MR GILLIES'S MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 1752, 10 June 1873, Page 2

MR GILLIES'S MEETING.

On Saturday evening, 7th June, Mr J. L. Gillies addressed a meeting of electors in the Exchange Hall. Mr Wood, the Mayor, occupied the cbair. Although the meeting bad been called at a very short notice, having been announced by placards the same afternoon, the hall was nearly filled.

Mr Gillies explained tbat he thought it was desirable that there should be a contest for tbe Superintendency, if only to give the electors an opportunity of expressing and recording their opinion on the constitutional question as to the action taken by Mr Macandrew. The majority of the Council regarded tbe present contest as a struggle between them (the majority) and an autocratic will, and if the issues were decided in favor of the Superintendent's view, then there was no necessity for a Council at all. The members of tbe Executive would be simply six clerks to record the decrees of the Superintendent. The simple question was whether the Province was to be governed by the power of one man, or by that power guided and con trolled by tbe advice of representatives from all parts of the community, whose interest it was to see that all districts received a fair share of advantage. It had been alleged that the Superintendent possessed greater powers than the majority would acknowledge. The only power given to tbe Superintendent by the Constitution Act was tbe power of veto. All other powers must be carried out with the consent of tbe Provincial Council. The Executive Ordinance, 1862, expressly provided that the Superintendent should act only with the advice and consent of the Executive. It further provided in clause 4 for the passing of resolutions by the Provincial Council to define tbe powers and action of the Superintendent and Executive Council, in all matters subject to the control of the Council, and not defined by special enactment. The Council had passed such resolutions, one of whicb provided that all communications to the Provincial Council should be subjected to the approval of the Executive, reserving to the Superintendent the power of laying on the table, by message, any extract from the minutes of the Executive Council in whicb he had expressed an opinion in writing. Yet the very memorials on which tbe Superintendent founded his recommendation for a dissolution were written without the consent and advice of bis Executive, thus violating these express provisions. So long as law was law it should be kept in its entirety. Tbe Superintendent lowered the dignity of his office by bringing himself personally into contact with parties in the Council. The majority had been charged with thwarting the Superintendent. If such a thing took place, tbe provision in the resolutions that tbe Superintendent, in virtue of tbe elective character of his office, could lay on the table of tbe Council any opinion he had expressed in wriding in the Executive, afforded him a protection. In 1865 Mr Harris took [this course, and in 1866 Mr Dick did tbe same. The expense to whicb the country was being put was due to the stubborn opposition of the minority. Mr Gillies here entered on a history of the transactions at some length, wbich he concluded

by saying that though the Executive proposed by Mr Eeid was comparatively a weak one, it would bave been better to take it for a short time than to interrupt the business of the country. With regard to his own personal claims on tbe electors, Mr Gillies stated that he had been a settler in Otago for 16 years, and a colonist for 23 years ■ be had held, next to the Superintendent, one of the highest offices in the Province ten years ago • and be was not aware that he had* ever done anything that should militate against bis holding the highest office of all. Though they had been called " clodocrats," ten years ago be (Mr Gillies) had brought forward schemes for making railways ; in 1864 he brought forward resolutions to borrow money for reproductive works, for tbe Port Chalmers railway, and for the Clutha railway, on the principle that land was to be set aside to pay the money borrowed, and tbis, he still considered, would be a fairer mode than the present plan. Another principle which be maintained was that all money borrowed should he placed to a special account, and nothing charged to tbat account except what was expended for the purpose to whicb the account was devoted. The majority of the Council, however, bad been against his proposals, and he go£ the

name of wishing to rush into extravagant expenditure, and be was ousted from office. He referred to tbis to show that he was not tbe narrow-minded man a section of the press had represented him to be. He opposed parting with Jand for mere revenue purposes. The majority of the Council wished to open up land for settlement under the hundreds system, but bad been thw.irted, and hundreds of miners and others had left tbe Province in consequence. jThe majority of the Couut-il objected to the Tolmie Executive because they bad countenanced the sale of land in large blocks, creating a landed aristocracy, or feeding hungry speculators. The Assembly had limited the quantity that could be taken up by one person, and the quantity that could be thrown open in one year under the deferred payment system. In His Honor's address there were blocks of 2500 acres proposed to be set apart here and there, but these were too small to allow of grazing rights, which were indispensable.^ He would encourage immigration by holding out inducements in the way of enabling settlers to obtain a horne — a more liberal land law was required. The Colony could not go on for ever borrowing ; there would come a crisis ; and what then was tbe laboring population to do. This proposal to set apart blocks of 2500 acres showed that there was no desire to carry out the deferred payments principle properly. Hundreds should be proclaimed first, and then part of tbe hundreds so proclaimed should be placed under the deferred payments clauses. The settlement of the country should not be hindered even by the compensation required to extinguish tbe rights of the pastoral tenants, rights which tbey certainly had now obtained, but which they never should have obtained. The cry that tbe majority were obstructionists he had thus shown to be simply " bunkum." The extended pastoral leases would soon have to be renewed, and the effort now being made to introduce the system of free selection was with the view of enabling the present holders to purchase the best portions of tbeir runs. _ ree selection was a positive injustice to the public. All classes should have the same advantage in competing for land. When the present leases expired, a system of " hill farms" might be introduced with advantage, cutting up the present runs into much smaller blocks, and letting them on leases for 8 or 10 years. Mr Gillies then referred to a member of the present Executive wbo had obtained 50 acres of freehold by a misrepresentation to the Government, and on being called to name, said that it was Mr Bastings, the member for Tuapeka, who after he had done so, was taken as one of His Honor's advisers. He (Mr Gillies) appealed neither to those who might be termed rabid supporters of Mr Macandrew or of Mr Eeid, but tbe general mass of electors, who would exercise their own judgment on the constitutional question. The day was fast arriving when Provincial Councils would be done away with, and a system of Eoad Boards substituted ; but it might take years to educate the people to thia point. He had tried to get the number of members in the Council reduced, say to 20, and tbe districts enlarged, but tho end of it was that the number of members was raised to 46. He did not seek the position of Superintendent to maintain the present paraphernalia of Provincial Government, but with the view of reducing expenses, and making the Council a mere administrative body. The works of which His Honor spoke, such as a tramway from Eiverton to Orepuki, and from Eiverton to Otautau, would require money. Money for works in the northern part of the Province had been procured by the North Otago Loan, which was made a Provincial charge. Tbe local politics were the evil of the Council. He would desire to simplify and reduce Provincial institutions to their simplest and most economical form. He would be glad to answer any questions that might be put.

