INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 328, 9 December 1875, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Wellington, Wednesday. Sir George Grey in one of his late speeches is reported to have eaid:-''The te'cgrams that are sent to \ou are sctuaily filtered out by the Government." If Sir George Grey, in making this statement, referred to telegrams sent by us, we, the Press Agency, wish to say that the assertion is utterly untrue, as it appears to be stated The storm last night and to-day was tho m.st violent that has been felt for many years The Napier s arched the coast for the parties reported missing, and brought back five There are some others still reported missing. The following Mayoral nominations were received this afternoon— Mr Giaborna, pr - po c ed by Messrs Brineharo, Pharazyn, and Mlntyre; Mr E. W. Mills Hu'chinson proposed by Messrs Hunt, Young, and Toomath. 'J he polling takes place on Wedof sday. Another wet day. The race course ia partially und«r water, and the races are agaio postpones!. The owners of horses from the South will, it U understood, await the arrival of the Cyphreies, and return by her. The *teward» of the Jockey Club decided this morning upon havintr two days racing next week, on Monday and Tuesday if floe, or the two first fine days. Thursday. Tne Ladybird sailed for Picton and Korth at 2 p.m. — Passengers: Miss Nation, Mrs Shupp, Mrs Schwaltz, Mr and Mrs Porter, Miss Brooks, Messrs Brett, Simpson, Allen, Kirkwood, Hill, Hougmann, Mr and Mrs Gavin and sen. Port Chalmers, Wednesday. Sailed : Haw ea, for North. Passengers for Nelson— Mrs ana Mrs Richmond, Mes ra Engel and son, Fisher, Taylor. Christchuech, Wednesday. At a meeting of the Presbyterian Assembly laat night, measures were taken which are likely to lead to a speedy union of North and South into one church. Auckland, Wednesday. The Cyphrenes has arrived, from Kandavau after transferring her Sydney mails and passeDgers to the Vasco di Gama, which proceeds on to 'Frisco. The Ciphrems waited four days for the Colima according to instructions, but that vessel not arriving, the Cyphrenes came on to Auckland, and proceeded to Port Chalmers at eleven to-day to take the out ward mail. The Colima, immediately on her arrival, goes oix to Sydney to take up the service there if she ia in time. Probably no further hitch will occur in performing the forced service. Messrs May and Buckland have addressed the {franklin constituency. The addresses were chiefly confined to a review of the business of the last session, and the defence of their action on the Abo ition and Representation Bills. Mr Buckland eaid he would again offer himself as a candidate. Both received votes of thanks. A letter has been received stating that Taranaki's cricket team will visit Auckland at Christmas. Cbristchdbch, Wednesday. Mr W. Rolleston addressed (he electors of the Avon district last night. He gave a lengthened rrajme of the procie lings of thi Assembly last session. He justified the strong measures he, with others, took respecting the abolition of the provinces, but said it now rested with his constituents to siy what should be done, and if they were in favor of aboli ion he would not offer any further iacI tious opposition. He admitted that Sir Julius Vogtl negotiate 1 the four million loan as favorably aa it could have been done, but condemned him for acting against the advice of the agents appointed to act with him. Referring to the personnel of the present Governtnenj, he said there were some very good men In it ; in fact, more honest men than are in the Mini try do not exist, but the Ministry at present is ill-assorted and disorganised, a 9 shown by the lale Prime Minister not being backed up by his colleagues, ai d as proved by the administration of the Government right through. He severely criticise 1 the action of the Ministry regarding tho waste lands of the North Islard, and -said it bad not been such as to inspire confidence ia them an to the mainer they will deal with the lands of the Middle Island,, when they fall into their power. He believed that in a colony like this, with the General Government removed as it is fron the lynx-eye of the peop c, it would act in «n arbitrary manner, which, sooner or later, would be sure to lead' to transactions that ought not to be countenanced, by any Government He was very sure that were a whimper of eucli land transactions as had occurred in the North Island to be raised in any { roviuce under provincial sceptre, there would be such a howl of indignation that the Superintendents and Executives would quickly be dispensed with. He believed education waa the national question of the day, far above Provincialism or Ctntrali'm. What he considered necessary was a continuance of the administration which would be given by the constitution of Boards like that recently existing in (his province, fixedness ot finance such as could only be secured by the Government of the colony, saying this it a question which the whole co'ony must take up and place the expenditure upon it to a large extent on confolida'ed fund. He w*B satisfied that the main feature of a successful system waß that people should feel •they were working out thtir own destines with large powers of administration, undtr a strict provision and regulation, and the colony, as at Home, should by active inspection of schoole, teachers, &c, secure a uniform whole, which shall really build us up a people. He approved of runs being let by auction when leases expire in 1880; they should bo kt on valuation, and so as 1 ot to interfere with free selection f>r pu-ch'ioe. He spoke at length ou the question of Provincialism ver us Centralism, the substence 01 his remarks being that although as he had said In public speeches years ago the Provincial form of Government required modification still he was firmly satisfied it should not be dispensed with altogether. Ptovincial Councils had certainly grown vastly— beyond their proper size— aid might very well be reduced, he thought to the fame number of members as there are for the General Asssmbiy in any one province, that the electoral districts might be coterminous, t>e same rate-roll serving for the different elections. The existing form of Government he considered the very best form we could have, and he had no substitute to propue for it. The same form of Government prevailed in the Australian Colonies and the United States, and in much older countries, and it was only a question ol degree. One of the greatest problems ia the mother country was to establish a form of io al Government whl h would relieve the central Parliament of functions which it ought not to be called on to discharge. Referring to the distribution of revenue he said Municipalities and suburban districts should Lave their share of land revenue, but he believed th it grave injustice would accrue from adopting one uniform principle of giving a pound lor a pound all through the province. He disagreed entirely with the payment of subsidies from consolidated fund. He agreed with having an elective Legislative Council, On conclusion of his address a vote of confldenca was unanimously passed in Mr RoUerton, There ia so eppwttioa to bin yefcf