" in for a loan for railway purposes ; and that°taking into account the increased cost of provisions and other things throughout the country for- want of them, and tbe great saving of time they effect, they will bo in every way advantageous Another object contemplated by this financial scheme is providing a certain sum of money for water supply to the goldfields. 1.300,000 is to be appropriated over the whole Colony. I think it very much too small a sum, but we may possibly get it increased by an appendix to the Act. As everybody agrees to this, 1 shall not enlarge upon it We come now to another measure proposed to bo dealt with by this scheme -immigration. I know it to be a delicate subject to touch on in a mixed audience like this ; but 1 have strong opinions on that subject, and I am not going to shrink from expressing them. It has been said that the effect of immigration would be to reduce wages, but I believe the effect would he the very opposite. I believe it would keep up wages.—(Cheers and hisses.) At all events you may give me credit for giving my independent convictions on the subject. I have always been of that opinion, and I sec no reason to alter it. 1 believe immigration would be the means of koepin" up wages juid of reducing taxation. It is very clear that 100,000 men ore bett.r able to maintain a burden than 50,000 1 do not wish to give any uncertain sound pven if the expression of my opinion costs me my election. I do no.t believe in any public man pandering to mere prejudice. I do not know that in what I am about to do. I am revealing a s.cret, for it will come out by-and-byc. If you will allow me, therefore, I will read a memo which I made. Mr Macandrew read a memorandum of a plan laid before his Executive, by which he proposed to introduce 201) families from the Shetland and Western Islands ; 50 families from the coal mining districts ; 50 families of miners from Cornwall', to bo located at Chalky and Preservation Inlets. Twenty acres of land to be allotted to each family, • and ten acres to each child over and above the cost of pav age. My object in seeking to locate miners in the district about Preservation Inlet, is that there is a splendid coal field there, and it is a shame that we are sending thousands of pounds annually to Newcastle which we could keep within ourselves if we only had people to obtain the coal who understood it. (Cheers.) Almost every ship that comes here goes hack in ballast to Newcastle, and loa Is there for China or India. Why should we not have the benefit ourselves ? It is proposed to give these families free pa-sages and free grants of land. I propose to bring 500 families from Norway, Sweden, and Denma-k, to be located on Stewart’s Island —(laughter)-and to receive free grants of land the same as the others.— (A Voice ; “No no; give it to those that are here.”) I am coming to that directly. Also 200 families from British North America, to be located between Gatlin’s River and the Waikava Bush. Then also twenty families of flannel makers from Wales—(laugh! er) flo receive grants of 20 acres for each, aiid 10 hcres for each child, to be settled in different Sarts of the Province, and twenty families of stocking makers.—(Laughter.) No doubt this is very amusing, but I think it‘a very important mattoh ' I propose that all these families shall bring but their implements of trade with them. an(l tlie freight to he paid, and' I think it the first step towards inducing the establishment of manufacture! here. —(Cheers.) I am sure all the single men will rejoice in the next item. I propose to bring out a thousand single women ; and as I befieve a mixture of blood a good thing, I propose that they should he selected in the agricultural districts of Germany. Besides these I propose to bring out 1000 ploughmen and agricultural laborers, 200 dairy women, and 500 Cornu hj miners, and two thousand female domestic servants from the United Kingdom. I also propose to bring out 5000 of the relatives of those now in the country—fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters - free grants hq nothing. on condition that if they leave &e Province half the passagemoney shall be repaid. The immigrants from Scotland I propose to be selected by the agent of the Province, and, as the Government may see lit, can sail from Liverpool or Gldsgbvv. 1 propose to spreac] the bringing o| them out qveii a space of puipbc? of ycijiis' q,s Provincial Council fpay grange. It may be 1, 2, 3, 8, or 10 years. For my own part, I believe if wo brought that number Qfft, they iVQfiM be comfortably absorbed ip three years ; and I have reason to know that if the Piovincial Council concurred in this or a similar proposal, tho General Government is quite prepared to advance the money to carry out the plan. I may say that if this scheme were carried out, it would involve an importation of 16,000 souls ; and if we had them all here, we should get L2 per head, or L 32,000 capitation allowance, so that the cost to us would be LI 1,000 ay ear for ten years w- - ’ e... ' • _ . ..ooiiomd fcu «ioi..