GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 69, 20 August 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(Per Anglo-Australian Press Telcgragh

Agency.) Wellington, Aug 19

In the Legislative Council to-day, The consideration of the Burial Ground Closing Rill in committee, provoked a long discussion as to the advisability of allowing 'he relatives of those previously deceased to be interred iu cemeteries already closed, and whether such interment should take place as a favor granted by the Governor or other person, or as a matter of right provided for by this Act. An amendment of clause 5, with the latter effect, was carried. The following new clause was carried on a division by sixteen to ten : —“ It shall be lawful for any person by will or deed duly executed to direct that his or her body shall after death be disposed of by burning the same to ashes instead of by burial iu the earth, and it shall be lawful for the executor cr executors of such person to carry into effect such directions, provided that such burning shall be conducted in a manner which shall not create any public or private nuisance. 1 ’

la the House of Representatives to-day, Sir Donald McLean has brought in a Bill to amend the Volunteer Act, and it was read a first time. In reply to Mr Steward, The Native Minister ma le a long explanation with reference to Mr Colenso’s Maori Lexicon. Practically, the effect of it was, that no progress had been made in the work since last year. The Premier, by way of Ministerial explanation, denied that he had, either expressly or by implication, promised during the debate on the second reading of the Loan Bill, that he would, in committee, consent to reduce the amount of the short-dated debentures. Mr Vogel also made a correction in regard to his statement as to there being uo precedent for Mr O’Rorke’s conduct. Viscount Cranbourno and Lord Carnarvon in 18C7 had made brief explanations after resigning, but while, holding office awaiting the appointment of their successors. The committee to decide as to the validity of the electiou of Mr Von der Heyde, consists of Messrs C. Parker, Richmond, Webb, Tolmie, W. Johnson (chairman), Wood, and Creighton. The hon the MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS, in answer to Mr Kolleston, stated that the Government had not made any arrangement with the Provincial Government of Canterbury relative to the necessity of having the railways that the province constructed on the same gauge as those being made by the General Government. The adjourned debate on the abolition of the northern provinces was resumed by Mr M'Glashan. He regarded the resolutions as merely the necessary preliminary to bringing'the matter under the consideration of the public. The hon gentleman drew the attention of the House that the chief opponents of the resolutions were the Superintendents and Secretaries of Otago, Canterbury, Auckland, and Nelson. Their conduct was certainly opened to the charge that they were actuated by the sweets of office. Ho could not be a party to placing the Government

practically in the hands of a few provincial officials who ought to be looking after affairs of the provinces, and not be in the House at all. He had no apprehension for the Middle Island land fund, for in a few years the North Island must have a considerably greater landed estate. He supported the resolutions as what the country required.

Mr Cuthbeutson wouldvote for the resolutions. The speeches reminded him of ragged regiments of soldiers sometimes seen in theatres passing off one end of the stage and coming on from the other. If he had been inclined to Hansardise, ho could not find more arguments in favor of the resolution anywhere than in the old speeches of the hon member for Port Chalmers, but he hold no thinking man need be ashamed of changing his opinions. What hold good to-day was not true to-morrow. There never yet was a reform, that abstractionists would *uot cry out, that the time was inopportune. It was never inopportune to redress grievances. If the proposal was entirely wrong, then it was inopportune. In any case the question was propounded and their opinion upon its merits was demanded. The assertions that the Premier merely brought down the resolutions in a fit of bad temper with the opposition to the Forests Bill was too childish to notice. Speaking from personal experience as to the economy of provincialism he had not been favorably impressed with that economy, and he was only surprised the lion member for Port Chalmers, who knew so much about the trials and struggles of Southland, should pretend to challenge the economy and effectiveness of Provincial Governments. The very existence of Southland province was owing to the fact that Southland could never get a fair share of the revenue which she had been contributing to Otago. Through the local jealousy of Otago as against Southland enormous and wholly unnecessary expenditure was willingly gone to purely out of a feeling of jealousy, nor were the outstanding districts of Otago proper treated much better. Was not the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works another standing protest against the centralising tendencies of Provincial Governments. They never would give the out districts a tPhe of the revenue raised in them. The hon member referred to the figures given by Mr J. L. Gillies .as to the superior economy of Provincial Government compared with the General Government, and denied their accuracy. When it was stated that the province expended £579,000 for works, and the departments cost £3OOO, while the General Government expended £7OO in laying out £10(1,000 for works, the hon member seemed to forget that there were only a few lines yet laid out by the province and not completed, while the General Government had actually completed a good deal of work, and had in fact paid away during last year, £300,000. It was puerile to talk of unconstitutionality of making the change. He sincerely hoped all their institutions were susceptible of growth according to the wants of the times. The objections to the resolutions answered themselves, because no change would be made before the country had ample opportunity for the discussion of the matter. It was idle for the hon member for Port Chalmers to speak that it was evident that the resolutions would lead to the spoliation of the land fund, when the compact of 1856 stood intact for nineteen years without any attempt to disturb it. He would appeal to the House that this was no time to vote for the previous question, especially when the Government staked its existence upon it. The question should be fought out upon its merits, Mr Hunter, speaking with thirty-five years’ experience as a colonist, said the General Government had only been a colonising Government within the last four vears. Before that it was merely a taxgatherer. All the good they did was to leave them a heavy legacy of debt from the management of Native affairs. Pie denied that the question had ever been before the public to do away with provincialism in one island and retain it in the other, and he believed the people would oppose it heartily. He considered that the questions of the seat of Government and the compact of 1856 had no connection with abolition. These questions would right themselves. If the North made a bad bargain in the compact, it must stand by it. No doubt the day would come when the North Island would be able to pay back any indebtedness to the South. He could not help thinking the discussion might operate injuriously upon the money market at home, besides creating a good deal of bad feeling. While opposing the resolutions, he must say that he. would regard it as a calamity if the present Ministry retired from office. He sincerely regretted having to differ from those with whom he had so long associated himself, but a representative owed a duty to the colony as well as to his party. He felt confident that one result of carrying the resolutions would be the bringing about uniform legislation.

