MEETING AT WALLACETOWN.

Southland Times, Issue 609, 24 December 1866, Page 2

MEETING AT WALLACETOWN.

A meeting of the settlers in the Northern districts was held at, Mr Pelling's Hotel, Wallacetown, on the afternoon of Thursday last. There having been a sale of cattle, &c, previous to the meeting, caused a large muster of farmers and others who attended for both objects. The meeting was very orderly, and the business was conducted with great earnestness. Mr Peter Dalrymple occupied the chair. The Chairman explained at considerable length the objects of the meeting. He said they were all aware that several meetings had been held by the settlers on the East-road. At their first meeting it was moved that a deputation should wait upon his Honor the Superintendent to try if there were no means of raising money to improve the roads. The depution did wait upon his Honor, but they were told that the Government had no money. Proposals had been made for constructing a i*ailway to the Mataura. At the meeting held in September the question of railways and tramways was very warmly discussed, when a resolution in favor of metal roads was carried. Several other meetings were held both in town" and country. At the meeting held on the 19th November last, it was moved by Mr Stone that they should form themselves into a society to be called the Southland Association, tt was considered desirable that the whole of the settlers in the province should take an interest in this matter. [Mr Dalrymple here read the rules of the Association, whichhave already appeared in bur columns.] These were the rules of the society. Thia was the first meeting held under the regulations. Mr Dalrymple then went on to show that the liabilities of the Province up to the end of (September last amounted to £327,220 5s 3d with 18 month's interest at 8 per cent., £45,266 Bs, and the Province's proportion of the New Zealand Company's debt, as allocated by the Otago and Southland Public Debt Apportionment Act, 1861, £18,000 ; showing the total liabilities of the Province to be, at that date, £440,486 13s 3d. Some of the assets, namely, Loans to the Town Board and Immigrant's Bills, he (Mr Dalymple) would write down as desperate. At the last meeting at Wellington, the GTeneral Government was asked to advance money to make a railway to the Mataura. The General Government won't give any land for any purpose, not even 10,000 acres for general purposes, until the debt is paid. We needn't expect any more land from the General Government; they don't hold out any hope — they don't deceive us, they distinctly say, " Tou will get no more land," and what hays we got to make railways? Mr Dalrymple then went on to contrast the large amount expended on local Government with the almost insignificant sum devoted to public works, showing that the former amounted to .£11,374 15s 9d, and the latter to £1173 8s Id ! He (Mr Dalrymple) was now coming to retrenchment ; that was the pith of his long tale. Instead of our local Government costing upwards of .£22,700 per annum, he believed it could be efficiently performed for .£7OOO ! He believed he had explained his mission to them. He asked if the local Government could not be carried on for less than .£22,700; it was for them to take that matter iuto consideration. He would be happy to answer any questions which might be put. Mr Haywaed asked if there was no land likely to come to hand to make roads, was it likely that any money would come without land ? Mr Dalrymple said the gentleman had just reminded him of something he had neglected to mention to them — where does the money come from ? We get three-eighths of the Customs receipts, pilot fees, licenses, &c, which amount to about .£24,000 or .£25,000 ayear — the only money we have to depend on. The General Government distinctly told us we would get no more to expend upon roads. They would tell us, " You have got your licenses, &c. ; you make such a bad hand of that that you come to us and ask for more." Mr Hayward thought, according to his rough calculation, they were paying about £4 15s 9d a-head for roads, and they got none. Mr Grieve asked the Chairman what he wanted? The Chairman — Ketrenehment. Mr Grieye — How are you to do it ? The Chairman — By appealing to the Provincial Council, which meets next month. The Chairman then said as there were no other questions asked, he would call upon Mr Kinross to address the meeting. Mr Kinross, who was received with loud applause, made some preliminary remarks as to his attending the meetings of the East-road Committee. He then went on to show that the Government bad lost neaily .£2OOO by the steamer Southland, and that they were losing at the rate of £ 1200 a year by worki^Hhe railway. The Council voted <£200 for prfnting, but the Government instead of spending .£2OO only, had paid considerably over .£6OO ! It was worth wbile to pay a paper for its support, and they had done so handsomely. Mr Kinross then went into, several items of expenditure, and showed where reductions might be made in salaries and the services of a great number of officials entirely dispensed with. Captain Thomson followed. He deprecated the idea of taxation ; and said they would not have needed retrenchment if the settlers had looked after their own interests. He was for retrenchment himself; and he held that one good man down here could perform the duties of Superintendent, Railway Engineer, and half-a-dozen other jobs besides. Capt, Thomson then read an extract from a Dunedin paper with reference to the work performed by Mr Thomson, the Chief Surveyor of Otago, as also several extracts from a report by that gentleman on roads, &c. He (Capt. Thomson) concluded by

