OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND UNION BILL.

Southland Times, Issue 1302, 2 September 1870, Page 3

OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND UNION BILL.

(Hansard) Mr Williamson regretted that the honorable member for Heathcote should have spoken as he had done that evening. That honorable eentleman was one of those who, in 1858, strenuously oponsed the passing of the New Provinces Act, and he would have expected that the honorable member would rather have rejoiced over the measure now before the House than have deplored that it had been brought forward. At that time the object of all those who were in favor of the subdivision of the Provinces of Wellington and Otago, was to render the Provinces unable to carry out the work which was given them to do, so that in the end they would become altogether effete. On that occasion the honorable , : member for Heathcote objected stren- ' uously to anything of the kind, his object "• being the same as it was now, namely, to unite the Provinces as speedily as possible into one Colony. The honorable member seemed now to desire that those small Provinces should still be allowed to drag on a miserable existence, to encumber the Colony with their debts — as Southland and Hawke's Bay, to a certain extent had done— to a degree which it could not bear. The small Province of Southland set to work to accomplish undertakings which were foolishly devised and as foolishly carried out. The Government of Southland had not fulfilled the expectations which the advocates of that severance had in view, and now ■when the old mother Province of Otago desired to take her back to her arms, and to relieve her from the difficulties into which she had been plunged by her own folly, the honorable member for Heathcote, on the strength of a letter from a single individual, who might, for all they knew, be a large runholder, stood up and advocated the views against which he set his face twelve years ago. He did not like a turncoat. He liked a man to hold by the principles which he had openly avowed. His honorable friend had proved himself to be a turncoat, and without good reason. There was such a thing as a man turning justifiably against the views he once held, but he would defy the honorable member to ahow that his advocacy against the measure that night was justifiable. He believed that the time would arrive when the whole of New Zealand would become a united Colony, and he regarded . those who would endea vor to break up and reduce the large Provinces into small dimensions, as the worst enemies to /that grand object which they all had in view— the establishment of one united Colony. He had never been ah nltra-provincialist, but he foresaw in that Act of 1858, which he had opposed, the day when its advocates would find that the measure would recoil upon themselves, and it had done so now. Provincialism would not have been so strong in the colony at the present time but for that unwise measure, and he felt that the sooner those evils were uprooted, the better it would be for the colony. It had brought about very bad consequences. They knew what Southland had done, and tliey knew what that House had done to relieve Southland, and he believed now, apart from any personal feeling, that the reunion of Southland with Otago would be beneficial to Southland, and would do T good to Otago and to the Colony as a whole. He therefore would feel pleasure in voting for the second reading of the Bill ; ahd if a Bill were introduced there to night for the reunion of Hawke's Bay with Wellington, and the breaking up of those small provinces and bringing them together- again to their original state — their pristine beauty — he for one would be disposed to assist in making it law. From the appearance of Napier he could - not see that nature had ever provided for an extensive province there. What had Hawke's Bay done, and what had Southland done, towards carrying out a great colonising scheme ? Nothing whatever, while a few of the inhabitants had been enabled, as they were once in Nelson, to monopolise the whole* of the land for sheep runs, or nearly the whole of it, and the really hardworking, honest, industrious few who resided in those provinces were left neglected. That was not the way to bring New Zealand to what she' Ought to be — a great, free, and inde- . pendent country. He was very much pleased to hear, that his honorable friend the Superintendent of Otago had brought forward arguments which in his opinion ,-. were entirely unanswerable. He did not Believe his honorable friend had brought those arguments forward on his own behalf. The time was coming round when he might be displaced from the office of .', Superintendent, and he did it as he (Mr Williamson) believed, in the interest of his province, in the interest of Southland, and, he thought, in the interest of the ;_ colony at large. He felt great pleasure ; , indeed in supporting the Bill. Mr Potts had not voted for the Bill last, session because he considered that there had not been a sufficient expression ; of opinion from the people of the two 7 provinces, but from the evidence that had r been. brought before. the House by the • honorable member for Invercargill and ' other honorable members, he was quite prepared to vote for the second reading of the BilL There was one matter of „ regret in connection with it which he •* thought could not be got over, and that ■'' was- the political death of a Superintendent; He very much regretted that, but could not' see how it could be avoided. Mr Haughton did not intend to make a • long speech, but would like to meet one "^difficulty which had been raised by an honorable member for the province of Otago-rthe . honorable member for Manuherikia— who had favored them rwith hjs views, on the subject before the < House. The honorable member stated that the feeling of the people of Otago was not in favor of the .v_JßUL_««<^_u..did i .not know whether the honorable member tested the feelings of the people of Otago by his own, and the

