ELECTION MEETING.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 228, 14 March 1866, Page 3

ELECTION MEETING.

MR DILLON BFLL'S ADDRESS IN THE THEATRE ROYAL. On the motion of Mr. Peter Dalrymple. seconded by Mr. Johnson, Dr. Me lzies took the chair. The house was crowded to excess. The Chaibman said— ln taking the chair on this occasion it affords me great pleasure to do so at a time when one who for many years represented the County of Wallace (which scarcely is a proper description of the district of Mataura,) ■with great- benefit to the community here, and ■with great credit to himself, now desires to represent the same district. I allude to Mr. Bell, a candidate for the County of Wallace, that portion of the County of Mataura which he formally represented. I have more pleasure in proposing him, seeing that the gentlemen who is now to address you, has been conspicuous as a politician in New Zealand, during the whole time that we have had representative institutions in the country, and is thoroughly familiar with the whole history of the Nevr Zealand Colonies ; that district h*3 received so much attention at his hands, and its requirements are so well known to him. that he could advocate its interests with intelligence and with success. (Hoar, hear.) lam quite satisfied that upon one important point which at present engages very much attention, the question of Separation, that Mr. Bull will give an intelligent and intelligible account of the whole question, and so far as he gives opinions, either far or against, ha will show cause why. (Cheers.) In the various addresses which have been publicly given in this Province on that question at different times, aud ut all of which I was present, i must confess it appeared to'iue that those who pretend to give information really wanted it themselves, and professed to explain what they did not understand. I can very confidently say Mr. Bell does understand this question, and it is one of those questions which will ba the war cry in the next parliament. That question at least will be thoroughly ventilated this evening, ani on every question, I have no doabfc M.?. Ball's remarks will be received with perfect attention, and with favor. I must ask the meeting to support me as chairman in carrying out the business in an orderly m inner, and 1 now introduce Mr. Bell. Mr. Bblli on coming forward was received with prolonged cheers. He said — I desire in the first place, Dr. Menzies, to acknowledge the courteous terms in which you have received ma ; terms which are far too flattering for me to deserve, and I desire in the next place to express my thanks to those present for having done me the favor to attend this evening to hear the exposition of tho views which I shall submit to them as a candidate for the Mataura district. I hare heard it said, and I hare seen it stated in the papers here, that it was due to you, as those whose suffrages ■were being asked by any candidate, that he should appear and state fairly before you the grounds upon which he claimed your suffrages, and on which he desiredyour support. I cauuot pretend to stand before you as a man whose opinions have not been known, ani who3e pare in public affairs ha 3 not been conspicuous. That wnile as your representative and a public man over a considerable number of years, if I had not been even able to attend here to state the views which £ entertain on the public questions, I should still have felt in serving you in two parliaments, that during the3e years the views and speeches which I had g yen and delivered in my place in Parliament, would have assured you that the opinions ■which I have honestly entertained, and fearlessly expressed, would have led you to do me the honor to believe would be the opinions expressed by me in my place in the next Assembly. I cannot feel, therefore, that I appear entirely as a new candidate, called upon to submit perfectly the propositions of an untried person, and that of a person who has not hid any experience. It has been with the utmost satisfaction I have been enabled to come here to-night, because I desire no vote of any man under any mistake of what my opiuions and feelings are. 1 desire the free and independent support of those •who consider with me in opinion, and shall heartily submit to the judgment and verdict 01 those if a majority should not consider with me, and should be of opinion that I am no longer a ht person to represent you. In those years when there was for you a battle to be fought; — when you were a young community — small in number, and with little induence in the councils of the land, you did me the honor unsolicited by myself — a man personally unknown to you — did me the honor to select me to fight the battle -which had then to be fought in your cause. That I performed that duty, no one can blame me for taking the credit of having done. I did so fearlessly and truthfully. At a later time you again did me honor to select me as your representative, I believe partly prompted by the Jundly feelings you entertained lor me for the part taken by me in the past struggle; and I may venture to say although I have not frequently come down to give an account of my stewardship, although my public duties have