THE MEMBER FOR WAIMEA AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1170, 11 December 1868, Page 3

THE MEMBER FOR WAIMEA AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

MEETING AT SPRING GROVE,

In accordance with public announcement,. Mr. Biigent met the electors of Wairaea in the Schoolroom, Spring Grove, on Friday evening last.

Mr. Simmoxds, M.P.C., was called to the chair. In opening the proceedings he said it, was highly necessary lltfit the people took a larger interest in politics than tlvy had yet done, otherwise, they would find themselves in a still wor*o position and more oppressed by taxation and bad Government. He then called upon Mr. Baigent to address the meeting.

Mr. Baigent said that; when he first came forward to represent thorn in the General Assembly, lie made one promise—that ho would honestly represent them — and this he had endeavored to do. The present, Government seemed to him determined to abolish Provincial institutions, they professed they did nob aim at. this, but their acts and all their legislation tended that way. The meeting would recollect that at a previous session of tlie Assembly, the Government brought forward the Road Boards Bill, and the inducement they offered was two pounds for every, one subscribed by the settlers of the districts. This was a very tempting offer to many who did not shop to think that it must come out of their pockets before, the Government could give it to them again. This bill, however, w»9 not carried, but two smaller measures were—the Westland County Council Bill, and the Timaru Bill. The carrying of these two measures seemed to have encouraged the Government in bringing forward their Road Boards Bill of last session; but the two pounds catch was not in this bill. The Government seemed, confident of carrying this bill and other measures tending to undermine Provincial institutions ; and the attitude the Government assumed so alarmed a large party .'in the Home, that they formed themselves into what was called the Constitutional party to ascertain what the policy of the Government really was, and to oppose their underhand attacks. This party was headed by Mr. Fox, whose chief object was to force the Government to appeal to the country before making such great changes in the Constitution, and that the people themselves might have a voice in the matter. As it appeared to him (Mr. Baigent) that the Government thought they could do just as they pleased he had joined this party. However, (Mr. Baigent continued) this new Road Boards Bill was ultimately submitted to a committee of twelve, the great majority of whom were in favor of the Government, but the bill was so exceedingly complicated, and many of the clauses were so unsatisfactory that little or no agreement could be come to upon it, and after being in hand about two months it was finally passed by the House as n, permissive moaanr? after the following clauses were introduced into it to suit the Province of Murlborough, which clauses proposed that there should be a commission appointed to class the land of that Province under three heads, viz., pastoral could be rated at Is. per acre, agricultural and bush laud at 2s. 6d. per acre, lands round townships where there was no Board established ss. per acre. These clauses being agreed to without any objection or comment tho bill was allowed to pass a third rending, but as was expected, met its fate in the Upper House. But ho (Mr. Baigrent) thought Mr. Dillon Bell's memorandum would give them the best idea of the measure, and he would read that memorandum to them. The bill (said Mr. Bell) will have to bo worked by people who will neither have the time nor tho inclination to learn the immense mass of detail with which the bill is overburdened, and in order to carry it into effect it must be entirely reconstructed. , There is a mass, of provisions in the bill which I think ought to be left to the Board themselves, arid which! think it ulmoit ckildieh to legis-

late upon by solemn statute. But the question arose in his (Mr. Baigent'.*) mind, did the people want any such bill? He thought not, for there were already near upon one hundred Road Boards districts in existence. But the fact was, the object of the Government in introducing this bill was to stiil further xtndermine Provincial institutions and take what little power thoy still retained from them. He must not omit to mention one very objectionable feature in the bill, and that was the plurality of votes, which it gave to some holders of property, for as many as six were conferred on some parties. Mr. Silcock : We may be sure some of the Nelson members voted for the plurality of votes. The Nelson Trust Funds -was a sample of this. (Hear, hear.) Mr. "BAiGfflifT briefly referred to the Provincial Acts Validation Act as an example m proof of the fact that we were not free to carry out our own Provincial laws, but lived under the sufferance of the General Government from year to year; and all this after the Provincial Road Boards Bill had been in operation for ten years, with every appearance of satisfaction. He then passed on to the Vote hy Ballot Bill, which he said was a measure he took a great deal of interest in, and which he supported and | voted for, as he considered it a very necessary measure to ensure the freedom of the elector*. This bill was passed by a large majority in the House of Representatives, but was thrown out by the Upper House, which ought not to have interfered, as the bill would not have interfered with them who are mere nominees of the Ministry. (A laugh.) The next business (Mr. Baigeut said) was the Nelson Land Leasing Act This was an attempt of the runhoklers to get the payment limited to £10, be the quantity of land taken up .what it might, and if it had passed it would have cost Nelson many hundreds to repay them the sums paid under the present regulations. The fiockowners, instead of petitioning the Provincial Council, petitioned the General Assembly, and the matter was referred to a Committee, which'decided that the payment was too larae, and a bill wa? introduced to limit the amount to £10 let the quantity leaded be what it mii|ht, so that a poor man leasing fifty acres would, under such an arrangement, have to pay a £5 fee, when a runholder leasing thousands of acres would only pay £10. This bill was not passed. If the flockowners feel themselves aggrieved, they miißfc come to the proper tribunal, the Provincial Council.

