RE-UNION WITH OTAGO.

Southland Times, Issue 1173, 29 November 1869, Page 3

RE-UNION WITH OTAGO.

Mr Calder, pursuant to notice, moved the following series of resolutions : — 1. " That the report of the Commissioners appointed on behalf of t he respective provinces of Otago and Southland, for the purpose of arranging a basis of union of these two provinces, be adopted." 2. " That the Council, being of opinion that the terms of the proposed union, as contained in the above-mentioned report, are equitable to both provinces, considers that a union of the two provinces upon these terras should take place." 3. " That copies of these resolutions be transmitted to His Honor the Superintendent, with a request that he will be pleased to cause steps to be taken, in conjunction with the Government of Otago, to obtain the introduction into the- General Assembly, at its first ensuing session, of a Bill to effect the proposed union." 4. " That copies of these resolutions, and of the above-mentioned report, be forwarded to the Honorable the Colonial Secretary." In the course of an elaborate and exhaustive speech, Mr Calder reviewed the antecedent circumstances that led to the adoption, by the Government he represented, of the opinion enunciated in the resolutions. The long and fruitless struggle to preserve the independence of the province ; the financial difficulties that frustrated every attempt to improve its position ; the immediate relief that might be expected on the ratification, by the Councils of Southland and Otago, of the bases of re-union contained in the report ; the prospect of renewed prosperity and progress thereby held out ; the fallacies contained in the arguments of the leading opponents of re-union ; the evident leaning of the Colonial Government to the course proposed ; the utter failure on the part of the opposition to propound any feasible scheme whereby to retrieve the position of the province ; the bearing of the proposed union on the impending changes in the constitution of the colony were discussed and explained with clearness and precision. When the hon. member sat down, the gallery— although evidently mindful of the rules of the H ouge — did not altogether refrain from signifying approval.

Mr Kinross seconded the adoption of the report. He bad himself been preparing a scheme for bettering the condition of the province, but before it could be matured, the question of reunion had been brought forward, and he embraced that solution of the difficulty. Replying to the taunt of " forfeiting our independence," he held that the province which was most free from pecuniary e.nbarrassmeut was the most independent. He drew a contrast between the manner in which, the public revenue had been appropriated in the two provinces, drawing a conclusion favorable to Ofcago. He condemned the practice of runuing to the General Government for assistance when in need ; he held that what we wanted was a home market, which, he said, Otago would supply. Referring to a complaint of injustice from Oamaru, he pointed to the fact that a good road all the way from there to Dunedin did not look like it. His conviction was that if the terms were agreed to by the House, that of Otago would not regret, nor the House of Assembly refuse to ratify.

Dr Menzies then replied at great length to the previous speakers, going over, and controverting or explaining, the figures quoted by Mr Calder, and affirming that the conduct of Otago prior to separation was not such as to justify the belief that re union would improve affairs. He went, at considerable length, into the inaccuracy of the figures ; and taking up the report of the Commissioners, he criticised its clauses seriatim, expecting embarrassment from the working of two sets of land laws. Among other things, re-union was asked for on the score of economy, but judging from the past, he held that the cost of Government would not be lessened. The hon. member concluded a long address by affirming that the province had resources which, fairly directed, would enable it to surmount all the difficulties of the day.

The House then adjourned at 0.40 a.m to 7 p.m. same day.