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Wairarapa Standard, Volume 4, Issue 357, 4 November 1875, Page 2

It appears that the three Dunedin dailies as the three Wellington dailies are opposed to Provincialism. This explains the reason why the Opposition leaders have not been more successful in Otago. They indeed appear to ignore the power of the Sress as the press does them. At the lutha banquet, only 150 were present. We abridge from the Evening Post a summary of the speeches made on the occasion;—

Mr Macandrew spoke of Mr Thomson and himself ffghting under the leadership of Sir George Grey, with a probability of being led on to victory under a flag inscribed with the motto “reduction of unproductive expenditure,” and “ measures not men." The present rate of expenditure would, he said, soon sink the colony into serious disaster, and as for the present Assembly, it was so servile to Ministers that two-thirds of it would vote white black one day and black white the next, at the dictation of the Government. His aspiration and the aim of the party led by Sir George Grey, was to see New Zealand a great and united federation of provinces. Sir George Grey responded to the toast of “The Opposition,” and in doing so spoke of the Civil Service as withdrawing I young men from active pursuits to lead ' a life of idleness, and of the Armed Constabulary as preferring loitering in public houses to any useful employment. He contended that had he framed the estimates he could have have saved £160,000 on the departmental and constabulary votes. He denied the existence of a single argument in favor centralism,‘and maintained that abolition would effect no saving. If it took place members of the Assembly would have to get £3OO a year, which meant an expenditure of £40,000 as against the £15,000 or £16,000 which the Provincial Councils now cost. He condemned the Legislative Council as having interests opposed to those of the people, and said there existed no means to bring that body into harmony with public opinion. Sir John Richardson made a remarkable and most significant speech. He said that the conduct of a ruthless majority in trying to crush a noble minority, and other circumstances, had caused him to regard favorably the idea of separation, to which he had always hitherto been opposed. He looked upon the existing provinces as practically abolished through the action of a tyrannical and unjust majority, but he thought that still the advantages of provincialism might still be substantially realized by each Island being made one great province with a Federal Government at Wellington. No jealousy about the seat of Government for each province should be allowed to prevent the realisation of this As Speaker of the Legislative Council, it was his duty, if any man’s to speak for that body, but he said fearlessly and emphatically that a nominated Council was utterly incongruous with responsible Government. He wished to goodness he was. roe and unfettered. If he had been he would have stood forward in defence of popular rights. Nothing would have given him greater satisfaction than that in the autumn and winter of his life he could have been privileged to have given his intellect and abilities in the service of the colony in this crisis of its fate. The land question was of the greatest impor-

tance. Other questions were insignificant compared with it. From the first he had cried, “ Land for the people,” and would never flinch from it. Reflection for years had only impressed upon his former conviction that if this question was allowed to remain in abeyance New Zealand might be almost wiped out.