MEETING OF THE OTERAMIKA CONSTITUENCY.

Southland Times, Issue 942, 29 April 1868, Page 3

MEETING OF THE OTERAMIKA CONSTITUENCY.

Mr Pearson met his constituency at "Woodland's, Long Bush, on Saturday. Having explained the motives of his conduct during the last session of the Council, he proceeded to inform them of his intentions at the ensuing session. He stated that during the recess he had written a letter to His Honor the Superintendent on the subject of initiating an Immigration scheme, which he read as follows : — Invercargill, 29th February, 1868. Hjb Honor the Superintendent, Southland. Sib. — Understanding you are about to proceed to Wellington, 1 would submit for your Honor's consideration the following-scheme for obtaining a fund which would enable a constant stream ol immigration to be introduced into the Province. I believe that land to the extent of 40,000 or 50,000 acres would be purchased by persons at home interested in the welfare of the Province, for the purpose of forming an immigration fund, were it distinctly understood that the funds so derived would bo applied to no other purpose, but form a perpetual fund for the introduction of nominated, and under careful supervision, assisted immigrants. Hitherto, in most Provinces, the various immigration schemes have failed, owing to the political element having been introduced. Ihus the liability of the surety to the Govern-'

ment advancing the money to introduce his friend has been excused to serve a political purpose. In fact, any Government desirous of securing support hn^ not dared to enforce the liability, sudi net on on i:s part ensuring the hostility of the person C'tinuellei to liquidate his just debt. I vouU su^e-t that to obviate this a Bo.ird of Co.nm ji'o i«-rs, sa- 1 three, should be appointed, in ii' > vvav concvrtied in politics, to administer the fun-l* r'eiT.v I from sales of land, as previously m mi imc>J, ;di 1 sue the surety should the money not bd fo :■' lviom.ng at the proper time. Unbiassed by any pj.iiio<tl feelings, untrammelled by any political gain, they could vigorously and justly perform a duty which experience has proved, not only in this Proyince, but in every other, is a most difficult and unpalatable one for a Government. The monies derived from such a fund, I would submit, should be placed in trust in the names of the Commissioners, and reinvested by bringing out more immigrants, as circumstances permitted, by which a constant and steady flow of immigration would be secured. I need hardly point out to your Honor the advantage of establishing such an inalienable fund in the Province for such a purpose, particularly in the present political conjuncture of affairs, when the possibility of a change in the form o' Government stares us in the face. As, however, such purchases would be included in the land fund, the authority of the General Government, under the present financial arrangements, would probably have to be obtained to the money so derh ed being diverted from the ordinary channel and paid into the immigration trust fund. Feeling it to be a matter of such vital importance to the future of the Province, I have ventured to trouble your Honor with these suggestions. — I have the honor to be, Sir, your Honor's most obedient servant, Waitbb H. Peakson, M.P.C. Mr Pearson proceeding, said, that ii" the Government was not prepared to take steps for the initiatien of such a scheme, i he would introduce it in the Council himself. He also stated that if we were to have democratic institutions, it was absolutely necessary to educate the people. To prevent taxing the land he thought it would be advisable to make large reserves of land for educational purposes. He had called the attention of the Government to the advisability of altering the reserves made prior to the " Southland Waste Lands Act, 1865," — for purposes of sheep travelling — into Educational Reserves. There were already upwards of thirteen thousand acres reserved for Educational purposes ; these, with the fifteen thousand acres of sheep reserves added, would make a very handsome endowment for educational purposes, which, while it would relieve the people from taxation, would also 'enable the rising generation to obtain a sufficient education to enable them to bear the responsibility of the present form of Government. He intended also to propose a large reserve for an Athenaeum. Children of an older growth required education as well, and perhaps more, than those of a younger formation ; and a properly conducted Athenaeum would conduce materially to the moral and material advantage of the community. He also intended to propose an alteration in the land regulations to the extent of shutting up from sale for fourteen years, the unsold lands at present held by the pastoral tenants in the Province. The balance of the unsold land in the Hundreds was 506,381 a. 2r. 26p., exclusive of 70,000 acres in the Longwood District, presently reserved as a goldfield j thus, there would be a sufficient quantity of Crown lands left within the Hundreds to satisfy the agricultural requirements of immigrants for many years; not to mention the large area of that escheated from the Crown — which could be purchased second-hand, or leased from the present holders. He ..... found that out of upwards of five hundred thousand acres sold, less than sixty-two thousand acres were under cultivation, according to the last census returns. It had taken upwards of ten years to achieve this, he thought therefore, that the balance of unsold land in the Hundreds, together with the unused purchased lands, was quite able to satisfy tb.e demands of agricultural settlers for the next fourteen years. Governments were like private individuals, they must have a fixed income wherewith to carry on the functions of Government, before they could determine their expenditure. Under the present system they might be in funds to-day, and have nothing tomorrow. It was useless to talk of paying the interest and sinking fund of the debtbyland sales, as wellas develop theresources of the country by the construction of roads. A million of acres of pastoral land 3 would yield at 9d an acre £37,500 a year. This would amply suffice to pay our interest and sinking fund on our debt and leave a surplus of from fifteen to seventeen thousand for road-making. The squatter could, with a certain lease, afford to improve his country by laying it down in artificial grasses, which at present he dared not do. The Province at the end of fourteen years, would come into possession of an improved estate, and at the same time be provided with means to carry out the ordinary and most important functions of colonisation. He thought that by providing a means of educating the people by large educational endowments, by providing a perpetual fund for immigration, and obtaining a certain instead of a fluctuating revenue for paying their debts and making the roads, taxation on the lands would be avoided; and of all taxes it was the worst which could be imposed in a new country. Mr Pearson then stated he was prepared to answer any questions. In reply to one on the abolition of provincial institutions he stated that what he proposed was simply to deprive the Council of its legislative powers and confine it to purely municipal ones. That every shilling of revenue derived from the Province should be expended for its benefit^ and that all patronage in it should be excercised solely by the advice and consent of its representatives in the General Assembly. If the people did not choose to return good men to tho Assembly, they ought to suffer for it ; it was a matter which rested with themselves. Immigration, education, and a sufficient revenue for our wants secured, legislation might safely be left to a distant legislature. A vote of thanks to Mr Pearson for his '

past conduct as representative of the Oteramika District in the Provincial Council, and his explanations of his intentions for the future, was carried with acclamation.