constantly kept me away from personal intercourse with you, I may say before I a3k your votes at this coming election, I stand before you with un iniiuenee acquired in tiie second, as in the fh'3t Parliament, from the laot that I did my duty to you. No man who has lived a public Hie in the struggles which have taken place in New Zealand can fail to have made many and serious errors. I am not such a fool as to pretend that 1 hare been free from these. In looking back upon my career, I have seen where I might have taken a clearer view; but upon one point it was impossible i could be mistaken, — when your interests were at stake I never allowed anything to come in your way. if therefore it should be your pleasure to elect me to represent you in tue next Parliament, I paint to the past service 1 have done as some earnest, that when your interest are before next Parliament, you will have a. truthiul, fearless advocate in me. Now there are two points upon which I desire especially to occupy your attention for a short tiiae. One is witn reference to some past transactions, the other with reference to considerations of the future. Wuh respect to ' tho past, i desire to expiaiu one or two points in which 1 believe there has been some misapprehension, and in which it is essential for the sake of our future course that the past should be un.derstood, in order that proper intelligence may 3>e in our minds, aud in the minds of tnose who would represent you, to get them into a course that will necessarily have to be adopted in the future, in th- firsG place I would ass. your leave has been some misapprehension — theorigmai .Laud Bill to reler to a question about which 1 Know there Mr. Bell asked leave to refer to the question of the original Land Bid, and the part he was supposed to have taken la getting the price raised to £>2 an acre, and explained his course of action in regard to it. As regards the course that wa3 taken in the last session of parliament with respect to the Land Bill aud PuLlic Debt Act, I know that there is a strong feeling in regard to Due section oi that Debt Act, and which was referred to by more than one speaker as being a great injustice to Southland, that the power had been reserved to alter if necessary the terms and regulations by ■which land might be sold. I wish to show to you that you can have no conception of the enormous difficulty which had to be surmounted so as to get any settlement at all of the question in the General Assembly. Not from the want oi ■willingness to give a fair consideration to the care of Southland and her claims, but from the -absolute necessity which there was for the adjustment of the questions then pending. There was not even any backwardness on the part of jnemfeers to give a fair consideration to this .-questio&j but in order to make any effectual 'settlement which should be a real relief from the ,dimcuities impending, it was absolutely necessary ithat the other provinces should take the liability to pay off the debt in case occasion •!*hould arise. The diificulty was to get that dona — notwithstanding the desire on the part of members .«f other provinces to sympathise with Southland in. too troubles which had fallen upon her, It yns &b immensely serious thing to take upou theinaelvea ihe burden of a debt which amounted $o half a million of money, They could uot do it

power of selling land — at sometime taking the j power in tHeir own hands to manage the affairs of the Province in case a necessity arose for General Government interference. But there never was any intention then, nor has there _ ever been yet. to exercise that power to the detriment of the people of this province. I firmly believe that whether the same men ara elected, or new men from the other provinces, the exercise of that power will never take place so long as the Southland people shall desire to improve their own condition in a manly way, and work together for the removal of their financial embarasmsnt. I desire to tako this opportunity of saying that singlehanded as I was in the house, only two members, out of tnore than fifty, is a very small proportion to fight the battle, but we were helped on all sides by the friendly assistance of men whom I hardly counted on. Mr. Thomas Russell, of Auckland, Mr. Reynolds, and many other members took a very conspicuous part to try and influence the votes, and secured the aid o<" the Auckland members to support me. If therefore credit has been given to me, «;o a greater extent than I deserve, I desire to place it upon the shoulders of those representatives of this Province in the Uppsr Souse. Without the aid of Mi*. Taylor, and Dr. Meuzies, whose constant care in the management of that difficult negotiation was unremitting, iTvould have felt powerless, and no effectual relief should have been given. (Cheers.) Iz was never intended that the attempt which we then made should be the only possible settlement, ani that i; should be the absolutely linil one. The desire was upon the part of the members to tako upoa themselves the immediate liability, aui to endeavor to arrive at some plan in the course of the coming time, when the tliiiieuties and eaibavassinants of the Province might be more effectually relieved