POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

Evening Star, Issue 3990, 8 December 1875, Page 3

POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

MR M’GILLIVRAY AT RIVERTON. (From our men correspondent.) Mi' M’Gillivray; M.H.R , addressed a large and influential meeting of his c nstiluents at the^Marine Hotel, Riverton, last night. He reviewed the proceedings of the past session at considerable length, and gave a clear, straightforward account of his action in respect to the different measures brought forward. He Said he had net a dressed them that evening as a candidate for re-election, but merely to give an account of his stewardship. If tho electors wished to send him up again as their representative, he did not say he would not accept the renewed exprn sion of their confidence, but they were distinctly to understand that he would only go up to the House as an Abolitionist. He had been an Abolitionist from tbe first, and would not swerve in the slightest for the sake of being returned again. At the conclusion ef one of the most able speeches that has been listened to in Riverton, Mr Rosa Robertson proposed, and Mr D. Murchie seconded, “ That this meeting record a vote of thanks to Mr M'Gillivray for his explanation of the proceedings during the last session, and an expiession of satisfaction for his sei vices, s*nd hope for their continuation." MR ROLLL’STON AT CHRISTCHURCH. MrW. Rolleston addressed the electors of Avon district last night. Ho pave a lengthened resume of the proceedings of the Assembly last session. He justified the strong measures he, with others, took respecting the abolition of Provinces, but said it now rested wi f h constituencies to sr.y what should bn done, and if they decided in favor of abolition he would not offer factious opposition.. He admitted Sir .T. Vogel negotiated the loan as favorably as could have been done, but condemned him for acting against the advice of the agents appointed to act with him. Referring to the personnel of the present Government, he said there were some very good men in it—in fact more honest men than are in the Ministry do not exist, but the Ministry at present is ill-assorted and disorganised, as was shown by the late Prime Minister not being backed up by bis colleagues, and as proved by the administration of the Govern ment right through. He severely criticised the action of tho Ministry regarding tbe wa:te lands of the North Island, and said it had not been such as to inspire confidence in the manner they will deal with the lands of the Middle Island when they fall into their power. He believed that in a Colony like this tbe General Government, removed as it is from the lynx eye of tho people, would act in an arbitrary manner, which sooner or later would be sure to lead to transactions that ought not to be countenanced by any Government. He was very sure that, were a whisper of such land transitions as had occurred in the North Island raised in a Province under tho Provincial system, there would be such a howl of insinuation that the Superintendent and Executive would quickly be dispensed with. He believed education was the national question of the day, far above Provincialism or Gem r.ilism. What he considered necessary was a continuity of administration, which would be given by the constitution of boards like that recently ex isting in the Province of Canterbury and fixity of finance such as could only be secured by the Government of the Colony, r lhis was a question which the whole Colony must take up and place the expenditure upon it to a large extent on the Consolidated Fund, He was satisfied that the main featu oof a successful system was that the people should feel they were working out their own destinies, with large powers of administration, under strict provisions and regulations, and that tho Colony, as at Home, should by active inspectors of schools, teachers, &c., secure a uniform whole which shall really build us up a people. Ho opposed tho rues being let by auction when the leases expire in 1880. They should be let on valuation, and so as not to interfere with free selection for purchase. He spoke at length on tho question of Provincialism v. Centralism, the substance of his remarks being that, although as he had said in his public speeches years ago tho Provincial form of Government _ r quirccl modifying, still he was firmly satisfied they should not" be dispensed with altogether. The Provincial Councils had certainly grown vastly beyond their proper size, and might very well bo reduced to tbe same number of members as there ■were for the General Assembly in any one Province; and tho electoral districts of Provinces and other districts be coterminous, the sanm rate roll serving for the different elections. The existing foim of Government ho considered the very best form we could have and he had no substitute to propose for it. The same form of Government prevailed in the colonies, the United .States, and in much older countries, and was only a question of degree. One of the greatest problems in the mother country was to establish a form of local Government which would relievo the central parliament of functions which It ought not to be called on to discharge. Referring to tho distribution of revenue, he said municipalities and suburban districts should have their thare of the land revenue ; but bo believed that grave injustice would accr e from adopting one uniform principle of giving £l, for £1 all tinough tho province. He disagreed entirely with the payment of subsidies from the consolidated fund He agreed with having an e.'ectiva Legislative Cour.c l. On the conclusion of Jus address, a vote of confidence vas unanimously pissed in Ur Rolleston. There is no opposition to him as yet.