THE ABOLITION MEETING.

Evening Star, Issue 3907, 1 September 1875, Page 2

THE ABOLITION MEETING.

The meeting at the Drill-shed yesterday owning was attended by about 700 persons, though there were not half that number present during the first part of the proceedings. The Mayor t-ok the chair at the Athenaeum Hall at eight o’clock, and then adjourned to the place of meeting. After a scene of considerable confusion, due to the efforts to obtain a hearing made by some of our local inflictions in the shape of stump orators,

Mr Robert Gillies said those who had taken thu initiative in calling the meeting had organised no proper programme. He was in fuvwr of the Abolition Bill. He took it, from the expression of opinion they had given, and aibo from tils observation of public opinion | tin ougbout-the Colony, that there could hardly ’ b_e any difference of opinion, even among Pro-vi.-cia lists, that abolition was needed. Mr ■ -illivs ai tempt *d to read extracts from Mr Macaudrew’s recent speech, but the meeting would not allow him, and he had to be satisfied with saying that the purport of that speech was that Mr Macau drew proposed that the Pro- ! vintfiol Governments bo not done away with, |bu the General Government.—(Great applause and hisses.) The mind of the | people was made up for a change: it had been growing to that for the last ten years. They had been listening to the cry of delay for years: it was simply staving off a matter that might now be ended, it was placing a stumbling blockJn the way of the right settlement of the question. With abolition, none of their powers and privileges would be in the least infringed. As to the land revenue and other matters, he bad only to say that the General Government were their masters at the present moment, and if they required these funds they would hi,ve them, no matter whether there were Provincial Governments or not. One of the advantages or abolition was that it would bring the people face to face with thrse who spent their money. The cry was delay, in order to deal with the land fund, but if they did that they would be like the unjust steward or a bankrupt, who, having to assign his estate, made away witlr some of his property. With abolition they would have better local government than now; the questions now considered at the Executive meetings would be dealt with in the Taieri, Clutha, or other districts iu which they’ arose, and not in Dunedin or Wellington. While he thought there was something better in s ore, he held that the true ror New Zealand was undoubted y separation—the two islands were different in c.imate, in productions, and ru the genius of the people, and he did not think they would ever amalgamate into a great nation. He moved ** That the thanks of this meeting bo tendered to our Dunedin representatives for the ac.i n they have taken in connection with th" vbohtiou Bill.”—(Loud cries of “No ”) Mr insH seconded the resolution. He fully beiicyea. and he spoke from experience as a Municipal Councillor and Provincial Councillor, that the time had arrived for abolition. More *confu-ion then arose, Messrs W. .H"op- r, M Daren, and J. G. S, Grant all endeavoring to speak. I'he last-named said he mms in favor of abolition, as he was a stem economist. They should have oue common Government. and one common purse. Mr Murray said the Bill had been rushed V l^! 1 r Parliament with undue haste.— ( No.’;) There was a fog hanging over the provision of the Bill, and it was always better to boar the ills they had than fly to others they knew not of. He asked them to pause before they voted for abolition.

Mr Is'vao bMd lie was not'a strong Provinci.Mat.hut the time was not riue for abolition. ■he Bill took away their liberties and their si If-government. If their Governments *vo>.; bad, mo lily them, but do not do away with their liberties.

‘Jr Jv. JUmsay would move as an nmend-iiu-ii: 1 hat, in the opinion of this meeting, the members for Dunedin should have consulted their constituents before recording their vo os lor abolition.” He had no desire to say uu<lul y Iwi'sh of Mr Reynolds or Mr A ales; but as they were elected Provincialists tliv-y should, before voting for abolition, have given the electors an opportunity of expressing on opinion. He hoped that the uumistakeable voice of this meeting would be that their represcu*atives had done wrong in this matter.— lies ot ‘‘Yes” and “No.”) He hoped the •oiiud would bo for the future that no man would -o up to the Assembly pledged to do one thing and yet do another. He believed in a simpler form of government, but considered time should be given to discuss important constitutional changes. They should not be called on in a hurried manner to give over their Provincial Governments. There was no reason no complain of the Provincial Government, which was always comeatable, and he feared they would not be so well dealt with from Welle gton.

Mr Babxes seconded the amendment. They should rot let th.-ir land get into the bands of" monopolists, and under abolition it would, Mr Oakbick said there should be delay to -i'-otime to consider—there was no danger ia ooby. They were trying to lock the door 'll.!, fh, ; hor.ie was still in the stable. To o ny this motion would bo to back up perfidious men who were afraid to face tboir constituents.

.Mr B. H. Lurt said his analyila 0 f PTorincial revenue and expenditure showed that the ordinary revenue of the Colony fell far short of the calls upon it. He regarded the land fund a« the capital of the country. According to that statement—and he vouched for its correctness—they were going into their capital at the rate of L 30,000 a-year. He maintained that the expenses of government could be very materially reduced under abolition, Mr i. Birch said that as the General Government had a large majority, they should leave the abolit on rjuestiou over for the constituencies, and for the opinions of the new Parliament. The days of Provincialism were past, and he thought that wc could be better nded and guided from Wellington than in Otago.

Mr Hallenstkin. M.P.C., said they should consider how they would fare when the institu- } ,ntler wllicll they bad prospered was abolished.--(Applause). He remembered when the hrst news of abolition reached Queenstown, where he bad resided for the last twelve years. The late Judge Wilson Gray was at that time bis Court there. One evening, when walking with the Judge along the shores of Bake Wakatip, he (Mr Hallenstein) remembered his stating, in conversation on the Abolition Bill, “ If yen abolish the Provincial institutions, you take away the bulwark of your liberties. The Provincial Council has been between you and class legislation.”—(Applause.) The interest of the landholders in nui Provincial Council was gone, and to a certain exthe Council had settled the people under the deferred payment system on the land. H# knew of 120 miles of country here in the hands <>f one man, and under Provincial institutions that system would not continue. He trusted that the meeting would speak out in un mistakeable terms that they would not at any rate have this Abolition Bill passed this year, —(Loud applause.) ihe Chairman then put the amendment, wliich was carried by a large majority. On the motion being put only a few hands were held up for it. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.