than by simply passing an act. Tho affairs of this Province must be administered and controlled for sometime in the General Assembly. I know that wuoever may be your representatives they will meet with the most earnest desire on the part of other members to assist this Province, and get you out of your troubles. (Great cheering.) Mr. Ball next gave a graphic account of the origin of the native war, and the situation in watch Aucklan I wis at that time piacei, ani the imperative necessity the people were uuissr, of defending at all hazards, and ut whatever cost, their lives ani properties. He then proceeded to say — When it is remembered that tue causa of the great outcry for political separation lias been the expense into whieii we have been dragged, we must not forget that there was the highest necessity for our assisting each other, ani that the expanse, extrd.Vii.jeut as it his bacu — even wasteful as all war expense must ba — has saved u» a repetition of tuose tragedies — tha violation of women, and the- rnurier of both woman ani children. A repetition of those tragedies that male the Nortii Islaui a place hardly possible to live in, ani has resulted at last iv our being able to have tho prospect of securing peace iv the Island, and oi aLowiug our resources again to be developed. So much for the feeling which promptad the original cry for separation, it was a money question. Tuere remains a very strong feeling on the part of a large number of people in favor of what they call separatiou. Now let us see what it is that the persons who are now advocating it intend — if they t!o mteni anything. There is a certain section of the peopie or this colony who have a perfectly clear idea, of separation, namsty, the people of Auckland, aud tue/ are the ouly people who have clearly stated it, aud have never hesitated to express it, since the time of tha removal of the Government to Wellington, and in seeking a fululmeut of that iiea. i'nac idea is cue separation, not ot' the North trona tue Jliiile Island, but the separation of Auckland from the Southern Provinces in the North, am its erection I into a separate colony. It is a perfectly plain idea. Ido not in the least find fault witu tnem in their desire for the most complete iuiependence in the management of their own affairs. There never was inaie any mistake greater than such a mistake as I saw male last ntguc in one of tae speeches addressed to tha meeting — that the North Island wants to separate. Auckland wants to separate ; but Wellington, Tarauaki, ani the southern prounces m the North island are, to <* man, against it. When you, therefore, ask for the separation of the islands, what is it you propose to yourselves as regards the North island ? You propose to force Taranaki, Hawk's Buy and Wellington to a measure they hate, and which, to a man, they are against, is that the course which you intend to take ? To subject those three Provinces to the dominion of Auckland, instead of leaving them to remain as they are. The proposal which has beeu made by Auckland has been resisted by the three other Provinces of the North, and the three Northern Provinces of the Middle island, i'he Otago proposal was equally rejected by the other Provinces of the Middle, and by the three Southern Provinces of the North island. You cannot persuaie either parts to change. When therefore we talk of a political separation, we taik in the face of a perfect impossibility, it has been attempted over and over again, aud the attempt has enied in 'allure. Exactly the same thing must occur over anu over again. Wiiat Auckland wants to do is to be rescueJ from what she c >iis the dominion of the South. What the Southern Provinces of the iNortti island are saying is, we are nob going to submit to the demand oi Auckland. As respects ihe North Island, the representatives of those three Souiheru froviacos aave always said, we won't submit to the chauge — we shall right against it. eSo far as regards tue North island, the colonists of Auckland have a. perfectly clear aim. JL'ne colonists of tae Soutuern Provinces have au equally clear aim, and these aims are antagonistic. So far as regards the Provinces of the Middle island, a. nuuioer of politicians propounded a plan lor separation. Tne moment tney propounded it, wauceroury said, we don't intend to have anything of tiiac sort — we won't separate. i'ue atago politicians uhauged their tactics, and revei'itsd to anocuor plan antagonistic to separation. A plau to give an enormously increased power to Provincial Croverumeuts. it is snnpiy a tight for,power. We are tue people tht»tare interested — we are the people wnose position is most nearly touched, it is not the large, tha poiveriul Provinces — it is the small ones, taat have got a small number of representatives. Hitherto the small provinces have always held a large balance of power , and that power Uas been given to control me action of tiie more powerful Provinces, it there were political separation, the wffuut would be to swallow up the luiluence and power of the s.iialler .f rovmces. Would that be a benefit, to aestro-y the uiilueuce wuicuis at preseut exercised in the Parhauieut by the representatives of the smaller Provinces ? There was another plan proposed, which i think has a gieat foundation of wisdJin in it. The proposal, namely, to have a political separation ot cue two islands, and sweep away all Provincial Governments. