MAJOR ATKINSON AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 341, 22 December 1875, Page 2

MAJOR ATKINSON AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

New Pltmocxh. Tuesday. Major Atkinson addressed a Urge meeting at the Oddfellows' Hail on Sturday night, when be was enthu*ia9tic*lly received. He spoke for ab>ut an hour ani a half, and in answer to a question before the close of the meeting, said ho was oppoa ;d to an? one employed in the Government service dealing in native lands. With reference to tbe amount of mon«y spent in this province out of the nine millions loan, there bid been £75,100 frr roads, jEHO.OOO for railways already s made, £38,000 for the one in progress, and £25 000 -for the purchase of native lands. Accor^lfeig- to area and population this province was »—6HE4t4fc— pact of . .the whole" colony, and if ihey multiplied the £200,000 specified by him they would . find that the loan should have been £12,000,000 to en'itle the provinca to the amount. There were completed in the colony 277 mi!ej of railway, of which this province had eleven miles ; by the same mode of calculation it woild b? found that they phould htve 660 miles of railway completed in the colony to entitle " this province to what it a'ready had. He was now in favor of altering the incidence of taxation. There was no intention of the Govern unent to cease purchasing native lant, and the remarks made kj Sir D. M-Lean in the Honsa were wrongly c as they referred purely" to"'certai<i districts in which it was thought) the Government would get the land quicker by suspending for the time >ihe purchase of the Und till tbe natives in th«e districts became more unanimous in their desire to sell. The Government were anxiou', and wou'd as son as they could with safety, open the Mokau. With regard to the teiegriph, the Government were doing their best to connect it by the coist, and, failing that, the line would be erected at- the back of the mountain during; the summer. With regard to the Paterson. Major Atkinson slid that Captain FairchiM had gone into the Waitara to exam'na tbe wreck, and if thfy could assist the Provincial Government they certainly would. Aa tv the piymtnt of BubaMy to Road Boards, the Governm°nt were obliged to calculate one s m? specific amount, ani had accorJiugly taken the rate levied las 1 : year. Mr Crompton, Speaker of the late Provincial Council, proposed tbe following reso'ution:—" That this meeting des res to ixpress its fall confiieme in Major Atßin3on, and is p'edged to support him ia the coming election." This was carried unanimously... \ \ \