PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 21, 25 May 1867, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

LAND CERTIFICATES FOR VOLUNTEERS. Mr RENALL moved—“ For leave to bring in a Bill to authorize His Honor the Superintendent to grant remission certificates for the purchase of land to Volunteers.” He thought it was only fair to give some advantages to

men who had given so much of their time for the benefit of the Province. The argument might be used that the Province could not afford to give this land at present, hut it would not take such a very great deal. As it would be long before all the land would be purchased the granting of the land would not effect the present revenue. He looked upon this only as an act of justice to the Volunteers, Mr BUNNY seconded the motion. The PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR moved the previous question. This was the course that had been adopted and carried in the previous session. The Council had agreed to the desirability of shelving the question last session and the Government could no more see the way to afford this now than they could last year. If they gave the land, they would he injuring public works which were urgent, by depriving the Province of a portion of the territorial revenue, they were no longer Volunteers. If the Province could afford to give these grants, the Government would support the Bill; at present they could not, and he therefore moved the previous questron. Besides these men could not come and say that they had performed services in the field and to the danger of life. This Province had happily not been forced to fight; if they had he would not oppose the Bill; but at present the money was required for much more pressing works. Mr HICKSON seconded the amendment. Mr BUNNY said—-I hope the Council will not support the motion of the Provincial Solicitor (Mr Borlase) for the previous question, as the effect of that being carried will be to throw out this Bill, but I trust that the Council will give leave to the lion member to bring in this Bill. The Provincial Solicitor tells us that last year this question was brought forward, and the Council were against it, hut last j'ear the Council was in a very different position to what it is now in. Last session it was not known whether the Imperial Government had approved of the Act of the General Assembly or not, and, therefore we were then not aware whether we had the power to legislate on this question, and, therefore, under the circumstances, the Council probably did right in refusing to go into the matter; but now we have lull power so to do—the Act of the General Assembly giving power to Provincials Councils to legislate in this direction had been reserved hy the Governor for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure thereon, and the Imperial Government had allowed the Act to come into operation; therefore, the Council would decide by its action to-night whether they approved or not of a measure which the General Assembly had thought necessary in order to assist in carrying into effect the self-reliant policy, and of which measure the Imperial Government had shown their approval by allowing the Act to come into operation. lam more free to speak upon this question now than I was a year ago, as from circumstances to which is not necessary for me here to refer, I regret to say I have ceased to be a Volunteer ; therefore, in supporting this measure, I cannot be accused of having a personal interest, and of being actuated by a desire to benefit myself. We are told by the Provincial Solicitor that the financial position of the Province would not allow such a measure as this to he passed, hut the Council must bear in mind that if the Act is passed it will be some time before any Volunteeer will be in a position to obtain laud under it, as no one will be entitled unless he shall have completed five years’ service ; and I am certain that we cannot better dispose of a small portion of our waste lands than by giving it amongst those who are prepared, if necessary, to protect the Colony from native rebellion. I should insult the Volunteers if I called it remuneration for their services, but they will feel grateful for it as a slight acknowledgement by this Council that they were not forgotten. After all, it only amounts to £3O, that is £6 a year for Aw years’ service; and if by passing this Act you keep the Volunteer force together, I say you will have the best and cheapest force for the defence of the country that it is possible to get. You must also hear in mind that in the country Volunteers often have to ride many of them fifteen or twentjr miles to drill; that most of these men depended upon their daily labor for the maintenance of their families, and it was a very heavy tax upon them, and, therefore, they did strongly deserve some consideration for such services. What encouragement did they give to the self-reliant policy if they refused to pass a Bill like this ? I will tell the Council that if this Bill is not allowed to become law the Volunteer system in this Province, and through out the Colony, will utterly fail, and it was this consideration that induced the General Assembly to pass the Act which it is the object of this Bill to bring into operation in this Pro-