>re oe clear gainers of L 20,000 a year if we had them all out at once. Then there is not only that hut from corrcspondeuee I have had with a shipowner at Home he tolls me he is quite prepared to engage to make the voyage in fifty days and thus a new line of vessels would be established that would infuse new spirit into us. There is another statement I should like to remark on which has been made very freely here elsewhere, One objection is that tho effect of the financial fcheme is to make three miles of railway in the North to one mile in the Middle Island.—(A Voice : “So it is.”) I deny it If yew read the Act, the only railway authorised in the North Island is tho railway from Auckland to Waikato forty miles, anl a branch railway five mils, and the Colony is not to find the money, it mu t be done on guarantee ; and not only so, instead of being changed on the Colony, it is to be charged to the Province of Auckland. But how stands the fact with the Middle

Island ? It has at any rate got the benefit this year. The Act provides that the Governra nt may contract for and pay money for the Southern Truck Railway, and construct it on the guarantee principle,, and I am glad to say in order nob to lose lime they have decided to pay cash on this piece that wo arc doing.—(Cheers.) And although it may seem laughable that there are only two miles to be let now, it is principally in consequence of the alteration of guago and the reduction of cost that it is necessary to make fresh working drawings. That cannot ho done in a day. I really wish the public would net at tbe facts of the case. It is no use a man telling you as a fact the Government has an thorise.d three miles i u the North to one i u the Midd e island when it is not true. (A Voice : It is a fact.) It is not a fact. (A Voire : It is true.) I tell, you whit is true : the Government is determined on a flying survey of certain railways simply to ascertain what the cost will bo ; but that is a very different thing from making a railway. 1 for one, as a member of tbe General Assembly, will never consent to the railway being made unless satisfactory security can be given for making it a Provincial charge. Last session a strong attempt was made to make a railway to the Seventy Mile Bush ; but I am glad to say the Government resisted the proposal, and were prepared to go out on the question, ha lit been pressed. 1 know I got info bad breed with my fiicivls in Wellington because I opposed the proposal. I should not have alluded t-i this matter, hut the public mind has been saturated with it and with statements made ns facts which are not facts at all It is quite true the General Assembly has power to make ten miles in the North to one in the Middle Island. The Assembly may devote all the laud fund to the North Island. It may confiscate your property if it likes ; but I think such argument would be as applicable against the continued existence of the Assembly as against availing ourselves of the lo in for railway and other purposes. It is no argument to say because the Assembly has power to do injustice that it is going to perpetrate it. It is no argument to say to Mr Reid or anybody else, that because the Assembly has power to confiscate an estate, he should not add to his property. With 44-Middle Island Representatives to 32 North Island, there would be something radically wrong to allow it. We have heard a great deal about the Land Act, and I suppose I shall be expected to say something in regard to it—(A Voice : Rather.) It is a difficult question to deal with. In the first place, I do not pretend to understand it better than my neighbors, and it is a question that comparatively few understand, Tbe difficulty will never be settled so long as there is an acre of land in the hands of the Crown. I do not know whether you will allow me to read an extract from a speech I made in the General Assembly in passing that land Act. It will give my views more explicitly than I can explain them otherwise. It was in the year 1865, when this Act came up before the General Assembly. Mr Dick, then member for Port Chalmers, and Superintendent of the Province, had brought in the Waste Lapds Act, and speaking on the question, I am, reported to have said :

