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THE RE-UNION DEBATE.

. » . - {Continued from last issue) in coMsirrrEß. Mr Steuart having been appointedchairman, Mr, Wilson, after some introductory remarks, quoted from letters written tp the press ten years ago, to show that he had characterised separation as a great blunder on the part ofthe people of this province. AftPr noticing the expenses which followed a separate provincial Government, he held that, but for separation, this part of Otago 7 (Southland) would have been prosperous, and, instead of falling behind in the race, would now, from her have been the chief emporium of the Southern Island. This was also the opinion of the Chief Surveyor/ who had travelled all over the two islands, from Auckland down to Southland— the result of bis observations being ' that there would be three emporiums for trade or commerce in New Zealand ; one ati Auckland. anoil -«* - Boiaewbere about Cook's Straits, and tHe third down heteih Southland] He (Mr Wilson) did hot 'sympathise with that cry against the "railways after the work was done, wben those who now uttered it were silent at the time these works and expenditure were authorised. ' He held that the railways were worth: far more intrinsically than their mere commercial value * and it would yet be seen that they would be of immense benefit to the province and the island. The maladministration of the fnnds appropriated for, them was quite another matter, which he would not then touch on. , He could nob help.noticing, however, that they had two notable instances of provincial misgoverment — in the railways of ! this province, and the road -from Port Chalmers, to the Lakes in OtagO. Reverting to the sub- | jeet before the committee, he said that I since separation from Otago the province had been drifting into debt to such an I extent that its Waste Lands Acts had become ruinous expedients. They were adopted to meet the necessities of the moment at the expense of the general interest and future prosperity of the country, which were sacrificed. They might go on for years selling the waste lands (their capital) and at the end Of that period ; they would be in exactly the same crippled condition— with this difference, there would be no, waste lands to fall back upon,, nothing but heavy taxation to support the Government — al taxation which would soon make the people leave the country. How, in such a case, could there be independence here? There, was absolutely nothing to retain or hold it by. They had heard from the opponents of re- union that a "scheme for relief was to be propounded" when the proper, time came. .He apprehended that now was the proper time, because it would be- of no use when reunion was carried, and consummated. He fully believed that « the estate of Southland was in the hands of bankruptcy commissioners, a good estate would be made, of it ; but they must remember they , could not deal with the public estate as an— individual- -would -do vvvith-his- own. There were in this case, too, obstacles in the way — insurmountable obstacles which : no man .could remove. [Mr. Webster, i did not see that.] The settlers, he admitted, were, on the whole, prosperous; but nO thanks to the Government for that — it was in spite of the Government — -and he believed they would be better without Government. [Mr Wbbsteb: " Quite true."] Railways had been con- i demned, but he looked forward to the time when they would have one all the way through to Dunedin, and then the Bluff would be the chief port of the the island for the landing of immigrants and merchandise, and by a clause in the report it was already secured that it should be a port of call for the mail steamers. There, could be no doubt as tp : the revenue being given for roads ; and as to education — why, they had the same i scheme now. which was operating in ' Otago, but its success and extension there 1 consisted in the fact that they had the i

money to do it, and this province had not. Referring to the hope expressed in the report, that re-union might bo the first step towards a Middle Island Government, the hon. member said this' might be a matter of opinion, but it was what he had been, looking forward to since he came to the island, and the only • . difference between^ hipo^ ami the other gentlemen who supported ro^umpn was as to the means of obtaining it. He had "been~of -opinion that™* it migh^'be" ob-* tamed without re- Union,' but now he was iri favor of it. A former Provincial Council hail expressed the same view by passing resolutions 'that one Government for the •- Middle - Island should" be" instituted, and a federal union 1 with the North Island entered into. He looked on tliis part of the report as a. standpoint. If, instead df separation, at the time it took place, they had obtained one Government for the Middle Island, its inhabitants, under whatever name was chosen, would have been the most prosperous community in the Southern Hemisphere at the present time. There was no kind of work or public service but would be more satisfactorily carried on by one united" G*ovexnmeHir"~for the" Middle Island. It would supply the means and see to the construction of bridges, jailways, and main trunk lines of roads, and ;a constant stream ' of immigration would be kept flowing in. The hon. member condemned the practice of one province voting against another in the Assembly, comparing it with the united action of a single Government, and expressing his strong belief that the people of this province would get on much better if severed from the North Island. Some hon. members bad considered tlie terms of union offered in the report too good. He would remind them that they must be ratified and sanctioned by the highest authority they had for such agreements. Beading from an address to the electors which he intended to have published, he said that what was to he prevented was the General Government selling the waste lands, -andr the only way to doi so was accepting this relief. Otago could provide assistance to carry them . on* and the terms he thought were almost -too favorablerbulrtfae man would b'e~mad who rejected them. Quoting a correspondent of the Dunedin Times, writing from the Mataura and Popotunoa districts, he showed ..that ,the population, there were in favor of Southland being reunited to Otago,. many considering that it wouldbe a great boon not only to those settled on the banks of the) Mataura, but also to those further inland. After referring to the beneficial influence of Ota£p's jlarge_ and increasing population, he replied at some length to somey objectio&s, particularly the statement that Otago had an overbearing air 'in the Assembly. That he did not think would Be a loss" to them. The proposal to consider the motion at next Council — which would probably .be six months hence— was simply .putting the subject^ aiside, shelving the whole question. He had looked forward to*the ckotion of the House at the present timain the hope that it- would be for the welfare of the people, the good of the inhabitants gefferaltyof both provinces.. After some reference to local matters, he spoke of the relations between the North and South Islahds^^bserving that paradoxical as it seemed, it was a fact that, tobe thoroughly united to the North Island, they required to be first separated. He concluded by saying, '** Looking at what has recently taken place between these islands and the mother country, and what has taken place in the neighboring colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, - I-am-pursuaded the-tHn^is^Mytia^distant when thpse, and ther whole of the Australian colonies, wilLbe under one Government.". „ , - > /: ■ -,r - T T ; .',. «; Several other members Saving spoken, the House divided on the question of reporting progress, with the following result:-!-Ayes, 6.*— Messrs Webster, Basstian, , Meqzies, M'Neil, Lumsden,, and Bell. Noes, 11. — Messrs Calder, Kinross, Dalrymple, Toshack, Macdonald, Petchell, Wilson, Johnston, M'GiUivray, Daniel, and Lyon. ' ""' The first of the resolutions already published was then formally put, and — the House dividing 3.8 given above, ayes, 11 ; noes, 6— was declared carried. Mr Kinross moved, and Mr Caldeb seconded,- the -adoption of the following as : No. 2 of the resolutions: — "That some difference of opinion having been ex- , pressed by members of the Provincial Council of Southland as to the legitimate interpretation of clause 17 of the report, and it being desirable to secure unanimity of opinion*, if possible, on so important a question, is of opinion that ho separate accounts should be kept, and that Southland should receive its share of revenue as an integral portion of Otago." ■ , • A division again took place/ when the opposition were in a greater minority, one of their number (Mr Bell) having left. -:..'■ Y. The other resolutions were passed seriatim ; progress was reported ; and the House .resumed. ... . , Mr Calder moved, and Mr Johnston seconded— r" .That the resolutions, as amended, be adopted j" which* was carried.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18691215.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Issue 1182, 15 December 1869, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,507

THE RE-UNION DEBATE. Southland Times, Issue 1182, 15 December 1869, Page 2

THE RE-UNION DEBATE. Southland Times, Issue 1182, 15 December 1869, Page 2

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