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) That is a, plan which has got a great uumber of arguments iv its favor, and lrequently when 1 have been called upon, I have not hesitated to express my opmion. I have stated very strongly iv favor of tuat proposal m theory, but there is one cardinal diliiuuity in the way. You cannot get people to taKe an interest in things iv districts, and wants and local requirements of districts which are situated far from ihe centre oi population aud legislative power. The danger is, mat if you had a new Government for the Middle Island, and irjvincial «ck>vernments swept away, you would have a similar expenditure oi public money round a centre for tue benefit of that centre, exactly the same result which caused the separation of Southland from Otago — the taking away of the .Land i'und of the outlying districts for the sake of the land around the capital of the country. I do not know how you aie to avoid this, unless you make human nature very different from wnat it is, Tiie temptation to maKe tiie expenditure near the capital is so great, and the power of metropolitan members is always so great, that unless .you can instil a greater amount of pubho spirit in this country — where public spirit abounds — (a iaugh)r— you camiot got tha beneiit you would eeek. in my place iv Parliament i have ever been an unswerving advouato oi tue rights ol the outlying districts j in company Wife 0% \ftty M?\ ftWty $f\ &*?» $&

many others, we formed ourselves into a combination for the maintenance of the rights of these outlying districts. We have never been able to succeed in inducing the Governments of the large Provinces to see there was any justice in our advocacy ; at Oainaru, the Otago Government spent more "than £ 100,00 J. Oamaru says she never had a fraction. At Timavu, in "the Canterbury Province, they also spent £180,000. They have not seen a fraction of it. A miserable dole, handed out to them as sops to Cerberus, whenever the Councils of the day saw there was a cry got up for the' maintenance of tb.B' rights of the outlying districts Thi3 is thing a that is constantly spoken of in the House of Representatives. How is this state of matters to be redressed ? The land revenue should be absolutely localized by law. The fund subscribed by the purchase of laud by any one particular district should, subject to fair deduction for the expenses of government, ba absolutely devoted to the requirements of that particular district. Yet we never could get this distinct right of the outlaying districts settled, ; defined, and admitted. Those who have gone in favor of separation will be met by the absolute refusal to be separated by six provinces out of the nine. And there is the danger that even if you hal the separation of the islands at the present moment, and a government of that kind substituted, the powerful action there would be at the centre of government would entirely destroy the right of the less powerful districts— would prevent them having the use of their revenues. The main cause of the strong feeling in favor of separation is the expense of the war — the three milion loan and othar imposts in which the resources of the colony have beau engaged and wasted to a great extent. But there is soanboiy quite outside of us who has got to say something iv this. Thai-a is an outside creditor for about four million sterling, aud who is to pay the bill ? The Imperial Government don't mean to pay it. Thay will tell you, one minister after another. My good friend ; it is very hard ? We know you have had all sorts of troubles to contend with, but you have got a fiaa territory and you will have to pay the debt yourself. We have to consider ths ' outside creditor's views, an. l who is to pay before the equitable adjustment can be made. When we want up last session, the Auckland equitable adjustment of the Three Million Ljan was this, that Auckland should pay £18o,0JJ towards it. We said that is a ridiculously 'small sum. They said it has boen wasted ; wa never had it. The whole of us resisted this allocation. At the same time, when it came to be enquired into, tha Auckland people hal a great show of justice on their side, an i we sail, you have got a general, and twenty thousand men regiments which have displayed upon their colors tha lustre of tha British arms, you havi> the 57th, 7*Jth, 55th, and 6<3th, tha crack regimauts, you had the crack regiments of the war. Aye, but what did they do ? Wj never were sale, we are not sate now ? You have not done any of those things you promised. Everybody said in is tne government's fault, but mjst people were disposed to scratch their heads, aud say it could n<»t be helped. We dii'nt exact,!