PUBLIC MEETING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XV, Issue 669, 25 October 1871, Page 6

PUBLIC MEETING.

A meeting to hike into consideration the Brogden contracts took place on llie 16f.h October at the Mechanics' Institute His Worsl\ip the Mayor, who had convened the ineoting m cbedieuue to v requisition signed by twelve ratepayers, occupied the chair. Tlio meeting was attended by between fifty and sixty persons. The Chairman opened the meeting by rending the requisition asking him to cull the meeting; also the letter from the Mayor (of Christchurch, received by the Borough Council, enclosing copy of petition now being circulated m Christchurch, which ho also read. He said the meeting was en lied to consider the Brogden contracts. The contracts wore too long to read. The No. 1 con tract, he believed, would be dispensed with altogether. The 'So. .2 contract, which it was proposed that the colony should outer into, provided that the contractors should construct railways and hold them for 30 or 00 years, at it guarauteeof 5£ per cent, from the colony, or until the colony could i»iy them off— which would not be. m their dny— and probably the railways would be for generations m the hauds of the contractor*. It was for the meeting to sny whether -they would follow the example of theUhriatehuroh meet.in;;, and protest against the contract being entered into. If any ci'iitifiuaii would spc.-ik on the subject he should he ulnd to lu-ur him. Mr TuuXBULL paid he was sorry it had fallen to him to address the meeting— not because of tin; mhhll number present — lor had there been only six present, they w«re entitled to hear ii II that was to bo paid on the subject — a subject that, threiilened iln-ir political rights, lie was sorry l« sec timt. cold water whs thrown on tho inn-ting, and he would tell them some of the r.'usuns that were assigned by those who did not wish to.ntend. Some said that they hud got (heir turn served, and therefore nc-d not. trouble their heads about iiiilwnr* for other places; oilier* suid that m rvgiird to tint rontmeU, thing- had gone too far to be remedied — but even if t.hut were so, people should all the same raise their voice ogiiinst it ; ot hers objected because tho meeting whs eallcd ut-, thu instigation of Christchurch people, who, they said, had never done anything fur them. In his opinion, if Chris'tchuroh had for a long time been doing wrong, when they saw their error, it was right that they should do all they could to help them. Christchurch had been too apathetic, and had left them single-handed to fight out some great battles — tho battle against provincialism, for instance. Another reason for the lukewannness of some people •was that they were not satisfied with the names attached to the requisition calling the meeting. The reason why people of more standing hud not attached their names to the requisition was that they had not been asked. The large landholders held back from the movement because it was to the interest of those who had great possessions to see the contract take place, go that m the course of ten years, during which the contracts were going on, 'they might get rid of their property and get out of the colony. By that time tho people would rise and insist on suoh a reduction m their taxation that it would have, to bo thrown on property ; and it deserved it, considering the way it hud been acquired by a great many. If the contract was entered into it would raise up a power greater than any m the State ; and as he hud said before, thpir political rights would be of no use to them. There were two of these contracts — No. 1 giving the contractors power to expend four millions, and No. 2 five hundred thousand pounds. At first sight these contracts seemed very fair, especially No. 2 ; No. 1 was not to be entertained for one minute, though he believed that Mr Yogel hoped it would be when be entered into it, probably thinking that the depression which existed when he left for England would still exist on his return, and that the colony would, like a. drowning man oatcliingat a utraw, catch at it. Or else he thought that when Mr Stafford and Mr Hall saw what apparently favorable terms he had made, they would join his Ministry. In that he had been deceived, and that was why 'No. 1 contract had been sot aside and No. 2 considered. No. 2 was apparently a very fair one. [Mr Turnbull here explained the terms of the contract.] Ho said that the contractors, instead of getting 64 per cent., would get nearly 25 per cent., for although the Government wbb to get all discounts, there were two discounts — an ostensible and an actual discount. They would get one but not the other. If the contract was let to small contractors they would get the double benefit of the lowest cost and the actual discount. If they accepted this contract they would pay dear for the work, and hand it all over to one firm, instead of distributing it among the great body of the people. They had better go boldly into the market with their debentures and expend their money as they thought fit, than throw it into the hands of one party. There were some who said that if the contract were declined it would injure the credit of the colony on the stock exchange. To -this objection his only reply was ' fudge,' why should the Stock Exonange or any other body expect them to quietly suffer injury from the speculative spirit of one man, if they could avoid it There was but little doubt but that the oontraot could be declined, for Mr Gillies had stated that Mr Yogel had exceeded his powers and that the Assembly need not ratify the contract, and m his Financial Statement Mr Yogel had stated that the contract oould be modified. Besides this there were other ways m which the difficulty conld be got over by side winds. ' If to refuse to ratify the oontraot was a great evil it would be nothing compared with the raising up of a third party m the

