ME. WALES ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1885, 3 November 1874, Page 3

ME. WALES ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Fkom the full report of the speech of Mr Wales, one of the representatives of Dunedin city, we make the following extracts :—

He was in favour of borrowing when the borrowing was carried on within a proper limit; but he thought they were getting very near that limit now (hear, hear), and it was about tiue the break was pat on. At all events, until the population was so increased that the payment could be borne more easily, they ought to have some adequate return coming .into the country for the expenditure of so much' money. Every man, woman, and child was indebted in the sum of £37 a head, or, on an average, each householder was responsible for £116. He feared the result would be most serious unless population flowed in, and were industriously and profitably occupied. He did not believe in the way the immigration agoncies were carried on. —Mr Wales has rather extraordinary opinions on how drunkenness should be punished. Speaking of the Licensing Bill, Mr Wales held that it was the duty of the Government to encourage sobriety, and prevent drunkenness as much as possible, which could be done by putting a restraint upon the liquor traffic. Any persons drinking systematically should be discouraged and discountenanced.by all right-thiuking men. This was a matter which the Good Templars should take up. He did not believe that. a policeman should lock a man up for being drunk He should rather take him home and let him hide his head in shame. iHe'ar, hear.) It would do him more good than to fine him 403 and costs. (Applause.) There were several reasons why he. was in favour of the abolition resolutions. They would all admit that they did not require ten governing powers for 300,000 people. (Hear, hear.) In'lß7l his Honor the Superintendent had wished to substitute just two Governments for the ten, and had then stated that this would save £22,000. If the whole of the provinces were abolished the saving would be proportionately greater. Ihe compact of 1856 was m'ide after due deliberation and care, and he could not see hov any person could try to avoid the consequences of it. The compact of 1856 had been confirmed by subsequent legislation. They would see that ttiey had paid too dear for their land to part with it easily, and he should oppose any proposal to take it from them, (\pplause.) The South Island members would oppose any measure which tended to make this fund less secure than it was, and therefore there was little chance of such a proposition becoming law. If a bill were brought in for the abolition of the provinces, making thorough provision by lioad Boards, &c, for the proper government of the country, he should support it. The government of the country would go on quite as well with lioad Boards as with Provincial Councils, which, meeting every year, aped the manners and paraphernalia of the Home Country.