WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3921, 17 September 1875, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[By Telegraph ]

(From our own Correspondent.) Wellington, September 17. Considerable progress was made yesterday in committee with the Abolition Bill, and the progress would have been still greater but for an Otago free fight on Mr Cuthbertsoa’s proposition to create a separate Provincial district for Southland, which should include the old boundaries, with Queenstown thrown in. Mr Macandrew said he would approve of the proposition if the boundaries extended so as to include Dunedin. Mr Cuthbertson having stated that Southland had lost instead of gained by union Mr Macandrew charged the member for Invercargill with ingratitude. Before the re-union everything was stagnation in Southland: she was without schools and money for public buildings and tp pay interest on their dent; but since then the whole thing had changed. Mr Stont followed in the same strain, saying union with Southland was no good to Otago. Sir F. D. Bell came to Mr Cuthbertson’s rescue, saying if Southland had received the L 331,000 received from her land sales since the reunion she would have been in a better position than she bad been or ever would be under the sway'of the Provincial Government. Mr Macandrew was again to his feet with a denial that Otago gained by the re-union, fle did not know whether L 330,000 worth of land had been sold since then, but he could say that a careful account had been kept of everything in Dunedin, and at this moment Southland would be on the wrong side by over L 120,000 when the existing railway contracts were completed. Moreover, Otago had to pay a heavy anmul charge for interest upon the Southland debt, which would remain for the next thirty years, and long after every acre in Southland was disposed of. In point of fact, tho benefit of the re-union would be on the side of Southland for a long time to come. He concluded by protesting against such a distorted view of tho facts as Sir F. D. Bell had put forth. Mr Shepherd accused the Provincial Government of purchasing the support of the Southland members by giving them railways, while their conduct in reference to the goldfields had been diabolical, and in reference to Dunedin nearly as bad. Messrs Shepherd, Stont, Cuthbertson, and Mervyn kept up the fight until the Treasurer found it necessary to interfere and ask the Committee to address itself to the real business.

The voting on Mr Stout’s motion re giving only one vote at Mayoral elections was as follows : Ayes Messrs Andrew, Bluett, Bradshaw, Bryce, Bunny, Carrington, Dignan, Grey, C. Kelly, W. Kelly, Luckie, May, M'Glashan, G. M/Lean, Mervyn, O’Couor, Ox’inond, Pyke, Shepherd, Stout. Swanson, Taiarca, Takamoana, Wakefield, and White, Noes—Major Atkinson, Messrs Ballauce, Basstian, Bell, Bowen, Brandon, J. B. Brown, M'Gi'livray, Murray, Reid, Key . olds, Richardson, Koileston, Sheehan, Steward, Wales, M ard, Webb, Williams. A strong [effort will be made in the Legislative Council to regain plurality of voting. On th r first clause of the Abolition Bill, Mr Stout, with a view of testing the feeling of the House, moved that the words “ abolition of ” be struck out, with the view of inserting “ two Provinces.” He (Sir George Grey) aud Mr Wood expressed themselves to the effect that the Bill ultimately meant separation of the Colony into two Provinces, and that it would be better to declare so now. The amendment was negatived on the voices. Mr Stout called for a division, but aftergards gave way.