MR J. L. GILLIES AT MILTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3654, 7 November 1874, Page 2

MR J. L. GILLIES AT MILTON.

Last evening Mr Gillies met his constituents at Milton, but the attendance wati small. His remarks (as we learn from the ‘ Daily Times’ telegrams) were mainly as to bis personal wositiou and the abolition of Provinces question. As to the fir*t. he intimated that if his constituency thought his being secret-ary to the Harbor Board incompatible with his being their representative, he would at once resign, and he bad already prepared a circular asking the opinion of the members of the Provincial Council as to his remaining Speaker. As to railways, the _mmigration and Pi blio Works Act provided for the construction of railways within the Provinces able to wive security. Tt was understood that by th s the Provincial Government would construct branch railways, and Otago bad been anxious for this -then those who advised the abo'iti. n ot the Provinces said that the people wanted railways, and that the Provincial Government could not give them. But tae fact was, the Provincial Government uad no money. 1 he promise made under the Act.of 1870 w is broken to the Otago Government last se ision. because there were some Provinces who could not give security,, and who determin' d that these who could should not have railways. He acknowledged the difficulties of the General Government in dealing with pressure from the Prorinow,

but if determination had been shown. Otago would have bad the mlivay. The Tblnue ‘-overnraent h\d undertaken the construesou o lines for which the present Govern* mrnt had scarcely resorc s ; and until those rr e fim 4 b . e i’ none °tiher could be under* i aken ;, re « ard [ o the licensing laws he tnought the drinking customs of the Colony were earned to a most hurtful extent, aud was glad to see a measure carried which would reduce the evils, and yet not injure vested interests. Ihe evil, in his mind. a 'ose from the jumble in the licensing laws i he best thing to do would be to reduce the number of eatabdahmenis, so as to make them serve the purpose intended -places of accommodation and rein sh went. Any ■'“gis'ation then should be in the direction of iicoking the number of licensed houses, and ruling their character. Alluding to the ni ;,ossify of codification of Provincial and U ueral 1 egislation, he said Mr Reid was now devoting his attention to codifying s h >ep, Cattle, and Impounding Ordinances, fr on which great good Would arise. He concluded by touching on the question of the abolition of the ‘ Provinces. He prophesied that in the face of the Public Works Policy they had to make up their minds to the abolition; but ibis was to be done, not by a resolution, but by providing something that would render the Provinces unnecessary. With that view in mind, he and Mr Reid had carried the Road Board Ordinance, which had done much good. \nd as far as Otago was concerned, legislation had provided foi the establishment of Counties. But the fact was, the people were not ready yet for this last. If the Counties Ordinance were in operation and education endowed, then there would be no necessity for Provincial Government, and that was the way he wanted to see Provincial Governments abolished, by providing something in their place. A s business men, if they found their business extending, would they pull down the old barn before the new one was built, or break up a single plough before the double was ready. If they did not bear this in tnind, Provincialism would be abo-U-.hed in such a marine- that they would have to deal with a powerVotnore from them, aud over which they would have no ontrol. It would be unfair to the constituency he represented in the General Assembly to go more fully into this. If the constituency sustained him by their confidence, he Would do his best to give the adm nistration into the hands of the best bodies, but would oppose sweeping away their safeguard agaiust bureaucratic' Government. Works had been mere eheaplv carried out by the Provincial than by the General Government, as he had proved in the Assembly. A vote of confidence in Mr Gillies was carried unanimously. Before the meeting, a presentation of a ?? r8 ® °l wventy-five guineas was made to Mr Gillies by a number of friends and constituents.