The Dunedin Political Meeting.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 670, 28 September 1876, Page 2

The Dunedin Political Meeting.

©(jnrdin, Wodnoidfty, 9 50p m, Messrs Stout and ATacandrow are ,pre- j •enfcat the •meeting. The Mayor is itvlj the chair,*, The theatre ii ontmuied to overflowing. «o4ts 1,300. Mr MaoAndrew who wus Jre6e\reßJ re6e\reB with Joud and prolonged uppkuise, enid it wai ununul lor members oP PAfflSnientr'tb .itddre«« their coiistitucaU when the House w*3

io Ki-p-iion, but, tic-e «ero exception* to thn, rule, and h.» took advantage of his prrfionCdr iu^Danpdtn to aildro s ihem. He, was there to a- cor tain whether his actions had xxnt llieir approval, (dicer»). He accepted thoir a^plamc a.3 an iudica-* tion that Inny kid. Last week lid lud 'received a memo ill refl ctmg on ius us a representative. Ho was tbpro fed meet the/ chirgr-s made against him, , (!ie|r hear). llu had been chirked with' oßstfflcting tlio public ! nuiness, (no uo, anil cries of ye*). Tliii was bowever a chirge tbat would ahviys be ur SPl.j»gaiasb^ public -men--- H«' and his colleagues bad dune their bctst to preserve local government, aud to preserve their local revenue. (Obeera.) Their right of determining for tb.epi«olv.e;i tfoe form of government best ad*pted foi their req'uremeiita w as ono that, do govern raeut hud a rigbt to take from \\v/> people. If this was obstructing jublic. ou«ine«B, he pleaded guilty, and gloried* in it. (Cheers.) It was those who sent that letter to Wellington who were obstructing the business of the Colony, liut for th»t, resolutions would more thin likely havojbeen carried. It wu those who were seeking to pull down the constitution, and had not fhe capacity to place anything in its stead who were re«lly the obstructors.. .(Che «.) It was ■aid the Counties Bill would put ev«-y-thing right, but without it they had the control of their own ie venue. This bill wta simply tbo ih^l witliout the substance. (Hear, hear.) A board of works was suggested. He would be content wiih tJi 8 board, but the thing was impossibe. The G-overn-menti had been waited ' on" r in reference to a board of ttorki, but' ftko thing would not be entertained. They might as well talk to a deaf adder as talk to the Legislative Assembly in Wellington. The result of the present Session, so far, was acjst to the country of £44,000 j it was possible the Session would la»t for three months longer, and tho expense involved would then be thrown awuy in a yam endeavour to manage the ufftirs of the Colony from Wellington. Sir George &tey proposed . the only solution of tbo difficulty, two separate parliaments for each Island, with a federal government in the centrj. .But . for this memorial sent up to Wellington, ho believed his own resolutions would hare been ciriigd. As the result of Abolition their railways receipts would be carried away to Wellington. The ordinary expenditure of the' Groternmeuti exceeded the revenue to the extent of £100 per day, to mace up this deficiency the land revenue and railway revenue was required, The Government care nothing a*out lo -al government or Abolition, they wanted the money (uproar)joven tbm additional taxation would bo neoesaary. Tb« ouly thing for Otago was to erect it self iuto a separate colony (loud cheers) this could be dona by constitutional moans, as had been done in the colony of Victoria aud Qjen-Jaud. Lot them gotj thy Imperial Parliament. Otago had b en the milch cow of the oplony, they fthould i o longer remain so. It was timt they nude, an attempt to become a free and independent people (loud applause). Mr Stout proceeded to review tho pro* ceedings of the Asseinb y iv connection with he PiakoSwampana uUqualilioafc'on qu fet oui, and asked if tho JOppositiou ecu Id 1)0 charged with having obstructed th« tmaincss of the AssembK i « dragging tluae mattttrt'into the li,ht? Could the people otherwue hnvo Wen acquainted With the tru- f 10U ? (Hor, hear.) He usktd if this was waste time. (No, no, aud cheeis.) Y-t, in the face of this, there comes that lamentable inoinorial, tolling tho Mo olera who hal baen fighting the.r battle uuceaBit.gl/ .for t no m (nth*, th^t they wero wa tingitho time of thucou it?y. (Hoar, h .. r, aud che«ri.) 111 1 hid thittfetof vroakei in< tho.rp siLimi in the AsifUiblv. He had ilio honour of rej»re!>enting the fii^t conibi'ueney in New Zealand, but l:o would «t on<o re. sign the honour if he thought for a mo-mt-nt he was misreprpso Uing t l*h«ir op iv. oils. They woe told, Abolition would secure thair land fund f>r erer by Agt of I'urlia-Ticnr, an.l education and other matters bo p>orfded from (hi d. nsolid«tod fund; but ie is to tbo credit of $)\in din that with all these promises it woull not be bribed, Otago would lose £150,000 a year by Ab »lition. They would lose jho control of their' land aud their revenue, and iv return thay would receive a barren Abolition Act which would bo altered and amended at tbo whim of the Q-orernment of the day. If they thought he was contonding forjbheir "rights and striving to do his beit for the Colony, ho would go back aud fight It out, (rrolongod applause). i < Three cheers were given for Mes»r« Stout and Macau drew Mr Lineu then moved the following resolution*, seconded by Mr Hallenotoin, that Moiurs Macandrew aud S'out are entitled to the ho*rty tlunka of this meeting for affording their constituents this opportunity for mutually noanng and expressing opinions in reference to tbo past -and future of Now Zealand puhtios." " That in the opinion of this meeting the Otego represent atiro3, who have noted in opposition during the present session of the Assembly, h*»e faithfully, honorably, and nob'y fulfilled their trust, and deserve tlia entire sympa'hy of the greater portion of the inhabitants of Otago in their effort to obtain justice for and maintain the rights and privileges of ±he , people of this province".'" Mr J. G. 8. Grant attempted, amidst great uproar, to speak in amendment, ninid interruptions, groans and jeers. Tho Major then put. it to .tho vote whether Mr Grant should bo heard, »l>« i 6 was decided not to hear him. The resolution win then put and carried, with three cheers for the Members. Proposed by Mr Maloney, ««d carried unanimously, "That in the opinion of tins meeting, it is hopeless to expect any'lii«g like justice to Otago from tho present House of Keprese itatives, and that lh) Supeiintoudout and the Executive is ulrongly urged forthwith to convene' a meeting of tho Provincial Council with a view to the necessary legislative action being taken to obtain a p obiscUum of tho people so as to ascertain their wishes and opinions as to the form of local self-government best oaleulated to secure to the Provinco the exclusive onj >ymenfc of its own revenue, and tho co itrol and administraiou of- its own affairs. The Chairmin was Authorised to for* ward the resolution to 'XT s Excellency. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.