MR STEVENS BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 624, 3 May 1878, Page 2

MR STEVENS BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Mr, !E. C. J. Stevens, one of the memDers for Christchnrch, addressed his constituents on Monday night. There was a noderate attendance. After referring at some length to the events of last session, :ie referred to the present Ministry. He 'or one would be exceedingly indisposed ;o cause a removal of that Government : rom office at the present time. He believed the country was thoroughly tired :>f the party strife carried on in the Legislature, and no one was more tired of it than himself. Party strife there must be at times, otherwise the same Government would always be in office ; but he hoped that until clear parties were formed that finance and things which tended to the happiness of the people would be the first consideration. There was ability in the Legislature, but owing to the want of the definition of party and other matters, there was a most unsatisfactory condition of things indeed. He next referred to the land fund and finance. The piesent Government had seized the land fund, but he was not for a moment going to throw dirt at them for it ; but had they not done so they would have been compelled to impose fresh taxes. He thought the franchise should be extended, so as to make it include honii, fuh residents in the country, whether they had property or nut. lie had no doubt that that point would be carried. But when it came to a qui stion of residential vote he objected. His great object was to see all classes settled in the country represented, and it was in view of that that he asked last session for an extension of the hours of voting till i) o'clock p.m. This meant a great deal to working men. Ho considered representation should be on a basis of population ; it would give no undue advantage to towns ; he had looked into that, and found it to be the fairest way. He did not think fclio country districts would be swamped by the towns by the adoption of representation on the population basis. He next referred to the inoidence of taxtion. The present proposition of the Government was to take L 350.000 off the Customs, now imposed on necessaries of life—tea, sugar, ecc.—and to replace those duties by a property and income tax. This could not be done with safety to prospective finance. Is"o Government could do it. He was perfectly certain they would not venture to do it. It was a remarkable circumstance that the proposition to take the taxes off necessaries emanated from a aokl-fields member. The miners drew L 1.400,000.400,000 yearly from the ground of the Colony, and considering their expensive Wardens' Courts and police, it struck him, considering how the miners had been assisted with water vaoes whether, when those in aotilod districts paid so much, the miners should go free. Their land was disappearing, and there was a loss upon every mile of extension of railway. The greatest caution should therefore be used in reducing the revenue power of the country. He spoke against an acreage tax to show that a large acreage did net always mean large wealth. If a property tax were wanted, he would support it ; but regarding a land tax, it was absurd that shares should go untaxed while the struggling farmer, with a mortgage perhaps over his farm, should be heavily taxed. His objection to an income tax was its inquisitorial character, and its object was attained by a property tax. An incomo tax was fair in principle, but in its collection it was a nuisance and an inconvenience. He was in favour of local option, if compensation was allowed to the holders of the licenses taken away. After a number of questions had been answered, a vote of thanks and confidence was passed amid some uproar and confusion by 55 to 15.