(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Baigent) believed they had to thank Mr. Parker and himself for this unfair measure being thrown out. Mr. Baigent said he supposed the Bill to define the power of Provincial Council^ was intended to teach the Provincial Councils how to act. The dissolution of partnership simply meant that the Genera! Government wanted to keep the whole of the Customs duties for their own purposes, including the payment of interest on the enormous debt that had been incurred. He did not object to the measure supposing it wa3 carried out fairly, and the Customs duties lowered in proportion to what the Provinces received; but to offer Nelson £90,000 instead of £250,000, which was about its due, to take upon itself such immense responsibilities was simply to punish the Province for being provHenfc. Mr. Richmond had charged the Province with being extravagant in the disposal of its lands and land revenue. Mr. Silcock : Was he not Land Commissioner in Nelson ? Mr. Baigent- It was this being the fact that made it so bad for Mr. Richmond to make such a charge. He (Mr. Baigent) said he would re id Mr. Richmond's own words from the Hansard. Mr. Richmond said : —"The Province of Nelson had not only not husbanded it's resources, but worse than the unprofitable servant wlto hid his talent in the ground, Nelson had taken it's talent to the money changers, and then laid out the small change it hud received in three-cornered puffs." He (Mr. Biigent) would also read what Mr. Campbetl had said on this subject, which was briefly to this effect, that " if lie (Mr. Campbell) had his own way he would make no adjustment at all, for if Nelson and Wellington and one or two other Provinces had been anticipating their land revenue, and selling their land at low prices, und thereby rendered themselves incapable of introducing people to the country they were not entitled to consideration."

Mr. Macjuhon: I suppose Mr. Richmond and Mr. Campbell had never heard of "theforty thieves." (Hear, hoar.)

Mr. Baigent then noticed the subject of University scholarships that had beon brought before the House. There were two proposals, oue by Mr. Dillon Bell, the other by Mr. M'Andrew; the latter proposed to give fifteen scholarships of £100 each to candidates who were to bo educated in the Colony. This measure he was prepared to support, although the country was burdened as it was, still he thought something should be spared for an important object like this.

Mr. SILCOCK thought, that it would only bR another tax on the poor man, without getting any benefit in return. He would be very sorry to see such a measure passed ; it would be another Trust Fund affair. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Batgent said he next came to the most difficult question of all, the Natives. He thought the Government very much to blame for not having kept a sufßciont guard over the prisoners at Chatham Islands, and also for not taking diligent, measures to recapture them after they had escaped ; but this (Mr. Baigent continued) whs not the worst; — The Government, withdre v a portion of the Armed Constabulary from Hawke's Buy, and every word Mr. M'L«an had predicted had unfortunately come to pass. (Hear, hear.) Things had come to that; state now, that thera must, be no more trifling with the natives, but one law for all, and all who profossed Hauhuuism ho (Mr. Baigent) wo'ild have taken prisoners, and would make thorn work in irons as an example to others, and all who gave them protection should be treated in a similar way, and their lands confiscated.

Mr. Silcock : Would it not be better to shoot them and save the expense ?

Mr. Baigent: You must bear in mind that a large number of faithful friendly natives are fighting for us at the front, now. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Macmahon referred to some of the many glaring abuses of the Government, nnd the reckless manner in which tho public moneys were squandered.

Mr, Baigent replied that it was his opinion that, the country would never have a cheap Government until tho expenses wore defrayed by an Income Tax. [AVoice: Income and Property Tax ?] No! they would have enough of Property Tax to support its local 'institutions, such as education, making and maintaining roads, and other measures, which heretofore hud been subsidised from tho Customs revenue, and instead of paying £1 per annum for education and other purposes, they would have to pay four times as much if the system is to be upheld. He considered an Income Tax should bo levied to pay war expenses and steam subsidies, as the above was for the protection of life and property, and the iatter for the convenience of the mercantile community, and absentees having laree investments in the Colony. Steam communication being more to their advantage than to the industrial classes who scarcely derive any benefit from tho expensive postal services. In reply to a question, Mr. Baigent said ho did not approve of separating the Government of the two islands. He thought" union was strength," and thut we must not desert the North Island.

Mr. Silcock said he thought the Middle Island might have been rolling in wealth if it had not been for the drains on it made by the North Island for war purposes. It was a vory unjust thing indeed that we should be impoverished in the manner we had been for matters we had nothing to do with, and for these reasons he believed in separation. Mr. Macmahon spoke of the necessity of the people making themselves better acquainted with the doing of the Assembly, and suggested that the people should meet once a week, to hear read by some one, tho Hansard, which was furnished to every library. Mr. Silcock snid that would do more to educate the people than the University scholarships. (Hear, hear).

Mr. Simmonds said he quite approved of Mr. Jfacmabon's auggestion, and said lie should be quite •willing to give a series of readings himself. Mr. Ghove then said he hud much pleasure in rising to propose a resolution that, had been placed in his hands:—"That the warmest thanks of the Waimea constituency are due to their representative,

Mr. Edward Baigent, for the faithful manner in which lie hud discharged his Parliamentary duties during the past session of the General Assembly, by supporting those measures which upheld the Constitution, and by opposing everything tending to sap Provincial institutions." Mr. Grove said he wished to take that opportunity to express his satisfaction with the present meeting in which there appeared to him to be an earnestness and sincerity not common on such occasions, which were generally very nicely cut :ind dried affairs indeed.

Mr. Chattook seconded the resolution which was put to the meeting and carried unanimously.

A vote of thanks to Mr. Baigont, for his address and explanations, and one to the Chairman terminated the meeting.