HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 231, 20 September 1876, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WiSMixa-cox Tuesday. The House met at half-past 2 this after--110,111. Tl.'.' Public Petitions Committee recommended thatColuinaa Phillips should receive C!."><) for expenses incurred in coming to Wellington, and £150 for his other expenses. .Mr Larnach gave notice that he would move for an address to his Excellency to pl-.ice ou the Supplementary Estimates an u'Mii ional sum of £300 to defray the expenses of ;iu-mbei\3 of the House of Representatives during the present session, \ The Government told itfr Barff that they ! »"ii'l not intend to construct a bridge oyer the ildlcitikit river, and told Mr Tairoa that they | 1r.i.l no inteution of paying any money to the •inure owners of. the Princes-street reserve, Dmie.lin. Thu Government told Mr Stout that they hop:."I to see their way to to establish Penny Jpuvinga Hanks in connection vitlj. Public .Schools. j The Government promised Mr Andrew ' •thiit Lhey would lay upon the table any correv,v.mdf;nce in conncctioa with the appoint-nu-r.t of Agent-General. Thu remainder of the business was in Co:n:aittee on ti»e Municipal Corporation Act and ni.her Governnjfiiifc Bills, some of which v.ei-c passed, the House rising at 5.30. Wednesday. The debate on Mr Macanclrew f 3 resolutions (namely, that the Abolition Act should be hold iv abeyance until the people of Otago .

determine as to the form of self-government most suitable for them) was kept up until 1-40 this morning, the speakers being chiefly Otago members. It had been arranged for some time before rising that if the speakers of minor importance on each side could be . prevailed upon not to speak the division would be taken, but more spoke than was expected.' Ihe following members supported the resolution:—Sir Geo. Grey, Messrs Reid, Burns, Stout, W. Wood, and Shrimski. The argu- ■ ments to a great extent were repetitions, and were mainly to the effect that the request of Otago was reasonable and that it was unstatesmanlike to coolly ignore the wishes of 100,000 people. It was sordid to have a system of government based on a money principle, as had been done by the Premier in saying that Otago would be no worse off, and that she would have this, that, and the other. This was mere bribery and nothing more. There was no hope of local legislation this session, and if the local Legislatures bad been allowed to meet they would have provided for this want. If one part of the colony was poor and another wealthy, it was idle to say that nothing would be taken from the richer ones if good government was to ' be provided for all. The people of Otago were never so animated before, and it was a mis- ■ take to suppose this animation would calm itself when abolition became a fact, on the contrary, it would take years to allay the dissatisfaction. To refuse granting these resolutions would be like placing a spark in a barrel of gunpowder. The people would rebel against it. It was denied that the Public Works scheme had done anything for the advancement of Otago, as, if she had progressed, it was in spite of the General Government and their Public Works policy, and due solely to her Provincial Council. If the Government thought the people were with them, why be afraid to appeal to them? If the colony wanted more money, why not raise it in a straightforward manner and not by squeezing the provinces? Let those pay whose land benefitted by the change directly. The system of bribes having failed, members from different parts of the colony would combine and threaten the Government, if they did not get for their district what they wanted, that they would be against them, and thus the whole country would become demoralised. The resolution was not ihI tended as a vote of want of confidence. The Government was good enough, and, if turned out on this question, would be put in again to-morrow. Sir G. Grey threatened to make a similar appeal on behalf of Auckland, and said the only outcome of Abolition was an upstart moneyed aristocracy, and a nation of downtrodden serfs. Messrs Manders and Pyke, though opposed to the resolutions, did not vote. The following other members spoke against them;— The Premier, Messrs Reynolds, Wakefleld, and Barff. It was alleged against the resolutions that the chief arguments used were sentimental, and pleadings for a cause already passed away. The real object was to remodel Provincialism in Ofcago. Grant that and Auckland, which could not carry on a week without assistance, would also apply for it. It was ridiculously absurd to relegate to an inferior power what should be the work of the supreme Legislature. It was untrue to say that Abolition would coslOtago £150,000 yearly, as it would take nothing from them, and that could be proved. They were challenged to prove the contrary. Jlad it not been for the firm attitude of the Government this session the land fund of Otago would have become colonial revenue now Provincialism had done good, but it was not local government, but only centralism on a small scale. For twenty years they had tried it and never could get equal government and distribution of revenue. The public works did more for Otago and the colony than provincialism had done for twenty years. To carry the resolution must make the colony revert to the old system. Practically the resolution amounted to a vote of want of confidence. It would be dangerous to remit the question to the people of Otago, and give provincialism an opportunity of manipulating another election. The result would uot then be the verdict of the people. If relegated to any let it be the existing Provincial Councils without any election. It was denied that the whole of Otago or anything like it cried out against abolition though the favored districts of Dunedin and Clutha might. Then the talked of enthusiasm there was nonsense, for out of 3000 electors in Dunedin Mr Afacandrew polled less than 900, and as for the insurrection and appealing to force that was laughed to scorn. People would be just as rich, and sleep just as soundly under abolifon as not. The resolution was then put and lost by 37 against 24. __^^^