PUBLIC MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 1146, 13 October 1869, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

MB CALDER AT THE THEATRE ROYAL. On Monday evening, 11th inst., there was a large gathering of citizens at the Theatre Koyal to hear Mr Calder express his opinions on the political questions of the day, in view of his nomination as one of the candidates for the representation of the town in the next Provincial Council. On the motion of Mr T. M. Macdonald, seconded by Mr Toe hack, Mr James Wilson (late Speaker) was called upon to preside. The chairman, in bespeaking a patient hearing for Mr Calder and others who might take part in the proceedings, trusted the electors would deal with points brought forward, and with questions arising at the conclusion of the address, with that calm seriousness which their importance demanded, and not allow levity to distract their attention. Mr Calder then dtood forward, and delivered an »ble speech of over an hour's

duration. The limited sgace at Oiyr didposaii however, necessitates dvi 1 placing it before our readers in the following condensed form : — .He said he had been obliged to meet the electors in the position of a candidate much earlier than he had seme time ago anticipated. "When the question for the appointment of delegates to consider the basis of re- union was before^;, the late Council, the expectation of tKe House was thai; the matter would again come before it with the commissioners' report, in terms of the resolution, but the extraordinary action taken, in procuring the dissolution of the Council immediately upon its prorogation, had frustrated that intention. It was his firm belief that the prorogation wns effected for the purpose of forestalling the report. Happily, in his opinion, the commissioners had come j down sooner than was expected, and their } proposals were now, through the Press, before the people. His purpose in coming forward was not so much to seek reelection, as to lay before the public the real state of the country, and his intimate knowledge of, and connection with, the management of the province, enabled him to do this, and he was convinced not one-third of the people knew the true state of the case. He had, however, to solicit che indulgence of his hearers for any incoherency or imperfections which might j be observable in his remarks, as he had not had time to fully prepare his notes. He remembered separation, and the starting of the province on its career of political independence. It was a fair start, and promised a glorious future. The first Council comprised the pith of , the population, aad at the head of affairs was placed what was supposed to be the master-mind of the Province. He (Mr C.) had been requested to accept a seat in the first Council, but declined because he had no confidence in the administrative ability of the gentleman likely to be Superinbendant. In that gentleman's personal honor and purity of character he had, as everyone had, the utmost confidence, and in connection with all of evil that subsequently transpired, he believed that no one individual in the Province stood freer of the slightest taint or suspicion of personal aggrandizement than Dr Menzies. (Great cheering.) The Province fairly launched on its own resources, however, what he (Mr C.) had apprehended very soon came to pass, and so rapid was her career of extravagance, that in four years thereafter the bailiffs seized the Government buildings for debt. There lay the whole evil, the accumulation of an enormous debt at an early period. Money had been spilt like water, and from the effects of that recklessness the Province never had, and, in his opinion, never would recover without the assistance of Otago. An immediate consequence of indiscriminate expenditure was the collection in Southland of charlatans and schemers Pm.v^* l/l*v Aiv/i^lil^virixipf pv^vuiOOO Alia colonies. These, attracted like vultures by the carrion, found here a fit field for their operations, and hence such undertakings as the North Road baulkway, embankments across estuaries, and wooden railway abortions. To meet the demands of those, a change, which had not proved beneficial, was made in the land laws, and thus commenced that system of expedients, to stave off what was called political suicide, which had continued ever since. All shifts had now failed, and the country was at a standstill. The great question now was — how to get relief without destroying our prospects forthe future development of the country? To master the first point raised in the question was not difficult, but to solve the two points in combination was no easy matter, except in one way. Land sufficient to pay our debt conld no doubt be sold if forced, but it would be sold in such a manner as would for ever destroy all hopes of its further settle- ] ment. If the land passed into the hands of a few capitalists, who would stay here \ while life and hope teemed in other j districts and countries ? He had calmly considered the whole matter, was full/ conscious of the responsibility involved in decision, and could come to no other conclusion than that the only way out of our difficulties was to unite once more with the great, prosperous, and powerful province of Ofcago (cheers). Having fully made up his mind on this point, he would thank electors who differed from him thereon, but who might for other reasons wish to see him in the Council, not to vote for him, as unless he were returned on this question, he did not wish to be returned at all — he had no desire to waste any more time in futile attempts to prolong what was falsely called " our position of id dependence." Mr Calder then sketched out our present position, and referred at length to some of the proposed remedies, selecting Dr Menzies' address to the electors for special com. ment, not, he said, on acconnt of political hostility, past or present, between himself and that gentleman, but because Dr Menzies might be looked upon as the exponent of the views of the anti-re-union party. The proposal to float a loan on the security of the railways, he considered chimerical, both on account of the improbability of its bei"g taken up on such questionable security, and of the difficulties in the way of at. tempting it, in the face of the suspension of the borrowing powers of the provinces. The idea of extending the lines to increase their value was also absurd ; where was the money to come from to do it with ? A great deal had been said about *' putting our shoulders to the wheel," and he believed people were willing to do so, but where was the wheel ? Not one word had been said to show in what the wheel consisted. W^th reference to the proposal to raise the status of the Council, as a means to extricate the province, he did not anticipate much good from that source. The last Council had very fairly represented the intelligence and enterprise of the people, and would compare favorably with any former one. He did not believe any

