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Manawatu Herald, 22 July 1881, Page 2

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tMESSRS ORMOND AND JOHNSTON'S SPEECHES. Subjoined we give the N. Z. Times' report of the speeches delivered by Mr Orinond and the Hon. Walter Johnston en Tuesday evening, on the motion for the second reading of the Crown and Native Lands Rating Bill t — Mr. Qrmond, on .rising, said they had ■> been invited by the Government to debate as to the whole of their proposals. He did not intend to go over all the financial proposals, but would confine his remarks more particularly to local government. The first - _m_ms„on^hey _eard~of this question 'of local government was a small, notice in the end of a paragraph in the Governor's Speech, and that was all the Government ,' thought at that time was necessary to say ' of it ; but subsequently speeches had been made showing that the question of local government reform should be discussed. The public works question, and principally in connection: therewith, the railway question, was largely mixed up with that of local government. He had carefully considered the proposals made by the Government, and was unable to find out anything \ satisfactory from them. He believed the : proper way to bring the question to a satisfactory issue was to move an amendment, which he intended doing in the following words :— " That the proposals of the Government, in respect to local government I and local finance, are unsatisfactory." (Cheers). He would like hon. members to understand that, in bringing forward the amendment, he did so as a private member of the House; but at the same time, anumber of members had consented to the course he was now adopting. He would also point out that under ordinary circumstances it wat not convenient for private members to bring up such an amendment, but he Had brought ifc forward in justice to himself and the country. The House i, r had met now for a long tine and not 'one important question had come under ■ consideration. He considered the Goi vernmenfc greatly to blame in not i having brought down' the Redistribution •, of Seats Bill. There were, however, some measures brought down which might have been attended to-— questions of much more interest to the public than those which had been discussed. He could not help feeling but what the gentlemen who occupied tht : Government benches were a little timorous. „- , In referring to local government, he could i only repeat .what be had already stated, ' but he. would take this opportunity of saying that he had omitted to mention one part of the scheme. When speaking before on the question he had sketched out what i he considered the most suitable form of local government but had omitted the question of road boards. He wonld say that he considered the present system of two bodies, both having local governing powers of the same kind, was entirely a wrong system for the country, to adopt and that the sooner such a system was" changed the better it would be for the colony. There was flo doubt that road boards were very useful bodies, but he would like to see such a system of finance, at would _isend to the development of the shires system,- -and he believed there: were many m_n_ers of the House who were of the siiirie opinion, • with but very little difference. He went on to criticise the speech, of .the Colonial Treasurer. As to the amount of redress a -.» poor man, say John Brown, would ©btauK * from that House, that was very small compared to a man like Brogden^ who understood the correct way to lay his case before the committees. This was a matter that re quired material alteration. In regard to the question of lands, Mr Ormond referred particularly to the fee simple, and instanced the district of Napier, in which place the extreme rate was £1 per acre, and the land in the n^jorifcy. of» cases was fully worth 420. ..This, however, was an extreme case. Another case 'was that of the land known as the Seventy-Mile Bush. In all the Bills brought down he saw a centralising tendency, and would require to be very largely amended. In referring to the Road Construction Bill he considered "1 the terms under which ; the Government propose raising the sum _f £300,000 was extremely favourable, but he believed no sooner would the Government open their shutters, than the greater part of it would be gone. He would like to know what the Treasurer's scheme would be then. He would also like an explanation as to when • the finality would be. The Colonial Treasurer, in his speech gives no option*. The moneyis to be given on application, and provides it shall be given >»»- rata, so long as the money is there to be divided. He would ask hon. ; gentlemen who represent country constituents how- they would like it, because they were interested.