PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 196, 19 August 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

gfP|||^f7~~; J WKU.ISOXOW, AogUfit 18. resamed tbe debate. He |j|ffiffijnba Jtbat the knpecuniosity ot the ggggjßra Provinces was solely due to tbe way tbePrimier dealt with the capitation g|^P^ie.7 But^Jhe had not yet tvJd tie MgsSg Whether he had the Governor's sanction ffip^ra^utton. (Hear.) Tbe provinces tp support the Government for \\\\\^^^Wy;aig,b^ withhold the necessary aa&istHHp|||A^tOT plan than their abolition \^^^m^So'l6 grant to the provinces an addigE^^^lire of the Customs revenue. The of Ibe Premier were scarcely were printed- on Was |^^p^7money spent in the North Island Ew^wMfemoney. A» far as Otauo was amtOUii^LUo^rtoi oU the work of colunisaB^^@s^n]itsjejitiinate resources, iodepenaGovernment It £the BB»illpWffi bf7 Wellington was a thorn, in H^^^T|tj^ GeoeraPGovernment, tbat was Attest |B^^^^SceJ^"^;yfttt-worlrs : the colonfe *>

should be avoided for tbe present. The caso was. certainly not so urgent as to justify an application for a dissolution Better postpone the matter till next session, and give the constituents an opportunity to consider the whole question calmly. It was not proper that the Government should initiate a question involving their o»n downfall. Tbe Government wera endangering their own policy, and at the fame time drawing a herring across the scent, and diverting attention from tbe real issue. Although not in the same boat with the Premier, he was sorry for him, j as the whole work devolved upon his shoulders, i He receive 1 no assistance from his colleagues. ' Really there should be a reconstruction of the ' Ministry. MrG. B.Parker rose to a point of order. Was it right .that an hon member thould read his speech? (Uear.) Ibe Speaker: Tbe bon. member was merely looking at his notes. Mr Thompson thought it was better to take a li'.tle note aod express an opinion, than to always remain silent io the House. Why had not the House been informed of the intention oftbe Government, either in the Governor's speech, or in the financial statemen' ? Here they were discussing a question which was so/e/ydue.to tbe Premiet's temper at the stormy eloquence of the member for the Hutt. He supported the previous question. A long pause ensued, when J L. Gillies commented upon the unusual tardiness of the Government supporters in following the members of the opposition. Tliey seemed etill to rely solely upon their strong majority. That was a confession of weakness. Notwithstanding tbe Premier's expression that he approached the question aa involving a grave responsibility, it appeared to have been r,itchforked before the House on the spur of the moment, and if the Preu ier complained of the disadvantage he labored under, still more disadvantageous was tbe position of members of the House in being asked to deal with a question apparently begotten of an ebullition of temper Jn consequence of the justifiabe opposition offered to the wont features of the Forests Bill. It waa outrageous to common sense to attempt to make members believe tbat tbis question concerned only the Nortb Island Years ago, upon the introduction of tLe public works policy, he. for one, eaid, that, sooner or later, provincial institutions must give way. He . referred to the Premier's statement of last year when he said that he had found the equilibrium snd gave bis opinion that if the provinces were abolished it would lead to a ten months' session, and as few members of that House could spare so much time, the practical effect would be to throw the government of the country into the selfish hands of tbe large capitalists. Last year tbe Premier told them thttt the State cnach was being over driven, ana that the country must rest, yet this session tbey had given him authority to borrow four millions in four years, and now a great organic change was proposed. Truly this was a strange way of "resting." Then take | the work done lor the money. He boluly maintained tbifc in every respect the Pro- i vincial Government work was cheaper and better than that done by tbe General Government Take figures : Otago. in spending £579,<"00 on works, paid only £3,950 for departmental expenditure where is the General Government spent £106,000, and their detrimental expenses were £6,898. He boldly challenged comparison. As for their ißn i revenue feeing their source of wealth, as f«r as he was concerned, they could have ths whole of the Otago land revenue if they gave them their j Customs revenue He denied that there was j any feverish desire to get rid of their land revenue, in fact, the greatest advocate of that course was the pretent Commissioner of Customs, wha constantly told them that tbe needs of the General Government were so great tbat they must tome day dispossess Otago of her lands. What would be the effect of abolishing the North Island provinces? The Government would hive a strong cencentrat d power over the whole of the North Island as compared with the divided power and representation of ths South I-iland. Why, they \ would be told again, as they had been told ; bef re, that the needs, of the provinces must | give way to the needs of the colony, notwithstanding the repeated promises of the Iremier that their land revenue should not be interfered with. He boped the Premier and the Ministry would be satisfied with having ventil *tf d the question brought in so hurriedly, and allow it to go before the country without reigning their seats, snd not ask tbem to pledge themselves to the hybrid scheme he had submitted to the House, ior the very reason tbat he looked forward to the abolition of the provinces in a very few years He held that the present proposals were revolutionary and premature. Mr Macandrew said, as there was an apparent indisposition to apeak on the part of the Government and their supporters, and he wasnot prepared to speak until he had heard more arguments on the other side, he would move the adjournment of the debate. Mr T. B. Gillies seconded. SirD. M'Lean and. Messrs O'Conor and Wilson opposed tke adjournment. MrTakamoana objected to the Superintendents of the North Island beiag done away with without tbe Superintendents of the South also. It would perhaps be 1 etter to have two Parliaments, one to make money, and tbe other to dispense with the Maoris, As long as there wa9 only one House the troubles would not ceise except wben the Maoris died off. For the last two years the affairs of the House had not been satisfactory to him. MrKatene said that anything the Maori members of the Cabin t-t bad assented to had not been productive of evil to the Maoris. He thoroughly approved of doing away witb these provinces. He had heard tbat tbis was the only colony where two forms of Government existed, and it was not right that two should eat the flesh of New Zealand. He was not told that two Governments were bad, but he knew it by experience. Where did all the money raised in this Island go to? Those who gained n >tbing from the existence of the provinces were not the onas who opposed the retsoluton. Mr Reid thought that even if the Government possessed tbe voting power to carry tbis resolution, tbey ought to give the Houte their reasons for introducing them. Why ask them to commit themselves to a barren resolution that w»s to have na effect till next session. He reiterated the arguments that the resolution was brought down in a petulant spirit,, ani without the 'lightest nied. He believed thit in three ycara the provinces in :be North Island would be able to shows lnrger revenue than tbe Colonial Government, snd had tbey hid the spending of the larger s jms the Treasurer complained « i they would have spent it to better advantage. All this went to show that local machinery was more economical than that of the Colonial Government. He could see bow all the evils, and more than all, that were attributed to the provinces would be reproduced, in what would be substituted He bad no objection to Counties and t oad Boards, but con ten ed that they could not bs managed without a Central Board having control over the surroundings ones. Call it by what name you like, it would still be practically the same as Provincal Government. Why quibble about names ? If the r did introduce the n*w system proposed he would predict that it would resjlt in utter f».iltue,,auii that mere departmental expenditure would be doabied His greatest objection to ihe.proposat was the enormous power it placed In tha hands of the weneral Government. Carry this resolution, and they paved the way for discontented members ia the North and destroying aH the. balance of Wy-y-~--" : " ; ••■'•'."- -. '-"" »

