WELLINGTON.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 133, 25 August 1870, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.) August 17, 1870. The great political event since my laat letter has been the passing through committee in the House of Representatives of the Immigration and Public Works Bill. After several days having been occupied in discussing the various clauses — amendments to many of which were moved by Mr. Richmond, and closely debated — it was finally reported to the House last night, and will come on for the third reading this afternoon. The prospect of many new appointments, rendered necessary in the public service by the successful passing of the measures of the Government, has brought a perfect crowd of office seekers to Wellington. They jostle each other in the lobbies and in the ministerial anti-chambers, and " stick up " members with whom they may have a slight acquaintance at every street corner. Mr. John Hay, by-the-bye, is said to be provided for by appointment as editor of the "Independent" — the ministerial organ at present — the object being, it is presumed, to ensure that nothing independent shall ever appear in its columns. It seems odd that the leading journal of the empire city, as it likes to be called, should have to send to Dunedin for a linen-draper to conduct the literary work. The Select Committee upon the Representation of the colony have concluded their labours, and it is thought will report to-day. The arrangements with regard to Otago and Auckland are not considered satisfactory by the goldfields members, and Mr. Haughton at the last meeting moved a resolution to the effect that the proposed scheme would not give such satisfactory representation to the people of the colony as the present one. This was lost on a division, but will no doubt be brought forward in the House when the Bill embodying the report of the committee comes on for discussion. 1 subjoin the schedule for Otago as submitted by the sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Maeandrew, Driver, and Reynolds, and adopted by the general committee — Your Committee has the honour to recommend th.it Otago and Southland be divided into Eighteen Electoral Districts, returning 19 Members as follows : - Approximate Population. Members. 12,603 ... City of Dunediu ... 2 3.280 ... Waitaki 1 3.041 ... Waikouaiti 1 2.292 ... Port Clialmeis ... 1 2,301 ... Roslyn 1 2.341 ... Cnversham 1 3.207 ... Taieri 1 3.033 ... Bruce 1 2,288 ... Clutha, > including Tapanui 1 3,884 ... Tuapeka 1 3,4/59 ... Dunstan 1 * ... Wakaia 1 2,669 ... Mount Ida 1 2,659 ... Wakatipu 1 ... Mataura 1 ... Wallace 1 ... Invercargill 1 ... Hiverton 1 The boundaries of the proper Electoral Districts are minutely set forth in the annexed Schedule sind accompanying map. J. Macandrew, Chairman of Sub-Committee. Wellington, 9th August, 1870. *The district of Wakaia includes the Switzers and Nokomai diggings, and the population is included in the 3,459 ascribed to the Dunstan. You will observe that whereas at present the representation of the goldfields stands as under — Goldfields, 2 ; Goldfields Boroughs, 1 ; Hampden, 1 ; Manuherikia, 1 ; Bruce, 1. Total, 6. By the proposed plan it will be — Tuapeka, 1 ; Dunstan, 1 ; Wakaia, 1 ; Wakatip, 1 ; Mount Ida, 1. Total, 5. So that there is a clear loss to the goldfields interests of one member, and a corresponding increase to the bucolics and squatters. Prom what I hear it is not improbable that an attempt will be made to throw the Bill out altogether, several very energetic and influential members being strongly opposed to it, considering the proposed readjustments by no means based upon any principle except that of retaining as much power aa possible in the hands of the large towns. Mr. Reynolds lias fortunately gone home, so there is one pig-headed opponent of up-country interests the less, but Driver sticks to the House, and you know how he can work inside and outside to carry any point, and Macandrew, of course, is hand and glove with him. You will be glad to hear that the prognostications of the " Evening Star " have failed for once, and that Mr. Brown has survived the loss of hia little Bill. I have no doubt he will also survive the torrent of abuse poured upon him by the squatting organs for his manly standing up for the settlement of the people upon the lands. The Otago Hundreds Regulation Act, 1869, Amendment Act (Macandrew's Bill) has come out of the Waste Lands Committee in a more objectionable form than ever. I enclose a copy herewith, which will explain itself. It is not likely to come on for discussion in the House for some time, as you will see by its place on the Order Paper, and will most certainly be materially altered in committee before it is allowed to become law. Mr. Bradshaw, who has always been a most energetic supporter of a liberal land policy, did all he could on the Waste Lands Committee, but was on all occasions outvoted by the squatters and their Driver. He will have, however, strong support in the House. He has, by-the-bye, given notice of moving the introduction of a most important clause into the Bill, a copy of which, with the proposals of Mr. Mervyn, are forwarded herewith. Capt. Baldwin, late member for the goldfields, has returned from California — it is presumed in the hope of getting something out of the Government in the general scramble for ne-yv appointments,

