REDUCTION OF MEMBERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 222, 20 September 1888, Page 2

REDUCTION OF MEMBERS.

DR. FITCHETT CHANaES:M6N'i?.

(BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN COHBESpONDMT. )

!-. ■'■' ;,-,>*:' ■■''.;■•; ><■";: ■:.'■■'. DuNteDiir, this day. ' DBi Fitohett, member for Dunedin Central has evidently backed out of the position he took up at the general election' re the reduction of members, and which was the cardinal plank in .ensuring his return. Speaking at the Protection Banquet, he said he had altered his mind upon one very important subject, and he took this, the earliest opportunity, of letting the publio know of it. .During the electoral campaign speaking in a theoretical way, and without practical knowledge, he had expressed an opinion: favourable .to a reduction in tho number! of members, and had pledged him- ; self'tO vote fot' that. He had spoken and, ' voted for the reduction, but now, if the matter'came the House again, he ■would vote against it. He did not like to break a pledge, but, he would nob keep a pledge with the conviction that i|> was not a good one. (Hear, hear.) Therefore he thought in saying so he might alienate his friends who. thought otherwise. He must say he thought a reduction in the number of? members in the present state of the colony would be an eviL The colonial Conservatives were the land proprietors— the rich men—and- they were the backbone of the /present Government party. A colonial Conservative was a man who held large quantities of land, whether native or European land. It was the. Russells, the Ormonds, the Buchanans, the Rhodes, who! had the bulk of the land of the colony in their.grip, and" who constituted the Conservative party, and lie was satisfied from his observations in the House that if the number of members was reduced to 50 they would find nobody but these large monied men in the House, and in a democracy that

was a. danger that couldl not bo too cautiously guarded against. No ordinary man would, be able to contest a conntry constituency, and Parliament would be* controlled by those large landed proprietors. ■;■- :'; .-.:,■ ■: --: ;,,■,;;;:.;.■■'-'■••■.■■