MR. KYNNERSLEY'S MEETING.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 759, 5 January 1871, Page 2

MR. KYNNERSLEY'S MEETING.

Mr Kynnersley, the representative for AVestland North in the General Assemby, addressed his constituents at the Masonic Hall, Westport, on Tuesday evening.

Mr Pitt was voted to the chair.

The Cuaikmak expressed himself obliged for the honor conferred in placing him in the chair, but regretted, none more so, the occasion, since Mr Kynnorsley had fully determined upon retiring from public life. As he had said, he was personally sorry, and he was sure the whole constituency would regret that a public career, which promised so fairly should be closed. It was .quite true that Mr Kynnersley had not sat long as their representative, and he had had but little opportunity of displaying his usefulness, but such opportunities as had presented themselves had been faithfully taken advantage of. His loss would be more felt as some important changes were in contemplation. Included in the programme was the consolidation of the gold-mining laws of the various portions of the Colony into one hai'monious and comprehensive code, and tho very valuable knowledge that Mr Kynnersley would have brought upon that subject rendered it a special matter for regret that his valuable services would not be available. Regrets, however, were useless, as Mr Kynnersley had fully made up his mind not to offer himself for re-election, and his only object at present is to thank you for the honor of having previously returned him unopposed, and to give an account of his stewardship. Mr Kynnersley : Mr Chairman and gentlemen, in having requested you to meet me this evening, I am acting in accordance with the customary procedure, namely to give an account of the proceedings in the Assembly and the share taken by myself in these doings. While acting in accordance with general usage, I am at the same time fulfilling a pleasurable duty in meeting you this evening, and I feel that, although holding no intention of again soliciting your suffrages, it was enly due to the confidence you reposed in me, that I should visit you personally and give a faithful account of the events in which I took part during the last session of the Assembly. I am afraid that I have not elected the most opportune moment to do this, as the recent entertainments and Christmas festivities are not very well calculated to induce a patient hearing for any political address, which is necessarily dry and uninviting. I will endeavor however, to state as concisely as possible the part taken by me in the business of the session. The Act upon which I must first dwell as the paramount act of the session was the proposed borrowing scheme of the Colonial Treasurer. You have already had the pith of the scheme, and are without doubt conversant with its essential features. Mr Vogel originally proposed to borrow ten millions sterling. When I came before you as a candidate, I expressed my views in respect to these financial proposals. This capital it was intended to apply to the construction of a grand scheme of railways, roads, and the introduction of immigrants. Other smaller schemes were also included, such as water-races, &c. Gentlemen, I told you that I was in favor of a moderate railway system, and opposed to assisted immigration, unless of a very limited and exceptional character ; the only portion of the proposal to which I could yield unqualified and cordial approval was the scheme for supplying water the goldfields. The original proposal was to borrow ten millions sterling, to construct 1500 miles of railway, and to introduce a very large number of immigrants. These latter would assist in constructing the railways, the;railways would open up large tracts of country at present not available for settlement, and the immigrants, 'after constructing the railways, would settle on these lands. Such was the view held by Mr Vogel, and that it was a reasonable one was held by tho majority of the House There were few objections to the scheme as a whole. It was felt

