POST-SESSIONAL SPEECHES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4225, 5 October 1874, Page 3

POST-SESSIONAL SPEECHES.

MAJOR ATKINSON AT NEW PLYMOUTH. (From the Taranaki Herald, September 30.) On Saturday List a large number of persons assembled in the Odd Fellows' Hall in answer to the invitation of Major Atkinson to meet him there, when he would address them on matters of interest connected with the Province. His Honor the Superintendent and most of the influential gentlemen in the town wero present. His Honor was called to the chair. The Hon. Major Atkinson was received with great applause. He said, before going into the questions I shall have the honor of bringing before your notice this evening, you will probably think it right for me to say one or two words on the reasons why I joined Mr. Vogel's Ministry. It was to assist the present Government in the great work of peopling and opening up the country, and in providing really local self-government for the people. In doing so, I believe that I represent the people of Taranaki. (Applause.) I propose to refer fa> questions which, although having a Colonial phase, may for our purpose be considered local. The two main local questions are —the settlement of our land, and the harbor ; but, before going into these questions, there are, two or three minor matters which had better be disposed of. First, then, with regard to THE MILITIA AND VOLUNTEER SCRIP. I must confess it is to me a matter for very considerable regret that we have not been able to satisfy these claims, by.»!iaving a block of land set apart, on which jjae holder might select. We—l mean His Honor, Mr. Kelly, and myself, as your members —did all we could to obtain what may be considered only justice; and I have no doubt, had it rested with the House of Representatives, that it might have been obtained; but, unfortunately, the Upper House is not so reasonable, for the Bill giving holders of scrip an extension of time, for selection, was thrown out in a most unjustifiable manner. Your members looked the difficulty in the face, and then consulted the Government to see if the matter could not be settled by a money payment. After much difficulty, the Government agreed that, if a compromise was made with the scrip-holders, it would authorise an advance, which could be charged against the land fund of the Province. His Honor is therefore prepared to give ten shillings in the pound on all scrip when threequarters of the scrip issued is lodged with him. Although this is not a satisfactory determination, it will be wisdom on your part to accept it as a reasonable compensation under the circumstances; and I fear there is no chance of getting a better offer. I therefore advise you to take it; for, if it is refused, the chances are that you will get nothing at all. Then there is the question of THE TELDGRAPH. I have already arranged that you will be able to get answers to your telegrams the same day, pending the carrying through of the line, which I hope will not be long delayed. This temporary service will be commenced on the Ist October. The question of

DOING AWAY WITH MILITIA PARADES was brought before the attention of the Government, in the Provincial Council, by Mr. Connett. He consented to withdraw it, as the matter was not one which the Province could deal with, and the Executive intimated that it would see to getting the alteration made if possible. We have arranged with the Defence Minister that parades shall not be held until permanent arrangements for doing away with them altogether are made. There was the question of

THE HONORAKIUM TO MEMBERS. For the last four years the sum of a hundred guineas was given - each session. The House referred the question, as to whether this was a sufficient amount, to a committee, who reported that, to pay the reasonable expenses of the members, a hundred and fifty guineas should be given. I voted for this last sum, and my reason for supporting it was that my experience has proved that a man cannot leave his business for a less sum than that and pay the necessary expenses that are entailed by so doing. The electors are now in a position to put in as their member anyone they may consider most fit, and are not obliged to fix only on those who have the most means. Although I' voted as I did, I would not advocate the payment of members. I think it is not proper that it should be made worth while to spend money to get in for the sake of the salary. I now come to the main local question,

THE SETTLING OP THE LAND. As you are aware, the Provincial Government proposed to take vigorous action towards opening up the land and for settling the blocks along the Mountain Road. It was decided that a road should be cut, felled, and grassed, to enable settlers to get to these blocks, and that sites for townships on the line of road should be cleared. To do this requires money, and our revenue, being too small to do anything with, the Executive sought the assistance of the General Government in tho matter. We have since succeeded in making arrangements with them by which the General Government will advance £20,000 for the purposes I have named. The sum is as much as can be profitably expended in the time. I see no difficulties in settling the land. It is true that difficulties may arise, but I know His Honor will take a stand in the matter, and see that we shall get over them. I represent the General Government in the matter, and have arranged with His Honor, as Superintendent, so that he can start at once and get the clearing done and the houses built for the immigrants when they arrive. The Provincial Government possessed sufficient funds to commence the work, so that it has been pushed on as fast as is consistent with the difficulty there is in getting labor; but, unfortunately, they could not get nufficient men, and therefore the work was proceeded with slower than could be desired. It is a peculiar advantage this Province has that the work of felling is principally performed in the winter season. In the other Provinces, in the winter season, work is very short; but here there is work in the winter for years, felling the timber. There, will be difficulties to meet, but if you husband your resources, there will be no fear but that you will come out all right in the end. Now with regard to the harbor, I take it for granted that it has been decided that A HARBOR IS A NECESSITY,

