THE SOUTH ISLAND LAND FUND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 317, 24 September 1874, Page 4

THE SOUTH ISLAND LAND FUND.

but perhaps a great many more. Only let them come and try it. (Laughter ) I for one wish to live in peace. I have had enough of war, but, old as I am, if it were necessary for me to fight, I am quite game to fight again. (Cheers and laughter.) I will lead you if you like, and go at it with a baiter round my neck, and if they gain the day I will tell tbem to tighten it. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)

We take the following from the iffiltfg Times* report of Sir Cracroft 'Wilson's speech to bis constituents last week: —

tTtiii' may say that my vision is limited, as Sam Wetter said on one occasion. Perhaps it is, bat all I can -Bay 1 !* that I bave tried bard to see the col _Mf^ -**^W Provincial In- . jMfc&P*) *P_ the possession of the land fond, so tbat doing away with Provincial iustitotioDS mast necessarily involve th© loss of the laad land. I cannot too strongly insist upon tbis; what if xhere .necessarily between thesetwo'thiDga, the land fond and $$^^ inrt^ Uooß? Do yon mean jo beU jnethat $ lhe land fnnd is to be expended where it arises, it matters whether yqu bare a Boad Board, a JdanicipaL : Corporation, or any otber form of Government ? The facts stand aparl, and to say that the land fund is wrapped np in Prpyincial institutions i* to { JtelAr*~**hat is not true; I caonot seejt,iand Idon't believe it has any connection whatever. The Premier has solemnly declared to as that aU taid. foods shad! belong to the locality where they bave arisen and shall be locally administered. That nearly satisfied me. But t_ese quondam supporters of Mr Yogel, each as Mr Macandre%, say, *'Ah, he says this; bat he is not to be believed." (Hear, b&r.) nWellt gentlemen, all I can say to :Mf Maeandrew asd his kith and kin — (laughter)— is this, tbat tbe premier ivas no selection of mine; he was no favorite pf mine. I have got abased- for wanting him to go gently instead of going fast, bat these gentle18e_ now say he is not to be believed, they said at tbat time that he !Coold not go fast enough. They, wanted "ready money, and plenty of it." They had trusted him for fonr years, they trusted him within a fortnight of tbis fiasco, and they g^ye him four millions without asking a question, and I saw that it was useless for me to aak any questions, fcfrd sow they turn round, because he says, "I will not support Provincial Ihstttotions' at the expense of the colony," and discover that he has become a bad man at once. I think it is who says, that oo man becomes a perfect villain all of a sadden, that he goes gently into it, but fiere is an extraordinary man, you turn rpnnd after trusting him to snch an aslant, and say, be is a rogue and not to be trusted." (Cheers.) Would Mr Nairn, in his basiness, believe any man wbo was foond to do such a thing ? Not he; andl don't either., i don't, oelteve yon will on the evidence brought before you. It is a villainous thing for bis sopporters. I bave supported him even againat his own supporters. Witness the Bankruptcy Act. I have supported him through thick and thin when bis supporters Have turned against bim, aod I say it fs^ashagie to call a man a villain fcftMtase he introduces a measure which does not suit your fancies. I have thought Mr Ypgel very rsab, and I have said so to his face, bat I never t^pPghit him a dishonorable or base man who would deliberately toll' a". lie to deceive the public of Ijejr Zealand. I don't believe it; hie -quondam friends do ; but they have no ground fordt, and I refuse to believe them. For tbe sake of argu-inetft/l-wiU -Bsume that he is that rata avis, » crimiriual steeped in the deepest djf^and that he is base enough to deceive ns by a positive He — for that is thewnsttinOii Well, even supposing that he is; as base as his quondam admirers nW assert him to be, and s_r>p\>«bg ; tb_t he eoold get a majdritjr' of afJcyift of Parliament to aaaiat Him in despoiling Canterbury and Ol*|b of their viand fund, does' anyone believilttar jach an act of spoliation iWgjj.be effected by a resolution or ** ea *£ft 4) ot? If , Bucb.>ig_e ' is" prMp^gTentreat him to listen to. what I nave to say.' In addition to the" compact of 1856, the South Island has paid one million sterling as a consideration for the peaceable possession of tbe land fund of the South Island. Are the inhabitants of the South Island such miserable poltroons as to sit still under such spoliation? Should we not rather waro the Ministry and the North Island that it would bring, about a revolution, aad that we would resist, even with arms in our hands, such a gross violation— (cheers) — and tbe result wonld be that Otago and Canterbury would retain not only their land fund,, bpt their Customs and Excise duties, ,££icb are worth half a million per annum. (Applause.) Depend upob it, Mipisters, though in my opinion t^y.h^ve been foolishly rash, are not *WkftM WW> &P9h of tbe Sooth Island to defend iheir rights by armed resistance, and I for one should be prepared to continue the straggle to the bitter. end. (Oh, oh, and laughter.) ISm^T^- in I-' Id * onot jest on such serious subjects. Apart altogether from tiie question of Provincial; institutions, I would prevent one sixpence of our land fund being taken *%&&£ Sour 'free wiil and consent, if rebetlioftißdleten armed resistance had to be employed to protect it. (Hear, heir,* laughter, and cheers.) It is said that the abolition of the Provinces i would lead to the taking away of our landfflod, but no Ministry would be so foolish _s to rouse the spirit of resistan_B Which the taking of the iand /and ivba'd 1 create. (Hear, hear, and cheerß,) If they attempt any thing of that sort, ' we trill not only shoot a coach leader,