power. He bad so much faith in the r atrfotIB . m of the people of the North Island that; he did not think they would allow themselves to be ruled by resident agents, und-r secretaries, and engineers. If tbey votel for ibis resolution they would be bound to vote for the Bill when introduced He bad no objection to ordinary experiments in legislation but do not experiment en their sacrei constitution. It would seriously affix* their ciedit in the English market. The h >n. member quoted at eomo length from a bpcech delivered by Mr Yogel in 1868, in defence of tbe conetitution aud of tbe provinces. Ho would vote fer the previous question. On the motion of Mr Macandrew, tho debate was adjourned at U'3o p.m. August 19. Mr. Sheehan resumed the debate last nighf. He said the country should be prouiof Mr. O'Rorke acting as he hai ; not his manner but his principle shonld be looked at. He regretted that Mr. Reynolds was no longer the watch-do? of the House, or ii he was, he was muzzled. He Warned the Prtmer /or having cripphd the usefulness of the province* ia diminishing the capitation tax, and compared blm to a boa constrictor, who put Bpittle of praise on those managing the Northern provinces tbat he might swallow tbem all the more easily. He disputed the figures of the Premier, and denounced the extravagance of the General Government, which spent more io the hangings of tbe Council Chamber than would pay the cost of the Auckland Executive for one year. lie .warned the provinces of the Middle Island that their abolition must come aa speedily as that cf the provinces of the North Island. Mr. Tribe supported the resolution, and enlarged upon the evils of double government, especially to the gold-mines. He instanced Canterbury as an example of provincial mismanagement. Her prosperity was alone due to fortuitous circumstances. He was glad to see the press of Westland unanimously favored the resolution. Mr. Gibba also supported tbe resolution. Mr. Murray opposed Provincialism, but ! opposed tho resolution, becaused he disbelieved in the principles of the Premier. Mr. Wood, in a long eloquent speech, had intended to propose a similar change himself, and tele bound corditUy to support the resolution. Provincial institutions were played i out, and tne time had come to abolish them. Mr. Williamson, in a long speech, which was loudly applauded, and ia which be contravene! the arguments of Mr. Wood, expressed his e&teem for the General Government, but could not support the proposal. The debate was adjourned at 12 15.