“Mr Macandrew regretted that he was compelled to differ from the lion, member for Port Chalmers with respect to this Bill. He would endeavor to state in a few words the grounds of his objection. It would be borne in mind that although the Constitution Act places the legal control over the waste lands of the Crown in the Colonial Legislature, yet that practically this right had been conceded to Provincial Councils. This was done in 18oG, and the arrangement or understanding which had then been made whereby the sale, letting, and occupation of the waste lands of the Crown was left in the hands of Provincial Couucds, has been held sacred down to the present time. Pfe thought this had been a very wise concession op the part of the General Legislature, for however much it might be deemed desirable to have uniformity in the land regulations all oyer the Colony, yet looking at the fact that the original Provinces 'had all been settled by ffifferent bodies of men, upon distinct principles, and under different circumstances — looking to the fact that upon'the Provinces ffad tjceu devolved the task of poloipsing and .settling their own territory, he deemed it wise on the part of the legislature to let each Province deal with the waste ,lands in its own way, always bearing in mind that the so-called price of land is a misnomer—that strictly speaking it was not revenue, but the condition . of settlement. The price was not to he regarded as being for the purpose of Government, hut for the purpose of rendering the particular land for which it may have been paid- available for settlement and occupation. In terms of the understanding to which lie had adverted, the Provincial Council of Otago had framed a long series of resolutions as the foundation of a Land Act, which resolutions were supposed to be embodied rerhalim cl literatim, in the Bill before the House. He found, however, certain fundamental provisions in these rest) utious which were not in the Bill—or, at all events, which would have to be struck out if the report of the 1 Jfoinj; Committee of both Houses shovel dbc agreed to. He found that the Bill,dvs brought in by tffe hon. member for Port Offal'mers,’ differed most essentially from the resqlutiops (if tffe Pi'oyii>eial Cqmv oil. Ay the leasing of runs, the issuing of renewed pastoral leases, the sixtyipnth section of the Bill, and the seventysecond clause of the resolutions, wore in direct conflict. He found, also, that if the report of tho Joint Committee were adopted, that the thirty-fifth section of tho Bill -• which tallied exactly with the resolution of the Council respecting the sale of land in Hundreds, at 10s a ; acre—was to be struck out. He found, also, that the power, of +u - Waste Lauds Bnor/i- ..... I/O reserve lands tiom sale is to be taken away, and to be vested in the Provincial Council instead ; a most important departure from the resolucion, to his mind, when it was considered that the Provincial Council was nob always in session, and that the expediency of reserving lands from sale might present itself at any moment. Upon the whole, he thought it would be much better to send the Bill back to tin Province, in order that it might be framed in exact accordance with the resolution of the Council. That would uive the Province another opportunity of considering the cpiestion. and would result, he thought, in a measure which would hi permanent and far more conducive to the public interest than that now submitted. He felt assured‘that if this were now done, instead of the complex, unsatisfactory, and unintelligible Biff now before them, they would have regulations made more simple, much less verbose, and which would provide fur free selection all over the Pro vim i—regulations which would deal with the pas-

toral estate much more conducive to the interests of the country, ns well as to the interests of the runholders themselves. He was one of those who did not believe in, and could not see any necessary antagonism between the runlioldiug interests and t.ie other great interests of the country. His opinion was that instead of fixing the rental of the pa--toral lands now. some live or seven years before the expiration of the existing tenures, that they should defer this until the leases expire, or until twelve nvnths prior thereto ; they should then bo 1 ut up to public auction, and sold to the highest bidder, upon terms to be spc.lied, making the incoming tenant pay valuation to the outgoing tenant. " he price of the slock to be fixed at the markee rates of the d iy. ]Je felt persuaded tint this would b‘ a much more favorable arrangement for all parties, than that row proposed. Be this as it might—the weak point in the present Bill -looking at it entirely upon its own merits, ami apart troiu the resolution of the Provincial Council —as to whether it tallies with them or not, is, that in order to secure a present advantage (an advantage which, as far as the Province was concerned, was exceedingly problematical) it sacrificed the interests of the future. .According to tin Bill, the runholder says —“If you will grant us an extension of our present leases, we will pay you a