MR M'GILLIVRAY'S ADDRESS.

Southland Times, Issue 1593, 18 June 1872, Page 2

MR M'GILLIVRAY'S ADDRESS.

Oq the termination of the proceedings of the railway meeting, Mr M'Gillivray, M.H.I?, for Riverton, stated that he would take that opportunity of addressing his constituents, as previously announced. Mr Basstian having been called to the chair, Mr M'Gillivray said that he had hoped to have had the pleasure of addres3ing the constituency some time ago, but that he had been prevented by ill-health and other causes. They had been pleased to return him as their representative unfettered by pledges, and perfectly indei pendent as a member, and this position jhe had striven to maintain in all his j action in the Assembly. He held it a ! duty to give an account of his procedure throughout the session, and while it would be tedious to enter minutely into details, he would briefly indicate the leading subjects which had occupied the attention of the House. The session had commenced at a very much too late period of the year, and the first few weeks were spent in profitless talk. There were a great many new members, who were very fond of airing their eloquence, and by the time thus wasted all the really important measures were hurried into a corner at the end of the session. The first question of any magnitude which had been considered was the Education Bill. On this subject there was great difference of opinion. All parties admitted the importance of the measure, but it waa withdrawn, ostensibly for the purpose of allowing the constituencies to express their opinions, but he really believed to make way for measures considered by the Government of more immediate importance. It would come up again this session, but be did not think it would pass into law; and he did not much care if it did not, for one good reason, they had a very good system of education in Otago already, and he did not see why it should be disturbed. If the question came up, he would join with the Otago members in supporting that view. The next question he would mention was the Permissive Bill, of which he would only say he had given ithis hearty support, but the Bill was withdrawn. The Otago Land Bill he had opposed, because he thought it was not liberal enough. He thought the price, 25s per acre, was too high, even on the system of deferred payments, and he wished it reduced to twenty shillings. He addressed the Assembly three times on this subject, so important did be consider it. His views on the subject were admirably expressed by a sentence which he quoted in the House, from one of President Grant's recent addresses to Congress: —" The opinion that the public lands should be regarded chiefly as a source of revenue is no longer maintained. The rapid settlement and successful cultivation of them is now considered of more importance to our wellbeing, than is the fund which the sale of them would provide. The remarkable growth and prosperity of our new States and territories attest the wisdom of the legislation, which invites the tiller of the soil to secure a permanent home on terms within the reach, of all. I submit whether the residue of our national domain should not be wholly disposed of under the provisions of the homestead and preemptive laws." The settlement of a happy and industrious population on the soil he believed should be the governing principle in dealing with their lands, to which financial considerations should be made purely secondary. The next important matter he would notice was the Immigration and Public "Works Act, which he voted in favor of, though he did think it defective in some respects, especially in view of the very confused land laws of the colony. What were people at a distance to think of eight, nine, or ten, different sets of land laws ? In Auckland there was the free grant system, in Canterbury land was 40s an acre, and in their own province it was 20a. The first thing an intending immigrant would ask would be about the land law of the colony, and for an answer he might get a big book about two feet square, which used to be seen on the table of the Assembly, which it would take him a month to read, and at the end of that time he would not understand it. Then he would find a number of agents from different provinces, each competing for his own, and decrying the others. He felt very strongly on this subject, and he addressed the Assembly on the subject no less than three times, urging the necessity of a well-defined system of colonisation, and especially a uniform and liberal land law for the Colony. Without this, he had said in the House, and he would repeat it now, they were like persons who attempted to build a house without a foundation. The WintonKingston line,they were aware, had been placed on the first schedule of the Act, as a main line, but this had not been done without exertion. He had himself waited on the Minister of Public Works two or three times on the subject. There was a strong party in favor of the alternative line from Longford to Kingston; but being pretty well acquainted with the facts, he was able to make a very fair case for the Winton- Kingston line, which was the direct route from the Bluff Harbor to the goldfields of the Lake district;, and besides turned to advantage the present line from the Bluff to Winton, which would otherwise be practically lost. Another matter to which he attached some importance was the abolition of the grand jury system, which he looked on as a relic of the past, an unnecessary arid obstructive ceremony. But a proposition to this effect was negatived by a majority of 10. A Beries of resolutions were introduced by the Superintendent of Otago, proposing that" all the Provinces of the Middle Island should be amalgamated into one. But he could not go in with that idea. He

