PUBLIC MEETING.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 337, 20 August 1875, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was; held at the TpW Hall, Naseby; Monday- evening; about eighty being present. ;

_ iwas ing the meeting, K ■you'must be all aware'-thai;jt ( is*prpp6sed' to do away _witli r 'Governmeiits;; and to be a inore purtely'rqeal 'form'oF Goveriiment. The members' of .the Assembly are most anxious , as .to the suitability of .whatjis proposed, butare doubtful whether more time; should not fee given, to the electors. to consider the matter. I should be failing in my duty if I did not give you a public* opportunity to discuss the matter. If you arrive at any definite conclusion to<night I shallvbe most happy to forward, such to the Super-: iiifcen&erit /Of-''trite Province, ; or take : such other steps as you may ..direct. " I need hardly 1 say'" that every' c&otr T e' of population is considering.the question. : Mr; had undertaken; the-.first.reso-. Itition," which' lie'would 'to the me.eting, .he.had 4pne ; so;wit%mingled' feelings, of, pleasure -diffidence pleasure, because so large a .portion of his life having been;passed in Nsw'Zealand, and it being the birth place of his' children, he must naturally take a very great interest; in all measures likely to affect her future whether for weal or . woe;; of diffidence, becaiise he had not, h,ad' a suffi-. cient opportunity of considering'tliie measures to whlcfr he was about.' to T.efer to enable him to do al satisfactorily with _tlieir 4 ' I details. He did 'not appear ,before ;them j ;to oppose the Abolition _of Provinces, or. the introduction of a new system of ( local goyerningnt, jbut,Jie jlidj think. that, before abolisliing. tiie ■ and destroying 5 the system under which the Colony had : been so; dong gov.erne.dii ' we -should ; be r firmly assured that it was ; about to be replaced by;something better;4ess l cyimbrous, : and moro economical. ' He 'thought tliat since its establishnient, now some twenty years since, Provincialism had 'done its duty, and had deserved well 6'f the people of the country. .When firs,t introduced.it ; was the only'for^'^f,.Gpyerrumeiiii''which.• was adapted,' or in" any'way,, capable; of supplying the requirementsMfthe Colony. At that time the inter;CO,mn\Tmcatipn between the Provinces was of the most irregular and uncertain character, and for that reason local legislation-was a matter of necessity. It does not however follow that because at that time useful and necessary, the Provincial form of Government in these modern days of railway, steam, and telegraphic communication

