POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 855, 21 March 1877, Page 3

POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES

MB J. T. FISHER AT HBATHOOTB.

Mr J. T, Fisher, M.H.R for Heathcote, addressed h : s constituents last night, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Wooiston. There was only a moderate attendance.

Mr S. Manning, chairman of the Heathcote Road Board, took the chair. The Chairman said that they had met that evening to hear their representative, Mr Fisher, as to what had been done in the Assembly during the last session. He thought it was a good custom, and he would now ask Mr Fisher to address them. Mr Fisher said ho had convened that meeting incompliance with an old custom of members meeting their constituents. The session of the Assembly lasted over five weary months, and he might say that he was not altogether pleased with the result. He should first refer to the Piako swamp affair. This was a most important subject, and he considered it had been glossed over in a way which was not creditable to the Government,, They had disposed of a principality for a mere song, and he thought that if this was allowed to go on where would they get a land revenue for the North Island. To prove what he had said he would read them an extract from the report of the committee on the matter. The Government were bound to publish the sale in the Gazette, and that it should be by auction. The committee’s report said:—“ 1 am directed to report that with respect to the Piako swamp the regala lions have not yet been issued or published in the New Zealand Gazette , and that although an agreement to sell has been made by the Government, the land has not yet been actually sold or Crown granted to Mr Thomas Russell. That the land was practically withdrawn from sale by private contract by the regulations of 1871, which provide that all sales should be by auction after survey; and that the transaction was not in accordance with the provisions of the law in force at the time, which clearly required that the making and publication of regulations should precede sale. That the land was sold without sufficient enquiry as to its value or the possibility of its being drained, although the General Government Agent, and the Inspector of Surveys both record mended that such enquiry should be made.” That, was only an extract from the report, and though not wishing to accuse the Government of corruption, it was a matter which the Government should not enter into. [Hear, hear.] The time consumed in the discussion, therefore, he felt was not wasted, because, if this was allowed to go on—and it was shown that it existed elsewhere—no fund could be raised for the North Island. When he went to Wellington, it was felt that abolition was an established fact; but he found that the Government had given little or no attention to the matter. They had a Counfcyßill,butitwasvery unworkable, and he thought that it would be a mistake for the Government to sweep away the Road Boards, which were capable of doing good work. All they wanted was an intermediate body between them and the Government, hut now it seemed they were to be governed from Wellington alone. They would have great trouble to get anything done they wanted, and they saw that here all that had come out of the county system was a sheen dip, for which the money was found by the Provincial Government. He believed the lime hrd not come for the county system, as the people were too sparsely settled. What was wanted was a system which would give j general satisfaction, but the county sys era | had not done this. When he addressed tl e n in March last he told them that when any attempt was made to deprive the province of its land fund he would go in for financial separation; Two such attempts had been made, but he feared that ere long it would be done. They were the mainstay of the bankrupt provinces, and had to pay for Treasury Bills, &c, Therefore he thought they would be better with financial separation, and the North Island also. In his place in the House he had opposed this because he felt that the money paid by the settlers here for their land was to make roads and bridges to their laud, He had been told that he had obstructed the formation of one great nation, bqt this was absqrd, as he had keen at the birth of this province, and tie would do nothing which would interfere with the prosperity ot New Zealand, The fact was th-'.t the Civil Service was now growing so large that they would have three-fourths of the people employed in governing the other fourth These violent changes had been brought about by these people, and he believed that thoy had worked ill as regarded the colony. He did not believe in jumping from one system to the other, as they had done. He was much pleased to see a letter in the j Lyttelton Times the other day from Mr I Murray, the member for Bruce, as to finance. This gentleman, with Messrs Montgomery and Stevens, were the only ones who had attempted to draw the attention of the House to the matter, but it seemed to him that the House thought all must give way to abolition He felt sure of this that when the borrowed money was all gone and the balance sheets came to be put clearly before them they would be rather astonished. He had beeu accused of doing injustice to the , squatters, because he wanted to have the runs fairly assessed. Now be considered he was the squatters’ friend. They must remember that the last ten years’ rent had been fixed in a Council composed of squatters; what he now wanted to see was only a fair rent paid after 1880. The time would come when the people would say that they would not pay taxes whilst there was’ £IOO,OOO lying on the waste lands. Why should the people do this when, by getting a fair rent for their property, they might stop a part of it? _ Ho might say he was opposed to the appointment of Sir J. Vogel as Agent-General. It seeded to him that it was not the thing for the Premier to leave hia policy at the most critical point of its development. When Sir Julius went the Go eminent was without a head, and the only thing that gave them a majority was the question of abolition. Ho considered that the Government should have gone out when loir Julius left, and then the result j would have been that they would have had

