POLITICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4218, 26 September 1874, Page 6

POLITICS.

LAST DAYS OF PARLIAMENT. Monday, August 31. His Excellency arrived in the Chamber of the Legislative Council punctually at 3 o'clock. A. company of the Armed Constabulary formed a guard of. honor in front of the Legislative Council, and the Volunteer Artillery fired ft Royal salute as His Excellency drove up, and again as he departed. The Lower House having been summoned and appeared at the bar, His Excellency read the following speech : Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of tub House ov REPRESENTATIVES, — I have to thank you for the attention which you have paid to the discharge of your onerous duties during the short but very arduous session which I am now about to terminate. This is the last occasion upon which I shall have the honor of addressing you from this place. I desire to assure you that, in resigning the high office which I have held but for a short term, I am deeply sensible of the constant courtesy and consideration which have been shown to me by all with whom I have been brought into contact, whether in official or private relations; that in returning to a private station at Home, I shall retain a deep interest in the welfare of this most promising community ; and that I shall deem it not less a privilege than a duty to serve it 3 interests, in so far as my humble means and opportunities may enable me. I anticipate great benefit to the Colony from the State Forest 3 Act which you have passed, providing as it does for the setting apart of forests which will not only be of use in maintaining the future industries of the Colony, but which may be expected to have a beneficial effect on its cliinat* and upon the productiveness of its lands. Providing as the Act does machinery for the establishment of State forests, I am not disposed to regret a short delay in determining the actual positions of the forests. You have unmistakably committed the Colony to the establishment of State forests, and it. will be your duty to see that adequate lands are .provided for them, from which sufficient revenues will be obtainable to do justice to .your intentions. You have passed many measures this session which -will materially aid in carrying on the public service of the Colony, and in remedying defects which experience has proved to exist. I regret that the length of the session did not enable you to deal with the question of promoting commercial intercourse with Polynesia. It is one which I hope will have your careful consideration ; and it will be the duty of my advisers to bear in mind the large interest which New Zealand has in the subject, with a view of bringing it before you on a future occasion. The attention of my advisers will be earnestly given to further continuing public works and promoting immigration. The re-establishment of the Californian Mail Packet Service, in conjunction with New ■ South Wales, and the giving effect to the provisions already agreed to for the establishment of cable communication with other parts of the world, will also have the zealous attention of my adviser». GENTLEMEN OP THH HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, I acknowledge with pleasure the provisions you have made for tha public service ; and it will be the care of raj advisers to administer -them with the utmost economy consistent with efficiency. Honorable Legislatitb Councilloes and Gentlemen of the House or RepreSENTATIVES, — This session will be memorable for the decisive step which has been taken in the direction of abolishing the form of Provincial Government in the North Island. The opinion of the House of Representatives has been expressed by the large majority which voted in favor of the resolutions ; whilst the debates in the Legislative Council have left no room to doubt that that Chamber is also favorable to the proposed policy. For some years past there has grown up the belief that the Provincial system. in this Island does not really afford that amount of Local Government the people desire. The decision arrived at is memorable, also, for the desire which the Legislature manifests, that the Land Fund of the Colony should be applied to suitable purposes, and, as far as possible, be localised. That decision must effectually do away with apprehensions in any part of the country, that change in the Provincial system would mean an absorption of the Land Fund in opposition to the opinions upon the subject which have been confirmed during a long course of years. I hope that the Provincial Governments of the North Island, loyally recognising the decision of the House of Representatives, will, during the recess, exert themselves to the utmost to so manage the affairs of the Provinces as to enable the projected change to be effected next year with the least possible inconvenience.