feelings of the few persons in his immediate neighborhood. There were two ways of expressing an opinion, a positive and a negative way ; the people of Otago had expressed their opinions most decidedly in what he might call a negative way. They had known that certain resolutions had passed the Provincial Council session after session, and they had certainly not raised up a single voice against the decision of the Council. If it had been a matter which they had felt so strongly upon as the honorable member fbr Manuherikia. would have the House to think, they would have expostulated witii those of their representatives who advocated the union in their places in the Council. They had never done so in any one instance, and therefore there could hardly be a doubt that they were unanimously in favor of the union. It was quite unnecessary to follow the honorable member for Wallace, because he had not had the pleasure of hearing his very amusing speech, and because he had been sufficiently answered already. It appeared that the honorable member had gone about in dog-carts, accompanied by the various returning officers, at all hours of the day and night, in order to get returned, and that he had got in at last at the bottom of the poll in some out-of-the way place. There was one very serious charge which had been made by the honorable member for Manuherikia, and which, even though coming from him, was worthy of an answer. He charged Otago with having been exceedingly badly administered. He could only say it was a pity the honorable member had not beenable to induce some constituency to return him to the Provincial Council. Mr Mervyn — I never tried. Mr Haughton had no doubt that, if they had had the advantage of that honorable member's talent in the Council, j the affairs of the province would have [ been properly administered. Perhaps, when the honorable member got up j again, and made such a charge, he would I point to some particular department which was not properly administered. It was all very well to talk about a road not being completed here and there, and to talk about connecting links. He did not know what the honorable member meant by connecting links ; there were several in the province of Otago, and he did not think they need travel very far to find one of them. Whatever the resources of the province might be, it was utterly absurd for any person to suppose — and no person in their senses would do so — that the province could, with the means at its disposal, make macadamized roads over hundreds of miles of country within a few years. He said that Otago^ with the resources at her command, had done all that could possibly be done, and her affairs had been administered very much better than they would have been if many members of the calibre of the honorable member for Manuherikia had held seats in the Council. Mr Jollie was disposed to think that a fair prima facie case had been made out in favor of the Bill. There could be little doubt that, substantially, the two Provinces had expressed themselves in favor of the union, and he thought that, on the whole, the Bill attempted to carry out that object fairly. He hoped that the terms that had been settled, as had been admitted, fairly and dispassionately by the Commissioners of both Provinces, would be carried out honestly and completely. It was a novel sight, and one which certainly weighed considerably with himself in the vote he should give on this occasion, to see the honorable member, the Superintendent of Southland, come to the House and declare that he was ready to abdicate his office and see it altogether extinguished. He looked upon that as the best justification for the vote he was going to give. Southland was one of the Provinces created by the New Provinces Act, and it had always been with him a matter of. some doubt whether that Act had succeeded in laying down such conditions as to area and population of districts coming within its .operation as would, in all cases, justify granting to those districts the large functions of local government which appertained to Provincial Legislatures, — such conditions, he meant, as would enable those functions to be efficiently and economically performed. In the case of Southland it was, he thought, possible enough that the Act had failed in providing the requisite local conditions and guarantees of success ; but, irrespective of that circumstance, it could not, he imagined, be denied that Southland was, in point of