PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4297, 21 August 1875, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

[FROM OCR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Government Holdings, Wellington, Friday. Mr. Reevts yesterday gave Mr. Cracroft Wilson a tremendous and thoroughly deserved dressing down for his ridiculous selfpraise and most unjustifiable attack on Mr. Sloorhouse and Mr. Macandrew. Mr. Wilson had been told he was going to catch it, and absented himself from the House while Mr. Reeves was speaking.

Mr. Stafford's speech was an admirable declamatory effort. When he linished the debate was near collapsing, Mr. Atkinson being on his feet to reply when in rushed Mr. Bunny and got Mr. John White up. There was nothing remarkable this afternoon.

Mr. Fitzherbert will probably occupy the whole night. The Opposition will not divide against the second reading; if the Government force a division, they will vote for the bill. Mr. Macandrew will speak on Tuesday, Wednesday will be a private day, so that the debate is not likely to end till Thursday or Friday. A meeting of country district electors at Pahautanui, last night, by ten to six, passed a resolution approving of immediate abolition.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [rItESS AGENCY.] Wellington, Friday. Mr. WHITE occupied all the remainder of last evening, speaking against the bill, which he said he would oppose in every stage and form. Mr. MERVYN moved the adjournment of the debate, which will be resumed this (Friday) afternoon. The House adjourned at midnight. AFTERNOON SITTING. In the House of Representatives, at 2.30, the Kaitanga Railway and Coal Compauy Bill passed. TirE EFFECT OF ABOLITION ON RESERVES. Mr. WALES asked, without notice, whether, in the event of the Abolition Bill being passed, it would be possible for tho Government, in whom these reserves are vested and which are now held by Superintendents, to divert these reserves from their original purpose ? He was rather anxious for a satisfactory reply, as it might seriously affect the course he had intended to take.

The TREASURER said the clause of the bill referred to secured these reserves, according to their original intention, aud if there was any doubt ut." n the point, the Government would see that the clause was amended to secure that intent. He referred the hon. gentlemen to the financial statement to shew that the Government intended the reserves should remain in their present trusts. CLERICAL ASSISTANCE. Mr. REEVES called attention to the great want of clerical assistance to committees. The SPEAKER said the matter would bo attended to. GOVERNMENT PRINTING. Mr. READER WOOD called attention to the way in which the Government printing was behindhand. Mr. LUCKIE said the Government printing office should be relieved by distributing the work amongst the different newspaper offices-of the colony. Mr. REEVES thought that the Government, having entered into competition with the printing oflices of the colony, should take ateps to introduce a moderate number of compositors previous to the session. He was confident they could be easily absorbed amongst the other establishments of the colony. Mr. -CREIGHTON pointed out that the free passages offered to printers by the Government had an injurious effect upon the trade. He said that provincial printing should be done in the provinces, and that the * Government work should be thrown open to public competition. Mr. OCONOR said printers were not as well paid in proportion as other trades. Sir DONALD McLEAN said the Gorerumtnt would consider the niattvr with a view

of introducing some printers amongst the immigrants if it should bo found necessary. The matter then dropped. THE ABOLITION* DEBATK.

The continuation of the abolition debate was resumed by

Mr. MEUVVN, who said ho was forcibly struck by tho unanimity shewn by the objectors to the bill. Their great objection setmed to by that the time was inopportune, and that the people were taken by surprise, but there was no foundation for these objections, because the question had for the last twelve months occupied the attention of the people of Otago. Even the Superintendent of that province had given his opinion upon the question, lie could also inform the House that when he was elected it was distinctly upon the question of abolition. Very mush needless stress had been laid upon the fact that this bill invaded people's right. But the fact was steadily ignored that this measure was merely a makeshift, and was only intended to pave the way for something more suitable. The lion, gentleman proceeded to shew that if Provincialists had desired to improve local government they did not shew it by their action towards the bill introduced in 18G7 by Mr. Stallord to grant local government; and although in the following year his Road Board Bill was passed by a majority of six or seven, it dropped at that solely through the iutluence of Provincialists. His experience of _ Provincial uiangement had not created any sympathy with it. He had seen his district neglected systematically by the Provincial Government of Otago, while "the revenue contributed by out-districts was lavished within thirty miles of 1 >uncdin. Another great cause of complaint he had against Provincialism was the way in which waste lauds were administered. The laud laws were made with a view to prevent their occupation by l>ontt settlers, and to allow the original leaseholders alxmt twenty - eight yc:'rs to purchase, if not the whole of their runs, at least the choicest portion of them.