■wished to see Provincial Government done away with altogether, and the changes proposed would still have continued the double-government principle. The resolutions, however, were negatived, but something of the kind would come up again in the ensuing session, because the position of the Provincial Governments was. really becoming desperate. For his own part, he thought the sooner they were knocked on the head Jthe better. They had seen their day, but now we could do much better without them altogether. Much had been said by the opponents of the Government about the expenditure already incurred. It had even been asserted [that there bad been already expended nearly two millions, though the published accounts showed that this was not the case. But every one knew that railways could not be constructed without surveys, and other necessary preliminary expenses, which amounted to a large sum in the aggregate. These expenses, however, once incurred, did not need to be incurred again. One thing at least was certain, that the credit of the colony stood very high in the first market of the world. The first instalment of the loan was floated at 95£, the second million at 100£, 10s above par, the highest price which New Zealand stock had ever attained. The reasons for this confidence, which weighed with the British capitalist, were not far to seek. The colony, with 250,000 of a population, reckoned to contain 100,000 working males, managed to export no less than five millions' worth of produce per annum. This was the consideration which weighed with these astute men, the capitalists of Europe. "With regard to the future, the rise of New Zealand ought to be rapid under proper administration. He had been in various colonies of the Empire, and knew something of their resources, and of this country as well. He thought there was nothing to prevent the colony rising to a high pitch of prosperity. In Canada he had seen great prosperity — people coming in in thousands, and business prospering — and yet in that country there was not a single acre of clear land, and there were five months of the most rigorous winter, during which a blade of grass was never Been. Immigration was the grand secret. "Without a very large and very steady influx of immigrants, the scheme on which our Government had entered could not succeed, and, he would add, it must be attended with ruinous consequences. It waa desirable to import population of the right kind, capital as well as labor ; the capital would employ the labor, the laborer would by and bye become a land owner, and an employer of labor himself, and every one would feel the effects of the increased social activity. This process would have to be effected by degrees ; it could not be done in a day or in a year. With regard to the policy of the Opposition, there was nothing easier than to condemn the policy of a Ministry, but not always so easy to propose a better policy. In the Assembly no new policy had been initiated by the Opposition. Therefore he was for having the scheme fairly tried. IFor his own part he had the most perfect confidence in the designs of the Ministry, but whether they were taking the best way to carry them out was a different question, and admitted of difference of opinion, The opposition which had been made, so far, required that we should stand still — that we should allow our lands to lie inaccessible, without unfolding our resources, and without increasing our present limited and overtaxed population. But let the policy of the public works scheme, and the corresponding immigra tion, be vigorously and wisely carried out, the Provincial legislatures abolished, and Shire Councils and other local bodies substituted, public pressure brought to bear on the Government to provide a uniform and liberal land law, which would promote settlement, and sweep away all Provincial jealousies, then he could see his way to expect that the colony would flourish, the tide of prosperity would return, and capitalists and settlers would vie with each other in flocking to its shores. (Applause.) Mr M'Gillivray having professed his readiness to answer questions, Mr Boss Eobertson said that he and others had heard the statement repeated for a long time that Provincialism was on its last legs, and he hoped that it was so. The question he wished to ask Mr M'Gillivray was whether be thought it really was, or not ; and, if it was abolished, what institutions were to take its place ? Mr M'Gillivray thought that Provincial institutions could not last very long, and that all the useful functions they now performed could easily be continued by Itoad Boards and Shire Councils. Mr Duncan Campbell wanted to know whether Mr M'Gillivray would be in favor of the denominational or secular system of education ? Mr M'Gillivray would be in favor of a National system. On no account would he support the giving of the public money to the schools of any denomination whatever. On the motion of Mr Instone, seconded by Mr Boss Bobertson, a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr M'Gillivray was passed unanimously, and the meeting broke up after the usual vote of thanks to the chairman had been carried by acclamation.