and that we mean to have one. (Loud applause). It is therefore unnecessary for n.o to go into details as to the advantages. I take it for granted that we mean to iLve a harbor. (Continued applause). This beingithe ease, it rests with ourselves to use the resources we have ; and then I think there need be no difficulty in gett'ng the work commenced in the course of ♦few months. During the past session of the Assembly we got an Act passed giving the Provincial Council authority to set aside one-fourth of the land fund for this purpose. There were two courses open for the Council to take—either to pass an ordinance to set apart the land fund as it becomes available, until it accumulates to a sufficient sum to begin the harbor works ; or, as I think you should, pass an Act constituting a Harbor Board and setting apart the fourth of the land fund and reserves, and giving power to levy a rate in proportion to the value of property—sufficient to meet the interest of the loan should the land fund fail at any time to be sufficient. By doing this you will show your belief in a harbor ; that you are prepared, if necessary, to pay out of your own pocket for it ; and that you are determined to have one. I do not believe that it will ever be necessary to rate for the purpose, but by passing the ordinance it will show that you have faith in the undertaking. The one-fourth of the land fund will increase every year ; the reserves will bring in monoy ; and by these means I believe a sufficient income will be obtained to meet the interest and sinking fund of any loan that may be raised for the purpose of the harbor. I say that you should call upon the Superintendent and request him to call the Council together for the purpose of passing' an ordinance creating a Harbor Board and giving it the powers I have indicated. This done, the harbor will not be long before it is commenced. If there is one man in the Province who has hoped against hope in this matter, it is His Honor tho Superintendent. (Applause.) I think tho matter

may be safely left in His Honor's hands, who will, I feel sure, push it to a successful end, now that we have it apparently within our grasp. This brings me to questions of a Colonial nature, although they largely locally affect and interest us. First, I would direct your attention to what I shall call - THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COLONY,

referring briefly to what it was, what it now is, and what it is likely to become in the course of a few years. Not that lam going to dilate on the hard times that are to come—for we all at times have to pass through them—but I wish to call your attention to some facts which it is well you. should know and understand. I will state how things have been going on during the past four years, and then you can judge what it is likely to be for the future. You all remember 1868, 1869, and 1870 —those years of depression-—when everything was in a state of wretchedness in the extreme. In 1871, the ordinary revenue of the Colony was under a million ; whilst that for last year was £1,400,000. That was an increase of fifty per cent. The land revenue in that year (exclusive of the gold duty), that is to say, the revenue derived from the sales of land, amounted .to £200,000 ; last year it amounted to over £1,000,000. The increase in the Consolidated Bevenue during the last two years was £412,000. Now the railways are estimated to cost ten millions. The whole liability on that amount, at interest of 4$ per cent., is £475,000 a-year, so that the increase in the revenue during the last two years was almost enough to pay the interest on the loan of ten millions. The revenue must be still more increased by the additional population and the receipts from railways ; so I think we may safely conclude that our increased revenue will more than cover the interest and sinking fund on the money borrowed. IMMIGBATION. There have been introduced into the Colony 36,548 immigrants; and advices have been received that 7,740 are now on their way. This will make a total of 44,288 persons introduced within two or three years ; and, what is surprising, notwithstanding the large number brought into the Colony, they have been easily absorbed. I did at one time fear that we were introducing immigrants in too great a number; but, after conversations with the members of the Southern Island, my mind was set at rest upon that score. Not only were the immigrants absorbed, but the Provinces were calling out for more than the Government were prepared to introduce. The Provinces of Canterbury and Otago asked for a thousand a month; but the Government have only ordered seven hundred. The cry from . all parts of the Colony . is, " Give us more people," which the Government are most anxious to do ; but we are bound to use due caution. My hon. friend the Superintendent has requested that one ship-load of two hundred and fifty souls be sent here every two months ; but, if he thinks it necessary to have one every month, and he asks for it, he certainly shall get it if he can show that he has work for the new-comers. (Cheers.) I think, seeing how many immigrants have lately arrived in the Colony and been absorbed, that, after next winter, the number of immigrants the Colony can absorb will practically be unlimited ; for the more we get, the more we require. This is a very satisfactory state of affairs; and it seems to me that, although certain causes—money being cheap, and wool going up—have contributed greatly to the present prosperous condition of New Zealand, we must give some credit to the scheme which has proved to be so advantageous to the country ; and that, when the time of difficulty arises, we shall pass through it without being much pressed. We have, at the present time, really got value for money already spent. There are completed 1118 miles of dray roads, 536 miles of horse roads, 673 miles of railway contracted for, 146 miles already open, and soon shall have 103 miles more, with trains running on them. Indeed a great deal has been accomplished ; and, as I pointed out, the revenue will rise as the works progress ; so that, by the time they are finished, I have every reason to hope that the revenue will have so increased as to enable us •asily to meet the burden which has been thrown upon the Colony. Before leaving this subject, I will read you the number of immigrants sent to each of the Provinces :—Auckland, 4600 ; Taranaki, 42—(laughter)—these are merely nominated immigrants, and, of course, do not include those recently arrived, who are shown in the Wellington returns; Wellington, 6380 ; Hawke's Bay, 2636 ; Marlborough, 198 ; Nelson, 376 ; Westland, 97 ; Otago, 11,535 ; Canterbury, 10,684. Total, 36,548. The immigrants now on the water are —for Auckland, 1400 ; Taranaki, 380 ; Wellington, 1668; Hawke'B Bay, 580; Nelson, 550 ; Otago, 1811 ; and Canterbury, 1351. Total, 7740 ; or altogether, as I have mentioned, an addition of 44,288 to the population of New Zealand. And now for the second point—the constitutional changes—or, in other words,

