GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3584, 18 August 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegraph.] Wellington, August 17. In the house of Representatives, before the debate, Mr O’Rorke said he understood the Premier had stated that he (Ml* O* Rorke) had not given any notice to the Cabinet of his intention to resign if the abolition resolutions were passed. He could assure the whole House that he did distinctly state that he would resign if the motion was gone on with. He regretted the Premier was not present. There were, however, three members of the Cabinet present, and it was for them to say who spoke the truth, he or the Premier, If he thought the House disbelieved him, he would leave the House that instant.—Mr Vogel, who then came in, said, whatever might have been the difference between him and his late colleague, he did not think he pursued the usual course sanctioned by Parliamentary custom and usage. He instanced the case of Lo d John Russell and several other English statesmen, to show that the explanation was contrary to all precedent. The resolutions, when submitted to the Cabinet, were approved by a majority, and, though the hon. member opposed the resolutions, they had no reason to suppose he would have adopted such a peculiar and disloyal course to his colleagues. Tho igh the Cabinet did not know his intention of reit appeared hon. members outside the Cabinet did, and even newspapers had the information that evening. Ifc was not an unusual thing for members of the Cabinet to retire, but it was customary to leave in a friendly spirit, and scrupulously abstain from communicating with the Opposition. It was the manner of the hon, gentleman’s retirement which he disapproved of, not his resignation—Mr Reynolds and Sir D. M‘Lean said the hon. gentleman had signified in the Cabinet that these resolutions were very repugnant to him, but they had no idea he intended to resign.—Sir Donald M‘Lean was surprised that a gentleman with such a knowledge of Parliamentary practice as Mr 0 Rorke should hj ive acted in so unusual a manner.—Mr Richardson corroborated what his colleagues had said. He (Mr Richardson) knew he (MrO Rorke) did not acquiesce, but did not know that he intended to resign when he did so —Mr Reeves said he did not stand in the capacity of the leader of the Opposition, but he was requested by a gentleman occupying a very influential position in the House to move what he intended to propose. The change was of a revolutionary character, and had not received sufficient consideration. The country should have been made aware of it before. When the Premier was visiting the Colony, faegave no intimation that such a large change was intended. Parliament opened, and still no intimation was given. The hon, gentleman had betrayed the country by so precipitating the question. He would |not accuse the hon. member of duplicity, and. from his statement that the State Forests Bill had drawn his mind to the question, he should think this great question had been brought in on the spur of the moment. It was a pity that such great consiimtional changes should be due to passing humors of hon. gentlemen. What safety could the country feel when such a measure was brought forward under feelings of irritation ? He should be mistaken if he found his speech was received throughout the Middle Island with other than feelings of dissatisfaction, Hp professed to have no design to inteifere with their land revenue, and would bring in an Act to guarantee that; but no one would believe one word of that. They must feel that at the first opportunity offering he would extinguish the Provinces of the South. He could upon help too, for it was well known that Southland would gladly see the Province of Otago abolished. He felt confident this proposal would breed politic >1 discord from one end of the Colony to the other. Never was there a period when the various parts of the Middle Island were so well satisfied, and the people had begun to hope the hon. gentleman and his colleagues would settle down tq work out the great policy they had inaugurated. The measure was introduced most mopportpag'ly, ajid without the slightest demand from the people. ft vas an old axiom, and a good one, that experimental legislation should not be indulged in. In this case the proposal was entirely unneeded and uncalled-for, when the Provinces of Otago and Canterbury were so well governed, and so satisfactory to the people, t hey had no teas >n to suppose that Nelson was not e jually satisfied. If these resolutions were carried, the time must soon come the Middle Island Provinces will be abolished. If £hey took Wellington members as a reflex pf public opinion, it would be found that Wellington yritj no f m of the resolution, H§ was perfectly gatjsfied that our affairs were carried op with satisfaction, and only wished our rulers had fairer opportunities for displaying their abilities. Though Parliament had a legal and technical right to deal with the question, it had no moral right to do so. Constituencies would feel that the House had no right to respond to such a sudden call by the Premier, The position was anomalous and contradictory. He could not see that the Government could administer local institutions any better than at present. The money would require to be found in the same way, and to press it must only leUd to financial and legislative separation. Rather than ’’see such sweeping changes,‘.the rest'of the Colony would assist to party local institutions in the .North as vigorously as in the south Island. It Was not every country that fipuhTboast of a statesman who required only a week’s notice to introduce a now Constitution, and who required only a fifteen minutes’ adjournment to bring down perfect details of the scheme, and reasons for them. They were told it was trouolasome to manage the finances of the Northern Provinces, buthewould findjust as much trouble in managing the affairs of the whole island. As to public works, speaking from experience, be could say that the Superintendents off<n-d no obstruction, but assisted, as it was their interest to do. He hoped the hon. Minister for Works when speaking, would detail how far the public works were obstructed by the Superintendents, and that the Native Minister \yonl4 eay hew far the action of the Superintendent? embarrassed the conduct of Native 'affairs, 'j'fjp Premier said they had, hut jf bri .colleagues pould not substantiate the statement the HokSo would ace ifc was a repetition qf the fable of the wolf and the shepherd. JJe had never heard of such a humiliating proposal as that of granting a pension to one Super' intendent and paying others to the end of their term. The syi-tem proposed was re pugnant to the instincts of the people of the Colony. They were to have as agents nominees of the hon gentleman Why, it was an exact copy of the French system of governing by departments. If he knew anything of the cheap and nasty form of the Titnaru local government, he would not be so ridiculous. The Middle Island did not require to be protected in its right : it was strong in poi-session, strong likewise in the possession of the benefit of the present form of government, and was not likely to trust the hon. gentleman, whose mind changed as often the wind. He proposed as an amendthent the previous question.—Major Atkinson derided the contempt witfi which the last speaker derided the small Provinces, and gloried in large Provinces which revelled jg load hplopging to the whole of tho Colony. J