fact, a failure from other causes — causes of her own creation. The Province had been unreasonable in its expectations, and extravagant in its schemes and expenditure. Its wants and capabilities had been greatly over-estimated.. Ithadaimedatlargeandextensiveimprovements without the available means of | carrying them out, and the result had I necessarily been embarrassment, stagnaf tion, heavy debt, and now this appeal for re-annexation to Otago. Southland had desired to proceed too fast, — to do too much in a given time ; it had gone on the system which he was afraid the House and the Colony were about to adopt, of entering on extravagant and speculative projects, — of prematurely, and by a sort of hot-house treatment, forcing a sudden I prosperity, and a state of things which ! was not natural, and could only be the slow result of time and long continued effort. He confessed that he saw, in the act of reunion which the House was now desired to consummate, the natural results of a province not having properly measured its capabilities, opportunities, and resources, but having launched out beyond them, and having now to suffer enormously. Mr Main said it was refreshing to hear a statesman like the honorable member who had just sat down take such large views with regard to the question under consideration. It had not been his intention to offer any remarks, except to correct one or two mis-statements of the honorable member for Manuherikia, but

as that honorable member had already been answered very completely, he thought he need only say that he was entirely wrong when he'stated that the motions on the question which had been parsed in the Provincial Council were passed without any debate, and that no interest had been taken in the question whatever. He might say that four years ago the principle of reunion was affirmed in the Council. That was to say, at the time of the elections for the present Council, and in the session of 1869, the following resolution was carried unanimously, "That an address be presented to the Superintendent, requesting him to offer, on behalf of the Provincial Council of Otago, to reunite the two Provinces _of Southland and Otago, the basis of union to be determined upon by three members of each Provincial Council, with power to choose an umpire ,* such basis to be ratified by each Council." A debate ensued, and the resolution was carried on .the voices without a division. He might say that the debate lasted a considerable tirae v and he himself took considerable part in it — in fact seconded the resolution. Again, Commissioners were ap pointed to give effect to that resolution both by the province of Otago, and the province of S_oJltl^Ja_J____LJ^ft-S n P o^^ I:,^ tendentriiTopening the following session of the Council, mentioned the subject in his speech, and sent down a message expressing a hope that the Provincial Council would reciprocate the views expressed by the Provincial Council^ of Southland as to the proposed reunion, and adopt resolutions in favor of an Act of the Colonial Legislature being passed for the purpose of giving effect to the joint desire of the two provinces, and during that session the Council took into consideration the Superintendent's message, and again affirmed the principle in a debate in which several members took part, and which was adjourned and resumed on the following motion : — "Mr Gillies moved, and Mr Murray seconded— * That this Council concurs with the suggestions contained in His Honor's message (No. 2), and generally with the views expressed in the Commissioners' report, and that his Honor be requested to introduce a Bill into the General Assembly to carry out the object in view.' " That was what had taken place during two sessions of the Provincial Council of Otago, and besides that the principle was affirmed 4 years ago ; so that the honorable member for Manuherikia was quite as wrong in stating that no interest had been taken in the question as he was when he stated that he had never tried to get a seat in the Provincial Council of Otago. On one occasion he contested the seat which he (Mr Main) held in the Provincial Council, he (Mr Main) having gone to the honorable member's own place and beaten hira on his own ground. With regard to the statement of the honorable member for Heathcote, that there was no community of iuterest whatever between Southland and Otago, he would like to know what difference there was in the interests of the two provinces ? They were both pastoral and agicultural provinces ; many of the settlers residing in Southland used the roads of Otago and its ports and towns, and many of the settlers . of Otago used the port and town of! luvercar^ill. Ota^o settlers existed all round Southland, and they could not reach the distant parts of their province without actually goingthrough Southland. There was a very great community of interests, so much so that the nearest port to the large and fertile district of the Lakes, the very centre of the province of Otago, was the port of Invercargill ; and the union would be the means of bringing Invercargill in direct communication with that most important district. He might mention that the Lakes district was so well settled that the settlers not only grew enough