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MR REYNOLDS AT THE TEM PERANCE HALL.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Tf the Government found it necessary to impose an income or property tax, he would not have the least hesitation, if he had his will, in making the absentee proprietor pay not onh a tax, but a double tax. There was no power on the part of the Assembly to remove Mr Glides from that body for holding a situation under the Harbor Board. It was a question for that gentleman’s constituents only. He was in favor of a third member in the Assembly for i unedin, and had always endea vored to got increased representation for th ’ity. He had always supported immigradon. Immigrants might have a li-tie hardip during the first twelve m«mths, but n ithiug like what the early settlers had to endure. The guarantee Canterbury and Otago had that their Provincial Governments would not be abolished was that if their members and other strong members opposed the project, a Government could not stand before them for an hour. If, contrary to his expectations, a vote was carried in the bower House which appropriated the land fund of the Provinces, the members of the Ministry, after the opinions they had expressed, could not hold office ; and, speaking for him-self, he should not remain a member of the Government in which such a thing was proposed. If the resolution were carried independent of the Ministry, thev could not hold office another hour. The increase of revenue would meet the increased expenditure attendant upon lurther ho rowing. Besides what he pointed out in his speech, he might menti n that he believed the railways would bring in a revenue after being constructed. The “subbantial revenue” wuh which the Local Boards of the abolished Rrovinces would be endowed would ho th land revenue and their rates, also capitation allowance. They could not expect any more. That was what the Premier meant by “substantial revenue.” This arrangement had been a groat saving to the Middle Island, as it would do away with the necessity of session after session voting certain sums of mooey to the Provincial Governments of the North Island, to be expended recklessly by the Provincial Councils. He did not think it was an invasion of the Constitution Act to abolish the Provinces of the North Island. The Assembly had power to rto so. The reason for being favorable to their abolition was that they were effete, and unable to carry on their functions. With reference to the Provinces cf .Nelson, Westland, and Marlborough he had already stated that whe ever a Province was unable to carry on without special grants from *-ne General Assembly it should cease to exist. Canterbury and were able to carry on the>r functions without extraneous aid. Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland might be quite as greedy to grasp the land fund of Canterbury and Otago as the Provinces of the North Island were? It was fully expected that there would be a battle for the land fund last session ; but at the same time, as far as he was cone rued, he would always oppose any attempt of the kind. With reference to Mr Vogel’s sincerity in the sentiments expressed by him during his speeches on the abolition question, he (Mr Reynolds) could only say that he never found Mr Vogel to be otherwise than sincere With reference to the revenue to be enjoyed by the North Island af;er the Provinces were abolished, he had already stated that they meved a certain proportion of the Capitation allowance ; they had a certain land revenue ; and the Colonial Treasurer stated that when the island was under Colonial administration he would be able to make both ends meet. He was in favor of free immigration, which would continue as long as it was neces-ary. There might be objection to tenants of the Crown sitting in the Upper House and adjudicating upon land questions in which they were personally interested ; but the same objection might ,be raised against any father classes who sat there. Tenants of the Crown should abstain as much as possible from voting upon those land qu stions, but he did not see bow the tenants of the Crown could be excluded from the Upper House. The attention of the « overument bad been directed to the hardships inflicted upon certain immigrants who had been sent up to Naseby in the depth of winter, and the Minister for Immigration was making inquiries into the matter. He had received word from the Minister for that department to investigate further into the case while he was here, and ho intended doing so. He was not in favor of making the Upper House an elective body, but favored altering the constitution of the Upper House entirely. It was very difficult to give a definition as to what might be done with the Upper House, but there was one way in which the matter might be dea t with. A certain number of members might be elected in excess of what were required for the Lower House, and out < f the whole body a lertain number michi be selected to form an Upper House There were various ways, and he had not. yet made up his mind as to which was the best. The removal of the Supreme Court Judges to Wellington and their concentration in that city bad never been under the consideration of the Government. As far as he could see at present, the arrangement suggested would not answer at all; but good reasons might possibly be shown for such a step. He was thoroughly opposed to having a political At-torney-General. A political Attorney-Gene-ral went in with a Government which remained in office perhaps a fortnight; and another Attorney-General was then appointed who might alter everything that had been dono by his predecessor, so that they would never know what the law was. It was far better not to take a politician out of Parliament and place him on the Bench. It would be far better to procure their Judges away from politics alto ether, because there was no doubt that a man who had been engaged m politics for a number of years acquired certain prejudices for or against ceroain things, and against his opponents. He never knew of any promise being made to Judge Ward that in the event of Judge Chapman resigning he would be appointed successor to the latter. No such promise would be given so long as he (Mr Reynolds) remained Minister of Justice, nor did he think u would be given after he ceased to hold that office.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18741210.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 3682, 10 December 1874, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,106

MR REYNOLDS AT THE TEM PERANCE HALL. Evening Star, Issue 3682, 10 December 1874, Page 2

MR REYNOLDS AT THE TEM PERANCE HALL. Evening Star, Issue 3682, 10 December 1874, Page 2

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