The House then rose. Wellington, August 20. At the evening sitting yesterday, Mr Webb continued the debate. He had been returned as a thorough proviucialist, but he bad not long been in the House before discovering that provincialism was the weak element of colonial politics, and he became convinced that the Northern provinces at least wanted wiping out; So far, they were merely asked as to the correctness of this idea, and were not pledged to the details of any measure which might be based upon the proposal. The question created but little interest in Canterbury. Mr Swanson, in a long speech, defended provincialism as not only a great aid to Colonial Government, but as an excellent training school for members of the General Assembly, as well as the best means of allowing local men of ability, who could not afford to come to the Assembly, to give the public the benefit of their experience and knowledge, generally. He found fault with the General Government for not adhering to their promises. They had broken their promises in the matter of the Education Bill, after setting the Ministers of the colony by the ears; they had broken their promise regarding the £OO,OOO for roads in the North Island; they bad promised to hold a session of Parliament in Dunedin, and had bioken that; they had promised to limit and define the power of the provinces, they had broken that. In some of these the legislation of the colony was due solely to the efforts of the provinces;—the General Government had availed itself of their experience and their failures. He condemned the General Government for its looseness of administration regarding contracts and other arrangements. Their Agent - General set them"at defiance: if he was the servant of the Auckland province he dared not

do that. Look at the failure .of the Panama steam service, the Webb contract, and the last San Francisco contract. No provincial government could have made such unsuccessful arrangements. The essence of the whole case was that the provinces were poor, and therefore must be kicked. The General Government first crippled, then starved them, and finally desired to abolish them. If an offender was fined £5 the money went into the colonial chest ; if he was sentenced to a mouth’s imprisonment, the province was comoelled to board and lodge him. What had the Assembly done in the past ? Plunged them into native war, rained their prosperity, and left them the expensive legacy of the native department, which never should have been a necessity. He really believed, that the bottom of the proposed change was the financial embarrassments which the Treasurer saw looming ahead, and his consequent anxiety to lay hold of their land. He was convinced that the public would make its voice heard upon the question and no mistake. plause.] Mr Bryce said the opponents of the resolution thought provincialism perfection ; no out-district member thought so. The question had been too often before the public, and too long in men’s minds to be called a surprise. The Ministry had experiences of embarrassment by the provincial governments, and were the best judges of the difficulty, and were quite justified in asking Parliament to deal with it. When the provinces could not drag along without charitable aid, it was time to supersede them with better local machinery. He believed the result would be such a sufficient government in the North as would soon induce the South to apply for a like change. Anything the provinces did now, local bodies could do better.

Mr White said the resolutions could not come to anything, still it was a blow at popular government. They said there were no rotten boroughs, but Taranaki was an excellent substitute. Hon members followed the Government like lambs. He would gladly vote for the extinction of Taranaki, so as to follow the resolutions to a legitimate conclusion. They should abolish the Assembly and appoint a diefator ; the world had had one Julius Cicsar, why not appoint another Julius and simplify the matter. If the Premier carried the resolutions, retribution would overtake him.

Mr Peeves explained that the charge against him of being a provincial contractor was untrue. In consequence of these miserable charges, his firm had not for years tendered for the Provincial Government printing; they had not done any for several years.

Mr T. Kelly repelled the insinuations against Taranaki by different members ; he quoted statistics showing that Auckland had been dependent upon the Government for the last seven years; they did not even tax themselves to support their sick and insane.

Mr Harrison opposed the resolution on the ground of prematureness, and that it did not go far enough. He Hansardised the Premier to show that he did not prefer County Government to Provincial. He blamed the General Government as the cause of the poverty of Westland and Nelson,

Mr Richardson defended the efficiency and economy of the General Government in their conduct of the public works, as compared with provincialism. He wondered where Mr Gillies got his figures, they were so unreliable. The departmental cost of £1,000,0C0 of expenditure had been less than per cent. Mr Jackson voted in favor of the resolutions, and testified to the satisfactory way in which the General Government had managed the affairs of his district, and that they were better managed than by the province. The provincial element did not improve the atmosphere of the House; all out districts declaimed against the inefficiency or injustice of provincial administration. At 12,5 the House adjourned on the motion of Mr J, E. Brown.