POLITICAL NEWS.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 669, 11 August 1876, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

(From a correspondent of the Press. ) Mr Stafford’s declaration that he would in future advocate and support the land fund being made common, appeared to surprise the Otago members, though it did not in the slightest the Canterbury members, who say they have known it was his intention to do so, but it is considered his declaration came at an inexpedient time, more especially as not only was he silent upon Mr Whitaker’s resolution, but went into the lobbies against them. He set Sir George Grey right upon one constitutional point. The latter had asserted in his speech that the alteration in the constitution of the Legislative Council S-as secretly effected by the Ministry of the ay, but Mr Stafford explained that the Governor at that time having in some cases forgotten to send to the Queen the names of gemltm’en called to the Council for approval, the question had been raised in the Council itself as to the status of these gentlemen, the consequence being Imperial action, which resulted in the Governor in future'having power ts summon Councillors without reference to the Queen. Mr Stout’s aim appeared to be to Hansardise members of the Government, and to get the Commissioner of Customs to saj why he opposed, separation, in which he has been successful, as Mr McLean intends proving by his election speeches that he never left his constituents in doubt as to his intention to oppose separation in any shape or form. Mr Stafford finished a powerful speech with the declaration that even if it cost him his seat, for the future his efforts would be in the direction of making land fund colonial property, Mr Stout charged the Government with having broken every pledge to the country, and Messrs Bowen, Richardson, and McLean being false to their constituents. Ministers had offered Dunedin a bribe of £IO,OOO, which she refused to accept. He fell foul of Mr Stafford by declaring provinces never obstructed colonial progress, when Mr Stafford instanced telegraphs, to which Mr Stout answered why the province of Otago had a telegraph long before the colony thought of starting them. Mr Stafford —The member for Dunedin is talking about what he knows nothing of. In 18601 brought down a loan for the erection of telegraphs throughout the colony—long before any province erected them—and three provinces combined and threw out the loan. Mr Stout —Did the Provincial Council ever throw it out or oppose it? Mr Stafford replied that the party then opposing was as much provincial as it was possible to be. After contrasting the action of the Otago men with those of Canterbury, he went on to say that men who had broken solemn pledges on the hustings could not be said to represent the people. Even in Canterbury if members went back to their constituents to-morrow,

not one would be returned if he declared that the land fund should be common property ; not even the member for Timaru, with his Bill of rights. He charged the three Ministers he named with misrepresenting their constituents, and if they were honorable men they would go back to their constituents and say the colony is in such a mess that the land fund must be taken ; but this being such a radical alteration of their election pledges they resigned their trust and stood for re-election, [Loud Opposition cheers,] Otago sent up twenty-one pledged votes for separation, while Auckland sent every man opposed to the Government proposals. Was it statesmanlike to ignore the feelings of half the colony ; they should rather meet their prejudices, if they liked to call them such. He did not think the South would resort to force of arms, but was it wise that such an important district as Otago should be in such a state of discontent, as to be almost driven to arms- They came of a race that would not submit to it, and if they did not resort to arms would fight for what they believed to be right. They would not be ruled from Wellington. While professing not to make any threat, he warned Wellington that their want of foresight on this occasion might lead to Otago taking revenge in a way Wellington little expected,and reminded them that a similar want of foresight on the part of Auckland had caused the removal of the seat of Government from there. The discontent in Otago at present was such as was never before known since its foundation, and did Wellington think that the people of Otago forget in a year what had passed, These sentiments were loudly cheered by the Otago members of Opposition, and the cheers were redoubled when he asserted that not a single member was returned from Otago pledged to vote for abolition, while some were only returned because they were pledged to vote for the provinces in another name. The Commissioner of Customs had not a ghost of a chance unless be had pledged himself to a Board of Works for Otago Where were the late members for Dunedin, Roslyn, Invercargill, Waitaki, Dunstan, Riverton ? All gone because they 'misresented their constituents. Were there due representation of Otago, according to its population, the present Ministry would cot be in office a day, and the Abolition Bill not been in force a day. Mr Rolleston’s speech was very brief. He could not support the resolutions because it really meant insular separation. He declares for modified provincialism, with non-political Superintendents. Mr Joyce declared for provincialism of the bluest type. If he could get the provinces as they were, he would vote for making the land fund common property. He was the only man who had the temerity to defend Mr Rees’s reference to the Premier’s hospitality, and, amid unmistakable dissents, he said he would have felt honoured to be pillored along with the member for Auckland East in speaking his mind on the subject. The lesser guns will occupy the best part of to-day. Mr Ballance’s speech this afternoon was, next to Mr Stafford’s, the best from the Ministerial side. Messrs Moorhouso and Macandrew will speak to-night, and Mr Reid is reserved to answer the Commissioner of Customs. There is a general disposition to talk, which the whips are trying to check, in order that the division may take place as already arranged. The Government have given themselves a certain majority of 14, and a possible one of 16. The Wanganui Harbor Board Bill provides for a Board constituted of the Mayor of Borough, Chairman of the County Council, and Collector of Customs, ex officio ; and as elective members, three persons qualified to be councillors of the borough, and two persons qualified to be councillors of the county. The Government have agreed to strike out the smoke clauses from the Municipal Corporations Act.