THE HON. W. H. REYNOLDS AT PORT CHALMERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5241, 10 January 1878, Page 3

THE HON. W. H. REYNOLDS AT PORT CHALMERS.

by telegraph. Port Chalmers, Wednesday. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds addressed crowded meeting of his constituents at th Foresters' Hall last night. _ Mr. McKmnor the Mayor, occupied the chair. Hr. Reynolds referred to the waste of tun which took place last session, and attributed i to all parties in the House, but more particu larly to the Middle Party. He then stated th reasons which led to bis secession from th. Atkinson party. A great deal had been san about the finances of the colony by some mem bers, and that its financial position was no very satisfactory ; but he had no fear for th. finances of the colony, for though he did no profess to be a great financier, ho wa: able as a business man, to take a cleai view of the question. Their resource, were such that they need not be at al alarmed. Respecting their railway revenue as the works progressed it would contmu. to improve. Having referred to th< resolution, which he had received from th. chairman, asking him to support the proposa for the encouragement of local industry, ht knew that the Governmenthad been thoroughly in earnest in carrying out thei intention*■ expressed in the resolutions sent him from Pori Chalmers. Referring to a property tax, lie said he thought that there was no question but that the time had now arrived when they wonh require heavy extra taxation and he did uol believe there was any prospect of reducing the Customs taxes. If the colony would proceec with public works and immigration, wind were the stay of the colony, they would havt to be paid for by a property tax. He did not meat a tax on landed estates only, but a tax or all the real and personal property which a man possessed. There was no doubt but the question would crop up next session, and lie thought that it was likely to become the law either then or in the following session, He then read a letter which he had received durin" last session from a Good Templar lodge in the Port Chalmers district, and also extracts from a leading article which appeared in the New Zealand Tablet on the subject. On education, he proceeded to remark that he had no desire to say one word against any o his fellow-settlers, be they Catholics or Good Templars, or any other class. He had resided for thirteen years in Catholic countries, and had received many kindnesses at the hands of Catholics, so it would ill become him were he willinMy to offend them in their religious convictions. At the same time he must take the liberty of saying that were such threats as he had referred to carried out to their fullest extent, they would make, the representation of the masses and good government impossible, and the government threatened to be taken by the Good Templars. Ihe action of the Catholics would tend to defeat the object which they had in view, because, by a combination of all others who were opposed to their views, the possibility existed that neither a Good Templar nor a Roman Catholic would be returned to Parliament. It was no doubt known to them that Major Atkinson's Government proposed to take £58,000 from the land revenue of Canterbury, and £IOO,OOO from that of Otago, to make up the deficiency in the Treasury. In regard to ways and means. Major Atkinson had prepared a statement showing that the colonv had to pay £72,056 as interest upon money expended on public works and immigration in Canterbury, and £170,528 expended for similar purposes in Otago. The same return also showed the proportionate sums for Otao-o and other provinces ; but Major Atkinson did not propose to take contributions from the land fund of other provinces, but simply from Otago and Canterbury, his argument being that there was no land fund in any of the other provinces. Now that return certainly did not give a clear idea of the expenditure in the various provinces either from loans or revenue. Had such been done Canterbury and Otago would have appeared in a very different position from that ia which they were placed by the return laid on the table of the House. Hitherto, as they were aware, the land fund in Otago had been devoted to public works, immigration, and education. He would not have objected to the Colonial Government taking from the land fund sufficient to meet such expenditure, or to their charging interest against Otago for the money which had been spent here on railways and immigration; but they should have done so throughout the whole of the colonv. Finding that their proposals were unsatisfactory, he had made np his mind that when this question should come on he would certainly vote against them. The present Government were to pay all interest on loans and upon railways, and also to pay for our immoration and education out of the colonial revenue, and for that purpose they proposed to take the land fund from the province, and give 20 per cent, of the gross proceeds for local expenditure. He would have much preferred to have kept under the compact of 1856 and the Acts reset ving the same, but be found that this was impossible, as some members had resolved, whenever an opportunity offered, to seize the land revenue of the province and make it colonial revenue. That opportunity would be augmented next session, because Canterbury was selling her lands very fast, and when her lands had been sold a number of Canterbury members would support the absorption of the land fund of Otago. Such being the case, he was forced to choose between the wholesale robbery of the present Government and the course proposed by their predecessors. He then dwelt upon the necessity of the readjustment of the representation of the colony, and said he thought that it should be in proportion to the population of the constituencies. He had represented the citizens of Dunedin and Fort Chalmers for twenty-five years. That was a great portion of a man’s lifetime, and it was with feelings of regret that he was

about to tender his resignation ; but the length of the session and his private affairs would not admit of bis continuing to hold a seat in the House of Representatives. He did not at the present moment propose to forward his resignation to the Speaker, as he intended to wait nntil such time as would give them an opportunity of appointing a successor. As soon as they did that he would be prepared to forward his resignation. Some of his friends told him that he would be unhappy if he did not represent a constituency. He knew that he would, but consideration for his family and the state of his health induced him to come to the conclusion to resign. He might, however, possibly he found in another plac-. It was not at all unlikely that he would write to the Government asking them to place him in the 'Legislative Council- In .doing so he did not think he would be asking too much or anything unreasonable after 25 years service. He explained that the duties of the Legislative Council would not require so long an absence from home as those of the Assembly. If he entered the Legislative Council, his services would always be at the disposal of the representatives of his late constituents, and also of those of Dunedin ; and he thought that in the Legislative Council he would possibly he of as much service to both these constituencies as he flattered himself he had been in the House of Representatives. Several questions in reference to local subjects were answered by Mr. Reynolds, after which Mr. R, Dick proposed the following resolution, —That this meeting desire to express entire approval of the action of the Hon. W. H. Reynolds as the representative of the Port Chalmers electoral district during the late session of the Colonial Parliament, and regret exceedingly that through his resignation they are to be deprived of his services. Dr. Drysdale seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.