I am glad to be able to continue to remind you of the increasing prosperity of the Colony. I hope that the success •which has attended your past efforts Trill, under the blessing of Divine Providence, continue to make itself manifest in the future ; and that you will live to see the result in New Zealand becoming the home of a large, prosperous, and contented population. Members then dispersed, and the business of the session was over. BUSINESS OF THE SESSION. The following is a resume of the business of the session : 1. New Writ* Issued— During the recess of 1873 ... 5 During the session of 1874 ... 2 7 2. Select Committees— On Public Matters 8 On Private Bills 3 3. Standing Committees 13 Ditto on Private Bills 3 4. Pcbmc Bills— Originated in the House — Eeceived the Koyal Assent ... 72 Keserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure ... 1 Dropped or otherwise disposed of 33 Brought from, Council — Eeceived the Boyal Assent ... 10 Keserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure ... 2 Pending 1 —ll9 5. Private Bills— Originated in the House ... 2 6. Petitions Kecetved ... ... 127 7. Divisions In the whole House ... ... 9 In Committee 17 8. Sittings— Days of Meetings 37 H. m. Hours of Sitting before Midnight ... 202 6 Hours of Sitting after ... ... 11 0 Daily Average... ... ... 5 45 0. Votes and Pkoceedinas— ... Questions asked of Ministers ... 108 JEnlries in Journals — Of Notices of Motion COS Of Orders of the Day 377 -r. . 882 Daily Average 23 10. Obders foii Papers 25 11. addbksse9 ... 1 12. Papeks Laid otoh the Table-^-By Command 116 In Return to Orders ... ... 17 By Mr. Speaker C By Act ... - 10 By Leavo 1 Papers ordered to b» Printed ...119 Papers not ordered to be Printed 31 150

13. Reports mom Select Committees— From the Committee on Public Petitions 5 3 From other Select Committees ... 9 From Standing Committees ... 32 —134 [list or ACTS passed both houses. Appropriation. Auckland Waste Lands: Auckland Harbor. Bankruptcy Act 1867 Amendment. Borough of Thames Tramways. Burial Ground Closing. Canterbury Marriages. Conveyancing Ordinance Amendment. Cromwell Waterworks. Clutha River Trust Reserves. City of Christchureh Drainage Debentures. Canterbury Water Supply. City of Dunedin Gasworks. Constitution of the Borough of Westport Proceedings Validation. Dunedin Waterworks. David Lewis Retiring Allowance. Electric Telegraph Act Amendment. Employment of Females Act 1873 Amendment. Excise Duties. Government Insurance and Annuities. Goldfields Act Amendment (No. 3). Hawke's Bay Waste Lauds Regulations Amendment. Harbor Works. Hokitika Mayors. Harbor Boards Act Amendment. Imprisonment for Debt Abolition. Imprest Supply. Inspection of Machinery. Invercargill Gas Loan. Immigration aud Public Works Loan. Immigration and Public Works. Juries Ac* IS6B Amendment. Justices of the Peace Act Amendment. Licensing Act 1873 Amendment. Land Transfer Act 1870 Amendment. Municipal Reserves. Marlborough Waste Lands Act 1807 Amendment. Merchant Shipping Acts Adoption. Municipal Corporations Acl Amendment. New Zealand University. New Zealand Forests. Nelson Waste Lands. Naval Training Schools. New Plymouth Exchanges Completion. New Plymouth Harbor Board Endowment. Napier Harbor Board. Native Land Act Amendment. Offences against the Person Act Amendment. Oamaru Hospital Reserves. Oamaru Harbor Board Land. Otago Provincial Public Werks Advances. Otago Reserves Otago Waste Lands Administration. Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits. Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits Act 1870 Orders in Council Validation. Oyster Fisheries Act Amendment. Poverty Bay Lands Titles. Presbyterian Church of Otago Lands Act 1866 Amendment. Public Revenues Acts Amendment. Petty Sessions Act Amendment. Provincial Public Works Advances. Railways. Regulation of Mines. Regulation of Elections Act Amendment. Supreme Court Judges Act Amendment. Taranaki Waste Lands Act Amendment. Taranaki Iron Smelting Works Lauds. Taimaro and Waimahana Grant 3. Volunteer Act Amendment. Westland Loan Act Amendment Wellington Special Settlements Act Amendment. Wellington Hospital Loan Wellington Waterworks Loan. Wellington Mayors. Wellington Education Reserves Act 1871 Amendment. Wellington Land Payments. Whakataki Grants. Wanganui Mayors. Westland Waste Lands Act Amendment. Wanganui River Foreshore Grant. Walsh and Others Pension Acts Amendment. Wilson Gray Pension. list of bills dropped or otherwise disposed OF in the legislative council. Auckland Improvement Amendment. Ahikouka Claims Rehearing. Canterbury Public Domains Act 1872 Amend-

ment. Civil Service Acts Amendment. Clyde Waterworks. Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage. Goldfields Act Amendment (No. 1). Goldfields Act Amendment (No. 2). Grass and Forest Fires Prevention. Highways Boards Empowering (No. 2). Hooper and Norton Registration. Municipal Corporations Gasworks. Nelson Waterworks Loan. Otago Waste Lands Act, 1872 Amendment (No. 2). Post Office Savings Banks Act Amendment. Protection of Animals Act Amendment. Railways (No. 1). Southland Waste Lands Act 1873 Amendment. Te Aro Reclamation. Volunteer "Land Act 1865 Amendment Act 1873 Amendment. Wellington Volunteer Scrip Act Extension. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Awahuri Native Grantees. Dunedin Gas and Water Works. Excise Duties (No. 1). Gold Mining. Highway Boards Empowering Act 1871 Amendment (No. 1). Manawatu Land Orders. Nelson Public Works Loan. Otago Waste Lands Act 1872 Amendment (No. 1). Plans of Towns Regulation. Pacific Islands Trade Encouragement. Qualification of Electors. Registration of Births. .PENDING. Wellington Burial Ground. RESERVED ACTS. New Zealand Extradition. Provincial Fencing Laws Empowering. Real Estate Descent. PRIVATE ACTS. Colonial Bank of New Zealand. Lyttelton Gas.

