MESSRS REYNOLDS AND WALES AT THE DRILL-SHED.

Evening Star, Issue 3985, 2 December 1875, Page 2

MESSRS REYNOLDS AND WALES AT THE DRILL-SHED.

The Hon. W. FT. Reynolds and Mr Wales, M.H.R’s, addressed their constituents at the Drill-shed last night the Mayor occupying the chair. The room was crowded. After a few preliminary remarks, Mr Reynolds alluded to what had been done in Otago during the existence of the Parliament about to expire, and during his connection with the Ministry. There had been opened in this Province, under the auspices of the Colonial Government, 135 miles of railway, and there are a further 115 miles now under contract and i ' course of construction. This will leave breaks on the railways scheduled of thirty-sis miles between Waitnki and Dunedin, of twenty-two miles between Clutha and Invercargill, and of eighteen miles between the Blulf and Kingston, making in all seventy-six miles yet to he contracted for. These will bo put in hand as soon as circumstances permit, and ate expected to be opened for traffic in about eighteen mouths. In telegraph extension during the same period, 740 miles of wire have been stretched in the Province, seventeen additional stations have been opened, and arrangements are now being made (some of the works being in progress or completed) for the construetion of lines to the Otago Heads, to Onlrara, and to Knitangata, which, when completed, will involve the opening of several new stations.

Then, again, the connecting of Australia by cable is one of the important undertakings rf the present Parliament. 61,322 immigrants had been introduced. Of this number no fewer than 17,984 have been landed in this Province. In postal matters, the progress has been equally satisfactory. Fiftyseven post offices have been opened in the Province, involving an additional mileage of inland mail conveyance of no less than 335 miles ; and overland' mails now leave daily for Christchurch and Invercargill, as also for most of the important parts of the Province. During this period the postage on Intercolonial !■ iters has been reduced from 6d to 3d; on !Intel-provincial from 3d to 2d; and on newspapers posted; and for delivery in the Colony from Id to -d, ‘Like improvements and reductions have also taken place in the P.O. Savings P.anks and Money Order offices Then under the Marino department, which io a commercial city like Dunedin has a great bearing upon its prosperity, and which is more particularly under his charge, he could point with no little satisfaction to no fewer than thirteen additional lighthouses throughout the Colony, either erected, sanctioned, or in course of construction. Five of

these are more particularly connected noth the interests of this, port and city, ihese arc Payegur Point and Centre Island in Foveaux Strait, Moeraki, Capo Saunders, and Banks Peninsula, cu our East Coast. He also bad the satisfaction of being able to e.stablisii a system of storm warnings along our coast, The Mar ne Department was second to none in im-’ portanco, and without, professing to prophecy he predicted that it would erelong take the lead of all departments of the Government. Ho felt a natural p ide in having been instrumental, in conjunction with the able officers of tbe department, and with, the co-oporation of his colleagues in the Ministry, to so far advance the marine interest, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that whenever ho left the Government, his successor must of necessity carry out efficiently the work commenced by the present Government. The Government was not a talking but a workingGovernincut. During the late session the Opposition had left no stone unturned in their endeavor to lix charges of maladministration and corruption against the Government—but the reports of tho select committees and the pages of Hansard showed how utterly they had failed

A section of tlio Press had not dealt fairly with the Government or himself. For instance, the ‘Daily Times’ had accused him of speaking m Committee on the Abolition Bill, when lie did nothing of the hind, while there had been put into his mouth by that journal words which lie had never uttered. The bon. gentleman nest referred to the Aboiltiou Act, in reference to which he spoke as followsOn this subject I will require to he somewhat explicit, inasmuch as I have been accused by a portion of the Press, amt by several correspoupondeuls, of having done something very awful,

