Thursday, November 9.

Evening Star, Issue 4276, 9 November 1876, Page 2

Thursday, November 9.

The Convention met to-day at 11 a.m« read and confirmed. ,_ . The Committee appointed to.drawmap a petition to BerrMajeety brought/ip wneport, , which.was read > but, at-thcwißh of ieveral members, vdiscussion on it !was postponed until after the orders of the day haibeen disposed'olf. ' '.■ f / The''busineßS of the day was then* proceeded with. , MR MACANDREW AS '• MANAGER*'./ Mr Jambs. Sraton said hs wished, ,ttf prev®nV^n^ B?ar y. disbussion', %6r «üb«|itute the following mMion for.the one&tandinir in his na ; ue:-«» That in the event!k the General Government offering Mr Mdeflidrew the management of Provincial aiSm «ntil S? £¥- December next, in the opinion of this Convention it will be his duty tojaccept the same." ™ „...:...._: r

Mr J; M'Eknzib {Wainemo) stalefl that Wears ago" his .district' was * wilderness, but that now it was one of thomosfcproaperous in Otago; and that. Provinciaßsm had contributed greatly .towards thafc*md. The Government in Wellington hafl done nothing for them~. Abolition w?s retrogressive. Local government; .was > the jgovernment of property; Provincialism wis tho true representation of the : people; The Jovernment in .Wellington-had been deceiving us for: the past fi v*. or mx years. Sir Julius Vogel had stated sn'the.fidttSe J jsome tune past that Abolition necessary in the North Island; and next year hi (Sir Julius got a little further, and determined to abolish all the he 4aTd to save money - The Convention' represented ™e ?eeb*gof the p ' ov «"se. He referred to Darnel O'Cohnell, who said to hia Buffering countrymen, "Don't do anything «nz - but agitate-.agitate.": They wbufdPlet all they wanted if they went earnestly to-tfork He supported theresolutiou. ;. r«? f Mr H. M'Derbod concurred partlyln th» motion. The Convention had decfedthe Abolition Ac*, to be ultra vV es, aWSbnsequeutly illegal, and they should not look aponit m any nther light HeTrould-Wo-p<.se as an amendment that thfe Provincial OouncU be requeetelito-meetafld mak£ provision forthe management of our affairs as P u OV lj by the Constitution They should maintain their position, and diSßctbr oppose the Government.:. . ' ?T^ J}r Hodgkinson ; seconded this • rim**a ment. The General Government ; ha¥ ex" ceeded their powers, and the AboKtHar Act was an usurpation. He thought ffif Act should be ignored. :; • -•-,;, !' if .,. Mr George Inglis held much the'lame views as Dr Hodgkinson, bnt .thoußb* the S e SS° a*d all Mr Mr M Dermid to withdrawnt •-s * Mr M'Dermid then withdrew his anrendraent. - .<.■■'. ■..) Mr ;D. R?nv thought.the motion should be altered so as to Request the Government rto offer Mr Macandrew the appointment of manager of Provincial matters tilitaesejid of aa mQ¥ed taa* those be added to Mr Seaton'B:motion. ; ..hi Mr A. J. Burns seconded this amendment. .... ' (.-,£■} 'Mr Grern was understood 'HioW port the amendment. ; -.»t =,• ( ~5 ) r Mr Wm. Ma^tw-w& in,favpr,Qf the amendment. ' - *.» uo * n s lf ft i hj, Gl^ Ea »*& both L motion and amendment. He disapproved <>|-amnK &e Government for; > faVor, and Otago would ;be : better .pleased' to We Mr Macandxew. offered the appointment & a handsome manner. . : . w ''l..' , Mx A. J. BuRNa thought it would heiiore eatuffactory toseeMr Macahdrewappefcited than a stranger., F TT Mr H. M'Dermid wished to Bpeakl" but ,was ruled out of order. :>{•:-,.?/: ~-; ,-r\ r . Mr James Seaton thought the Government would make the offers Mr Maeanlrew if they thoughthim suitable. . the motion was carried nem. com* "...... ' '