that railways and roads would be very beneficial, that an increasing white population in the North Island would D 6 the best guarantee of peace, and that an additional population profitably employed would secure a larger revenue. It was impossible to object to the principle advanced, but many in the House, myself among* the number, thought the pro posals too large, and that it was neither necessary nor desirable to legislate for ten years hence. There could be no valid objection to the construction of public works of a reproductive character, if carried out in moderation. Mr Vogel proposed a railway scheme to be at once commenced from North Cape to the South Bluff. A portion of the House, whose views I also hold, deemed it advisable to connect the more important centres of population with the nearest port, without adopting so gigantic an undertaking, for the present, as proposed by Mr Vogel. Half a dozen railways of a length of about 40 miles each it was felt would be amply sufficient for the present circumstances of the Colony, and might be constructed at a cost quite within the resources of the country. There was also this wide point of difference between Mr Vogel and a large section of the House who endorsed the principle of his policy, that while he admitted the necessity of prolonging provincial institutions, and sought to establish his system of public works and immigration upon a basis calculated to meet the wishes and prejudices of the provinces, the portion of the House referred to first desired to see provincial institutions swept away, giving place to a strong national government who could pursue the work of colonization unembarrassed by the improper influence of any province or provinces however powerful. —(Hear, hear). You have followed the history of the Act through its different stages. Mr Vogel modified his scheme in accordance with the wishes of many, making the proposed loan five millions, four millions for railways and public works, and one million for defence purposes. I very heartily concurred in the million for purposes of defence, and, indeed, the chief claim to support, which the present Government could advance, has been the success of their Native Policy. I do not care to enquire too narrowly how it has been brought about that the Government hare succeeded far better than their predecessors in quelling the Native disturbances. I am satisfied that it is so, and I should not care to hazard the substitution of a probably better policy towards the Natives, which would also involve the risk of distracting the colony with war. I felt that it was impossible to organise a sufficient defence force, or to place it on a satisfactory footing unless it contained the element of permanence. One portion of the loan has a special importance for goldfields' communities, and that is the £300,000 to be spent in supplying water to the goldfields of the Colony. The sum set aside for this purpose was originally £200,000, and I was instrumental in obtaining an increase to the first named amount. As the matter now stands this sum can only be expended at the rate of £IOO,OOO annually, and will be distributed according to the recommendation of the Superintendents and the Provincial Councils. I may tell you incidentally that £IOO,OOO has already been promised to the Province of Auckland, without any enquiry whether the money might not be better spent here or elsewhere. I am afraid, therefore, that the goldfields will not derive the fullest benefit from this measure. The remaining £200,000 will remain for distribution between Otago, Westland ana Nelson, and I believe that the share falling to the lot of Nelson will be very small indeed. Almost a hundred acts were passed during the lastsession. I am not going through all the acts but will shortly refer to a few of more especial interest. Taking them alphabetically I find, first, the Aliens' Act which w as passed enabling foreigners to hold laud. A Bankruptcy Amendment Act was introduced, but postponed until the next session, when it is proposed to consolidate all the acts into one comprehensive Act. One of the principal provisions will be that no bankrupt shall get his discharge, excepting under peculiar circumstances, unless all the creditors declare that the bankrupt cannot be charged with fraudulent or reckless trading. The Colonial Eeciprocity Act, by which the Governor of jfew Zealand could enter into undertakings with the Governors of neighboring colonies for the introduction of colonial products free of duty, has, I believe, been disallowed by her Majesty's advisers. It was thought that the introduction of New Zealand beer into Australia and of Australian wines into this Colony would be productive of mutual benefit. The Disqualification Act was passed with the intention of barring government officers and contractors from a seat in the House of Eepresentatives. A large proportion of the members thought that Superintendents of Provinces and officers of the Provincial Government should also be excluded. I did not desire to disqualify the Superintendents since among them are to be found the best men in New Zealand, whose absence would be a great loss to the Legislature, but I thought that Provincial Government officers should bo disqualified. A Superintendent would of necessity exercise more influence with those immediately in connection with him and for that reason I considered that Provincial Government officers, equally with Gene-

ral Government officers, should be disqualified from sitting in the House. The Regulation of Election or Ballot j Act passed before I took my seat. I should, however, have supported it, though very reluctantly admitting that, in New Zealand even, there existed a necessity to secure, by means of the ballot, the independence of electors. The same causes, though in a modified form, operate hero as in England, the tenant is necessarily liable to be influenced by the landlord and a mortgager by a mortgagee. By the {Qualification of Electors Act it was proposed to limit the holder of a miner's right or business license to vote only in the district in which such right or license had been issued. I objected to this, and I was successful in securing to such persons the right tovote in any electoral district, any portion oi' which was within a proclaimed goldfield, and to record their vote within such electoral district, but within or without the boundaries of the district in which the minerls right or business license had been issued. The Gold Duties Act provided for an ad valorem duty upon gold, and for the present had special reference to the Auckland G-oldfiehls. It was felt that if the gold had only two-thirds the value of gold elsewhere' in the Colony, that a suitable reduction in the duty payable was demanded, but I could not endorse an insignificant reduction in the duty on gold in order to make room for the imposition of more burdensome taxes. It was partly for this reason that I opposed the handing over of the legislative functions of the General Government to the Provincial Governments in respect to regulating the gold duty to bo levied in the various provinces, and the sum payable for a miner's right, conditionally that the present rates were not exceeded. It is quite true that under the arrangement any alteration in the present duty must have been a reduction, but I regarded the proposal as the bartering of certain advantages to the Provinces containing goldflelds, in order to introduce the thin end of the wedge of a protective policy. Another very strong reason for opposing the measure was that it further extended Provincial powers and strengthened Provincialism as an institution. On the second reading of the bill I divided the House, and succeeded in obtaining a majority against the "Government, who then abandoned the measure. Much had been said that I, a Goldflelds' Representative, should have opposed a measure calculated to lighten the burdens of the class whom I represented. But I failed to see the advantage that would be gained in removing the tax on gold and inflicting heavier imposts upon articles of general consumption. The gold duty contained 1 one very important feature which did not apply to tho generality of taxes. Those, who could best afford to be taxed, were alone called upon to pay, and until I see that the gold duty can be dispensed with, I should not vote for its abolition, as it would only be replaced by a heavier and more burdensome tax. In Victoria, the gold duty has been abolished, but by other means a much larger revenue than it furnished is extracted from the miner, and those who cannot afford to pay are taxed equally with those who are well able to bear the burden. An Act was also passed to punish partners guilty of larceny. I know instances on the Coast where the want of such an act has been seriously felt, and I supported the measure. —(Hear, hear). The mining Companies' Limited Liability Act, passed last session, is not one affecting you much at present, although if the reefs progress as anticipated, it will do so. The Nelson Waste Lands' Act contains but one provision in which you are interested —the one having reference to licenses for cutting timber. I objected to the holder of a miner's right or business license within a proclaimed goldfield having to take out a license, and an amendment was passed to meet my objection.—(Hear, hear). An Act which deserves to command your close attention, is The Payment to Provinces' Act, by which, in place of a fixed share of the ordinary revenue being handed over to the provinces, a capitation allowance is substituted. I objected to this change, not on account of provincial interests generally, but that the change was calculated to act very prejudicially to the County of Westland, which would lose £20,000 a year by the alteration ; chiefly owing to the large adult population in that portion of the colony. Under the previous system the Provinces of Marlborough, Hawke's Bay and Southland suffered as they drew their supplies chiefly from the larger provinces, and the amount of duty collected within their limits was very small, the duty upon articles consumed within these respective provinces having been for the most part collected in the Provinces of Auckland, Canterbury, Nelson, and Otago. An amendment was introduced by which the County of Westland received an additional allowance to set against the large infant population of tho remaining provinces. There is one point to which I would draw your attention in connection with this bill, and that is the £50,000 a year, payable, under this act, to the various road boards of the colony. According to the report of a public meeting recently held at Nelson, I find that £4SOO. is the annual share falling to this province out of the £50,000, and it was proposed that this sum should bo expended in the following directions: —A road from