and in direct opposition to some supposed pledge which I had given when I last had the honor of addressing you some twelve mouths ago. Now, I deny most emphatically that I gave any such pledge; at the snme.tiine, I am fon d to admit that from my remarks when I then met you, you would have been perfectly jusiiiltd in coming to the conclusion that I was opposed to the abolition of any of the Provinces of this island. lat once frankly admit that I was so opposed, and had I been asked the direct question at the time, I have not the slightest doubt but that my answer would have been most dccided'y in the affirmative. Ido not hesitate to say that I have still a hankering after Provincial institutions, and I frankly admit all that Proviucialists claim for them for the past, and that they have done much to advance the interests of the Colony. But, gentlemen, the circumstances of the Colony and the. Provinces have materially altered of late. These altered circumstances have convinced me, although with regret, that Provincialism could no longer ho maintained. It will he remembered that for the last ten or twelve years I have never failed to predict that the Provincial institutions, as they existed, must of necessity break down; and having this certainty alwliys before me, I, for several years, did my utmost to secure tho establishment of a Province for each Island, with a Federal Government in Wot ington. My endeavors for years to secure this having failed, I have had forced upon mo the necessity of agreeing to the abolition of the whole. My previous political and commercial career is, I think, snilieient proof to many of yon that I have not hecu deficient iu perseverance, and that it has never beei a fault with mo to stop short in mj endeavors to encom. ass any subject which I have undertaken, so long as there existed the slightest chance of carrying my object. But, gentlemen, I cannot c.mcoivo a worse fault in an honest representative than to stick too dogmatically to his preconceived opinions, after ho is convinced that they can no longer be maintained. A representative who does so is sure to place his constituents at a disadvantage. inasmuch as by neglecting the possible opportunity of modifying the evils ho may see ahead, he may be allowing a measure to become law, which by judicious and persistent watching might he passed in a much more satisfactory form than it otherwise would lie. (.auuot those gentlemen who profess to he such staunch Proviucialists, and who

have not failed to find fault with my action during too last session, conceive it possiolo that, after all’ 1 have been studying tlieir interests to a much creator extent than bad I abut my eyes to the fact that Provincial Institutions were doomed, and neglected, to 1133 what influence I might possess to prevent a measure being passed much less favorable to your in crests than the Abolition Act. I have already stated, gentlemen, that when I last addressed you I was opposed to abolishing the Provinces of this Island, and more particularly thoso of Cl ago and Canterbury. When I found, however, that almost to a man the members 1 opreseuting the Provinces of Westland, oelsou, and hlarlborongh, in this Island, and also a very largo proponlou of those representing Canterbury and Otago, were resolved to vote for total abolition, and also that there was a very strong feeling existing among our fellow colonists in botii islands in favor of a more sweeping measure than that contemplated by the resolution of tbe session of 18/ i —l say, when I found that such was the case, t -naturally turned my attention to the elfeet such a measure would have upon yon, amt after

very careful consideration I como to the conclusion that it would be to the interests of Otago and Canterbury to fall in with the general abolition of the Provinces. It is perfectly clear to mo, as it must be also to every unprejudiced mind, that if all the Provinces were abolished with the exception of Otago ami Canterbury, that those two Provinces would stand the chance 01 taring very badly at the bauds of the Central Legislature. There is no use in disguising the fact that if all the rest of the Provinces were consolidated their interests would to a great extent be antagonistic to those of Otago and Canterbury; and wha , through dissensions from within and attacks from without, we would soon find ourselves receiving but scant Justice at the baud** of the Legislature. When I last addressed

Ton I then slated that (ho Provinces of iho lii Is'and could not exist as Provinces without coronlorablc n-:sista:ico from the Colonial chest, find that the Treasury was not able any louder to stand such drains upon it. It also became patent to mo that Westland, Kelson, and >1 avlboivmgli were drifting into t!m same posiru.'n In some of Iho Trovinors tTie Colonial Treas;nr nas not only had to tin 1 funds for the f,.rroni.ion c-i t heir roads and bridges, but also to maintain | mm when formed, the Provinces refusing: point■manii to keep them in repair. Tunds have also bad 15(1 provi'.cd for soino of theirordinary Provincial •government expenditure, mid yet. in ‘the face of 1 us they could ntlord to be generous to tludv 1 .n, fi,'. r ' Ur v ? te their fun<ls for purposes other idiaii the pressing necessities of the Produce, reveiling too proverb, •Pe fust before you arc ?°, w ’ if I,U! Provinces are abolished, the sin puis of ho consolidated revenue, after meeting penmuimt and other purely Colonial charges would be distributed under’some uniform system’ mvn vme a measure of fairness to all parts hf the LOxOiiy—a svstcHi winch, under the hungry Pro- • inees comlimaaons. has tot hitherto been the ease. My long connection with, public nffdrs enables me to judge what effect the abolition of tuo Provinces will have on your interests, and I ran conscientiously say that; it is my firm conviction that, iu supporting flie Abolition Act I was studymg your interests. 1 am one .of yourselves; all I am possessed of is invested in the Province, and in studying your interests I am studying my own. -Dunedin has been ray home for the last twenty-five 1 °°a i?™ an } t0 it being the home of my cnildreu and their descendants; and in the “ 1 have taken during the last and previous sessions my sole object has been oo fulfil my duty to those whi have honored and trusted me for so

