MR. R. CLARKE, M.P.C., AT ARROWTOWN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 281, 25 July 1874, Page 3

MR. R. CLARKE, M.P.C., AT ARROWTOWN.

Eeferring-,to the Turnbull-Bastings Government, Air.-Clarke is reported to have said:— ' " ".

That Executive hadobtained the confidence of a large majority of the Council, and an unusually large share of wellmerited popularity outside. And this state of things-' was not because the members of that body were personally "influential in the..Province, but because they had - shown an unmistakable adaptability for administration of public affairs, and more especially in the departments of works and lands.. Was it then unreasonable to expect that these gentlemen would have come down to the Council with the Financial Statement and Estimates', and Have placed these documents—necessarily fundamental and introductory—in the hands of Councillors, so as to enable them, at'least' in.the first week of the session, to know- the state of the finances of the Province, and that they should proceed with the business of the country and fairly show the effects of a policy which- wasonly just inaugurated, but enough of which had been seen to create dismay where confidence might have been, fairly expected, and to exchange credit.and congratulation for doubt and jealousy—resulting in the disorganisation of an Executive of which the Province might well be proud. The consequence of this was that instead of.the Council being met by a Provincial Secretary stating that he and his colleagues intended to endeavor to turn the partial success > which had attended the efforts of the Government during recess into the victory whieh it promised as the result of the coming session, they were met by a Secretary who stated that he couldn't afford the time necessary to conduct the business of his office, and could not have done so during the recess if it had not been for the superior business power of his colleague the Secretary for Works, with whom he had had a little "difference of opinion." Although that might be got over, said the Provincial Secretary, the fact that the Works' office was too heavily taxed made it advisable the Executive should tender their resignation, which they accordingly did. Now, gentlemen, the effect of this conduct was just like that which would occur if a ship was going full sail before a fair. breeze, and the wind suddenly shifted and met her in the teeth. The captain in his watch below does not heed, but an able chief officer and ar willing crew fly to the helm and sheets and the good ship labors away on her course. But the captain, instead of appreciating their conduct, declares that although they are good seamen they have, mistaken the position they are .'■in,:and declaring their lives in jeopardy,

orders down his boats and deserts the ship. Such was the fate of the Turnbull Government, and such the cause. But while to me this appeared a calamity, it soon became evident that it w as hailed by a different name by many others, for as in the case of a ship over-ins:red, the loss was hailed by delight, and it was arranged that the blame should be'laid on the shoulders of the chief officer, at whose instigation the over-insurance was effected. In order to explain this, "I may remind you that it was Mr. Bastings who arranged the sale of the pastoral leases in this and the Tuapeka districts, and it was' he who, when speaking at Naseby, 'prior to the Council meeting, expressed his' desire that all pastoral leases should be treated in the same way, as the terms under which they are held expired. This insured a large provincial revenue from a' source' which has hitherto been' highly favored by the enjoyment of large estates and small taxes, and .in-my- opinion the statement made at Xaseby sealed the- fate of the speaker. - But- not long were the benches to beg for occupants, and what portion of the Province is .half so prolific, of occupants of .-the Government benches as.the .Taieri-Plains ? That is the country to grow'legislators—men who can take .a multiplicity of offices on their shoulders:, at once, and tell enquiring members from the interior, " Oh, the Goldhelds will not suffer for want of a representative so . long as I am here"—so long as the power is concentrated in the hands of the man who says that " the Goldfields have got more than a share of consideration, at the expense of other interests.'" Well then, to this Taieri district we became 'indebted for a leader in the person of that-old public servant, Mr. Donald Reid, than whom ' there is not on many questions a mure able man in the Council, and of whom I think it is true "that " his bark is worse than his bite"—at least I hope so, for the bark is decidedly of a warning character. Now in my opinion it is not material whether the office of Goldfields is attached to that of Works or not, except for economical reasons , in fact, any gentleman holding the office of Goldfields Secretary will, if he does*his duty well, find plenty to occupy him.without attending to an office like that of Works, .which is quite enough for any. one person, if that person is expected to understand to any extent the details of his office. But I think it is a question of paramount importance whether the whole responsibility of the provincial "establishment shall be carried on the shoulders of-one man. Only think for one moment of the position. On the one hand the Superintendent and the late Provincial Treasurer record their opinion that"the "work of- the' one office (that of Works)- was too much for one man. and immediately after comes a man and volunteers to take that office in conjunction with the Provincial Secretaryship and the Secretaryship of Lands, for a month the Goldfields Secretaryship also—and this in the face'of the fact that he has the important post to fill for about one-third of the year of a member'of ihe House ofRepresentatives, during which time he must be away from the Province. Now, I ask, is it to be expected that s-ich a man can possibly do justice to these offices. In my opinion it is presumption in any man to attempt it, and cannot be reasonably expected to result in anything- short of disaster to the Province as a whole ; and I, as the representative of the varied interests of the district, thought it my duty to state at once my determination not to support any Government in which the offices were so arranged, nor any Government which ignored the requirements of the Goldfields.

Mr James Miller proposed a vote" of thanks to Mr. Clarke for his address' and of entire confidence in him as a representative of the district"" in the Provincial Council. The motion was seconded by Mr: John- A. Miller, and unanimously, carried. •, .