MR BRADSHAW, M.H.R., AT ROXBURGH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4168, 28 June 1875, Page 3

MR BRADSHAW, M.H.R., AT ROXBURGH.

Mr Bradshaw, member for Waikaia, ad■dressed bis constituents*at Roxburgh on Thursday evening last. The hall was filled. The Mayor of the town, Mr John Beighton, occupied the chair. Mv BitADsHAW said he had come to consult Jiis constituents on a very inmortaut question— the alteration of the Constitution —the abolition of the Provinces. Last session of the Assembly a, resolution was passed affirming the desirability of abolishing the Provinces in the North Island. He voted for that resolution, although brought in by Sir Julius Vogel, who was an xdtra:Proviucialist in 1807, when he (Mr Bradshaw) was Ministerial Agent. They all knew that lie was a Centralist, and believed that all powers vested in the Governor by Acts passed by the General Assembly ought to be administered by officers paid by the Colony. No Government was possible where a different system obtained. He voted for the resolution because it would bring about the withdrawal of the delegated powers. He believed that Provincialism, as intended by the framers of the Constitution, was a good thing. The framers of the Constitution never intended that the Colonial Parliament should abolish Provincial Institutions. If such were their intentions, the Constitution would have contained provisions for abolishing them. It contained: no such provisions. It did not contemplate that any new Province should be formed or erected "within the jurisdiction of any other Province. It did not even give power to erect a County within the jurisdiction of a Province. It is true that the County Westland was created by the Colony, but the Constitution did not give that power to the Colonial Parliament. The Colonial Executive had to seek that nower from the Imperial Parliament after the Colonial Legislature had created that ■county—as they had previously obtained Imperial sanction to the New Provinces Act. These were his (Mr Bradshaw's) opinions, and they were borne out by the developments under the New Provinces Act, and the County of Westland Act. He w;is of opinion that the Constitution intended that alterations should be effected by local authorities, not by central authority, by Provincial Institutions, and Dot by Colonial Parliament. In proof •of this, he would read an extract from a despatch from Earl Grey to Sir George Grey, written in Feb. 1552. It is as follows:— " 12. With respect to the powers to be entrusted to these Provincial Councils, I am disposed, for my own part, to believe (notwithstanding the alterations which you state to have taken pluce in your own views on this point) that in the progress of events, as colonisation extends, and the several settlements are drawu nearer to each other in boundaries and interests, the}1* will very, probably :issuine more and more of a municipal character, while the functions of the General Legislature will increase. But Ido not think it would be advis- . able to introduce any special provision either to -■accelerate or retard such a gradual change. Anticipations as to the course which political ..affairs may hereafter take are everywhere liable to be disturbed by many unforeseen events, and most of all in new and advancing societies. Hence it seems to be the wisest • course to rest satisfied with adapting the institutions which are to be established, as well as may be practicable, to the existing state of things, leaving their future development, and the alterations which a change of circum- . stances may hereafter reqiure, to be effected by the local authorities thus created." Now, reading this extract in its broadest sense, lie was of opinion that no change was intended unless with the consent of the Legislatures of the Provinces concerned, as well as of the New Zealand Parliament. He said that the Province of Otago had done much good in the direction of local self government, and he was glad to say that he had assisted in giving perjnanent force to local government previously -established. It was the Reid-Bradshaw Go vernnient that permanently endowed Municipalities, and it was done at a time when the liovernment was in need of money. It was the same Government that passed a County and Shire Ordinance; but it is deficient in force, not from any fault of his, but because Provincial Governments have not the power to permanently endow out of any portion of the land fund. He stated before that he was in favour of the abolition of the Provinces as a whole, but not in part. It would be unfair to have one united Province in the North Island, and five in the South Island, which, if .not disunited, could be made so, and by this .means our land fund would become common property. It would'be unjust to take the land revenue away from this Province to improve the properties of persons in the other Inland. If the abolition of Provinces meant that our land fund should be appropriated by the Colonial Government from time to time, or year to year, then he would vote against the Bill. La*>tyear the resolution which he voted for was an abstract resolution. This year the concrete thing •would be submitted, and as the country was not aware of the contents of the measure to be submitted, he thought the question should be submitted to the constituencies, He was in favour of the State constructing main lines of railway, and keeping those highways in its own hands. The Colonial Government should continue the line from Lawrence through Roxburgh, to Clyde, and beyond.' 'This line is a main line, as shown in the schedule of railways in the Railway Act. He --W.MS in favour of the agricultural lease system on goldfk-lds. The right to purchase under that system was first give:; in the Goldfield.s Act, 1800, to the extent of 50 acres. That right to purchase was obtained through himself and Mr Hanghton. The 50 acres was further extended to 200 acres at the instance of Mr Mer■vyn. He was also in favour of the deferred payment system, ' which is largely superseding the agricultural lease system- The deferred payment system was carried through the Council by Mr Reid when he -was that gentleman's colleague as Treasurer of the Province. He was in favour of reserving auriferous lands for mining, and gave practical effect to his views by introducing into the Assembly a Bill which is now the law of New Zealand, authorising the resumption of all Auriferous lands by the State, alienated after the passing of that Act, by paying compensation for surface damage only. This Act has made mining a public purpose, and its principles will be hereafter of much importance ■when discussing water rights on goldfields. 'Since he last addressed them he had to say, with much pleasure, that he had carried a measure through Parliament for shortening the Lours of females in factories and workshops, and he, by resolution during last session, got a promise from Government that they would bring in a measure this year further extending the provisions of that Act. The history of factoiy legislation in England shows that the restrictive system has brought health and contentment to its people. " The tremendous arguments which .formerly alarmed and baffled every one, the arguments of foreign competition, loss of trade, reduced wages, and universal distress, lad been answered by increased production, equal profits,'higher wages, and universal prosperity." These ore the words of the Earl of iahaftesbury, spoken in the House of Lords on July 9, 1574, on the second reading of the Factories (health of women, &c.) Bill. The question of economy hasbeen entirely abandoned. The last Act is headed, The Health of Women and •Children Act, 1874. This question of labour •concerns every one of you, for if it be conceded that wealth is the product of labour, then it follows as a consequence that a healthy population will produce more wealth than an unlealthy one and a healthy one can only be secured by seeing that our working women and children are not overworked. As a member ■of the General Assembly he could do very • little for the district. Nevertheless, he had done a little by getting the Colonial Government to give telegraph communication to Tapanui and Switzers. He wished to draw attentfon to the fact that Waikaia district was contributing more to the Provincial revenue than any other. The whole force of the Survey staff is now employed in this district surveying land for sale, the proceeds of which would go to construct public works for the

Province, and besides this, 208,000 acres of its best land have been set aside as an educational endowment for the Province. It is true that the provisions of the Land Acts will operate the same as if the land was Crown land, but the revenues will go away from the district, and in justice the district is entitled to a larger expenditure of public money from the Province than it is receiving. One word more about the Provinces, and he would finish, thanking them for their patient hearing. If the North Island Provinces are abolished, _ the South Island ought, in self-de-fence, to insist on abolition also ; otherwise it would have to contend against a block vote on the part of the North Island, which would covet participation in the South Island land fund. He invited the meeting to express an opinion. A motion proposed by Mr Birch, and supported by Mr Irki.axd, " That no change take place tillafter the election of a new Parliament," was carried ; as was also a motion by Mr Irkland, seconded by Mr Birch, "That this meeting, having heard Mr Bradshaw's address, thanks him for the same, and hereby records its confidence in him as its representative for the Waikaia district."