e = arS v O T^ cll o , vert ¥ ir Political rights and interests. Fault has been found with the Govera™ent; because we did not relegaio the question of Abolition to the constituencies. Now we wore not at all afraid of doing so, as far as the constituencies were concerned, hut I will tell you who we were a. raid of—-the Provincial Governments. The danger was that it the Councils had been allowed to meet ?jrdnwitli the fact staring them in the face ihat rney were m«i the inni lime, an nn-pre-emp'-ed Executive—and there are some’of these iu the Culony might have got estimates passed iar in excess of the prolable revenue. Contracts would then iiave been entered into, and the Colony would, in ; aldng over the Provinces, possibly have found itself committed to some millions of iia ilities, .Inch iu all probability would have outnilcd rum to the credit of the Colony. Had it not been for these well-grounded fears, I for one would Lave preferred deferring 1 be Abolition question until the constituencies had been consulted by means of the general elections. I put it to Ton whether it was at aJ likely that the GovorniKeut aucl its sunporers, iu the face of a general election, would have taken what I admit to have been au extreme course unless they bad been com ineed that there was a pressing necessity for their doing so. and one whi hj they would defend in presenting themselves before the electors. I have no hesitation iu snyiuothat I am satisfied that the Government and its supporters were justified in the action they have tak'n with regard to the Provinces We are cont mially asked—What arc we to get’in exchange for Provincial institutions ? HXv answer is—The provisions of the Abolition Act; all it takes away from us is our Provincial legislation—

our Provincial Councils anil Executives—and in their place it is proposed to substitute ample powers of local self-government, local expenditure, iitidlocal control, to be vested in Municipal Councils, h'tiire Councils, and Koad Boards, In framing the Lo. al Government Bill presented to Parliament last session it must be borne in mind that the Government had no option but to prepare a merely tentative measure—one which would harmonise with the various Road Boad Boards Acts and Ordinances in the different Provinces, aud which could be improved upon by further legislation next session. Had the Government prepared a more elaborate Bill the chances are that had it become law it would have thrown the Boards’ machinery in some of the ■ 1 lV1Ilc ®!J f rcar > find made it quite nuworkable We therefore thought it ndv sable to studv simplicity in framing the Bill, and thus secure its adaptability to all parts of the Colony. Any honest airl impartial critic of the Local Government Bill, taken in connection with the Abolition Act, must have come to the conclusion that they were intended to initiate a complete system of local self-

government; and I am prepared to give the most emphatic denial to the statc ents which have been so freely circulated that the Government ever had or -have now the remotest intention of centralising the administration of the affairs of the Colony in Wcllhmton ” deferring nest to the advice that had been given in certain quarters as to the class of representatives to be returned to the next Parliament, lie expressed the opinion that; (ho efforts of those who favored the resuscitation of Provinces would he futile, as the Provinces were abolished and never could he resuscitated. Then, to bis mind, the proposal of two 1 rovmcos for each island was quite untenable, inasmuni us Canterbury, Nel-on, Marlborough, and V\ cstland, as also all the Provinces in the North Is.and, excepting possibly Auckland, would never consent to any such arrangement. Then there }' n .-,..T ;L ' tl ’, or P'oposifiou to return ropresen- ?; tl„« imL sa'isded With nothing

KSi than a t'rovmce for each island, ami :i lederat Government. Now, this latter proposmon was to his min i the most reasonable of tic ihree, but ho held it was uot feasible. Sacha mea-ure could not he carried iu the is ex t Parliament, even were Otago to return all her representatives pledged to use every effort to (.intend For years he laid made the subject of two Provinces a study, and never failed, on every reasonahle'occasion, to bring his views on the question, before the electors and Parliament. In 1870 and 1872 he tabled resolutions on the subject, but ho fouud uo satisfactory arrangement could he arrived at. The same UiftnulLy existed uow. Would any houc.d politieian toll him there was the slightest chance of an arrangement satisfactory to this Province b. in" entered into with the concurrence of the distinguished visitors Dunedin had so lately honored, lie asked n J ° rcc ollect the declaration publicly made hj% h>ir George Gny—the recognised leader cf-lhe bcpaiatiouist party—-of his intention to endeavor to break the compact of 1850, It would take an angel from heaven to convince him that air George Grey had changed his views on this subject. Almost the wnole of the Auckland people have been tutored to hold similar opinions, and no doubt will endear ir to return members to the next Parliament pi idged to break the compact of 1856, and on these terras, and on uo others, will they agree to two Provinces. These views are not only held iu Auckland : they arc also largely sympathised iu by the veople of the Pro- ' Pees of Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough Nelson, and Westland. Wellington, from its Superintendent downwards, would oppose to the utter-

