WELLINGTON LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 450, 6 August 1879, Page 3

WELLINGTON LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

(From the Evening Chronicle.) It is now of supreme importance, in View of the impending dissolution, to lose no time in forming the proposed Liberal Association for Wellington. A tneeting should be held for this purpose within a week 6f the present date. This meeting must be got up wholly by the Liberal party in Wellington ; and we think it would be advisable that none but Wellington men should adress the meeting, in order to prevent the chance of its being said that the movement was designed in the interests of any particular individual. There are in Wellington plenty of men Of the Liberal party who are thoroughly capable of explaining the ‘ 'objects of the proposed Liberal Association. Outside interference from any gentlemen, no matter how able they might be, would be likely to damage the 'cause. The programme of this Liberal Association should be—(l) a progressive land tax; (2) abolition of plural voting at local Government elections; (8) sending members of the House back to their constituents when they join a Ministry ; (4) redistribution of seats oil the basis of population ; (5) manhood suffrage ; (6), triennial Parliaments ; (7) extension of the powers of local governing bodies ; (8) Villiage settlements giviUg 20 acres of laud to each working man with a residence of seven yeax-s arid no payment till the end of the term • (9) encouragement of local industries; (10) charitable aid on a voluntary basis ; (11) payment of members ;(12) responsible government, in its fullest sense; (13) traxlslerrittgto the judges of District Courts the functions now discharged by the Suprenie Ijourtj and making the present Suprem'e

Court Judges of Appeal, who should hold sittings in all the centres of population every three months ; (14) the codification of our laws; (15) restriction of Chinese immigration ; (16) abolition of honorura of members of the Legislative Council. We agaih repeat that no time should be lost informing the association. Candinates for the forthcoming election have to be selected, and an example has to be set by the capital to the other, cities of New Zealand. Let the watchword of Liberalism, “ Organise ! organise !” first arise from Wellington to be the political death-knell of such bigoted, High Tories as Mr Brandon, Mr Hunter and all of their class throughout New Zealand.