, DEPUTATION TO.. THE HOME COUNTJEt|;MrR. Rutherford moved thbfollowing: —!" Whereas consistent and coritmu&ttslnis- ; representations have been made ! duringHhe P. two years; to the Imperial to-entireiybconoenl thelfcai feelings and a gre?.t pcrtion of the Colony: Sir George Grey and*' Mr requested to to lay before He* M&}ss the united prayer of &e ; [people of d 1 OI»go that tbey may be, aUpwedto Tfifc** liberties,. arid pmgeges • originally bestowed opon them under r the .Constitution Acp."' —He said that JUm motion*was the most piractical' 4>ne.llryet brought >ip, ; The .Home Ministry".had adopted the principle of xegardingthe wishes parajnounti importance, tofaxstrwaV f as the persons fit to represent the general, pnUioottOtago, and «rere not so much after the loaves and fishes/' Mr.Jv Matspcson seconded therairatjon. He believed the members of the Convention •to be Proviacialists to a man, and prepared to stand upfor their rights. • .v-iri v. , Mr D. Cameron (Pine Hill) said sented only la' spiaJd; distocict, tort the! aeWera there were to a man in favor of bhtatninc their rights. Mr M Glashan, was the only "ffis^rCameron'sjforefathere in Scotland had contended for their liberties, and did act. spare their blood-fiCpre-serve thdrmdepehdence 1 . Ourrigh'felwere not greatest enemies were those men whojwero faithless to their charge at and he had not languWe'at conmiald to describe them. of his;pW words he woiild quote Macaulay—which-he-did with great effect. \- .-./ l* p '} < ■ Mr R.< Stout Amoved as •an" amendment that a member of the Captain Fraser, if posßiM^^oulO^re. Sueited to- accompany-Sir George fifey\nd rrMacandrew. : " >: r-t >TnTlrr^ H Witt tMC £fe .%**■ that Attd£fidb.w^^ :^j^fiQf|T v would prevail on theJmpexial-ParlM^ntto ivMfcXffum. Gm*mvntb in lavor « the jot * poweiKisi* MaxWiHmipeopleaßrertaipli^^ conrlderablv

Mr. RuTHERfORD waived his right to reply, and. the motion was carried on the Voice*, the commas act. Mr Hoeiok Mv&tim moved-" That this Convention sees no reason why outlying districts 'desirous of being constituted into Counties, aud endowed with fuller powers of Municipal government, should not be so constituted .and endowed, but is of opinion that the provision's and endowments of the Otago Country Ordinance, 1872, would be more satisfactory to the residents of the Province for t such purposes than the Counties Act now about' to lie "enforced throughout the r Colony." He protested against the Abolition Act, and it would not be palatable te the outlying districts. The motion was seconded and carried. FORMATION OF A CONVENTION. Mr Stout, moved th,e following:- ' * Whereas the' Province of Sikgo is not sufficiently- represented in the General Assembly of New Zealand, and whereas the autonomy as a distinct province guarding her own revenues 'has been iesiroyea and broken up without the consent of her local legislature, it is agreed that an Otago Convention be formed, and that the representatives now present be, with their consent, enrolled as members of the Convention. 2. That the said Convention meet annually, or at such other times'astW President or Vice President and the Council shall deteriniue. 3. That for the there be a President, Vic 3-Presidtnt, and Council of nine members. 4. That Mr Thomson be appointed President, and Mr Clark VicePresident." -He-proposed the Council should consist of Messrs Fleming, Green, Henderson, Hutcheson, De Lautour, M'Dermid, Barrowman, Robin, and Pligo. Mr Clark suggested that a gentleman from the nerth should be appointed in his ■place,-but the meeting- approved.of the names submitted. Mr M«i>BRMiD thought the Convention was going astray step.by step in our institutions to pass away- without making the resistence thereto that was contem jjfitedbefore'they met, and whictithe' conanxious should be made. Now was the time to make opposition to the ne.w.order of .things. The and his Executive were far better able to compete with the General Government than, the proposed Convention. His Honor'lwas mora capabh? offaptingthanany of the gentlemen named j yet tlis Convention, which was not;a legallyconstituted tody, and had na light wha'tever to appoint anybody—(A"| voice'? Nonsense) —had recommended his Honor to become the agent of the General Government. The member for. Jhinedin £Mr Stout) was anxious to tfo something witibut breaking the law, but he. contended they, could not go on without breaking the law. They must either break the law or stfbmit to Abolition. .. Dr amendments to insert. - the' words' "attempted to be" after " revenuea: has? b'een," and ** and in an' unconstitutional manner" after "her local legislature," were ag.wd to, and the motion passed in its amended form. •'• PEnVaONv : :

