THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AT KATAPOI.

Evening Star, Issue 3703, 5 January 1875, Page 2

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AT KATAPOI.

(By Telegraph.) (From our own Correspondent) Christchurch, January A. The Hon, Mr Bowen, ip addressing the olecr tors of Kaiapoi yesterday evening, said he had been called to the Legislative Council wjien he joined the Ministry, but only accepted on the understanding that he was free to offer himself as a candidate for a vacancy in the Lower House. The first nail in the coffin of Provincialism was the immigration and public works policy. However, it was no light task for Parliament, and probably would not be completed in two or three sessions. They must begin with the North Island, and need not at present touch the South Island, where the two great Provinces of Otago and Canterbury were doing good work. His joining the Ministry would give another Southern member to the Cabinet, which was desirable. He then referred to the compact of 1856, which was made by tho followers of Mr Wakefield. Canterbury’s land laws were the only ones that did npt want Continually tinkering. He thought it possible to have one land law for the whole Colony, and two pounds was a fair price. He referred to the Stamp Act apd other matters affecting local interests, and could not see why he should not represent Kaiapoi as well as a merely local man. Mr Bowen answered several questions, and a vpte of thanks was moved to him fay Dr Dudley, seconded by Mr Woodford, and carried unanimously. The meeting was crowded, Mr Bowen’s election is certain. {From the Press Agency.) Mr Bowen, in addressing the Kaiapoi electors last night, said he thought it more convenient that, as a member of the Government, ho should be in tho Assembly, and that ho was not entitled to the dignified ease of the Upper

House, when the opportunity was offered to .ace the fiercer strife and to bear the heavier burthens and cares of the Assembly. He remmded the electors that he had been identified for many years » and wae » member of the Government which constructed the first railway and the first telegraph in the t i 6 P was a very critical time for the Colony. It was absurd for one Government to raise money and another to spend it. There could be no more fruitful source of logrollmg. than that. The public works and immigration scheme deprived the Provinces of their primary functions, namely, opening up and populating the country. Owing to the great flush of land revenue, many works independent of the great public works initiated by the Colony had been carried on in Canterbury. Thus, where a large legislative revolution had to be done, it was better to begin at the end where the change was most needed. The object was to secure the local control of local revenues. This was essentially a practical question, and' must be met as the exigencies of the case required. Lord Dufferin, Governor-General of Canada, recently congratulated the Dominion on the destruction of small local prejudices and on the first throbbing of its heart of national existence, and surely a State like New Zealand had a great deal more ts be congratulated on the gradual extinction of still narrower Provincial jealousies, and on the prospect of becoming a great nation rather than a congeries of parishes. The alteration could not be effected in one or two sessions. Great care was required, and the Legislation should be of a tentative character, but should no doubt in time embrace both islands. Public works had been well carried out in Canterbury, but Canterbury was not the whole Colony. The North Island Provinces have come to an end financially, and must die of inanition, or live by suction. If they hoped to become a nation and see the Public Works scheme carried to a proper end, they must put their financial houses in order, which cannot be done unless they get rid of the present complex and duplicate form of Government. But great care must be used to secure local Government and local control over local revenues. There would be no difficulty in dividing the islands into counties or shires, and subdividing these again into districts, giving powers, as in case of municipal institutions, to make whatever byelaws were necessary. But the difficulty which besets the present question is one which will make any measure brought forward by the Government a subject for severe criticism from all sides of the House, via., the question of the distribution of the land revenue. There should be an absolute distinction —a broad line drawn between the land revenues of the North Island and the land revenues of the South Island. That would be the first line as to revenue, The General Gouernment, which will be the administrator of funds for large arterial works, must retain in both islands a fair proportion of revenue for arterial communication. Whatever sum is reserved for those purposes in either ought to be expended pro rata as it has been raised in the old territorial divisions of the islands. The remainder of the land' fund ought to be administered locally—that is, in the different districts or subdivisions of the Colony. A great part of next session will doubtless be devoted to the question of the Abolition of Provinces ; but he hoped many social questions would be attended to. He would like to see a consolidation of the Marriage Laws and Stamp Duties Act, and the adoption of a Police Offenders Act, applying to the whole Colony. He pointed out that in a great part of the Colony' chere was not adequate provision for education ; also that the Insolvency Laws require amending, and that no adequate means of classification in gaol exists, causing what to many appeared astonishing leniency by the judges and magistrates. He hoped next session to see a vote passed for a central penal establishment in the Colony. Mr Bowen, who was frequently and heartily applauded, received a unanimous vote of thanks for his eloquent speech. His election is regarded as a dead certainty.