/ know what to do. Wnen this war was commenced a man that had served his country with honor, as brave as a lion — a Christian gentleman and a soldiar, I remember his saying to me, let me have one Hundred men, and the Maories will never face the bayonet. Not very long after that General Cameron said he had never seen anything more splendid than the devotion of tha warriors of tha native raae. We found thay were not the miserable savages we had taken them to be. They ware skilful engineers. A givat deal better thin we were aDle to produce. They made their pahs so skilfully, that with ail our skiu we could not taue them. Yet notwithstanding this result I know that the animal courage of tha .British soldier is more than a match for them. It was proved however that we had miserably miscalculated — excepting perhaps a few who had been for many years in constant communication with them and knew their power and their resources. Except these few tha vast majority had miserably miscalculated. Therefore whan we used the argument that so small a sum should be charged against Auckland, tha province had a, just right to say — it is verj'true you have spentthe money, but in wuat way ? Wuy should we have our homes rooted up undar our eyes, merely for the sake of contractors who were sinking tha money in the: streets ? No doubt a vast amount of this money did get into the hands of t.iose contractors and did no sort of good to the country, but the settlers, tha country settlers, did sutler and they would be tue paople that would have to pay. The otnars had filled their pockets, and, (iv tne anguage of a gentleman yesterday at the hustings, had skedaddled. (Lauguser.) vVhen instances of tnis kind are put iv the Assembly, I should like to know from those who use tha word separation as a great watch cry wnat would thay say about paying tha bill. It is tha greatest diificuity that tuore is. At the present m.»mant tnara is no dhfiauity, because we pay in proportion to the wealth and population and ravenua Each province knows that it cannot be changed now. M"ou know wuat your share is in a time ol prosperity if you pj,y largely j in a tuna oi adversity, such as uas overtaken you, you pay less. If Auckland gets her Customs iieveuue increased sue pays more, and so on. Every man knows when ha represents a place in L'arliitmaut exactly what is its iiabuity whenever the question is raisod. lam thus tryiug to snow you what the diificuities are in tlie way of Separation. J£ven wave you to got over the^e difiiauitios tiitsre is still a little outside question remains to be settled bafore it is ror us to say — " 1 will have Separation " — na>'e nure nuney to spend here, Ac. ; but aaparacion is unlikely. if we had political .Separation the presant moment the chances or rather the certainty is, that instead of having a pro rain habiuty, we should have a permanent ouarge up >n tua Middle island for halt or ilia wiiole, ana the jSortu island would go soot free. vVtj are ail ol us responsib c, and I have no wish to shirk my responsiouity. VVnen we impose a tnis .heavy liability it was with the distinct promise, statement, and understanding that a certain large proportion of the territory wui>;h the rebels naa, should be confiscated aud be used for the expenditure which we incurred. I told them that England would not gat the money. Tney could not sell the laud, and their scheme of territory was a humbug irom beginning to end. JtJut ac me same nmo id was a UistiucD understanding u,nd settlement in the i'aae of tha paople and representatives. It was distinctly engaged in by Mr. VVhitaker, by E>aader Wood, Treasurer, and bj Air. Eox, Minister for .Native Aifairs. They, one alter another, distinctly promised that tuis land chould be held to pay the loan and liability which we knew we were uxing upou the people of the Islands. That promise has gone to the winds. Last Session i tried in vain to gat a hearing on tlie 'claim to get the confiscated lauds sold, to Da&e £1 an acre, 10s, ss, take anything that could be got. The people in the North isiaua said— ii you lake our lands what is left ? if you sail tha lands we have not got anything to bring out people, i'lie end of it was that it was agreed tuat tlie confiscated iands shouid oe given to the provinces il they paid hali'-a-orown au acre for it. iiut now we find that since Parliament has met the con fiscated lands have oeen Handed over to the ProvmciaijGovernmeut of Auciiand without t-ie payment oi 2s b"d, and thay have had a great deal of money given them, to colonise it. A promise to colonise these very iands wliich shouid have been sold for repaying these enormous burdens upon the country. When, therefore, you come, supposing you were to get a political Separation of Due two Islands, and attempt to make an equitable adjustment, consider that these lands are gone, and according to the land regulations, they give it away to incoming people. At Wellington tney have parted with tna greater part of their territory. The burden would have to be taken upon the Middle island. Mr. Macand^ew proposed to take the whole burden upon the Middle island. The Middle island members Baid, wo would rather do anything tnanhuya that constant uebt liaugiug Ofer us. (Hoar, hear.) I do see, nowever, notwithstanding all the diuioulties winch nave occured in the past, it is possible to let the ji/roviuces of Auckland and Wellington come to un agreement to let them iiuve tue luturo maaage-