higher rental in respect of the unexpired portion of our leases, which will ma-eijially place the Provincial Treasurer in funds.” In this matter, however, it was very doubtful how far die vnnboldor would actually come in under the i reposed Act, Ho believed, that those who had five years to run (and there wero very few with less) would be fools to come in, and that in point of fact very few would do so. He felt assured that if the Bill ’were sent back to the Province, they would come to the House next •Session asking its sanction to land regulations, if not precisely, at all events pretty much analogous to those of Southland on the one hand and Canterbury on Ihc other. He thought it would be of vast consequence to have the land regulations of the three Provinces* assimilated as much as possible, and by throwing out this Bill, the chances were, nay, the certainty was, that the result would be such an assimilation. For his own part, he could state that so far as he could influence them, it should be done. He moved that the Bill should be read that day six mouths, and if this were carried, he should ask for leave to bring in a Bill to enable the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Otago to frame new regulations fqr the sale, letting, and occupation of the waste lands of the Crown, such regulations to have neither force nor effect until three months after the first day of the next Session of the Geuer.il Assembly. Tiie Bill was accordingly thrown out, but instead of coming up with alterations and amendments in IBu6 it came up nearly identically the same, and this Waste Lauds Act wc have been working under for five years I am said to be responsible for. I certainly did not expect to have had th,e gdiuinistr.y o{ it, and I am uo more re ponsible for it than any of you Something will have to be done to settle this difficulty, and it occurs to mo, if yon couhl get a commission of calm practical men to consider it, it would be the most effectual way of dealing with it. My own view would be to classify the laud, beginning at os an acre, and say up to 20s, according to quality. The question is surrounded with difficulties. Some hold that the (ovenauts in the Act of IS'ifi are not good in law, but they have existence in equity and a community is bound to re-pect one as well as the other. I believe we could drive a coach and six through the Act and make anything you like of them. Wc have free selection by means of agricultural leases, and by paying 2s fid an, acre, deferred payments. We have got a Land Act by which Ignd n\ay be, given away, and the Provincial Council have agreed to ask an extension of the Otago Settlements Act, by which land may. be sold at 10s, 15s, or 20s an acre. I believe, although I am not cle.ar, tlpvt land can be sold at those rates with ip Hundreds. It depends bn the Government of the day what construction they will put upon it. I. had a great ipany more subjects to touch upon, hut do not like to trespass much further upon your patience j but I have a word or two to say before drawing my remarks to a close. I have been charged wiih breaking all sorts of promises. (Cheers, and cries of “ So you have,”) It is a very easy matter to indulge in general charges of that kind ; but I think it is a very difficult matter to substantiate them. I confess that I am at a loss to find out one single promise which 1 have wantonly or willingly broken. 1 admit at once that 1 have come far short (f what I anticipated when 1 had the honor of being elected four years ago. At the same 1 am almost prompted to, say, in justice to myself, th,at ibis, tq g very great extent, ipust be attributed to the absurd system of Provincial Government. (Confusion.) Isay responsible Government here is altogether an anomaly; and that 1 have failed to fulfil the promises which I have made must be attributable to that absurd system of Responsibly (Jovcriun:n(i which on' the ope hand elects a Superintendent pledged to, do certain tilings, and on fho other hand farces upon hup qdyisers, by who.se advice l\e is pound to act, wpo gre determined that he slpilj nut fulfil his election pledges—(Loud cheers, mingled with groans.) I must say, however unpalatable it may seem to some, it is adding insult tq injury where you find the very men whose jealousy apd narrow mindedue-a have prevented certain promises being carried out, endeavoring to supplant me on the grounds that I have failed to fulfil those promises—(Oncers and hisses ) Those who are hissing may mu that in their pipe and smoke 1+ ’ wi j ;j v ' you ehanter v . el . sc . Take, for example, the southern Trunk Hallway, and the introduction of suitable immigrants into the country. These were the two cardinal points I pictured to myself when elected four years ago, but my efforts in both directions—l know this will c eate