THE PREMIER ON PROVINCIALISM.

o The last speech of the Premier on this subject was as follows : CHARGES OV CHANGED OPINIONS. Mr. Vogei. said : I have been very much taunted about having changed my opinions. There can be no question, I think, that no one has endeavored, more anxiously than I have, to uphold the Provinces. There is no one to whom I would yield, so far as regards the desire 1 have had to uphold the present institutions of the Colony. But it is not fair to say that I have never given warning to the House —that I ■ have never indicated that in my opinion the time would come when the difficulties arising from the system would be so great, that Provincialism, especially in this island, would have to give way. I stated, in 1870, that if tho maintenance of Provincial institutions was proved to be inconsistent with the giving effect to the immigration and public works poßcy, it would be so much the worse for Provincial institutions, and that they would have to yield. It cannot bo said that in 1872 we did not contcmplato a contingency of the present kind, for in that session we brought down a Bill enabling tho Colonial Government to administer the affairs of effete Provinces which proved to be not able to carry on their own government. Suggestions have been thrown out, that it would have been a moro politic courso to starvo the Provinces out of existence ; to bring them to their senses by withholding all share of tho Colonial revenue, and so forcing them to como to the Parliament and ask that tho management of their affairs might bo taken over. But I do not think it would have been at all statesmanlike to bo tho means of inflicting a certain amount of wrong and misery upon tho people in order to bring them to a right way of thinking politically. I boliove that tho proper course for men holding positions of infiuenco in public life is to como forward boldly, and to speak plainly, when they anticipate evils—not to wait calmly and idly until ovila have como

and have worked a wished-for result, and then to say, " I told you so—l saw those evils coming." It would have been very easy four years ago, for the Government not to have invited action by the House—not to have given extraneous aid to the Provinces, but to have left them to run on to such an end as we see now must come in this island. I believe that we adopted the more honest course when we endeavored to maintain Provincial institutions as long as it was possible to do so ; and when we saw that it was impossible to continue those institutions to say so boldly, to come to the House with the courage of our opinions, and to test the opinion of the House upon the point. All the statements that have been made about the sudden determination come to by the Government on this matter—and about my preparing a recent speech during a quarter of an hour's adjournment of the House—are incorrect. I refer to them merely to say thi3 : it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back. What has taken place with me has taken place with thousands of other men iu the Colony—the gradually accumulating force of circumstances and of arguments has compelled them reluctantly to yield their convictions, and to come round to the opinions we are holding now. Nothing, I think, can be more remarkable than the fact that, by the silent influence which thought and circumstances have upon men's minds, opinions upon the question of Provincialism have throughout the country undergone the widest possible change. All the assertions that have been made about my having come down with the resolutione because of irritation as connected with this Province of Wellington, are also very wide of the mark. I have, no doubt, instanced this Province as affording an example of evils that demanded a remedy. But matters connected with this Province are no more than links in the great chain of evidence which has been fastening itself upon my mind. I have not disguised, and I never shall disguise, that the attitude taken by the Proviucialists with respect to the State Forests Bill did open my eyes very widely ; but my eyes were opened very widely last year also. When I came to the House last year with that most modest proposal, that, after a certain time, the great estate of the waste lauds of the Crown should render some little assistance towards carrying out the main trunk railway system of the country, and was met by the »33urance from the representatives of Provinces in the Middle Island that no portion of those lands could be parted with, but that they would prefer spending £500,000 in the purchase of Native lands in this island ; when, this session, I asked for a fragment of the public estate towards establishing » system of State forests, aud found myself confronted by the same difficulty—when I was told that the land sacredly belonged to the Provinces—when I saw that the Provinces were ready to give land for almost every conceivable object except for great Colonial objects : all this did, indeed, make a most forcible impression upon my mind. And I say that the land question—not the re-opening of the compact of 1856, or its confirmation, but this question of dealing with the land itself—does and must exercise a material influence upon the question of the abolition of the Provinces in the North Island. THE PROPOSED CHANGES.