uufu^u, Lmt. tu» iiLllu linger otJJrogden would be a far heavier burden than than tho Provincial Governments had ever been. As ha had said- before such a controlling power would be raised up m the State that all their political influence would be gone, and permanent power would be vested m the men now m power, till all the money was spent, and then would come the day of reckoning. Oue said. " Surely there are gentlemen m the Assembly who will see these evils and protest against them." His opinion of the Assembly was low, indeed ; many of the members did not go up from the best motives, but ready to take any office that might be offered to them. As for impartial views, it was next to impossible, for out of the seventy men composing the House, he believed there was not a man of any standing to whom the bait had not been held out, that by supporting this he would find it to his benefit. If he then held out there was a threat of a tax on properly. As to the integrity of the members people said it was a very respectable Assembly m comparison with those of other places, and pointed to tho decorous manner m which they conducted their business. To show how littie thero was m that, he would call one or two facts to mind. A man was a member of that House who had received £50,000 for a certain purpose, and had used for other purposes. He admitted that he had done so, but when he was elected to the House of Representatives they did not lift up their voice against him, but allowed him to take his seat, and the greatest men m the House took him by the hand. Again, m the House, the Prime Minister himself was accused of political thimble-rigging, and that accusation had been allowed to stand on the books of the House. After that, he asked, what confidence could they have m the integrity of members, and that they would not bo parties to derive all the wealth they could from the contracts. If these contracts were to be accepted, their political existence must be gone for ever, and m a few years confusion must result. If the No. 2 contract was entered into, he felt confident that by next time the Assembly met, all the principle points of No. 1 would be included m it. The next time the Assembly met tho Treasurer would point out how favorably the IsV 2 contract was going on, and the House would be asked to sanction an expenditure of lour millions, and the control of irnniiirrmion would be handed over to Brogden and Sous. This was another question mixed up with it. If the control of immigration were given into their hands it was quite possible that the wrong class of immigrants would be shovelled m ; it would be a very foolish thing to hand over the control of immigration to one man. Looking at the number of tenderers for the Timaru and Teinuka Railway he should say there were quite enough people iv the country to expend the money. There were, he believed, enough m twelve months to carry the Railway on to the Ornri. He should now content, himself with rending the resolutions, which wero identical wiih those passed at Christchurch. He hoped as many as were present would sign tho petition, after that meeting it would lay at some convenient place to receive the signatures of all interested. [Applause.] Mr Turubull then moved the following resolutions :— " 1. That this meeting is of opinion that she contracts proposed by Mr Yogel for the construction of the railways m New Zeiilund by Messrs Brogden (whether Nos. 1 or 2) would be greatly to the disadvantage of the colony, and deprecates the acceptance of either of them by the Government. 2. Thiit this meeting is further of opinion that tne railway works proposed to be carried out will be most advantageously constructed, as far as this province is concerned, as well as throughout the colony, on the following system, viz , the necessary funds to be raised by loan ; sections of moderate extent, submitted to publio tender and by paying for the same m cut>h." Mr Padokt seconded the resolution. He said that lifter Mr Turnbull had so ably addressed the meet inn he hud very little to say except to endorse his views. He believed that m two years time the railway could bo carried through to Christchurch by money raised by the colony itself, which would be much better than placing co much power m the hands of one individual. He hoped they would all come forward und sign the petition. The Mayor read the resolutions, which were carried. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated tho meeting.