the same time to five ourselves from any further lhmlities. There is a plan which can be proposed, an^ after that can. be effected it will reqtl're not merely the most careful considera--tiou and calculation of their respective rights, but above allj-htngs that the interests of the smaller provinces should be watched and protected. If, gentlemen, the affairs of Southland had been in that condition when the G-eneral Government no longer interfered with them, I should not myself venture again to ask for your suffrages. My earnest desire would be to retire from public life after twenty-five years service, and to devote myself to thoss pursuits which in one sense s.re still as interesting and much more profitable to me. But there are these questions which require the experience and the knowledge and the influence, may I use the word influence ? (cheers) which i 3 gained by a man who has served his country for a number of years. These are questions to which a public man is bound to give atteation. I point out these difficulties, and I state the plan -which coald be pursued mainly because I urged these facts in favor of my own claim to be quite independent of any past service .vhich it may have been my good fortune to give. I urge it as your interest for the discussion and management of these questions that men should be able to take an intelligible part. Therefore I want you to understand this, that if you should do me the honor to return mo 10 serve in the next Parliament, I should, in the future as in the past, still refuse to be a party to any plan by which the consciences and the will of a large number of the Provinces of .New Zealand should be forced into a government ot" which they disapprove of. I should desire to propose a [nan by whbh an adjusuneut could be miie without tha political severance of the Islands, and the undoing of the work ©f the ia3C twenty-five years. (Ljul cheers.) Allow me to dwell for one inomiut still further. The inai point in the consideration of political separation has been this : We live under a constitution vvnich has been granted to us by the Imperial Governtne it, and in which the colony ha 3 been enabled to maintain its institutions, and we know that man who coma over from England or Australia give us honor and credit for the use of the power placed in our hands. The united colony does its postal, commercial, and legislation. Will any one who is an advocate of political separation inform me how that work is to be done if the Legislation is separate. I am perfectly well aware of the truth stated by Air. Wood in reference to Victoria and Queensland. It has been found possible to carry on these arrangements with perfect advantage to themselves ; but we have already seen wliat the hostile riouto Australia and New South Wales have done upon the Murray when they c&ina to clash with each other. It would be perfectly absurd for the inter-provincial steamers to be ooliged to have fresh duties at the ports of the North Island. ITor some purposes or another souu confederation of power would have to be maintained. Then you would have all the expense of another government without the advantage which you get uuder the preseut system. We have come.to that time that theexpenses are growing at so enormous a rate that instead of tryiug to increase them we should endeavor to decrease them. In whit position were the States of America before tlie declaration of Indepedence ? With a population of three millions, their governmental expenses did not excesd £I6j,(X)J a year. The expanses of our Government is — I am afraid toiny how much. Unless you knock all the Provincial Governments on the head at the same time, you would lind that the political separation of the Island would be only adding a double ixjueral Government instead of a single one. sVnen public opinion is ripe for that great change — and the tiinj will coins — for the extinction of tha Provincial Govemmants, then you will be aole to have two Governments. .But before that you will require to have el.ctric telegraphs, railways, iuered.3ad cultivation, and interchange of sentiment, tvnich hardly exist at present. jSut it will nob do while public optn.ou is not settled; wh.de you cannot gut the rignts ot the outlying districts admitted. It wul not do to precipitate too hastily the course of ad'airs in that direction, i'uese are the views which I entertaiu on the question of separation. • I trust.'! have-been abie do make them sutticiently clear. (Loud cheers.) \Vith regard to the financial difficulties of this province, it was not intended last session that the arrangement Hut was made should be an absolutely final one. When Mr. Wold's Government weut out, we were in this predicament, Mr. Stafford threatened to dissolve the pariiainant without making any settlement. We uad to do most of it in a great hurry. < The creditors must be secured, and this because, if the honor of Southland were tarnished, the whole of our fair name in England and elsewhere is involved ; unless with the Ghmeral Government fairly doing it and in the way that is most beneficial. There will therefor* be a great deal of work in the next session in fair settlement of ths liability which tha General Grovernment has taken upon itself. I shall if returned do my Oest to assist in giving a settlement to the banks. Tne Bank of New