THE ABOLITION OF THE PROVINCES in. the'North Island. The time to accomplish this, I . think you will agree with 11s has arrived. (Cheers.) My friend, Mr. Reeves, of Canterbury, was kind enough to tell the House that he knew not only the opinion of the people in the Southern Provinces, hut those of this Province also, and that your members did not represent the people here in this matter."' You will be asked before this meeting closes to pass resolutions, which will decidedly state what your real views on the matter are. (Loud applause.) Now the objectors in the House to the abolition—whose members varied from sixteen to twenty-five—-just according as they were present to vote—were not all directly opposed to the change. The ground some took was that before such a great constitutional change was effected, an appeal Bhould be made to the electors by a fresh election. The persons not convinced that the change would be for the better, consisted of Superintendents, Provincial Secretaries, and others connected with Provincial Governments. Others would not vote for the resolutions because they did not go far enough, and nothing would suit them but the abolition of the Provinces North and South. No doctor, if he has to deal with a disease, would apply a remedy to the whole of the body if he knew where the disease existed. It is known where the disease exists in this matter, and the remedy which is to be aj>plied by the abolition of the Provinces in the North Island—[A VOICE ? Why not in the South ?]—l will tell you presently. In''the North Island the authorities cannot carry on the ordinary work for which the Provinces were created. Take Auckland for instance. The House voted last session, to assist the Provincial revenue, £50,000 for expenditure at the Thames ; and £400,000 to be charged against the Auckland land fund, and to be refunded whenever we can get it—(laughter)—and a further sum of £25,000 as a free gift, because Auckland was so large a contributor to the Colonial revenue. I will ask you whether we require a Superintendent or Provincial Council to spend the money that is collected by the General Government 1 I say not. If the people are anxious to continue the system of double governments, then I say let them levy a tax to support it, and then it would be a real test that they preferred that system'of 80-called local government, though I do not consider that Provincialism has over been or ever will be local self-government. Now I will point out thiß. If you will boar in the mind's eye the size of the Province of Auckland and then think for a minute of members sitting in the Council at Auckland, and legislating for the Bay of Islands, or Poverty Bay, and calling it local self-government, you will see the absurdity of the whole thing. THE PROVINCE OP TARANAKI. Now, in the Province of Taranaki we have got a large landed estate, but are without means to improve it. Fortunately we had £2OOO to carry on with, but to set to work ourselves to open up the country was quite out of the question. It would be impossible to carry on the work with this sum, so we had nothing to do but to apply to the Government to aßßist us. I say that it is a state of things which should not exist. But the Provinces are refused the power to borrow money by the Legislative Council, and therefore in the North Island the work of settlement cannot be earned on by way of loan. Therefore, if you do not want the Provincial Governments done away with, the means must be provided

to keep them going. This must be done, or they must be abolished. But with those Provinces which have the means and powers to carry on the necessary work of settling the land, no such alteration ia required. THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES. .. And here, although perhaps not in the regular order, I may now answer the question as to why not abolish the Provinces in the South Island as well as those in the North. Take the Province of Canterbury for instance. Does the person who asked me the question know what the land fund of that Province is ? Last year £600,000 was the land revenue, and the Council voted a million and a half for carrying on the necessary functions of government and settling the land. The Province has so much money in the bank that it does not know how to expend it. I say it is manifestly absurd to compare the Provinces, which are capable of carrying on the necessary works, with Auckland and Taranaki, which cannot get on without the assistance of the Colony. Otago is in much the same position as Canterbury. The public works and immigration scheme which Mr. Vogel introduced in 1870 meant ultimately the extinguishment of the Provinces. The Provinces were constituted originally for carrying on the local public works and the settlement of the land. By the scheme of Mr. Vogel, the General Government resumed those duties, and as soon as the General Government does that work, so soon the Provinces must cease to exist. As long as the Provinces have the means to take part in the settlement of the land, those Provinces will exist, no longer. THE OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNMENT.

Of those gentlemen who in the House were opposed to abolition, some half were either Superintendents, Provincial Secretaries, or interested in some way or other. These said we were bound to go the people. Now, I take it that the party, when they proposed to go the country, had found themselves in a corner, and looked about for a hole to escape by. "We can't be worse," said they, " and we may, perhaps, be better; and our only hope is to raise a constitutional cry—' consult the people.' We may deceive several of the constituencies by misconstruing matters, and might, perhaps, get a majority." I do not blame those gentlemen—it is what I should probably do if I believed that I was contending for the right, because a representative is bound to do his best. Therefore, the reason that a dissolution was called for simply meant, "we are beaten in the House, and something better may turn up."

As we have already learned by telegram, Major Atkinson was much applauded during his Bpeech, and at its close a vote in favor of the abolition of provincialism in the North Island was agreed to unanimously.