THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 199, 22 August 1881, Page 4

THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

The following is the Hansard report of the speech delivered by Mr Pitt on this subject last Tuesday mVht :— Mr Pitt.— l am bound to say that I have listened with considerable disappointment to the course which this debate has taken. It is quite evident to me that the Government imagine they Jf™.? majority who are ready to read the Bui a second time, and, therefore, the tactics they seem to pursue is that of solemn silence. Hon. Members.— No. M y- Pitt.— Honorable members may S J -d ' bnt ' ™ Hh the exception of the .Premier and the honorable member for ISapier (Mr, Sntton), I know of no honorable member who has discussed the question from the Government point of view. And yet this is one of the most important Bills that could possibly be discussed by the House. Under this Bill we are to provide who are to be elected to this House which has the privilege and function of making laws for the people of the colony, of imposing taxation, and of appropriating the colonial revenue?, The Bill is based upon a principle which, at all events in this colony, has never before been applied in the matter of representation, namely, population— a principle so important that I should have thought it would be necessary to prove its soundness and Fatisfy honorable members with regard to it before they were called upon to vote " aye " or "no " upon the question of whether it was the proper basis on which to fix the representation of this colony. I have been waiting in the hope of hearing some members on the side give expression to their views in support of the proposition, but they remain silent. The district I represent is so materially affected by this measure that I certainly do not like to give a silent vote upon it, and yet in addressing the House toDight I have nothing to reply to, because all the speeches which have been made have been from one side. I consider that in a measure of this importance it is in the highest degree necessary that the Government should see that in framing it the basis of representation is fixed so as not to give an undue preponderance to any territorial division of the colony, but, framed as it is solely upon a population basis, this Bill does give undue power to certain portions of the colony. Although lam myself a representative of a city constituency, I am of opinion that the cities and towns are unduly favoured, and that sufficient regard is not given to the interests of the country districts. I have always regarded the welfare and prosperity of the towns as being dependent upon the prosperity of the country districts, and, therefore, although representing a city constituency, I am always ready and willing to do what I can in this House to promote the welfare of the country districts. I contend that if the principle in this Bill is good it ought to be capable of constant application, and I should like to ask, if the population of this colony becomes double what it is, are we going to double the number of members in this House ? We are to have SI members under this Bill ; are we to have double that number if the population is doubled ? Or what is to be done? We are not told. I say the Government have not given this matter due consideration, nor can I believe for an instant that they have given full consideration to the result of their action in introducing the principles contained in this Bill. As we have been told by previous speakers, the first result of the passage of this Bill will be an accession to the number of members in this House, which I certainly consider not desirable, and we are also told that it will cause additional expenditure and lengthen the sessions. I am one of those who think that some parliamentary reform is necessary, but certainly not in the direction carved out by this Bill. Out of the 91 members of which it is proposed this House shall consist in future, 45 are assigned to the ptago and Canterbury districts, or within one of the total representation of the rest of the colony- I say that is a manifest, injustice. Ido not think the Government have sufficiently considered the consequences of giving such an undue preponderance of power to those particular portions of the colony. Ido not know how the Wellington members are going to vote on this Bill. Possibly, as the honorable member for Rodney remarked, they have been charmed by the idea of having an additional member : but it seems to me that if they have half an eye they will not be long in seeing that the first thing that will happen, if this Bill becomes law, is that Hie seat of Government will be removed to Christchurch. There is not the slightest doubt about it. If the Bill passes, before two years are over the seat of Government will be reiroved from Wellington to Christcburch. I say that, from a colonial point of view, I do not think that is des'rable. And the next result, in my opinion, will be an interference with the Land Fund in a way which, accoring to the present policy of the Government, they do not desire. It will be remembered that during last session there was a very hot debate and a very close division on the Financial Arrangements Bill, which proposed to take from the counties the 20 per cent, which had been left to them ; and it is extremely instructive to look at the division list on that occasion. That Bill was introduced by a Government which was supported by as compact a party as I suppose ever voted for any Government in this House and what happened ? Got of the thirty-six members who voted that the 20 per cent, should cease there was only one Otago member— the honorable member for Riverton— except the honorable members for Dunedin City, Mr. Oliver and Mr. Dick, who being members of the Government making the proposition, of course voted for it. I believe that had these two gentlemen not been members of the Government (hey would have been found in the same lobby with the seventeen Otago members who voted in favour of the retention of the 20 per cent, to the counties. Of tho Canterbury members, the only member, besides the Premier and the Minister of Lands, who voted for discontinuing the 20 per cent, was the honorable member

