PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

Evening Star, Issue 3608, 15 September 1874, Page 3

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

[By Teleobaph.] Christchurch, September 15. Sir Gracroft Wilson addressed the electors of the Heathcote district in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Christchurch, last night. There was a large attendance. Referring to the abolition resolutions, he said they aid not mean the abolition of Provinces exactly, but the abolition of Provincial institutions in the North Island, and a great difference between Provinces and Provincial institutions. The latter had dope their duty'well, bqt, ex- ept in pan|<erbury and Otago, should ceaSe to have existence throughout the Colony. ' He referred to the appropriation* asked last session by Nelson, Au kland, &c, and said when it came to this it was high time to abolish Provincial institutions, ft bad been said Mr Vogel’s resolutions arose from a tit of pique; but if he (the speaker) saw good would arise from them, he did not care as to -their source or origin. Ho said Mr O’Korke was a traitor to bis chief by -not resigning till the matter was under discussion, and further said that Mr o’Ro - ke received a in the House while Mr Vogel was speaking on the resolutions, and from that letter read his speech. He (the speaker) would like to know who wrote the letter? The great majority for the resolutions was unequalled in such an important matter, and proved that the time for abolition had come. It had been said that the resolutions were unconstitutional, but Provincial institutions were transitory, and he would ask— Was the removal of the seat of Government, or the removal of 10,000 soldiers, without consulting the people, deemed unconstitutional ? 1 He referred to the English heptarchy, and asked where England woiild have been in 1874 if the heptarchy had . continued to exist ? Canterbury and Ocago were the only Provinces that should be allowed to exist any longer, and when their landfund was gone, but not till then, must the Colony consider the question of abolishing those Provinces also: " It had been said that Mr Vogel’s resolutioi s were a great surprise, but the great snrprise to him (the speaker) was that the Provinces which were bankrupt for three years and living on the Colony should have been allowed to exist so Jong. Tpe ptep taken was a‘wise one, am! he cpngratnlated all New Zealand on it, and hoped the Colony would continue in the same path. It bad been said the resolutions meant the loss of the land fund to the Middle Island, but he failed to see that there w« connection between Provincial insti-

tutions and the land fund which necessitated the loss of the latter if the former were abolished. If the land fund was to be spent where it was raised, what matter whether it was spent by a Provincial Council, Municipality, or Void Board? The Premier had '“demnly d ebt red that all the land fund hould ' el- ng to the locality where it was ’■ dsed. It ha I been said Parliament and the

c >untry c<mld not trust him. Now, it was Urmg they should trust Mr Vogel so far as ■ hey bad, ami then as soon as he would abolish Provincial institutions, turn upon him and say he was not to be trusted. He (the speaker) {thought the Premier rash, but never thought him dishonest. But even suppose Mr Vogel so base, and obtained a majority to bark him, would the people in Canterbury and Otago be so foolish as to permit the spoliation of their land fund ? He said, “in addition te the compact of 1856, the South Island paid one million sterling as consideration for the peaceable possession of the land fund of the South Island. Are the inhabitants of the South Island such miserable poltroons as to sit still under such spoliation ? Should we not rather warn the Ministry and the North Island that it would bring about a resolution, and *-h a t we would resist, even with arms in hands, such gross violation (cheers) - and the result, would he that • 'tago and Canterbury would retain not only their land fund, bun the Customs and excise duties, which were worth half a million per annum.—(tpplause.) Depend upon it Ministers, though in ray opinion they have been foolishly rash, are not so rash as to rouse the people of the South Island to defend th ir rights by armed res : stance, and I for one should he prepared to continue the struggle to the bit'er eid.—(‘‘Oh! Ob !" and laughter.) lam not speaking in jest. I do not j -st on such serious subjects Apart altogether from the question of provincial institutions, I. would prevent one sixpence of the land fund being taken against our free will and consent, if rebellion and even armed resistance had to be «mployed to protect it.” (’* Hear, h>ar,” laughter and chears) —He then referred to the evils of Provincial resistance to Colonial legislation, and of a double f *rm of government in bankrupt Provinces. Nothing was more absurd than the playing at government can led on in some places A vote < t oonfid' nee in Sir Cracrofb Wilson was nnanimoudy passe t.