—THEIR ECONOMY. "We were going to introduce the French prifet system, the honorable member for Selwyn said : that was one of the hits'made by the honorable gentleman. It seems to me, however, that a proposal to obtain a plebiscite of the people—and the idea of " stumping" the Provinces, and appealing to popular prejudices, in order to catch a popular vote —is a much nearer approach to a French system than anything we have proposed. But how was it that the honorable member did not look with aversion upon the pi'efet system when he filled the position of Resident Minister for the Middle Island? I was a member of the Government when that appointment was made. It never struck me that we were imitating the French system when we made it; and I do not think it struck the honorable member for Selwyn ; and yet we were doing so then, much more nearly than we shall by anything now proposed. One is necessarily, I suppose, subjected to a good deal of misrepresentation upon this question. Suppose we do propose to have a Resident Minister in Auckland, and a Government Agent in Hawke's Bay and in Taranaki. One would suppose that such offices were utterly unknown in the Colony. But, in fact, what I indicated as that which we thought we should desire to continue, has been done for a very long time. Since last session, scarcely a month has passed without a Minister being in Auckland ; and if we look back for many years we shall find that, except during the period of the session, the same has been the case. There has long been an agent of the General Government in Hawke's Bay ; and, for Native matters more especially, there has been an agent in Taranaki. There is nothing new in this proposal of ours. Yet the hon. member for the Hutt comes to the House this evening, and coolly states that we propose to introduce a "Central Bureaucratic Authority." He has not condescended to use a single argument to show that such is the case ; and I say that nothing could be further from our intentions than that which he attributes to us. Wc are asked, how we are going to save expenditure by what we propose? I am not going to make—it is not suitable that I should attempt to make—a financial statement respecting the Provinces ; but every one who has any knowledge of Provincial affairs can see that either we can save money or secure greater efficiency by substituting a strong Government in this island. We should save, at any rate, all the present legislative and executive expenditure, and that is not inconsiderable. We should save » very large proportion of the present police expenditure. As to survey expenditure, why Provincial and General Government surveyors are almost working side by side at present; and we could certainly save in that direction. I think it was Dickens who said that, in the the United States, if you were introduced to a stranger, you might safely conclude that he was a colonel or a general; and so, if you meet a stranger in. the country districts of thia North Island, you may just as safely conclude that he is a Government surveyor. Under the head of miscellaneous expenditure, I believe we could save in many ways. As to police matters, they could be conducted at least with greater efficiency by means of, or in connection with, the Defence Force already organised by the Colony. As to public works, I need scarcely speak of saving ; for in this island they are not conducted as they are in the great Provinces of Otago and Canterbury, seeing that the Provinces of this island have only the form rather than the substance of government. In all these matters, I repeat that much could be saved, or greater efficiency be secured at" the present cost. The bird's-eye view afforded by the figures I quoted in moving the Government resolutions, must have convinced hon. members of that fact. THE GOVERNMENT PARTY. No allegation made in the course of the recent debate was stranger than that as to the action of the Government breaking up their party. Anyone would suppose, from the way in which I have been taunted with changing my opinions and breaking up the party, that I was deserting a large' majority of those who have been in the habit of acting with me. What is really the case ? I find that of the members who assisted to put the Government in power, only four have, during the present debate, left the Government. I very much regret the separation, and I hope it will be but a temporary one, from those honorable gentlemen—[Messrs. Hunter, Macandrew, Reeves, and O'Rorke]. I havo named the four honorable members who, having supported the Government which led to the present Government obtaining offico, are now opposing our resolutions. Am I to be told that, because of those losses, our party is broken up? Is the fact that four supporters havo loft the Government a sufficient basis for the charge that the Government havo deserted their followers, and broken up their party 1 I think that the facts warrant an entirely different conclusion. PUBLIC MISUNDERSTANDINGS. I had the honor of being, on Saturday evening, burned in effigy in Auckland. I mention the fact, only for tho purposo of assuring hon. members that I do not fcol any , tho worso for it. So little, it appears, wore tho proposals of tho Government understood