a howl of indignation, but what I am about to state is time— have been sy itematically and intentioua’ly t Invar ted with a view to this election—(Cheers apd hisses.) It was no doubt thought that if the Southern Trunk Railway was commenced, f r less finished during my term of office, it would be a feather in my cap. It is wt 11 known that one of the first things upon which I set my mind was to get the railway commenced and finished during my tenure of office. We did what we considered to be for the best; we sent a gentleman to England—(laughter) but unfortunately as the remit had shewn, it was a blunder. But wo cannot .all be omniscient, as some of us are. Some eighteen months o- two years were lost over this mission. Wc then had,an offer to construct the line if we couhl manage to get an extension of the power. The reason for the failure of Mr Young’s mission was that the

power was not sufficiently large. We thought if we could get an extention we could get the work done, without going into the Kng idi market at a’l. Wo succeeded in getting an Ordinance granting enlarged powers, and a company of merchants, the leading men of Dunedin, state ! they were prepared to go on with the work, they having a 1 .rgo capitalist at their hack, a man well known as “Long Clarke,” of Melbourne. I believe they would have carried out the undeHaking with his money, but responsible Government, backed up by the J)aihj Thw -s, declared that nothing should bo done in the matter because it was a (lummy onipany.— (Applause.) it is very strange that the men who eighteen months ago refused the offer of twelve of the leading men of Dunedin, on account of its being that of a dummy company, are now prepared to treat with Mr De Carle without knowing whether it is a fact that his is a dummy company or not.— (Applause.) It matter little whether they were deaf or dumb so long as the railway was made on our terms.—(Applause.) I may say one reason why I support the fina icial scheme, bitter pill though it was to mo as an nltra-Provineialist, was that by it wc were sure of having railways constructed in the Province; for 1 had really begun to despair of ever beholding anything of the sort. As to the other promise which I have broken—that of peopling the country. I would like you to know that this is a matter which 1 have been repeatedly urging on and submitting to the Provincial GounHl, but without effect, —((Tics of “Oh.”) Ido not know whether it will tend to the edification of those who are crying “Oh.” but if sol will read some of my messages to the Council on the subject--Cries of “Goon.”) 1 oil i assure you I have always been and am still of the opinion, that to obtain suitable immigration wc’ must secure the services of suitable and proper agents; we must send home niei who know the country, who can speak of it from experience, and know the exact p.ople w.ewaut. —(A Voice : Yourself, for example.”) Yes, 1 believe I would be a very suitable person.—(Applause.) I believe a grand mistake was made when The Provincial Co .mail spontaneously inserted my name in the Immigration Agency Bill as agent, and then allowed the thing to drop. I believe that I fcould have done infinitely more good at home in that capacity than I have been able to do here.—(A Voice, “ Bight you areanother Voice, “ Good riddance,” and confusion.) I have only to say with regard to this subject all my efforts in this direction have been thwarted. (Hear, hear.) It’s not in mortals to command success,

I’ve done more - I’ve endeavored to deserve it. I do not know whether I shall be thought egotistical in referring to what has been done during the last four years—four years which have nob been altogether destitute of results —but there are times when one can do, so without being thought vain, and I tlpuk the present is one of those occasions, and although I may retire into p ivate life again, I can regard many of those results with a good deal of satisfaction. —(Applause.) 1 arrogate to myself the introduction of the L2 to LI system. —(A Voice, “ Why A’ogel introduced that.”) Tho system was introduced by me, and it has been largely carried out during the last fo.ur years. Then I took a hint fio.m a rcpo.rt by Mr Branigan as to the establishment of an Industrial School. (Cheers.) No one will deny me that, and I think I may fairly claim the paternity of the University, and even the Tort Chahner’s Railway, about which .so much has been spoken and which has been so, much sneered at, I claim the paternity of that. 1 believe it will be found that that Railway will not cost the Province more than L 5,00(). —(A Voice, “L5,00i) per mile?) No, L5,0l)0. I believe the first train that runs on that railway will bring in m,orc than 8, per cent, in which case as the guarantee of the Province will be just during the time it is being