for Lyttelton. With regard to other constituencies, thirty members voted that the 20 per cent, should cease, and only seven were in favour of its retention. The proposition was carried only by the casting-vote of tbe Chairman of Committees, What I want to show the House from this is that, in reference to the Land Fund, the Canterbury and Otago members voted almost to a man against • the proposal to take the 20 per cent, from the counties, although those provincial districts, and especially Canterbury, did not require the money, because it was very well known that, during the time when the subsidies were payable, the Eoad Boards in Canterbury were simply levying rates in order that they might get pound for pound from the Colonial Treasury. And that is exactly what will happen if this Bill becomes law. Otago and Canterbury will practically have one half of the whole representation of the colony in their own hands, and, with one or two members voting with them, will be able to do as they like with the Land Fund, and will no doubt take care that the Land Fund shall no longer remain colonial revenue. That is one result which will follow if the Bill passes, and it is a result which I believe I am right in thinking the present Government would not like to see brought about, Then, Sir, we have been re minded that the period during which the Government undertook that we should not have recourse to the London money market will expire at no distant date, and future loans will no doubt be contracted by this colony. Honorable members may say now in the House that they will oppose further borrowing ; but it is possible that, when the time comes, they may not be here to give a vote ou the matter. It is possible that the majority of the members will represent districts in Canterbury and Otago. Who then will have the disposal of the loans, and the chief voice in deciding where they shall be spent? Why, the representatives of those parts of the country which are so highly favoured by the Bill before the House— namely, Canterbury and Otago. This Bill tends in another direction, which, I think, is inimical to the best interests of the colony — towards separation. I think there can be no doubt that the Middle Island, j having such an undue proportion of" representation compared wiih the North Island, will have no difficulty in bringing about what the inhabitants of that part of the country have so long desired— namely, the separation of the two Islands.— (No.) — Honorable members sSy " No," but there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that if the peop'e of Otago and Canterbury could separate from the North Island and free themselves from the Maori difficulty, as they call it, and the expenditure which is incurred from time to tit!,?, owing to Maori wars, they would do 30 to-morrow — (No.) — Well, that is I my opinion, and it is shared in by many other members. The honorable member for the Thames (Mr Sheehan), when he was addressing the House the other night on this subject, said that one result we should see would be that a line would be drawn along Cook Strait, and tbat separation would ensue. I certainly believe tbat the Bill tends in that direction, when it give9 au undue amount of power into the hands of the Southern districts. If that object were accomplished, we know very well what would follow. The capital of the Middle Island would be fixed at Christchurch or Dunedin. \ Where the capital of the North Island would be I do not pretend to say. If at Wellington, Auckland will not be satisfied ; and if at Auckland, Wellington will not be satisfied. The consequence arising from that will be that a spirit of jealousy will be engendered in the North Island, and altogether a state of things will be brought about which, to my mind, is very undesirable ; and, as the member for Waimea told us this evening, when once this additional representation is given to Canterbury and Otago, it will be impossible to get it from them again. In determining this question of representation, I think, in common with many members who have spoken, that there are other considerations besides that of population. I think area should certainly be taken into consideration, and also the claims of districts whicb s though containing great latent wealth, are sparsely populated, and whose interests would be ignored if any undue proportion of representation were given to the large centres of population. The north of Auckland, for instance, is a district which, in my opinion, is entitled to special representation. * * * * * Then there are the Provincial Districts of Westland and Nelson. They also, I think, are entitled to some j special representation. Look at the'-' District of Kumara. A few years ago it was very sparsely populated, and certainly would not have been entitled to a member according to the rule laid down in this Bill. But now what do we find ? We find that another district which then had a member — Totara —is to be disfranchised, and that Kumara has a population sufficiently large to entitle it to a member. lam very glad that the honorable member for the Dunstan called the attention of the House to the provisions of the Constitution Act in connection with this measure. I think