should be continued if a better and less expensive system of Government could be substituted in its place. In the present Local Government Bill be. (Mr. Hertslet) tailed to find either one or other of those qualities in it which could? justify its adoption as a substitute for that Provincialism which it was intended to supersede. [Mr. Hertslet here [read tie 'clauses relating to the machinery to supplant the Superintendent and Provincial -Council; as also the clauses having reference_ ,qualifi.cation.,-of - electors for Road Boards or Counties.] He contended in the first place that the would be the substitution of nomineeism in its worst form, and that the which would be created under the Bill would-be, and were, being used as a tempting bait to those members —who well knew that their places in the House after the termination, of the present session would know them no more—to support the Go- • yernmgQt with a view to permanent provision for themselves in of their distress. He looked upon the progressive qualification of electors as tantamount to placing the virtual control of the various districts of the Province in the hands of the wealthy, to the exclusion of their less fortunate fellow-settlers. If the Bill the great boon the Government wished the people to believe it to be, surely tnere could be no occasion for" tL.e nn. seemly and indecent haste with, which they, seemed determined to pass it through the present session. They would in such case boldly, commit it to the country, and then, after having obtained an intelligent public opinion (which the next elections would give), introduce it to the new Parliament for consideration and adoption. This was the more proper course, as the Government had admitted that the present House did not fairly represent the people, and had intimated their intention of submitting a new Representation Bill this session, which would extend the suffrage to that of manhood—subject to' the provision of one year's residence, and registration. Let them pass this Bill, and then; let them appeal to the constituencies, who would have had time to consider the proposed changes, and give a verdict, either , a S a^ the cq. Mr. Hertslet then alluded to.the Upper House, and the absolute necessity, in the cause, of justice and progress, that it should undergo a thorough reform. Referring to the House of Lords at Home, and the Upper House here, the speaker drew a comparison anything but favorable to the latter, assertion that the would be aristocrat of this nnnn" try were pimply an aristocracy of sheep, while the aristocracy at Home possessed Jngh. birth, wealth, position, and intellect combined. After passing a high eulogium upon Sir George Grey for the disinterested efforts and personal sacrifices ie had made ja the interests of the Colony, Mr. Hertslet called attention: io the fact that _from the first the resolutions - upon, which the Bills were founded were submitted and passed hy Sir Julius Yogel in a tiff at being defeated upon bis pet Forest Bill. In conclusion, he argued that there' was nothing to justify hasty legislation in so important & matter as an entire reconstruction of the Constitution, but everything in favor of measures being temporarily postponed, until the country had been appealed to, and its voice had. been heard vin .reply. Mr. Hertslet then read the following resolution:—"That, in the opinionof this meeting, the forcing of the proposed Abolition and Local Government-Bills," ;at present before the Assembly, would be at the same time unnecessary and ill considered. That, in the opinion of this meeting, the franchise should- be extended, the electoral districts re-adjusted, and the constituencies consulted, before any measure involving, iiii entire re-modelling of the Constitution of the Colony, should l>e allowed to become law."' (Applause.) Mr. Shannon (Chairman of the Maseby Mining Association) seconded the motion which was carried unanimously. ! , Mr,- jxe LAUTotrii, being asked' to explain the measures, entered at some length into the imperfect details of the bills and the injuries that" small districts would lie under. H e noted the Treasurer's State ment, " that any inequality in, the .land Revenue: of" special districts • would ibe equalized by special vote," which really meant bribery to .those districts that behaved, and punishment to those, who . did : from this that what' would apply: to the: lesser would apply to thto greater, : and that it would b.e.lno greater breach of faith to equalize the. land fund North* arid South by 'special'vote. He also entered at .some length 'into the future position siy- which;our Land Board would be controlled by unchecked nominees, who would despise public opinion, .and in whom the people could have no more confidence than in—in (A Voice"-; J". T. Thomson) —well, he was at- ai loss for a simile. He also, in answer to Mir. M. Beookbs, showed the sources of revenue to local districts, and the doubt Whether main roads were, not to be a special charge on districts, and nofc be borne by consolidated revenue: Mr. Shannon then proposed—" That Mr. Meryyxi; be to !urge upon the G-overnment the necessity of reducing or rebating the Gold Duty. . This was seconded Bv'-Mr. Mabxin, and carried. * Mr. B. Gobdon -,next :ftd^r.essed. ; ,the meeting,; .satirising /maimer inwliich the .Northern land fund was dealt with, ii lot. of 'land* ho said,.fwas purchased from the natives, and then , sold by : the General Government in such, best way :as it could turn in a profit. He thought the Southern land Amd was wliat was wanted. 5 Shortly] after this the meeting broke ( up, with a vote thanks to Mr. Busch fofc 'presiding;- :- ■ •• / i '- >

The Highland Uniform.—lt is perhaps a-pity that the Ash an tees had lid opportunity of forming an opinion as.tb.tfiflr. 'usual dress of the " Black Watch." -Fn a more friendly expedition, whicK* has justproceeded to Kashgar, one of the ■Turkestan towns, a piper of 92d Highlan- . .ders has played, a prominent part ; both,in- ■ ;str,uinentally .and in eliciting an amusing' remark from the Dadkhwar of the town of; Yarkund. At the visit paid by the. Em - bassy to this,great functionary, , the. noble -' Scot appeared in his full uniform.Aifter departure, the Dadkhwar is reported- to : have said " that he felt very much for this gentleman who had forgotten to put .onhii trousers,, but he hoped nothing in his behaviour had caUed attention, to. the omission.—'Echo'. , • ; A. Model Husband from the' Land/ of' Fiction.- " He admired his wife so much that he used, to light .the candle three timea : every night to look at her; • and he became a very celebrated bankrupt two or three times."