assistance would be obtained frotri tli(|- v: General (ioyeiruineilk If 1 Mr . StaflFbi^dl^-^ w"ho was favorable to f ttjd| shiaHiprovinces^t aud disliked Otaigo's powder, a*-%" sistance when requested, hqw could it beeipec;t^tha^heK^;iMiaiat| i y would be more favorable ? iffe; was ntttj : asking the people of Southland to join. a province weak and helpless like itself, but to link their fortunes to. a .province which in everything pertaining ±- to material and social progress, stood aCthe head of the whole provinceß«»of»New^ Zealand. Mr Calder then ran over and commented upon the proposed terms for re-union, characterising them as liberal, favorable to Southland, and honorable to Otago, ...and . ej- . pressed himself emphatically as per* fectly satisfied of the good faith of Otago in keeping the terms. Moreover, as the terms would be embodied in a Bill passed , by the Assembly, they would be unalterI able unless with the consent of both contracting parties. While satisfied of the benefits we would gain by annexation, he was also aware that Otago would likewise ultimately reap advantages of much value. We had, no doubt, great resources within our borders, which we were totally unable to develope. Otago' s wealth and power would utilize themforus, andthusatoneeenrich both herself and us. The feeling in the Assembly against Otago he could account for only by attributing it to that natural envy which weak and unsuccessful people generally felt towards their more energetic and prosperous neighbors. If Otago was powerful in the Assembly, the benefit of being joined to her was thereby enhanced, as in fighting for herself she would then also be fighting for us. Referring to a remark of Dr Menzies, implying a want of spirit in the merchants here, in being outsold by the Dunedin people so close to their own doors as the Mataura, he (Mr C.) said Dr Menzies in that displayed an ignorance of the laws ruling trade. The fact was not due to .want of enterprise in the merchants Here, but to the position of advantage held by the Dunedin merchants, who, doing business on a much larger scale, could both conduct it at less cost, and command better markets — they could go direct to the producers — to China for their tea, Mauritius for their sugair, and so forth. With regard to the charge that the re-unionists were cravens who had not courage to fight the battle out, he could only reply that be saw nothing to fight for, and, considering it useless to prolong a hopeless struggle, when an honorable and advantageous way out of our difficulties was open to us, he thought it quite as courageous boldly to avow a change of opinion, and advocate a course of policy which he considered true wisdom. To continue the fight would only sink us deeper in the mire. In conclusion, he felt convinced the hand held out for our help was a friendly one, and that the opportunity thus offered— he said it with all the solemnity he could command — seemed brought about by a higher power, and we should calmly and seriously consider before we rejected such a generous offer. Mr Calder resumed his seat amidst cheers. An Elector — If Otago is in such good circumstances, how do you account for her trying ,to borrow £50,000 at last session of the Assembly, and her being refused ? Mr Calder— Otago wished to borrow that for particular works, and offered ample security for it. An Elector — Do you think Otago politicians so very generous that they will give us everything without corresponding advantages ? Mr Calder — If I was an Otago politician I would decline the match. An Elector — Why not sell our lands and impose a tax on non-occupiers to make roads. Mr Calder — Such a course would put the land, into the hands of a few, and there would be no necessity for roads into an unpeopled country. An Elector — Why did you not como forward sooner to stem the torrent when you saw the province drifting to ruin ? Mr Calder — I did come forward. I have always been forward. I have always been in opposition to schemes of extravagance. I was against the railway from the first, and only supported the last contract to make the previous outlay valuable. Mr Osborna — Do you mean if the land sold readily it would stop settlement? Mr Calder— Yes, if forced the land would go into the hands of a few squatters. Mr Osborae — Do you think the present Land Bill tends that way ? Mr Calder — Unfortunately it does. Mr Osborae — That Bill was introduced by the ministry of which you were a member, was it not ? Mr Calder — Yes, as a desperate remedy I for pressing embarrassments. A number of other questions were put and answered, after which Mr Kinross moved, and Mr D. Smyth seconded : — " That, in the opinion of this meeting, Mr Calder is a fit and proper person to represent an Invercargill constituency in the next Provincial Council." On a show of hands being taken, there were very few dissentients.