Zaaland, Otago, tic, should be presently settled. ■So that yon might be free of being indebted to your bankers. This is a ihing that can only be dona by a careful calculation of rights and duties, but I wisji to say that if it would be necessary to supplement the legislation of last session by any fresu legislation which should be necessary to more effectually secure the public creditor I shall assist in a course that should be satisfactory to yourselves. There is a very stroug feeling throughout the Islands, that in some shape or form we must, restore Southland to the prosperity which she hau and ought to have. We were unable last session to do this eifaotualiy. In concert with the meinber3 of the other Provinces, 1 do not think there will be any difficulty in taking such measures to restore her credit. I know that there is nothing which can possibly be more galling to man tnan that sense of having had to

go before the Greneral Assembly aud ask them to assist you out of a condition of next door to rum. The strongest argument I used, and which they could not answer, was that the main blame, was the actual cost, which though allowed, the ixeneral (3-overnment was at least equally to blame in the hard measure they had dealt to the Provinces ; you must bear this in mind, and if you go to the House of Representatives on the jue hand with the cry that you arc going to separate the Island, and then going to ibree vVditington, Xaranaki Hawke's -Bay, &c, into an an willing alliance, while on the other hand you are asking the whole colonists to take cnarge of your debt, it will not succeed. Either be willing aud able tj rely entirely upon your own resources ani tjbie a clear position ; or if you findj as you nave f junJ, that from some cause it was absolutely necessary tliat you should appeal to the whole colony to restore you to the prosperity which must come to chis part of the colony, you must not consider it fair when you go to the wnole colony to say, we are going to join this section ior a particular political purpose, to force the consciences of others. Une reason why they hare listened to my statements in rhe nouse is that they have been well iiWiiw that I never have been willing to sacrifice the whole colony to the particular service of a friend or party. My reputation is dear to me, dearer to me than any particular measure. It is by securing the services of men who will devote tui-insblves to public ail'uirs, and who are able by iniependedce of n.eans and education, and are willing to take part iv the discussion of tnooe questions tnat we can best fulfil the requirements of the representative institutions we enj oy. (Loud cheers.) La3t evening Mr. \Vood was repeating a newspaper reporc of what had taken place in the Provincial Council of Utago with reference to annexation. He expressed his su -prise that nobody had got up and^contradicted, a statement made to the etfectj that if a. proposal were made to re-aunex, it would receive the unanimous support of every man, woman, aud child here. I have not been very remiss generally when Southland ailairs were concerned, i did not say a word upon th.it occasion, because a number of members had got particular views. They made up their minds mac tliey would carry a particular plan instead of £>ep<u\irion. A new iorni of Q-ovcrnment, by which the small Provinces wore to be swallowed UP, W& ferp Ifflffl f^Sj $ $9 )P§^ Psk

I They appointed a committee from which j they carefully excluded me, and also Major i Richardson — we were known to hold opposite opinions. Not one, but at least a dozen members got up and said they would like to hear what Mr. Bell and the Major had got to say to that. I raid you can't draw two old grey badgers like us. You packed that committee, and would not give us a chance. We won't open our mouths. You may have all the schemes that you like. We will just hold our tongues — and we did. We shall take the voice of the people in this matter — they are the "best judges. If I were returned I should resist any plan for annexation, except on the demand of the people themselves. And now, gentlemen, I have done. I express my readiness to answer any questions which may be put. If there is any point which I have not made clear, I shall be most happy to make it as clear as I can, Should you not consider me a proper person to represent you I shall retire willingly and shall entertain the most kindly feeling towards you. If, on the other hand, you should send me to take my place in Parliament as your representative, I can make no promise out this, that as in previous sessions , so in this, I shall do my utmost to promote your interests. Mr. Bell, who had been listened to throughout with the most marked attention and frequently applauded, resumed his seat amidst loud applause. The CHA.mji4.Jf then requested that any gentlemen who. had any questions to ask would do so. No -fresh questions being asked, Mr. Peter Dalyrymple proposed Mr. Dillon Bell as a fit and proper person to represent the Mataura district in the ensuing session of the General Assembly. The motion was seconded by Mr. John Hare, and carried with acclamation. A vote of thanks having been tendered to Dr. Menzies for his conduct in the chair, the meeting terminated.