He denied that Parliament wag not competent to deal with any question, and this was not on° <o-H< r»r yesterday. For many years it bad been iu men*a minds, and the mode in which the Government proposed to submit the question to the country was a wise one. He believed it was the opinion of the majority of the House, as well as of the country, that the proposal was a wise one, and Southern opposition to it arose from those largely interested in the perpetuation of Provincial institutions, which he maintained were not, and never had been local Governments. The present revenue of Taranaki was L 5.000 per year, and yet the country was called upon to perform public services and people the country, and they had thousands here and there from tbs Government. The House had no right to place any Province in such a position. When the public works were initiated, it was the beginning of the end. By opening the country, and constructing public works, they left nothing for the Provinces to do. There was no question that the Province he represented could not carry on. Hawke’s Bay, though a little better off, was m want of improvement. The Government of Wellington was sat upon, and demanded justice 1 Why, justice simply meant to be able to afford Colonial money to carry on essential works of colonisation, it was peropen to any Provincial Government to levy suffici.nt rates to support the Government in efficie icy : why did they not do so, and, if they did, what would the people say ? If the ordinary functions of the Government were to be carried on, some change was required. He could not pledge himself to the details of any measure, but would decide when they were submittei to the House, If the Government could have carried out their scheme without being harassed, this resolution would not have been introduced. No doubt the Provinces did good in their day, but the time had arrived to abolish them, . He, for one, would not be here next session if his constituents disapproved of his action, for he despaired of proper l eal government. Ik would not be obtained under Provincial administration, at all events.—Mr Curtis said that when the Premier had objected to the present Government, m the North Island, and based his resolutions upon the large expenditure iu the North Island, he failed to show it had been unnecessary, or had been in any way connected with the Provincial Governments which, after all, really had little to do with it, no more in fact than the Southern Island had to do with ihe General Government ex penditure. The larger portion of the money spent in the North Island had been spent on roads for facilitating the defence policy. He doubted if the hon. member could make two pounds out of one by making the North Island revenue bear what it could not now bear, no matter how managed. Experience showed that Colonial Government was less economical than Provincial. He was nod prepared to vote for the abolition of the prerent system until he saw something to take its place ; besides, how did they know but that during the recess the Premier would have some new scheme entirely perhaps half-a dozen ? I hey should look at the past legislation tor the w.uole Colony, and say what success attended the General Government Was their education, system of licensing, &c., satisfactory to the whole Colony ? Provincial institutions might not have done all they oould have done, but they carried on the ordinary functions. Never was he aware that any single Province did not raise sufficient by local taxation to carry on ordinary functions. He thought it undesirable to re-opeu the question of the seat of Government and the compact of 1856 for the next year. They might easily say : be it enacted that they be done away with ; but it was quite possible they did something to advance the progress of the Colony, and what was the Colony but the united Provinces? The only difference was one of administration. When the hon, gentleman informed them the Provinces always wanted money to enable them to discharge their ordinary functions, he forgot that the Colony constantly came to the Assembly for loans. This uncalled-for and agitated discussion might revive the old cry of separation however impossible that was. The hon member distinctly admitted that he would take the land fund of the North Island, and what could prevent him doing the same by the South, once the principle was admitted ? It was not long since the North Island was most flourishing. It might not be many years before it was so again, he believed if the resolution and the measure based upon it were carried, the South I land must soon follow in the footsteps of the North, and it wou d lead to endless agitation -—Mr M'Gillivray had been opposed to Provincial Government since 1871. He had on the same grounds supported Mr Reynolds’s motion ; that it was better to have two Provinces than nine. He quoted the words made bss of by the Premier years ago to show that the idea had been floating through bis mind many years. The fagt was that rqany Provinces were in such a state that if they were not abolished they would abolish themselves. Either place them iu a capacity to do their work, or sweeo them away altogether. Provincialism operated injuriously in disintegrating that feeling of amity which should exist. The varied laud laws of the Colony was an admirable instance of the benefits to be derived from Centralisation, in the form of the Land Boards of the Colony. fl e congratulated the Government upon their moral courage iu facing this fearful hydra of vested interests of thorough Prjviicialists which had grown up around them. He was dissatisfied with the outline of the future local government of u 2 orth lalalld > *» shadowed forth by the Premier.— JVJTr Thomson' opposed the r * solution. H§ considered the questions of the seat of Government and the compact of 1856 quite inappropriate. The seat of Government was not likely to be discuss d again unless fire or earthquake destroyed the Government buildings ; and legislation regarding the compact was so p;am that he who ran could read. The resolutions should be stripped of these additions. The government also conve> ed a threat of dissolution. 1 hat was irregular aad unconstitutional ; they should have kept that to themselves, and he was certain the Premier would not have made such an announcement without the Governor’s leave. He thought the House should be informed upon that point. The House would not express a free and independent opinion while a threat of dissolution h»ng pver it. Jf depression existed in the North Island, the gentleman at the head of tpe Government alone was responsible.