} but he would again remind them that they must be represented ib% inun^radities. The finances locally, he coni{de_Ba : „'wtere of the most meagre charactei', having nothing ; definite in them. If they had the money, it would be all very welL It is proposed to provide £150,000 from the sale of lands, and he understood the proposals of the Government wereito opennn. roads* nd tracks for the purpose of traffic. ' He* 'hoped the l - Hon. Colonial Treasurer did not mean to stop the progress of the deferred payment settlements, Bfi did not, know whether he had satisfied fiok • memWer-, .o£t he .^ could say he had satisfied his own conscience! It appeared to him that the proposals of the Government.in respect to local reform were not in i__Uty ,: ld-_t^ef<*fe prttposab--at all, as each of them had a centralising tendency. i'lnTeg»rd_tft.finfljf^ it wm npt at all definite, and therefore not satisfactory, vernment and local finance are unsatisfactory." " -'■'■' i ''*x *''o_„ cdi to cjliiH ■ Mr Johnston . ijaid Mr Ormond Bad shadowed 1 n-thifag- whatever :tojstaJse *h& place of the Government proposals. The House must: remember tb^t djujng the"^ weeks the House had been in session, the Government had had only twelve days, hence the reproach that'tß-'Ob^elrnnaent-had done little was pointless. There was no part of the colony where people looked back with regret upon abqjitiop. (Ob, oh, and hear, hear); Whal/be thought tad killed Provincialism was want of funds to keep it going. . (Laughter). Sir G. Grey's Bill was merely te revise the jyorftt^eatures of provincialism. Bj his proposals, outlying districts wpiddjtyyp rnol^g what ever to spend on them, (Hear, »e_rf. Everywhere in this pro^itoce,' - the formof government which had supplanted proraa^ cialism bad been received with pleasure. Were .he .to. propose to merge counties in Manawatu, %,.: would n^ot .be re-elected there. When such extraoMliiary remedies were, proposed for the shortcomings of local government he dould. not _elp}*_iftfw_ there could be no disease. (Hear, hear), He qU<)t6d tbe experiehbeof jthej%Mng Corporation as to the success of making roads previous to settlement, and contended that the Government proposals were on similar principles. . Mr Ormond seemed in a fog as to whether or not Crown and native lands should be rated. ,The principle of tb__)BniV Was rioStffieV one. It had been worked- ifd^yWars in England with the greatest success, especially as to advancing money to Sohool Boards. As to the f nnd breaking down, owing to applications exceeding fh« wuowrt ftt fUipQiw,

■ 401 chat had happened in England j when, it was met by providing that no local body Bhould have more than a certain amount. That could be done here. What had Mr Ormond told them to show the Government proposals were unsatisfactory ? Unsatisfactory to whom ? He was convinced they were not unsatisfactory to County Councils. In proof of this he quoted the opinions of the recent conference of local bodies. Formerly land in the Manawatu could not be sold except On the guarantee that roads would be made. The result was that there were nothing but paper roads and paper bridges. And if the General Government had not interfered to make them realities, ■ people would have left the district, as they had actually made preparations to. Did Mr Ormond wish to see that state of affairs restored? Suppose the Government proposals were rejected what had those who opposed them to go to the country upon ? A very few months would show how the country . regarded the Government proposals. The Government scheme would advance the colonisation of the country much more rapidly than any other scheme, at any rate which he had heard proposed to the House. He upheld the present system of administration, and quoted figures to show how log-rolling had been practised, and how it haa been stopped by the present administration. Wnder the heading "Miscellaneous," the following sums had been spent irresponsibly :— 1877, £247,000 ; 1878, £344,000 ; 1879, £395,000 ; 1880, £137,000. THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD. ♦—— « — * The full benefits of the educational system have not yet permeated the mass of the people, as will be seen by the following verbatim et literatim copy of a letter produced at the Court on Wednesday : — WeUingtown July 14 18S1 To the Clark of the ' It M Cort Foxton : Sit I have been summonsed for Rats Dew to the Local Bord on Land Formaly My property of which I had to surender fore the Banifet of My Creditors Eightteen Months sinee 1 1 Filed My Shedul Abought Eighteen Months since I Remain Yours i :. Trewly