vince. Some hon members expressed an opinion that no land should be given except to Volunteers who had actually been engaged with the enemy; in my opinion we ought with feelings of gratitude, give it to those men who had of their own free will come forward for the defence of the colony, and who had by their prompt action, and the determination they had shown to put down rebellion, prevented bloodshed and the miseries of war being inflicted on the Province. We had given grants of land to officers, soldiers, and sailors, belonging to the Imperial forces, varying from 400 acres to 60 acres, and no objections had been raised to the grants, although the parties receiving them had not (in many instances) done a single days duty in the Province. And shall we be right now in refusing to give this small acknowledgment to our fellow-settlers who have rendered to the Province such essential service as the Volunteers have done? And even if it should press rather heavily upon the resources of the Province, still, I think, it is our duty to expend such resources upon the means of providing for the protection of life and property rather than expending £30,000 upon a bridge at Wanganui, as on works of a like liaturc. I trust, therefore, the Council will give the hon member leave to bring in his Bill.

Mr. FAGAN coincided with the last speaker, and thought that the Government showed a very illiberal policy in refusing to acknowledge the claims of the Volunteers. The men asked no great favor, they only asked to have a little encouragement shown them for the regular and constant performance of their duties.

Mr. MASTERS fully concurred in the desirability of bringing in the Bill. How many retired soldiers had received all the advantages which these volunteers asked, who had never done duty for a single day ? When the soldiers were removed the Province would have to rely solely on its volunteers. Mr. ANDREW said he would give his entire support to the Bill.

Mr, WALLACE wished to know whether

the old Colonists who had fought in the first engagements of the Province were to receive the advantages of this Act. He thought that they should, as they really had the hardest work.

Mr. PHARAZYN would support the introduction of the Bill. When the Act on which this Bill was founded had been introduced into the House of Representatives, he had supported it on the ground stated hy Mr. Bunny, to encourage volunteering for the sake of the selfreliant policy. He was rather supprised at the opposition of the Provincial Solicitor, as it showed he had evidently slightly altered his opinions as stated on the hustings. He was also overcautious on the financial question, as by a former Act of the Council no more than 15,000 acres of laud could be given to volunteers. This amount of land would represent 500 volunteers, or one fortieth of the population of the Province, a very much greater proportion relatively than there was in England. He had a very strong objection to giving the public lands for nothing, but he considered this was giving it for value received, and he most cordially supported the principle of the Bill.

Mr. B. SMITH said that if members were to calculate the time lost by volunteers on their drill days, they would find—estimating each day lost at 10s. a day—that each man would have lost £36. The Volunteers asked hut to have land to the value of £3O, and if this moderate request were granted the Province would still be indebted £6 to each volunteer. He computed the matter at the lowest possible rate. Mr DRANSEIELD was opposed to the Bill. The volunteers of the Province had never seen actual service, while the Government in their Estimates, had put down a certain amount which they expected to receive from land sales ; if the land was given away they would not have the anticipated revenue.

Mr. E. PEARCE said that he was in favor of the principle of the Bill, hut he considered that volunteers had no more right to the land than militia. If volunteers were to have it they should give it to the militia, and if they did so they were simply parcellin out the land amongst themselves, for all were, or should be, militiamen or volunteers. Mr. HALCOMBE denied the assertion that the Volunteers of this Province had never seen actual service, as they had done good work near Wanganui. The Act of the General Assembly provided that militia had not the right to the advantages given the Volunteers, unless they had served continuously for five years, or in the field for six months. If the financial state of the Province was such as to exclude them from having a Bill of this kind, he thought that the Superintendent could hardly congratulate them as he had done on their financial prosperity. He would support the motion. Mr. READING said that while he supported the Bill, he should like some acknowledgement to be given to those colonists who had fought in the face of the enemy as long ago as 1846 as their services to the Colony had been far more valuable than those of retired soldiers, who had received their g.ants of land as soon as they settled here. Leave was then granted to bring in the Bill, which was read a first time, and has since been read a seccond time without opposition.