Nelson to Upper Buller; from Nelson to Karamea; from Nelson to Marlborough. If you wish to derive any benefit from this arrangement you must either constitute a Road Board or petition the General Government to determine by law that a fixed proportion of the Provincial Revenue be devoted to goldflelds' purposes. The Westland Annexation Bill by which it was sought to annex a portion of the County of Westland to Nelson was introduced by Mr Harrison, member for Westlaud Boroughs, about a month prior to the close of the session. Mr Harrison and myself waited upon Mr Vogel. I was not in favor of the movement, although anxious to see the unsatisfactory boundary of the Grey river altered. The proposition struck me as not having any element of finality or permanence, and it savored rather of annexation of Nelson to Greymouth, than of Greymouth to Nelson. Besides, as a consistent opponent to Provincialism, I preferred to see the reduction of the power of the Provinces rather than their consolidation as permanent institutions. If unable, however, to get such an alteration as I desired, I was none the less prepared to vote for any measure that would remove the serious inconvenience of keeping the Grey River as a boundary between these two portions of the Colony. Mr Vogel, upon hearing our views, thought it desirable that the bill should be introduced as a Government measure. Mr Harrison was satisfied with this, and, I believe, telegraphed to Greymouth that the matter might be almost regarded as settled. The bill passed the first reading, and when called on again Mr Vogel asked that it might be postponed. After a series of delays, Mr Harrison learnt from Mr Vogel that the Government declined to proceed with the measure. Mr Harrison was naturally highly indignant, as, had he known such was the intention of the Government, he would have brought it on himself. He again urged Mr Vogel to carry out his promise, and the latter declined, stating that it was too late in the session. The member for Westland Boroughs, as also myself, felt very strongly on the matter. It was not alone the fact of Mr Vogel having undertaken the paternity of the bill, but also its being a more important petition, having been signed bv 2000 persons, than had ever been presented to the House of Representatives, that caused us to lament the defective representative institutions under which a Government would dare to insult a constituency numerically strong, but politically weak. If a petition signed by two hundred people from any other Province, and more especially Canterbury or Otago, had been presented, the Government would not dare to have so treated it. The Government have, however, consented to the appointment of a Commission, whose report upon the question will be brought before the House next session. The Stamp Duties' Act, passed during the last session, contained a clause which I was instrumental in having inserted, which provided for the use of adhesive stamps in respect to the transfer of auy description of mining property. It is not, however, so much the action upon any particular bill that I took to which I desire to call special attentiou. My chief efforts in the Assembly have been directed towards alleviating the condition of this wretchedly over-governed country —my chief aim has been to strike a blow at Provincialism. (Hear, hear.) I am not a Centralist as is understood under the term, but I desire to see one strong national government, with local self-government for every section of the Colony. As we now are we are not a nation ; we are inhabitants of various provinces, with separate if not conflicting interests. Provincialists may ask, if you purpose to sweep away the Provinces what substitute would you provide ? I reply none —let not the evil be perpetuated—let there be one strong national government, and local self-govern-ment by means of Road Boards and Municipalities. If the Provincial system has been found to work well under exceptional circumstances in Otago and Canterbury, it has at least failed in the remaining seven provinces, and in Canterbury and Otago I fail to see that their progress would be arrested or endangered by the total abolition of a provincial form of government. In your own instance you have a form of government at Nelson 150 miles distant, and another at AVelliufton 250 miles distant, would your interests suffer if all legislative enactments and the administration of affairs of national interest issued from Wellington? Would you not benefit greatly if you possessed road boards and municipalities for the sole management of local matters ? There is one matter which I had nearly lost sight of, and that is Protection versus Free Trade. On principle I am an undoubted supporter of Free Trade. I cannot endorse that policy that would withdraw the labor of the country from the channel in which it may be most profitably engaged, upon the production of articles that may be most profitably obtained from other countries. If, by lending capital,or offering a bonus, manufactures may be introduced which possess the elements necessary to their suecess'ih a few years after being established, I am so far a protectionist as to be willing to concede to them a trial. But I look upon the export of certain products as the chief source of prosperity. If we cultivate the export of gold, wool, flax, wheat, tallow, coal, and timber, we shall add most to the wealth of the

