THE REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS BILL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1542, 6 September 1881, Page 2

THE REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS BILL.

PUBLIC MEETING AT THE TOWN HALL. In compliance with a requisition to his Worship the Mayor (J. O’Hagan, Esq.), a public meeting was held in the Town Hall last night, for the purpose of ascertaining and expressing the opinions of the electors of this locality on the Redistribution of Seats Bill now before Parliament. At the hour appointed there was not a soul in the hall, but in the course of half an-lmur afterwards the place was pretty nearly full. His Worship the Mayor was called upon to take the chair. The. Mayor then came forward, and Said this meeting was called by him as Mayor in answer- to a requisition signed by several electors. The subject was one of vital im porta nee to the West Coast. According to rhe Representation Bill now before the House of Representatives the West Coast was to be deprived of one. of its members. He trusted it wou'd be shown that we were as one in protesting against this dismemberment of our district; we must stand shoulder to shoulder, and make a determined fight to resist this bill being passed. The question required very grave and great consideration. The Ministrv was very strong at the present time. The district of Totara was to he deprived of its fair representation ; at present it was represented by Mr Gisborne—one of the best representatives that everstood for a constituency. No doubt the gentlemen who sent in the requisition to him would be aide to show more plausibly than he had done the injury that must ensue to tin’s district hv depriving us of one of our members.

The West Coast of the Middle Island had been greatly neglected and shamefully treated. It behoved every man on the West Coast to raise his voice, and if the turn of the tide did go against us, by giving expression to our sentiments at this meeting it cannot then be said that we did not raise our voices against dismemberment. By this bill the whole of New Zealand would be at the mercy of Otago and Canterbury. With these few remarks he would leave the matter in the hands of the requisitionists. Let us, however, be unanimous • let us act unitedly. If disunited, our strength is gone.—[Applause.] Mr Barff (whose name appeared first in the requisition), said he felt himself at a great disadvantage in having asked for this meeting to be called, as since the requisition had been signed the “ stonewalling” of the Representation Bill had, he feared, ceased, and he had to alter the resolutions he first prepared. Having a large parliamentary experience, he could say that never was there such great occasion for “ stonewalling ” a Bill as the one thev were met to consider that evening. If he had been in the House, he would have continued the fight for another month—[Hear, hear, and cheers]. It was an attempt on the part of Otago and Canterbury to rule the people: it was a most monstrous attempt. He did not object to fair representation. Who were the men that made Otago and Canterbury 1 Who were the men that were cultivating the plains of Canterbury, and made it what it now is i TI& diggers are the men who made those provinces what they now are—[Hear, hear, and cheers] —and yet the legislators from these places are now endeavoring to disfranchise the rest of the colony. Once let them get that power, and you will never get it back again ; they will override the liberties of the rest of the colony. He would like to have been up at the Assembly as an old stager to coach some of the young members. He considered the “ stonewallers” had been tripped-up. The Bill having passed its second reading, our only hope now is co appeal to' the Legislative Council to throw the Bill out. There were 40 members in the Legislative Council, and of these he found only 16 represented Otago and Canterbury, It was an often question whether they would throw the bill out or not. Parties in the House of Representatives who were voting against the Government were now dwindling down; the “stonewaller.s ,, had no more chance. The bill had gone so far that there was no hope. He begged to move—

That this meeting strongly condemns the principles of the Representation- Bill now passing through its final stages in the House of Representatives, and protests against the disfranchisement of Westland. [Applause]. The motion was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. Mr Barfp would now move—

That copies of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the members representing the West Coast, and also to the Speaker and members of the Legislative CounciL He said there was an outside chance that the Legislative Council may throw the Bill out. Let us show that we protest against this enormity. The Chairman said he would like to see some one come forward to speak to and second this resolution.—[A voice: “ Go on, Mr Dungan !”] Mr Dungan then stepped forward amidst considerable applause. He said he had nothing to do with the requisition, and he had come to take his place in a corner of the room. But in the few remarks he would make, he would loudly condemn the course which had been taken in framing this Representation Bill. It was a great wrong to the people of this district, and was justly condemned. It was a most insidious attempt to rob us of our just rights—[Applause], The bill has been produced by a rank Conservative Ministry; the Ministry mean to snuff us out. Now, gentlemen, as one who reads the politics of the da}’, be would not analyse the bill; he would simply say that it means to make the rich part of New Zealand richer and the poorer part of New Zealand pooi’er. Was there any occasion for the bill ? He thought not; a readjustment of the boundaries may have been fairer. It was one we ought to put our heels upon whenever we got a chance.—[Cheers.]—-[The speaker then quoted the number of members to population in the colonies of "Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, showing that New Zealand was already more proportionately represented than were the sister colonies.] It was the miners (he continued) who bad made New Zealand valuable as regards wealth. He quoted the Customs duties of Auckland, Wellington, Otago,, and Canterbury’ showing that Westland was third on the list in the total returns. No

amtttT how the West Coast tnay bs decried, the West Coast of New Zealand was, as Sir-Julios Vogel said, thC Cornwall of the. colony. —[Applause.] While there was a chance of the bill being rejected in the Upper House, it was, he considered a Wise act to petition the Legislative Council.—[Hear, heii v , and cheers.] "" The Chairman again caressed & wish that anyone who had a . word to say would come forward. TPTYoTce 1 “Go on, Mr George Stewart I”—Applause.] tie (the Chairman) said he endorsed the opinions expressed by the mover and seconder j it was the beat thing that we could do, to appeal to thd Legislative Councils

The motion was then piit and Carried unanimously. Mr DbNdAN moved & vote of thnulca to the Chairman, which was carried acclamation.

The Chairman s-iid he had overlooked a telegram he had received from Ml? Richardson Rae, who intended to have : been present. The telegram apologised for his absence. The meeting then terminated.