in Auckland, and so usefully have the telegraph, and pens and ink, been employed in misdirecting the minds of men there, that a very serious misapprehension exists in the northern part of this island as to the nature of the Government's proposals. I say that if the people of Auckland would -only look into this question as one of common sense, they could not hesitate a moment in hailing with delight the boon which is offered them, of relief from all those sordid and humiliating conditions which have surrounded them during the last few years. Can any man who, with his eyes open, has travelled about these islands, have a doubt respecting the seat of Government, or as to the necessity of localising the land revenue? Can anybody suppose that the sensible men of Auckland will, for the sake of two ideas of the most visionary kind, renounce that which is now offered them—the opportunity of going on, of themselves, with the ordinary work of settling and governing that part of the Colony—of affording proper education to the young of their community —of enjoying generally those advantages which so widely distinguish, the Southern Provinces from those of the North? I refuse to believe or to suppose anything of the kind. It is simply a question of misunderstanding tho Government proposals. I freely admit that the question of the seat of government has nothing to do with the question of the abolition of the Provinces in this island; and that tho ratification of the compact of 1856 has nothing really to do with it. But what were we to do ? Suppose the Government had proposed to abolish the Provinces, and had not mentioned either of the other matters. Suppose two Superintendents, one from the South and the other from the North, to have listened to such a proposal. Immediately one of them rushes to the members from his Province, and exclaims, "You see what the Government are going to do. They are going to upset the compact of 1856, and take possession of our land revenue." The other Superintendent rushes to the members from his Province, and says, "You see! The Government mean to remove the seat of government!" That is what really occurred. What can we do against such misrepresentation ? Is it a case ° of "Bardell v. Pickwick," again. "Chops and tomato sauce!" "Chops! Gracious heavens ! and tomato sauce!" Heartless old villain, so to trifle with the feelings of a poor lone widow! What is he not capable of doing? And what are we to do when it is said, an-ain and again, that we intend to remove the seat of government? We can but point to our resolutions, and repeat that.such is not the case. So as to the compact of 1856. When it is reiterated that we desire to upset it, we can only say that we do not. We cannot telegraph, and write, and get publication in different parts of the Colony, as hon. members can. I absolutely read in that enlightened paper, the Lyttelton Times, a statement that the proposals of the Government were, broadly, to the effect of upsetting the compact of 1856, and taking possession of the land revenue of the Middle Island. Hon. members will see, therefore, why it was necessary to refer, in the resolutions, to the compact and to the seat of government question, though neither of those subjects has, necessarily, anything to do with the abolition of the North Island Provinces. To-night, the hon. member for the Hutt has solemnly propounded that we proi ose to substitute for existing institutions in this Island " a Central Bureaucratic Authority," just a) though we had ever proposed or contemplated such a thing. He takes the thing for granted; and, if not his hearers, very many of those who read his speech, will be ready to believe that we do propose such » change. If men are only bold enough in making their assertions, there is scarcely any assertion that some people will not believe. In Auckland, apparently, ninety-nine men out of a hundred say, " True, we object to Provincialism ; but," some add, "what we want is, that all the Provinces should be destroyed. We are not content that only the Provinces of this Island should be abolished." To which I reply, that, as longas Otago and Canterbury can carry on the duties of government with advantage, I see no reason why the Government or the House should be led away .by a cry that what is done as to one Province must be done as to all. _ So long as those two Provinces can be carried on with advantage to the Colony, I hold that we Bhould allow them to be carried on. THE LAND AND LAND REVENUE. 1 I said the other day, what I had said before, and what I now say emphatically, that I do not consider "Superintendents" and "Provincial Executives" in the Middle Island, to be words that are synonyms for "land" and "land revenue." I do not admit that there is any connection between having the forming and enjoying the latter. Certain persons may wed themselves to the belief that there is such a connection : but I am sure that the House has not such a belief, and that very few people outside the House will continue to hold it. Superintendents and Provincial Governments will be acceptable inOtago and in Canterbury as long as they are successful in the local government of those portions of the Colony. But those officers will not long be able to shelter themselves under the cry, " If you do not protect us, you will lose your laud revenue." They may try to do so, and they may be successful for a time ; but the people of those parts of the Colony have quite sufficient penetration to be able to separate the form and Bubstance from the shadow —the machinery from the effect. They will be quite able to discern for themselves whether animproved system