SIR GEORGE GREY’S SEPARATION PROPOSALS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5274, 18 February 1878, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY’S SEPARATION PROPOSALS.

The Premier the other night stated at the Arcade that he had been a warm friend to Wellington, and also took great credit to himself for the colonializationof the Land Fund. The following extracts from “ Hansard ” of 1876 will enlighten people as to the real views of Sir George Grey on both these subjects;— “ Sir G. Grey. —Sir, it devolves upon me tonight to move a very important set of resolutions, far more important than at first sight they may seem to be. I trust I shall succeed iu doing this in sucli a way as may place these resolutions in a favorable aspect before this House, and before the entire country of New Zealand ; and I will only say this, if I do not succeed in doing so, the fault will lie with me, and not in the matter which it is my duty to

bring under your notice Let us consider for a moment what the position of affairs is. Let us look at the Middle Island. What can be more noble than to offer to make the laud fund of that island common to the whole of that island ? No nobler, no fairer proposal was ever made. The people of England in working out their Constitution had no greater advantages Motion made, and question proposed,— “ (I.) That, in the opinion of this House, the state of the colony requires that its financial and constitutional arrangements should be reconsidered. (2.) The unity of the colony should be maintained. (3.) There should be t>vo local Governments, one for each island. (I.) The Colonial Government being responsible for the colonial debt, for which the annual charge for interest and Sinking Fund is £815,000, the North Island shall be charged with £190,000 per annum, and the South Island with £625,000 per annum. (5.) With the exception of those matters of great colonial importance which must be reserved for the Colonial Government, each local Government shall have the entire control and management of its own affairs, and the disposal of its own revenues, (6.) The seat of the local Government of the North Island to be at Auckland. (7.) The seat of the local Government of the South Island to be at Christchurch. (8.) The seat of the Colonial Government to remain, as at present, in Wellington.” The main resolutions were negatived. On the last resolution being put ,that the seat of the Colonial Government remain as at present at Wellington, Sir George Grey voted against it. Sir Julios Vogel, after the division, rose and said; The lion, member for the Thames, who is the mover of this resolution —I do not know who is the seconder, but the same remark will apply to him—appears to have made a mistake in voting against his own resolution. I wish to point out that it was a surprise to the Government, and probably to nearly every member of the House, that these resolutions should be put singly; but it was not a surprise to the lion, member who moved the resolutions, since he said it was his intention at first that they should bo brought down singly and moved singly. We have been engaged in discussing the resolutions for two or three weeks, and the hon. gentleman has voted against that ono of his own pr’posals which states that the seat of the colonial Government shall remain at Wellington. I wish to give the hon. gentleman an opportunity of altering his vote, as I have no doubt he will.

Sir G. Giiey : The hon. gentleman is out of order. I shall make no reply. : So it will be seen that when Sir George Grey failed to carry his separation,proposals lie gave his vote against Wellington remaining the seat of Government.