Mr. MACANDREW : Who made those laws ?

Mr. MERVYN : They were made by this House, but only upon the strange recommendations of the different Provincial Councils ; for these remarks applied to Nelson, Canterbury, and Marlborough, as well as Otago. If for no otlnr reason than the alteration which the Abolition Bill would effect in this direction, he welcomed the bill. He was quite satisfied with the pvovisona for local government made by the bill, and he could not understand why people should want the bill relegated to another session. Another great consideration which iuduccd him to support the bill was education. That should be attended to, even if tho mouey came from the laud fund, or any other fund, 110 would vote for the second reading of tlic bill.

Mr. O'CONOR said when he first camc to that House he did so as an abolitionist. lie did so because the large out-districts were continually neglected. He presented a petition on the subject, but in consequence of a combination among the Superintendents the grievance was looked coldly upon. While he deemed it an linnor to be a Provincial Councillor, he maintained that it was never intended that Superintendents of provinces should be more than Chairmen of Municipalities. Had they been contined to that, it would have been better fo>- tho colony, and it was the fault of the Assembly that they hail not been so confined. Tho House could always have done it, and could do it now. The chief reason for supporting this bill was, that he expected uo true loe;d government from it. It" the Provincial I Governments had failed in doing justice to ' the out-districts —and they had failed to do i it—the General Government would make a j still greater failure. Neither nf them could 1 possibly possess sufficient knowledge of the j out-districts. Another "reat reason for j his supporting the bill was its ten- j dency to give them a common purse, for the}- had a common creditor. : With a common interest, they should | ! have a common revenue, and a common j I purse. He cared nothing about this com- I pact or that compact; it was iniquitous that I ! one portion of the colony should be rolling ■ | in wealth, defraying Provincial charges out ! j of the land fund, while other parts of the i i colony were in very great need. Charges of j i mal administration had been made against ' ; Provincial Councils, but tin's.- were charges i which might, and would be brought against j any Government that occupied the Governi ir.ent benches of that House. While he was desirous of Provincialism being abolished, he ! did not approve of the way they sought Ito bring it about. 'I hero were various ways in which they could have dc- : prived Provincial Governments of their i power of legislation, and giv.< more to tho : out-districts. This bill asked them to hand ! over all their legislation for twelve mouths, upon the promise that at the end of that time j they would get a system of local govcrn- : mcnt. Why give them promises only ? j Why not give them in the bill all that was j wanted? How would it be under the Go- | vernment proposals, suppose he wanted , a bridge, and was a Government supporter? ; The Government, of course, would support ! him, or he could not support them. Extend . this principle, and you at once had government by party. The strongest would get the best of it. One thing lie could compliment the Government upon was the way they dealt with gold mining districts, though it would be an improvement to abolish the gold duty altogether. He disapproved of the manner in which the land fund was proposed to be dealt with. He was strongly opposed to giving such large sums of money to large centres of population. There were a great many parts of the colony that had no Road Boards, and had to depend upon | Provincial Governments alone, and this measure made no provisions for them. Another feature he strongly objected to. lie hoped the Timaru and Gladstone Hoard's works would be placed in the same position as other parts of the colony. He hoped if Government found in the transition stage that the services of people to superintend local affairs were requisite, they would place these appointments in the hands of the people. I'hev should not be deprived of that right. It was altogether improper that any Government, on the eve of a general election, should have such an enormous amount of patronage in their hands. With all the objections he had raised to the bill, he thought that in the whole it was in the direction of giving the people more ami better local government than they had now. The Government bill had imperfections, and they invited assistance and suggestions to improve the bill, and he hoped members would act upon the invitation. He could not but think that those hon. gentlemen who said that after the second reading of the bill they would wash their hands of it, altogether would act improperly to the country. Mr. BASSTIAN referred to the feeling on abolition in the part of the country he came from. He had never heard a single word opposed to abolition except from one person, ami he was a member of the Provincial Executive. ... It seemed extraordinary to him that the country could not be governed without having little Governments. He did not apprehend any great rupture or dislocation of the machinery of Government : by the present change. When Southland, after governing herself as a separate province, became once more joined to Otago, no one could detect any difference in the way affairs were conducted. As far as results were concerned, no one could tell that any change had taken place. Nor in this change did lie anticipate any difficulty in the transaction. Provincialism seemed to' be like an old mail's constitution —it had had its day. He would vote for - the bill. 1 The House adjourned till 7.30, when Mr. Fitzherbert is expected to speak.