of. government is desirable ; and when they think it is desirable and procurable, they will be by no means averse to the change, from any fear of losing what they possess. But tho course the Government are proposing to pursue will give to the Middle Island the very strongest possible security for tho possession of their land and land revenue. What do we propose ? If any hon. members have an idea that wo intend to introduce some new style of government which will gradually be built up into something like the Provincial form, they altogether misunderstand our intentions. What wo propose is to substitute for the Provincial form a departmental management of such ordinary services as can be quite well managed by the General Government ; and, on the other hand, to very much enlarge, and make substantial, the local form of Government which exists throughout most of the British Colonies, by which the residents in districts have a large share of personal control placed in their hands. We propose that such districts-shall have revenues upon which they can dopend, and shall not have to be constantly looking and asking for eleemosynary aid ; that the rates they locally raiso shall go to assist in constructing the smaller works of the country ; and that they shall be ready to lend assistance, by means of representations, to the larger districts which havo to carry out larger works. We propose that the land revenue, which has, most singularly hitherto been looked upon as available : for all kinds of purposes, shall be essentially localised, and shall bo placed under local control. Wo propose that a share of tho land fund shall pass in aid of the local works carried on by the smaller divisions or sub-districts ; that a part shall go to the larger districts , formed of groups of sub-districts, which are capable of carrying on larger works, such as branch railways. We by no means ignoro the fact that the Colony has work in its charge, which will be for the benefit of the districts generally, and that a part of tho land revenue 'should go for Colonial purposes. We are quite willing that the land revenue of the Middle Island shall remain intact and untouched ; but, on tho other hand, wo recognise tho necessity of creating a landed estate for the North Island. We have recognised, and do recognise that; and I am quite sure that until such timo aa this island becomes settled and colonised, the Colony will gladly lend its aid to acquire as much laud for tho North Island as can bo acquired with advantage. THE TIMII FOR CHANGE. Hon. gontlcmcn have asked, " What is the necessity for these changes ?" I do not think it altogether imporativo to answer such questions, for I am sure that in men's minds generally there must exist a conviction that such changes are necessary. But if any one wants a broad reason why something should be done, I ask him to recollect what was done hat session, and what was proposed in 1870. In 1870, whan tho immigration and public works policy was brought down, it was proposed to bonow £10,000,000, of which £3,000,000 were

to be for railways ; or, if the money were not borrowed, £8,000,000 was to be represented by guarantees and by payments in land. The land of the Colony was, essentially, to come in aid of the construction of railways. But what is the result ? We have sanctioned the borrowing of £10,000,000 ; but it is bitterly mortifying to me to know that only £6,500,000, instead of £8,000,000, are for railways. There is thus a difference of £1,500,000 ; and every hon. member must know that it is represented by the expedients to which we have had to submit in order to purchase support from the Provinces—in order to induce them to allow us to carry on the immigration and public works policy. Whether it would have been wiser in 1870 to have gone in for the double struggle, I am not now prepared to say. I believe that the Colony was then in so depressed a state that it would not have been wise to have engaged in such a struggle : but now its prosperity is so assured, that men are able to be plainly outspoken; and it can be no longer concealed that the maintenance of Provincial institutions in this island is inconsistent with carrying out economically, and to the advantage of the Colony, the immigration and public works policy. TUB GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. My amendment will speak for itself to the country ; but it will be the duty of the Government to bring in next session a measure which will deal as comprehensively with the whole subject as is possible, in presence of the fact of the Government not having possession. I must ask hon. gentlemen, however, not to suppose that everything can be done at once. It cannot. The decisions of Parliament are liable to bs reversed or amended ; and year by year the system in this island will be open to amendment. But we shall not propose or attempt anything new. We simply desire to have a form of local government in this island such" as is to be found in almost every British Colony, from Canada to New South Wales and Victoria. Our resolutions were moved, and our Bill will be brought in, not because of the compact of 1856, but because we believe in what that compact provides. I believe, and the hon. member for Auckland City West (Mr. Williamson) stated honestly the other night that he believed, that the compact was binding upon the Colony. Under our proposals, if