a Government they could depend upon They appointed Mr Whitaker, who had declared it to be hia intention to try. and ge’ the land fund, and who said that he would carry out hia opinions when ho got tin chance. It seemed to him that th» Government must eat a large quantity of political dirt in this matter Then Mr Donald Iteid, an Oppositionist joined the Ministry, and it was a mystery to him how the Government ever could act

together, constituted as they were. Then there was another thing—the intention was to centralise everything in Wellington, and they would find that a large expenditure would be incurred there, of which none of the other parts of the colony would reap the benefit. Another thing was that he had been called a toady of Sir George Grey, but he denied it most emphatically. Ho had carried out the programme ho had placed before them in its entirety, and he felt that he had done his duty. He had opposed one of Sir George Grey’s pet measures, his Manhood Suffrage Bill. What he wanted to see was that every man who paid rates should have a voice in the Government of the country. He did not believe in the scheme at all. He had also opposed the vote for another branch line, because he felt that the trunk lines should be done first, [Hoar, hear.J The Government had been weak enough to spend nearly a million and a half on these useless branch linessirnply to gain support, What his idea as to the carrying out of the Public Works scheme was, that the main trunk lines .should be completed before the branch lines were taken in. hand, He did not know whether they wanted to hear all the even's of the session, bat he might say that it would take up a long time. He should, however, be happy to answer any qu- aliens, [Cheers ) In answer to a question from Mr Staples, Mr Fisher said that he should always support a scheme of education which should be free, compulsory, and secular. In regard to immigration he might say that the Government now only intended to deal with nominated immigration, and not to send any more assisted immigrants. In reply to Mr Hopkins, Mr Fisher said that in case the revision of the tariff was brought forward he should see that tea and sugar should be less heavily taxed than was now the case. He might say that he had forgotten one thing, viz, triennial Parliaments. He had strongly supported this, as he thought it would be a very good thing, both for the member and the constituents, for them to meet each other for re-election at a shorter period than fiye years. [Hear, hear,] In reply to another question, Mr Fisher said he was not aware of what the Government’s intentions were, as re-gard-d the police force. He should support the force being kept up to a high standard, and to do this to get men of integrity and intellect, to do which they should pay them well,

In reply to Mr Duncan, Mr Fisher suid he should be prepared to support a property tax, because the Public Works scheme had benefited property to a large extent. His opinion was that property was the correct bans upon which to go as regarded taxation Mr H. A. Bamford, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Fisher, paid a very high tribute to the manner in which Mr Fisher had fought the battle of the province in the Assembly, Ho begged to move, “ That this meeting thanks Mr Fisher for his action in the Assembly, and expresses its renewed confidence in him as their representative.” Mr Staples seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Mr Fisher said that bo thanked them very heartily for the resolution they had that evening passed in his favour. He had come before them an untried man, and had in the Assembly endeavoured to do his duly to the constituency. [Oheers ] A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings. THE DEAINAGB QUESTION. MEETING AT WOOLSTON. At the conclusion of the meeting to hear Mr J. T. Fisher, a meeting was held to consider the report of the committee appointed to watch the interests of the district in connection with the alleged nuisance at the estuary. Mr B. Davis moved that Mr Fisher take the chair. Mr Fisher did so, Mr E, Davis said that the meeting was held for th,e propose of hearing what had beer* done by the committee appointed co counteract the machinations of the Drainage Beard- He would ask Mr Bamford to state what had been done. Mr Bamford said that they all knew what had been done by the committee to prevent the sewage of Christchurch being put down on the Heathcote district. He might say that the Drainage Board went for a picnic to the sewer a few days back, but could smell nothing but seaweed. However, some of them were rather indisposed the next day. He would read them a few extracts from letters received from residents near the estuary. Mr Bamford here read a number of extracts from residents, who spoke very strongly of the nuisance caused by the outfall drain on the estuary. One stated that on summer nights he was unable to sleep on account of the smell from the outfall drain. He also read extracts from letters in reference to the Perry road drain discharging into the Heathcote as likely to affect the ; health of the inhabitants, and depreciate the ! value of property in the neighborhood. The letters also stated that the drain being on a | level with the river, it would bo practically of no use. He thought after this the meeting would be of opinion that the Board was hardly doing what they could to abate the nuisance.

Mr March suggested that they had better send o, copy of the letters read to the Drainage Board.

Mr Staples moved—“ That the chairman send copies of the letters received to the Drainage Board.’’ Mr Davis said he saw that the Board were going to have the water of the estuary analysed. This was of no use. i£t was not the water which smelt ; it was the stuff brought down by the drain being left on the flats exposed to the sun, which created the nuisance. He would suggest to Mr Duncan, the member of the Board present, that the Drainage Board should have some of the mud near the outfall drain analysed. He ' begged to second the motion. The motion was then put and carried. This concluded the business of the meetiing, and after a vote of thanks to the chair- ! mau those present dispersed.