MR O’RORKE AT ONEHUNGA.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 197, 26 January 1875, Page 2

MR O’RORKE AT ONEHUNGA.

Auckland, January 25. Mr O’Rorke has addressed his constituents at Onehunga. He spoke of the abolition of the provinces. He had objected to the experiment being made at the, risk of this province. He also objected to Wellington being affirmed as the permanent seat of Government, and to relieving the land revenue from colonial charges. He maintained that in voting on the resolution the large provinces were outvoted by the small ones. The superintendents of Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, Auckland, Nelson, representing 287,000 people, voted as one man against it, while the Superintendents of Marlborough and Hawkes Bay, representing 10,000, were for it. All he contended for was that the question should be submitted to the people. He looked to the provinces whose Superintendants had voted for abolition, and asked why did not they come forward and say, abolish us. They did not do so. He asserted that he had disclosed beforehand his intention to the Government, and had discussed the subject for an hour with oue member of the Government who declared that if the proposal was pressed, he also would not consent to hold office, but he failed to keep his word. That gentleman, when the subject was again discussed, instead of holding honorably to the view expressed, actually supported the proposal and pressed it forward The Assembly had rejected the motion to submit the question to the people. He did not know what the representatives in New Zealand could do at the present moment. He did not think the Premier had behaved right towards him, by saying he had not received notice of his retirement. He had told Mr Vogel beforehand that he must retire, and Mr Vogel replied that it was very |chivalrous of him to stick to a sinking cause. The meeting returned a unanimous vote of thanks.