most the proposition of two Provinces. What chance was there, iu the face of such odds, of Ota°-o and Canterbury securing the division of the islan&s bd'} two Provinces with a Federal Government in Wellington, even if Canterbury and Otago were united in such a scheme, which they were uot. In conclusion, he advised the electors to return honest representatives—men of good, sound, practical judgment, of liberal views, who would see justice done to all parts of the Colony aline ■ the revenues expended under some uniform system, and the laud tuud properly administered and protected—men who in then- private transactions in life have merited the respect of their fellow-colonists, and who from their interests being identical with those of their constituents, and having uo purely personal object to serve, will devote their energies towards securing the general good of the colonists. Let such men he elected, and ho had n > fear hut that any Constitu-# tional changes will receive due consideration ~t their hands, and as far as they can be, they will bo so moulded as t« work iu harmony with the iutwejjp.f the electors. It was his intention to seek iv-ef*>riou, and, if returned, he would be found at lus post watching the interests of his constituents. Much eagerness was shown to question Mr Reynolds, on whom interrogations were showered, as many- as half a dozen questions being put at a time. Messrs John Barnes, whose anxiety to know where the “ Solidatcd revenue” was to come from, was very irreat; Sligo, banglauds, Grant, Slcsingcr. M‘Laren, and MTndoe wore the questioners, mid the principal replies made by Mr Reynolds wore that in voting tor the immediate passage of the Abolition Bill, he considered it to he hjs lirstdul y to protect the credit of the Colony. He did not, when

addressing his constituents last, year, state iu reply to a question by Mr Grant that lie would have no connection with a Ministry that would sanction such t\ rauny as the sweeping away of the Provinces of Otago and Canterbury. He remembered a questiou beiug put with regard to the iand fund, hut not with regard to the South Island Provinces. Cut it did not matter whether he said so or in * Ho was quite prepared to say that had he boon asked the question ho would at that time have said ho was not iu favor of abolishing the South Island Provinces. Of course it was possible to revert to the old system of things if a.iuajoritv of (he next Parliament was favorable to doing so, hut there was not the slightest chance of there being such a majority. Because his opinions in (reference to Aholit ioii had undergone change ho did not think he was justified iu resigning. It wus his duty rather to do the ho.-.t lie could for his constituents, and not to lofi\ o tliGiu without n repvGsoiitiit ivc, Hg w;is uot in favor ef an elective Upper House. His views was tnat tne Council should bo nominated from momhoi : 3 of tlio Lower House, ixud that wheu a measure the Lower House two ov ilueo times the Ci;per House should lie bouud ( > agree to it. Mr Oit.otT moved—“ That the Hu. Mr Reynolds, h.i\mg represented this oily ior twenty-! wo vears, has a prescriptive and n presumptiro right to the conference ot the intelligent electors . I Dunedin ” hut some difficulty wai experienced in li ding a SGComI.T. Lit imatcly a Mr Ken wick seconded it. Mr CjAiuacic then moved as an amendment, which Mr Bakuns seconded—“ That while the meeting tiiauks Mr Reynolds for his address, it, regrets that, as a member of 1 he Government, lie hurriedly passed the Abolition Bill without first taking the opinion of the electors.’’ His Worship having decided that Mr Grant's nmtion was rot received, the amendment became the substautivomol ion, A voter, whose name .ve could not catch., wished to im vc as an « niemlmont :o it “That this meeting has lost nil confidence in the representatives for Dunedin,’' but found no seconder. Mr Unit next proposed aw au amend' a Bimp'o vote of Umuks, for which a small minority voted, the motion being carried by a large majority It was 11 p.m. before this stage of the proceedings

was reached, and Mr Wales, who was to have addressed the meeting, undertook to deliver his speech on an cveuiug to he named,