remarking that the Oreti line ought to be ballasted and laid down as a tramway. If they said anything about the old government, be would ask if the present government had not done any mischief? The new government seemed to be as bad as the old. Mr Ftcaser remarked that a horse would draw more on a good gravel road than on any tramway. Mr Tosttack asked if any plan had been proposed to make roads. People were begining to say that the settleTS were doing nothing. It was all talk and no work. He would move the following resolution : — " That, with a view to provide a fund to assist in repairing and maintaining the main lines of road, this meeting is of opinion that a land tax at the rate of one penny an acre should be levied on all lands of the province — sold and unsold." He (Mr Toshack) would like to have the opinion of the meeting on this resolution. The area of the province was 2.700,000 acres. This would bring in about £11,000; and of that amount the government would have to pay about £8000. Mr Blaikie seconded the resolution. Mr Russell considered that the settlers would require to have greater confidence in the government before they submitted to be taxed, and he thought it would be injudicious, in the present depressed state of the colony to resort to further taxation. He would therefore move an amendment to that effect. Captain Thomson seconded the amendment. He said it required no brains to tax the people. Mr Wilson, M.P.C. entered upon the subject at great length. In the course of his remarks he said that it was only by coming to taxation they would feel and take an interest in how the money had been expended. He thought it was the duty of the representatives to meet the people and hear their feelings y. he said it was the duty of every member of Council to see into these matters. He looked upon the appointment of a Protincial Harbor Master as a job. Asiong as they had the Provincial system these things would exist. If the abuses of the system are so great, sweep away the system altogether. Mr Wilson said the country was of no use without roads; He concluded by supporting the motion. Mr Kinross thought that sufficient money could be saved out of the revenue of the Province to make roads. Let the; Government make main lines and let the settlers make the district roads. Mr Stone said that, as a member of the Association, he felt bound to resist any attempt at further taxation. He was opposed to direct taxation. Mr Toshack considered it the duty of the Government to exercise the' most severe retrenchment; and he would be happy if Mr Kinross would show him how the £6000 could be saved. He did not approve of the penny an acre as a permanent tax. Get the roads made and then put on tolls. Mr Toshack's motion was declared carried on being put to the vote. Mr Russell, in proposing the following resolution, severely criticised the unwarranted expenditure of the present Government on sinecure offices : — "That this meeting considers the question of retrenchment the most important one that can be discussed at the present time, and requests the members of Council, to consider such question as of paramount importance. Mr John Wilson seconded the resolution, which was curried unanimously. The business of the meeting afterwards assnmed a conversational nature, which resulted in Mr Wilson proposing the following resolution, and which he introduced in a very able manner, but pressure on our space prevents our reporting his remarks on this subject : — " It is the opinion of this meeting that a continuation of the present very expensive system of General and Provincial Governments, not harmoniously working together, but often directly opposed to each other, is injurious to the general interests and material prosperity of the colonists and advancement of this portion of New Zealand. That for the future good government of the Middle Island, it is expedient that a financial and insular separation should be effected between North and South, and that the Middle Island be constituted a new colony, with the establishment of one central government for the general direction of public affairs and the abolition of Provincial Governments." Mr Stone seconded Mr Wilson's resolution. He thought this was really lay ing the axe to the root of the tree. The resolution was unanimously carried, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings.

KdCGS AST) PSINCES " ON THE RETIRED List." — A G-erman journal gives a list of dethroned princes who now live in different parts of Europe. First there is Don Miguel, dethroned in 1830, who resides in Germany, having married a German princess ; next the Count de Chamberd, in exile since 1830, residing generally in Austria. With him may be joined the Orleanist princess, who reside mostly in England. Leopold and Ferdinand of Tuscany. Francis Y. of Modena, and Robert of Parma were driven from their states in 1859. The first three reside in Austria, the last in Switzerland. The following year Francis 11. was sent to increase the list of retired kings. In 1862 King Otho of Greece was driven from his throne. King George of Hanover, the Elector Fredrick "William oi Hesse, and Duke Adolph of Nassau have been just added to the list, which may further be augmented by the addition of Prince Couza, who now resides in Paris, and the Prince of Augustenburg, whc now Jives in Bavaria.