OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 15, Issue 2016, 23 December 1870, Page 2

OTAGO.

Donedin, Dec. 19.; At a large. public meeting, tornigbt, Mr.. Reid, the Provincial Secretary, explained - the views of himself and of the other members of the Government on the Immigration.... , and Public Works /JPcte. Mr. VogeVs argument in reference to that scheme had given him great disappointment. He: took ' from Mr. "Vogel's speech the salient points, commencing with the . Middle Island, and contended that the Act, as ii; stood, was not fair to the Middle Island,- that the Clutha railway could not be constructed under it. ~ As regarded the threat that the Act, if any attempt were made to alter it, would be rendered still more distasteful to the Middle Island, — that power lay in the hands of ih.e' constituencies, not with the Colonial Treasurer. If certain modifications were made, . some of them would have bis support, but lie condemned it as it stood. In the matter : of railways all that was offered them was : that certain enquiries should be made and surveys prosecuted, a thing which was already being done by the Provincial Go- " f eminent. Nothing would be lost if 'there was a delay caused by submitting another scheme to the next Parliament. He referred to the disproportionately large amount ; proposed to be expended in : 'th 6 Norifi ' Island. -' No con' tractor would -tiSe^tbe^bSf ■ r3 ° fiscated lands as payment; he saw "in 'that * v a future difficulty; The North- Island would be unable to pay its share of the. expenditure; not even Auckland, its most progressive province, would be able to do so, , while Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and' • Taranaki would be utterly unable. If the only security for the proposed expenditure were the Customs revenue, that, though monstrously unfair to Otago, would have been less unfair than the using of the Middle Island land fund as security. These lands the railways should open up, instead of passing over mountainous ranges and deserts in the North Island. He was not surprised at the land owners in the North Island supporting a scheme by which their lands would be opened up at the expense of the South, which would then have to bear the expense of maintaining them. As to the charging of loan provincially, be referred the meeting to what took place in 1867, when an Act was passed making the North Island provincial charges payable by the colony, and also to the Busby claim. The General Government were empowered to. expend not more than £5000 per mile on the Clutha railway. It could not be constructed for that amount. The Provincial Government could have had it constructed as economically as the General Government. They (the General Government) bad advised the Governor not to assent to the bill .' for the extension of time of the guarantee, thereby preventing them from extending it, and showing that the ministry was not sincere. He wa9 doubtful if tbe General Government bad the funds to commence it. As to the threat above alluded to, it was illtimed. The power to alter the bill, as ne : had said," lay not with the Colonial Treasurer, But witb the constituencies, which he recommended to return members pledged to modify tbe scheme. The speech was listened to ' attentively, and was frequently applauded. A motion ," that the meeting has no faith in tHe Fox cum Vogei Government" was carried; '