there were no such compact, we should still be asserting its principle—the localisation of the land revenue. We Bhonld have asserted the principle of the division of the country into districts convenient for local government—the distinction between small works and works of a larger class—the determination to see the land revenue, not misapplied, but applied to suitable works of a large and of a small character : all this, I say, we should have asserted if the compact of 1856 had never been heard of. Indeed, if there had been no such compact, the best thing we could have done would have been to make one—if such a course were necessary to the establishment of the principle of the localisation of the land revenue. We propose to give a good landed estate to the North Island, so as to open to it prospects of a large land revenue. Wo propose to continue to purchase, as was done last year, at the expense of the Colony, a landed estate for the North Island. We have done, and propose to do this, for the benefit of this island, but with a full recognition of local claims to the large land revenue of the Middle '. Island. A.XTICTPATED OPPOSITION'. Whatever others may say as to there being no necessity for change, the Government, and those who think with them, have a very strong feeling in the opposite direction. But for that feeling, we might have euded the session without the warm debate which has been provoked. We began convinced of the necessity of faction, and in the course of the debate the conviction of that necessity was greatly strengthened. We have seen the vested Provincial interest not content to rely upon itself in opposing change, but driven for Bupport to those who are most bitterly opposed to the Provinces; and %vho would annihilate them all without hesitation, if they had the power. I believe that there are difficulties in our way. I do not undervalue the opposition that may be Jaroused by strong appeals to party and personal prejudices. Ido not ignore the way in which opposition may be excited, by appealing to people whether they intend to submit to indignities—which indignities exist only in the imagination of those who describe them. I admit that there is, perhaps, a struggle before us. But, on the other hand, I believe that our views will gain ground daily. I believe that men who may, at public meetings, he excited and lead away by frothy oratory, will, when left to look at things for themselves, awake to the fact that the thoughtful men of the Colony are all very much of our opinion ; and that they will recognise the weight of the fact that a Parliament which, in its early days, was strongly Provincial, has felt itself forced to set about effecting a change. So far from fearing an appeal to the country, I am confident that the result of such an appeal would strongly and nobly vindicate the course that has been taken. I repudiate altogether the right of a minority to dictate to the majority that this Parliament is not competent to deal with this question. I wholly deny that it is a new question, but if it were, I should still assert the right of Parliament to deal with it. THE OBJECT OF THE PROPOSALS. I say that what we propose has for its object the opening such a future to this island as should be warmly welcomed by all who have the interest of the Colony at heart. When I see the vast disparity there is between Otago and Canterbury on one hand, and Auckland on the other—what advantages the people enjoy in the South which those in the North have not—l am irresistibly forced to the conclusion that it is not fair that colonists of New Zealand should be so differently circumstanced. I hold that there is no reason why the people of this island should not look for prosperity such as is enjoyed in the other island ; and that it can be secured without injury to the South. I believe that the public men of the Colony have before them the plain duty of helping to colonise and make prosperous this North Island; and it is because I believe that such a result is opened to us by the policy we propose, that, admitting all the disadvantages as to the circumstances in which our proposal is made, I feel that the Government and the House are pursuing the right course in giving effect to that policy. I do not care to hold office a single hour beyond the time when I can think that I am, to the best of my ability, working for the good of the Colony. Public life can havo no charm for any right-minded man, unless he feels that he is performing his duty ; and it is this feeling, and the love of doing good, that alone can animate public men, and enable them to get through the weary hard work that falls to their share. I have not disguised, in past years, my opinion that it was very desirable there should be in this House well defined parties ; and lam gratified by the knowledge that these proposals of the Government havo been the means of cementing together a very strong party. I believe that that party is actuated by principles so distinct, aud will be held together by such ties, that we may look forward to the parliamentary experience of the next few years as likely to be of an eminently satisfactory type —that we shall have an Opposition, and shall have a strong Government—that we shall know clearly who are on one side and who on the other ; and that, I think, is a stato of parties most likely to couduco to beneficial Parliamentary Government.