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

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5260, 1 February 1878, Page 7

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

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Pout Chalmers, January 9. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds addressed a crowded meeting of his constituents at the Foresters’ HalTlast night. Mr. McKinnon, the Mayor, occupied the chair. Mr. Reynolds referred to the waste of- time which took place last session, and attributed it to all parties iu the House, but more particularly to the Middle Party. He then stated the reasons which led to his secession from the Atkinson party. A great deal had been said about the finances of the colony by some members, and that its financial position was not very satisfactory ; but lie had no fear for the fiuauces of the colony, for though lie did not profess to be a great financier, he was able, as a business man, to take a clear view of the question. Their resources weie such that they need not be at all alarmed. Respecting their railway revenue, as the works progressed it would continue to improve. Having referr-d to the resolution, which he had received from the chairman, asking him to support the proposal for the encouragement of local industry, he knew that the Goveriimeuthad been thoroughly in earnest in carrying out the intentions expressed in the resolutions sent him from Port Chalmers. Referring to a property tax, he said he thought that there was no question hut that the time had now arrived when they would require heavy extra taxation, and he did not believe there was any prospect of reducing the Customs taxes. If the colony would proceed with public works and immigration,' which were the stay of the colony, they would have to be paid for by a property tax. Ho did not meat a tax on lauded estates only, but a tax on all the real aud personal property which a man possessed. There was no doubt hut the question would crop up next session, and he thought that it was likely to : become the law either then or iu the following session. He then read a letter which he had received during last session from a Good Templar lodge iu 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 of his fellow-settlers, be they Catholics or Good Templars, or any other class. He had resided for thirteen years in Catholic countries, aud hail received maiiy kindnesses at the hands of Catholics, so it would ill become him were he willingly to offend them iu their religious convictions. A.t 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 aud good government impossible, and the government threatened to be taken by the Good Templars. The 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 £53,000 from the land revenue of Canterbury, aud £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 colony bad to pay £72,056 as interest upon money expended on public works and immigration in Canterbury, and £170,528 expended foi similar purposes iu Otago. The same return also! showed the proportionate sums for Otago aud other provinces ; hut 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 loaus or revenue. Had such been done Canterbury and Otago would have appeared iu a very different position from that in 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, aud education. He would not have objected to the Colonial Government taking from the laud fund sufficient to meet such expenditure, or to their charging interest against Otago for the money which had been spent here on railways aud immigration; but they should have done so throughout the whole of the colony. Finding that their proposals were unsatisfactory, he had made up 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 immirration aud 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 aud the Acts resolving the same, but he found that this was impossible, as some members had resolved, whenever an opportunity offered, to seize the land revenue of the province aud make it colonial revenue. That opportunity would be augmented next session, because Canterbury v/as selling her lands very fast, and when her lauds 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 aud 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 iu proportion to the population of the constituencies. He had represented the citizens of Dunedin and Port Chalmers for twenty-five_ years. That was a great portion of a man’s lifetime, aud it was with feelings of regret that he was about to tender his resignation ; but the length of the session aud his private affairs would not admit of his continuing to hold a scat 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 until 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 ho would be unhappy it 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 be found in another placv. 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 be of as much service to both these constituencies as he flattered himself he had been in the House of Repre-

sentatives. 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 lale 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.