that has been alto gether lost sight of by the Government in framing this Bill. I WO uld point out to honorable members that the basis of representation laid down by the Constitution Act is not that of population, but the number of electors in each district, the electors being, of course, tbe male adults. Now, on the West Coast of the Middle Island, the male adults largely preponderate in the population and I submit that there is another circumstance which should have been taken into consideration by the Government in framing the schedule of tins Bill. According to the census, laranaki has n total population of 14,852, and yet it has assigned to it three members ; while Nelson, which exclusive of Buller and Keefton counties has a population of 21,000, is only allotted the same number of representatives. I fail to see, Sir , at Lftß given rise to this Bill at all. lam not aware that a wish has been expressed in auy part of the country that representation Bbould be taken away from

any districts which at uresent enjoy it. * * * * * I ehould like also to ask what has the Provincial District of Nelson done that it should be deprived virtually of three members — that is, in the settled districts of Nelson ? I am not aware that the representatives have abuaed in any way the privileges which they have had in regard to representation from time to time. lam aware that it was largely with the aid of the Nelson members that the present Government were placed in office, and have been kept in office. The present Government have claimed credit, and, I think, very fairly claimed credit, for having done a considerable amount of good for this colony — for having placed the finances of the colony upon a better basis, at all events, than they occupied at the time the Ministry came into power. Well, I claim that the Nelson members have had a share in enabling the Government to do that. As pointed out by the honorable member for Waimet, and other honorable members of this Home, what has Nelson ever got by thii overrepresentation of which we have heard so much ? Jt was through the vote of the Nelson members that the Public Works scheme was carried. They assisted materially to bring that scheme into operation. It was intended, as a part of that scheme, that they were to have a trunk railway connecting them with other parts of the colony, but they have not got it ; not a bit of it. Kelson at one time was considered such an important place that it bad 8 Judge of tbe Supreme Court resident in the city, but the Judge was taken away. In fact, so far as I can see, owing to the acts of injustice — I cannot describe it in any other way — perpetrated towards Nelson by successive Governments, instc a I of really progressing it is, at all events, standing stationary, And no wonder that tbe population does not increase in the way it does in other districts. The public works executed in other parts of the colony, no doubt, tended to attract population there ? but Nelson has been left without these public works, and, of course, must remain to a certain extent stagnant. The effect of taking these members avray cannot make matters perhaps much worse in Nelson than they have been in the past, bebecause, as I say, Nelson has very little to thank any Government for afe aTI. Nevertheless, this taking! members away from the Nelson District is no less an injustice. I regret £he action of the Government, and I believe they are doing themselves a wrong by introducing this Bill. * * * * * Sir, I cannct help saying that I think the Government have not taken the trouble neceseary to perfect a proper Representation Bill. This scheme of fixing it upon a population basis waq easy, and" therefore .it' has been adopted I can recall to mind the words of the honorable member for Aksroa op a former occasion with which I differed at the timp, in which he accused the Government of the want of a power of construction. And, also, lam reminded of the words of the honorable member for the Thames (Sir George Grey), in which he stated, that the acts of the present Government showed that they allowed circumstances to give risa to their policy rather than. their policy give rise to tbe circumstances. The Government felt that with the population in the South this system of representation upon a population- baiis would be popular, and bo they have adopted it. I cannot help thinking that they have not sufficiently considered the subject with a view to the intere&ts of the other portions of tbe colony. ****##*## I trust tbe Government will be satisfied with the reading of the Representation Bill a second time, and that they will coDsulb the country during the next election ag to whether the people of the colony as a whole are favourable to tbe principle which is contained in it. I consider that tbe matters which are contained in this Bill are so import ant to the best interests of tba whole colony, tbat I for one shall be prepared with others to conteet the passage of this Bill through this House. I feel "so strongly iii the matter that I am not prepared, simply because the Bill may be read a second time, that it should be allowed to go through tbe House in its present shape. Aiter it has been read a second time, I trust euch amendments will be made as will remove the objections which I have at all events to it at the present time, and msko it acceptable to the colony. I sincerely hope the Government will not pass the Bill this session — tbafe they will be sitisfied with the Bouse reading it a eecond time, and allow what is the most important question that can be submitted to the conetiiuencies to be discussed by them during Ihe next election. I trust the Bill % 1 n >t paf i, and I shall feel bound to give it all the opposition that I can.