DR. HODGKINSON, M.H.R, AT RIVERTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 7

DR. HODGKINSON, M.H.R , AT RIVERTON.

I Lnvekcargill, January 11th. Dr Hodgkinson, M.H.R. for Rivorton, lias been addressing bid constituents at various centres during the week. At all bis meetings lie has been favourod with votes of confidence. In his speech atlliverton the other evening, the Doctor dealt very fully with the measure passed last session, and then referred to the present political situation. Alluding to tie great lensrth of the sessions, ha said his opinion ' was that unless they were curtailed many of \ the be>t men would have to fall out of Parliament, and the representation be handed over to professional aalarieJ politicians, as had been done in Victoria. These w ould be a W style of members, and must lead to the establishment of a bad kind of democracy. The present House was overloaded with work, aud member") got so jadod with the length of the session and sitting that they could not do it. Besides this, the petty local works they had to deal with were lowering Parliament in the eyes of the constituents so much a:3 to make them regard that member as tho best who could get; money, and to treat them as those who in London sent out Italian organ-grinder boys, who, if they brought home plenty of money, got patted oil the head and a supper, hut if they catne empty handed got kicks aud cuffs and were spnt to bed supperless. He considered it absolutely necessary that some reform should bri devised with a view to removing both members and Ministers from the temptations incidental to this petty localism in the Gencr.il Assembly of tho country, in view of which he read fcomo vi vy pertinent remarks on tho subject from a Victorian paper. Ho quoted from a speech of Dr Menzies to show that that pentleraan, when the Counties were first established, anticipated the difli'iulty that had arisen pj ringing up. unless the Counties wore allowed to legislate on minor subjtct?. Tfs own opinion was in favour of a federal system the anine a* tint of Canada. There wire six m.turai a litres } ere ai least, and fie Colony n'v.r < ould be sove ned from one comu on l ouifc. A'l gieat n. tion 1 subjects should be d alt with in Wellington. < Th<s> weie his individual i pinions : be v as * il irq t > accept anything in t! at (irection ad' p (db? a majorny of 1 1-* par.j— the tuolsail sebemo for instance. He vmul not call it separation, for it was not 1ba L ; neither w.i 3 separation desirable. The smaller legislation of the country mnbt b« done in minor ]<>" b'p,tures; then the Colonial Parliament would - 0

id

able to make its work representative, and government could then go on. At the end of last session he had, with others, addressed a letter to Sir Georgw Grey asking him to coneider a new form of government, and he had promised to do so. People said the Government had given it up. All he could say was if the Government gave it up, he would give them up at the next election. Ha (Dt Hodgkinson) Inteiided to come forward under the federal flag. So far from giving up the opinions he held three years ago, if he held them then, he was confirmed in them now. He would conclude by quoting from a gentleman concerned in politics, who had declared to him that if he had voted for abolition he would, after having seen its results, throw himself on his country for their forgiveness, and do all in his power to remedy the evil he bad done. He hoped > that at the next election the electors would rise to the occasion, that they would remember that a venal constituency implied a venal Assembly, and that a venal Assembly implied a corrupt Government.