(From a Correspondent.) 15th August, 1870. I believe that my last letter mentioned the fate of the Regulations of the Hundreds Repeal Act, brought on by your member, Mr. Brown. It is a pity that I Mr. Brown was not successful for the | sake of the province, because the Amendment Bill which was introduced by Mr. Macandrew as a compromise between contending parties in the Provincial ! Council is, I believe, worse than the original one of last year. The Waste Lands Committee has had this Bill before it several weeks, and last Friday it brought up its report to the House on the said Bill. The moment after the report was read, Mr. Macandrew moved that the Bill be committed on Tuesday next, the 16th inst., which was argued to by the House. On Tuesday next, therefore, we may expect a free fight between Otago members over this Bill, because I understand, on the best authority, that the liberal members, who are for the settlement of men and. women on the lands, in the place of sheep and cattle, intend to introduce, in committee of the House, several very important amendments. One of these amendments, I believe, is the report of the 3rd clause of the Bill. The Bill is very much altered ; the alterations, consisting of additions and erasures, were introduced by Air. Driver ; and he managed to carry them all because he was warmly backed by a majority of squatters or Crown tenants who are members of the Joint Committee on Waste Lands. All the amendments which were introduced by Messrs. Brudshaw and Mervyn were registered by the same respectable majority. I managed to get a copy of the Bill as amended by the Waste Lands Committee, which I send you. The amendments, by way of additions, are printed in italics, and the omissions are those which now appear in erased lines. They appear to me to be very important. Three petitions were also reported on by the Chairman of the (J oldfields Committee on the same day. These petitions relate also to the occupation of the lands. One of them, from Tuapeka, is signed by 247 settlers ; another from Lower Manuherikia is signed by 253 ; and the other is signed by 62 settlers at Blacks No. 1. The prayers of these petitions are, that the rent, which is now paid by agriculturists under the occupation system on goldtields, may go towards the purchase-money for the land in fee simple. The committee having taken into consideration the petitions, Mr. Macandrew, your Superintendent, and His Excellency's Delegate for governing the golilfields, moved the following resolution :—": — " That the subject of these petitions involving as it does both a retrospective and prospective reduction of the price of land in the province of Otago ought to be submitted in the first instance to the Provincial Council of that province, anft that the petitioners be advised to that effect." The committee divided on this resolution with the following eflect : — Ayes, G ; Noes, 1. Ayes — Messrs. Gillies, Macandrew, Mervyn, Swan, Kynnersley, and Driver ; Noes — Mr. Bradshaw. The carrying of this resolution has shelved the question of deferred payments for purchase of Crown lands for at least twelve months. Why Mr. Mervyn should have voted for this resolution, is difficult for a common man like me to say. And I am further puzzled when I reflect on every action taken by Mr. Mervyn on the land question. He has, on all occasions, both in speech and act in the House of Representatives, indicated a different line of conduct. At the present time he has on the Order Paper a resolution for the introduction of new clauses in the Otago Hundreds Regulation Amendment Bill, affirming the prniciple of deferred payments. With the knowledge of this, I am sorely puzzled, because if he be sincere, why did he vote for the submition of the petitions to the Council, which was virtually shelving the question for the present (which Mr. Macandrew well knew), and virtually negativing his own clauses. Mr. Mervyn I believe to be thoroughly honest, and sincerely desirous of serving the mining community and agriculturists, but the vagaries of some minds are phenomena, which is a mystery that can only be explained by the principal. I shall, therefore, not attempt to do it. The next question of importance affecting your province relative to the occupation of the Crown lands is a resolution tabled by Mr. Driver. It proposed free selection and uniformity of land laws for the colony. Free selection means one of two things, either prosperity generally, or general distress. If free selection, like that of Canterbury or Southland, retrogression of the colony must follow ; but, on the other hand, if free selection, like that of Victoria and the United States of America, then progression and general prosperity. Mr. Driver, after coquetting for a week or two with his resolution, evidently got alarmed at it, and on Thursday last, when the order was called on by Mr. Speaker, the disinterested member for Roslyn informed the House that he did not intend to propose it. Jt is apparently dead for the present, but mark me, it will appear again in full life in the keeping of the Honourable the Colonial Treasurer. That hon. gentleman is a great advocate for free selection, by pur- ! chase, at once. And if I read the times a-right, the scheme will come out full blown under the Public Works and Immigration Act, which contemplates providing the Colonial Government with an estate to do what they please with. The committee, on representation, has not yet brought up its report. In the subdivisions of your province, which I believe was made by Mr. Hislop, manifest injustice was intended to be done to the goldtields districts. Instead of six, which you now return, it was proposed to give you four representatives, viz., one for the Lakes, one for Dunstan, one for Mount Ida, and one for Tuapeka, which is to be separated from Bruce proper. In caucus of Otago members, Messrs. Bradshaw, Brown, and Mervyn protested strongly against the plan as suggested. Their protests had the good effect of getting another member ; but I understand that when the Bill is before the House the goldtields members intend to make a determined stand for another member. I believe the domand -will ba I made for the continuation of the goldfields towns, which representation is pro- i posed by the new Bill to put into di - j tricts. j