corn to supply themselves, but were in a position to export. The railway, wbich was now complete as ( far as Winton, might be joined to a road from that place to the Lakes district, which road would be one of the first works that would be begun by the united provinces. The honorable member for Heathcote also referred to what he called the ambition of Otago in not only attempting to annex Southland, but also Canterbury. Well, that a series of resolutions were brought down by a member of the Provincial Council of Otago during last session, with a view to the union of Canterbury with Otago, he would not deny. They were brought down by an honorable member who was formerly a resident in that province, and who, he had no doubt, was known to the honorable member for Heathcote. The resolutions were as follows : — " Ist. That it is expedient that steps should be taken with a view to uniting the province of Otago with the province of Canterbury. ■ " 2nd. That, in the event of the Otago I and Southland Union Bill becoming law, it is desirable that power Bhould be obtained from the Assembly, with the concurrence of the Canterbury representatives, to arrange a basis of union. " 3rd. That an address be presented to the Superintendent," &c. " The first of these resolutions was carried on the voices without debate ; the subject did not receive that interest which was duetto it, because it was one of those Utopian resolutions which were sometimes brought forward by honorable members for purposes other than those which appear on tbe face of the resolution. He (Mr Main) might say, however, that the go a-head character of the Otagans was such that the day might not be far distant when such a resolution might be brought forward in earnest. With regard to the merits of the case, he must say that as far as Otago was concerned, commercially speaking, it would be a very bad bargain indeed, and the House ought to appreciate the action of Otago in this respect when she voluntarily chose to relieve the Colonial Government of the incubus which Southland undoubtedly J was ; and he must say that if the Government did its duty, it would give

Southland notice at once that it would no longer pay those debts which she owed. Notwithstanding the difficulties in which Southland was placed, Otago was perfectly willing to take her into partnership, aud share with her her princely revenues, with a view to benefiting both provinces and the Colony generally. No doubt disaffection might arise, and the future representatives of Southland in the Provincial Council might complain of not sufficient funds being spent in that part of the united Province — it existed in every Province, aud also in that House, with regard to the expenditure of money — but he thought that the outlying districts of Ofcago had very little reason to complain. They had a trunk road from the capital, 220 miles into the interior, which was as good as could be fouud in any of the neighboring colonies, and along which a continual stream pf traffic existed. That was no ordinary work for so young a Colony, and he had great pleasure in having taken part in the progress that the country had made during the eight years he had resided in it. It had been said that the people of Otago had not been consulted about the matter, but had they not been told last session that the_people of Southland also had not been consulted ? Had there not been an election at Southland since, and a Provincial Couucil returned pledged to support the union ? Since then, the Provincial Council of Otago had met twice, and had affirmed the principle on both occasions, and the press of the Province had taken up the question and advocated it warmly, and not a single dissentient voice had been raised against. the proposal, either by petition or otherwise. At a meeting of his constituents he had introduced the question, and although his constituents seemed to take little interest in the matter, not knowing the merits of the case, they were perfectly satisfied, after the explanation he had given them, of the advantages to be derived not only by the two Provinces, but by the Colony at large. It was a great colonial undertaking, and he hoped the House, by its unanimous vote, would show that they reciprocated and appreciated the step which Otago and Southland had taken in the matter, and the spirit in which it had been brought forward. Mr Cracroft Wilson, C.8., trusted they would soon proceed to perform the marriage ceremony. It was very fortunate the ceremony was about to take place, and the sooner it was performed the better, because the order paper told them that, as soon as they had married Otago and Southland, they were going to have a free fight in Otago. He looked upon the case somewhat in the light of a marriage ceremony. Southland was the small gentleman taking the big bride, and the big bride had a very handsome dowry. Now, he thought that the married pair would have many squabbles, and that the old adage would be fulfilled — She had money and I had none, And that was how the row begun. Mr Fox thought it was unncessary for him to make any reply, as the expressions of opinion had gone all the one way, and he supposed the votes would go the same j way. He had great pleasure in giving away the bride.