Mr Cuthbertson* asked Mr Gillies whether he considered it a fair representation to call tbe North Otago Loan a Provincial charge when there was a special block of land set apart for it. Mr Gillies, after entering into the history of the loan, said that ke thought that it was.

Mr Perkins enquired into the circumstances of the prorogation, and elicited that tbe Gazette containing the proclamation had been twice shown to Mr Gillies when Mr Eeid was speaking, and disregarded, but that when Mr Fish was speaking, Mr Gillies opened an envelope addressed to him, and finding that it contained a Gazette with the proclamation, read it to the Council. Mr Perkins put further questions as to the constitutional law of the late crisis, but elicited no new information. Mr Perkins further enquired whether in event of Mr Gillies getting an Executive with whom be did not agree, wbat be would do. Mr Gillies said that he would not resign his seat, but record his opinion, as by law provided.

Mr Wade then read the following extracts from tbe Eeunion Commissioners' Eeport : — " Clause 11. Land District to be created by tbe Act to consist of the area presently included within tho boundaries of the Province of Southland, together with such portions of tbe Province of Otago as shall, in the opinion of the United Council of the Province, be geographically connected with the present Province of Southland. Clause 12. Land District to bave a Crown Lands Commissioner and a Waste Land Board, as provided in clause J 4 of the Southland and Otago Union Bill, passed the House of Eepresentatives last session. Clause 13. AU business relating to tbe sale, letting, disposal and occupation of waste lands within the limits of tbe Land District, shall be conducted by District Waste Lands Board. These requisities (i.e. moral and material requirements of the people, economy of expenditure, and efficiency of administration), can be best obtained by affording every facility to

the inhabitants of a district to transact their business from a place wbich is its geographical centre, and with which tbeir interests are identified. Signed, John L. Gillies, Chairman." The meeting by this time had become rery noisy, a section apparently of Mr Gillies's supporters being determined to nrevent Mr Wade from making himself beard. Mr Wade asked whether Mr Gillies considered that by bis subsequent action in the Council he had carried out either the letter or tbe spirit of that report. Mr Gillies replied at great length, intimating tbat he thought he bad, and stating tbat he signed the report as chairman. On being pressed, however, he admitted tbat he, as an individual, concurred in the report. He considered tbat the Province was as well off now as if tbe administration of the land in the extended district had been placed in the j hands of the Southland Land Board, ( wbich was not a responsible Board. He believed in the Land Board being responsible to the Council. In' reply to Mr Mitchell, Mr Gillies said that the present Otago Land Board was not more responsible than the Southland Board. Mr Willoughby called attention to Mr Gillies's statement that Mr Macandrew was opposed to the deferred payment system, and asked whether Mr Macandrew had voted against it in the Assembly. Mr Gillies, after entering into explanations, said he believed Mr Macandrew had voted for it. Other questions were put and answered. Mr Fredric then, amidst much confusion, moved a resolution to the effect that Mr Gillies was a fit and proper person to be Superintendent of Otago. This was seconded from the body of the ball. Mr Wade then moved, and Mr Hall seconded, the following amendment : — " Tbat this meeting is of opinion that Mr Gillies is a most unfit and improper person to be the Superintendent of Otago, and that by bis action immediately subsequent to the union of tbe Provinces of Otago and Southland he had forfeited all claim to the confidence of the people of tbis district." A show of hands was i called for, and tbe chairman pronounced tbat it was in favor of Mr Fredric's ! motion. The confusion, however, was by tbis time so great that tbe chairman's remarks were quite inaudible, and many persons present were apparently unable to make out whether tbe amendment or the resolution was being put to the meeting. A large number of individuals were aeen to hold up their hands both for the motion and for the amendment.