. The motion of Mr Attwood, in reference to getting up a petition, was withdrawn, it being underssoodthat th« proposed Convention would take that matter in hand. THE ABOLITION" ACT. Dr Hodgkinsox moved.—(l.) "That: the Provinces and Provincial Government were created by enactment of the Imperial Gbr vernment. (2.) That the General Assembly has no power to repeal clauses 3, 17, 11, of the Constitution Act, or any Imperial legislation, uhless authorised so to do by a special Act of the Imperial Parliament. (3.) That the Imperial Parliament, has not yet passed ■'• any Act authorising the General Assembly to repeal clauses 3, 17,18 of the Constitution Act, 15 Victoria.- (4.) That the Abolition Act of 1875 is uitr r a virejg and unconstitutional, inasmuch as it repeals Imperial legislation,without authority so to do, and that • ■'■ the people of GUigo' should- protest against such usurpation of powers by the General Assembly, and appeal toj;the Imperial Governmenfr for. justice/' s Mr M'Dermid wished to add as an amendment, "That the SupeTintendent be requested to call together th e local legislature and to advice in the matter," but was ruled out of order. r.- , : ,Mr>Sw>KPj urged the witfofaawal.of the motion, which involved a nice of law, on which eminent lawyers on both Bides differed; but - .

Mr De Lau'jKhjr strongly opposed such a -course,.saying, .thatUshe jeßolutisui?l.was a natural consequ'encejof what had teen carried. The motion w;W: carried. to the queen. •-. rdkafts' : of ! l 3h*:two*itetttfi>ns to the Queen, were-hrpn^ r hftup; s and adopted.! On that course being %\ ecided on in reference to the one praying, fox? the Governor's recall, Mr Reid rose.an,i\,saids l that i he_desired iKV enter his.-dissent , frpm ifc Although %d knew that, being. ii a a minority, very little weight woulctbe att ached to his remarks, he. desired that his ais/jei vt should f>e recorded. H« did not ,agre&,.,-wj£b r ~ or approve, statements' contrniied in the memorial, which to his mind wtw not in accordance with facts.

STJBSCRII *TIONS. —~On Mr-De Lautour'sr motion, it was decided to ask the Convent *oa to take charge of the subscriptions for tl *« purpose of sending the delegates to the H ©me Country.

_ CONCLUSIOI C j - ,i votes of thanks were accorded to the Ofcg&"meinber#of the AWn Abolition, and to Mr Thon won l3£*nf able manner in which'he had p redded overths Convention. Mr Burns c allea for aid led the singing'of the- National An *keto» & which those assembled joined Then '■'"' t^Wfl-followed'much haWt clapping « nd with .three.jcheers for the. Queen,- i>r Sir George Grey, and Hor the Saperin- *»&#» the .prpcejidinga,* fthe; Otago Convention terminated.' ;

*l£*£?*£*&s,*s*&*- essential portiona oftbe.t#a ! meim>nials afl opted by the Convention :—. ■ Excellency the Governor Centralist party, and has t hereby becom* the representative only 0 f tb.9 opinions of the party dominant -for- the '.time being in the House of and the Legislative ....: .SEEI& ?nd &k *4 «Vmt J* Won.has had a ten- ' "^ to, "**^« : »H3§ oflbyaltyluidjrespect ve <*erishe i for your Majesty's representative. Irodr petition va, therefore; pray w~ ?i, our will be phased to Squire „ *„™ e . in our petition. Nt 3? 1116 Person to Jul; |1 the onerous and ll^jJfTJi/^tieß/pJGovernor/ who,will not be «jiwi ; *sf .aovromeut froitt Wellington will 2ki«ff *i 8 noragieeahle rtothe feeiipgs of to v.ie beßt interests of the Colony to have jabont on/ > haJfof thepppulationdisejP,nt«s* ed with the form 0T ffOTernmenl? under Which'they live. Thatj your "petitioners are earoeatly r>t opinion that Otago sboulg granted td i€ fhe. l"ar R » powers ofi local self-government bestowed "by the Constitution Act, or that it. should be csetttedas eparate and independent Colony.'-Tbit r tfhiß m tuner in >hich ~^|te r in a —*Bmed-thong«aes«Wßyr«ndwith(mt Sfereice to »♦ 1 tiro m%d£ r of^our''peti.foaers a ;ii-i. gsav?/distrust of aid its an -i •■ ; e» pray OT^^r^ VfclNitethM PetfTW? cofcsTH^tou»saji*gi»nrtthat on it the large powers of locs* uelf-governUM&t

granted by the Constitution Act, or else that Otago •houla be erected into a separate and independent Colony. ,

A member of the South I'unedin Council writes tons as follows :—'• la last night's ' News' it is slated that in consequence of the illness of Mr Maloney, Mayor of South Dunedin, Mr Barrowman has bten appointed to attend the < Convention on behalf of the Council. This is incorrect. At the special meeting of the Council, on Monday night last, the matter was brought forward by Mr Barrowman, when a motion was proposed, seconded by me, »nd duly carried, that the Council do not send any representatives, neither Mayor or councillors."