country. lain afraid, however, that the cry of protection, as associated with the fostering of colonial industries, will prove sufficiently fascinating to return many members who will be pledged to a protective policy. Whoever you may elect as a candidgie will, I trust, be pledged to resistto the utmost any attempt to enhance the cost of living. Trifling as these proposed additions to the tariff may appear, they may have the effect of reducing the producing powers of this Colony, and as, having such a possible, tendency, should be persistingly opposed. There is another matter that I should also desire shortly to refer to, and that is to certain criticisms I have passed upon the Superintendent of Nelson and the Council. I am charged by Mr Luckie with ingratitude, but, although free to admit that I expressed myself more warmly than necessary when speaking of Mr Curtis and the Council, I maintain a perfect right to criticize the actions of public men, and public bodies. I expect the same myself and nothing, I take it, is more wholesome than fair criticism. I know that I have been freely commented upon and, perhaps, a balance might be fairly struck between the unmerited commendation and undeserved censure that have been cast npon me. Praise or blame, when uttered by a decently conducted Journal, is not without its _ weight, but there are exceptional instances of papers that indulge in so senseless a tone and are generally so unfairly conducted that no well constituted mind would be affected by their utterances. To the latter class, belong a publication printed in Dunedin by Mr Grant, entitled " The Saturday Eeview" and " The Colonist " in Nelson, edited by Mr D. M. Luckie. It has been attempted to be shown that, in speaking of certain members of the Nelson Provincial Council whom I designated as " a factious place-hunting opposition," I should have desired to apply the term to Mr A. Eeid. I wish it to be most distinctly understood that ] had no such intention, and that Mr A. Eeid, of all the other members of the Council, was furthest from my thoughts when I made use of such an expression. Neither in speaking of Mr Curtis did I desire to say anything that could not be fairly construed as an impartial criticism of a public individual. Were Mr Curtis my own brother T should still claim the right to express my candid and undisguised opinion, if occasion required it, upon his ability or efficiency in filling a public office. I still maintain that Mr Curtis has not, to my way of thinking, a proper conception of the office of Superintendent, or the duties connected with it.

In conclusion, gentlemen, while maintaining that jou cannot elect one as your representative who more faithfully or conscientiously essayed to discharge the trust than myself, I confidently hope that your choice will fall on one who will be better able to do justice to the requirements of so important a constituency.

ivir ivvnnersiey naving expressed his willingness to reply to any question, resumed his seat amid loud applause. No questions having been put, Mr Whyte moved, " That this constituency is under obligations to Mr Kynnersley for the able and conscientious manner in which he has represented Westland North during the last session of the General Assembly. Mr O'Conor, in seconding the motion, referred in terms of the highest commendation to Mr Kynnerslcy's political career. He assured the hon. member that it was only necessary for him to express an intention to offer himself for re-election, and his return without further effort might be assured. (Applause).

The motion was carried unanimously.

Mr Kynnersley, in acknowledging the vote of confidence, stated that circumstances over which he had no control would not admit of his cominobefore the constituency as a candidate. Had he resigned his seat, he should have felt called upon to assign a reason for so doing, but, as his position as their representative had lapsed on the eve of a general election, he did not feel called upon to give the reason of his inability to offer himself once more to the constituency. A vote of thanks was then accorded to the chair, and the meeting terminated.