THE ABOLITION BILL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 358, 5 August 1875, Page 3

THE ABOLITION BILL.

A preliminary meeting of gentlemen proposing to take part in the abolition meeting on this evening was held at Mr 0. Clark's auction rooms last night. There was but a limited attendance, and his Worship the Mayor occupied the chair. The chairman said that the meeting had, he understood, been called by Mr Williams, and he would therefore ask that gentleman to give the meeting an idea of the business before it. Mr Wynn Williams said that he thought it necessary to hold a meeting before the one of the next evening, in order to arrange for a programme to be carried out at that meeting. He might say at once that he had prepared a resolution which he was prepared to move in favor of the measures brought forward by the Government for the abolition of the provinces. [Applause.] Before these measures were brought down by the Government they had been told that the land fund of the province would be taken away, but this was not the case. He must say that the general provisions of these Bills of the Government were of such a satisfactory nature that he had entirely changed his views, and was now in favor of the scheme laid down in the Bills of the Government. [Cheers.J He was informed that the general city rates amounted to about £7OOO, and under the provisions of the Government Bills now before the Assembly the city would receive £1 from the general revenue for each £1 raised by local taxation, as was also the case with regard to road districts. By this means Christchurch receives £14,000 in addition to the fees and taxes coming to it, as proposed by the General Government. Therefore, he considered that the Government Bill was so satisfactory that it would be exceedingly unadvisable that any delay should be placed in the way of the Bill passing during the present session of the General Assembly. | Applause.] He should be prepared to move the following resolution on the next evening:—" That this meeting conlially approves of the proposals contained in the Government Bills for the abolition of the provinces, and for the constitution of districts throughout the colony having the control of local revenues, and believes that if carried into effect they will be conducive of great and lastiug benefit to the country." Mr T. D. Jones moved—" That this meeting requests Mr Wynn Williams to move the foregoing resolution at the public meeting on Thursday evening." Mr H. Thomson seconded the motion. Mr H. B. Alport, while agreeing with the Bills generally, thought it was not advisable to allow the Bills to pass without having a clause inserted to the effect that no alteration should be made in the price of the waste lan's until all the land was sold. There might be an alteration of the price to 10s per acre ; the more so that while in the Provincial Council of Canterbury there were 39 Canterbury men, as against 16 in the General Assembly. Mr Williams pointed out that there was nothing to prevent the General Assembly doing that under the present system. He would also point out that there was a great deal of land in the province which would never be sold at £2 per acre, so an alteration must come some time. After some further discussion, Mr Jones's motion was carried, A vote of thanks to the Mayor closed, the proceedings.