constructed- We Rave constitution mongers amongst 'ns, and although I do not know that it has much to, do with the Suporintendcncy, I should Hkp to give my i leas on the subject, but will take ano her opportunity. I will o include by stating that the real fault of which I have been guilty, has been the inability to create appointments It has fallen to my lot to reduce the number of civil servants greatly during the last four years, and it is very natural that all those who have been deprived of income 3 varying from L3OO to LSOO or LOGO a year, with all their relations —fathers, brothers, sisters, an,nts, uncles, cousins, and friends—should have a “down” on me. I can trace a good deal of opposition got up lately to that source.—.(Cheers.) There are others who supported me on tho last c ocasjon who oppose me bitterly, for no other reason than that I could not create appointments for them. (Cheers.) There was one ejaculation which I have heard repeatedly in the room to-night, to the client that 1 have sold myself to the squatters, I should like to know wherein i hai’c sold myself tu them, and what I have got for doing to, 1 am going to use some strong language. I say of the doublo-distilled falsehoods which have been penned by the moral assassin who Wi'itqs leading articles in the squatters’ organ— (immense cheering and a fewgroans.) As that seems to go down, I will repeat it: If the double-distilled falsehoods by the moral assassin who writes leading articles ip the, squatters’ organ arc my reward— Judge yo!—(Loud and continued cheers, with- hisses.) If time permitted, I could read to you a memorandum of a scheme by which there would be work for every man in tho Province.—(A Voice ; “Let us hear it.”] I U’/nlc I had better \vservo. it,--( V Voice : “Lotus b T ivo it, 'I t will read it thou. I think it very unfortunate that I con Id (I'd g ct anyone to take it up in the Provincial Council : “ Tho Superintendent submits to the Provincial Council for its consideration and concurrence the following proposal, viz, “ Inasmuch as that, through nit the Otagu, Goldfields, there arc extensive, tracts of known alluvial deposits which are at present ipitouehcil/aiui which only require the application of water and labor in order to extract from them a vast quantity of the precious medal j and Inasmuch as that, at certain s asons of the y, ar, if the Province is to progress, there must needs be a number of men in quest of carnal employment : It is expedient that the Government should select and take into its own hands tho working of some suitable ground upon which remunerative employment might be at all times available for any number of unemployed who may be able and willing to work. Tho Superintendent is convinced t'aa--, under the direction of one or two practical miners, and by an expenditure of a few thousand pounds upon water supply, there need be 1 no able b idiecl man unemployed in this Province, and that the public' revenue would

gain considerably. In fixing the rate of wages to he paid to those who might apply to the Government for employment of course provision should be made so as not to prejudice the private employer of labor There is no disguising the fact that the known auriferous resources of this Province are comparatively untouched and that in any other part of the world they would afford profitable employment to tens of thousands of people. With such a mine of wealth under \mr feet there ought to lie no ablebodied man without the means of comfortable subsistence for himsdf and family. Byadopting the proposal now indicated those who may bo otherwise helpless may acquire that experience which will enable them to take up ground, and to work in concert on their own account. We need only look at what is being done by the Chinese population as a proof of what may be done on our gold fields by means of industrious and combined action. The Superintendent ventures to hope that the Pro incial Council will‘give to this proposal its favorable consideration. We are compelled to omit th ■ questions put to the candidate and his replies ; they will appear in to-morrow’s issue. Mr Brown moved, and Mr Wood seconded—“ That Mr Macandrew is a fit and proper person to become Superintendent of tins Prouince.”

Mr E. Prosser moved, and Mr Stout seconded, as an amendment—“ That this meeting thanks Mr Macandrew for his address, but considers his conduct since 1807 has not been such as to enable him to say that lie is a fit and proper person to be elected Superintendent of Otago.” On the amendment being put, some Go hands were held up for it, and for the motion quite a forest of hands variously estimated from 250 to 300.

The CiiAUiMA’.i declared that the motion was carried—an announcement that was received with loud applause. Throe cheers were afterwards given for Mr Macandrew.