SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH AT NELSON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 512, 3 June 1869, Page 3

SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH AT NELSON.

We have already reported that his Honor the Superintendent, at the close of the session of the Provincial Council, and previous to leaving for "Wellington, had addressed a large public meeting in the Council Hall. Dr Irvine was in the chair. We give such portions of his speech as refer to the West Coast, and some remarks make by Mr Donne. The former we take from the Examiner. Of the latter we received some rough notes. The Superintendent said: When I met the Provincial Council in the late session, I certainly thought I should he able to lay before them a very favorable programme. I thought they would be delighted with the reductions I had made in the provincial expenditure; but I was mistaken, for they were, it turns out, by no means delighted. Whether it may have happened that during the session each has been in the habit of getting out on the wrong side of the bed, I know not —(a laugh) —but they, certainly, as a whole, have indulged themselves in grumbling night after night. There was one subject, which I certainly thought was an important one—the agitation now going on at the West Coast for separation—and of it, in my address on opening the Council, I said I should do all L could to oppose it, thinking as I did and do that such separation would be most disastrous to the province. Now I thought that my saying so on the first opportunity I had of addressing the Council, would have given satisfaction to that body; but no. The committee appointed to frame a reply to my opening address did, it is true, express their concurrence in the intent I had expressed to oppose the division of the province j but when that

proposed reply was submitted to the Council for its approbation, a motion was made to expunge that portion of it in which approbation was expressed at my determination to oppose the secession of the South-west Goldfields, and that motion was only rejected by a majority of one. I was, however, pleased to see that, before the Council adjourned, a resolution opposed to separation was passed by it, for I know perfectly well that when I get to Wellington, and oppose the petition for separation which will be presented, I shall have tbat small majority of one cast in my teeth. lam ouito certain thafc ram nf thn

representatives of the West Coast, now in this room, will lose no opportunity of reminding me of the small majority upon this motion, forgetful of course of the reasons which may have induced members who, while strongly opposed to separation, from some cause I cannot fathom, to vote as they did.— (Hear, hear.) I cannot, however, say that I think the separation agitation will prove to be successful, nor do I think that the vote of which I have spoken will do much harm ; still there can be no doubt that it will be made the most of. I do not fear that the General Assembly will consent to any more of these splittings up of provinces into what are called counties. It was undoubtedly the feeling of the Assembly to establish those

counties some two years since, but after the example displayed by Westland, that feeling has undoubtedly died away.—(Hear, hear.) As showing what was, and what is still my opinion about these comities, I will quote from a speech I made in the House of Representatives, on the 9th September, 1868, upon the subject:— " But while on the subject of the separation of the goldfields from existing provinces, I may say that I think the House should well consider what they are doing in this respect. Separation lias been granted to Westland, and

application has come for some relief of that character from the goldfields of Auckland; other goldfields may probably soon be found in other parts of the country where they are not known now to exist —in the Provinces of Wellington, Hawke's Bay, or Taranaki. If a goldfield, as soon as it is six months in existence, is allowed to have an independent existence, and to send representatives to this Ilouso in the same proportion as the more settled parts of the colony, I contend there

will bo an amount of special representation which this House will do well to avoid, whether with regard to the goldfields' interest or any other interest. I cannot concur either in the propriety of handing oyer to a population which is necessarily migratory, which has no settled place in the country, and which, for the most part, has no homo or property—who are but wayfarers in the land, the greater number being hero for a time only and ready to go off at a moment's notice on the finding of a new and more favorable goldfield—l say it is not safe to hand over to a population of that description the management of the whole of the land-fund and other

revenue raised in the districts, or tlie carrying out of those colonizing functions which are at present entrusted to the provinces." —(Loud cheers.) By saying this, I appear to have exposed myself to obloquy, and sonic unpopularity on the West Coast. Indeed, I have been told that I was recently burnt there in effigy, but all I can say of such a proceeding is that it possibly may have amused them, while it certainly has not hurt me.—(Cheers.) I like people to speak out what they think. —(Cheers.) I think there is danger in granting such representation, for have I not seen it in our own Council ? I see that although inhabiting one province the goldiield members are not of us ; their representatives sit in our Council, but what do they represent ? Their

own districts only; they have no interest beyond. —(Cheers.) To return, however, to the opening of our IVoviucial Council in the late session, I certainly thought I had a highly favorable programme to place beforo it. I thought the Provincial Council would gladly have hailed my reductions, and have been satisfied that I had done all that was possible in the way of saving, having 1 at the same time a due regard to the efficiency of the public service—(cheers) —but no ; they thought they must also make reductions, and, in order that they wight do this, a kind of

caucus was formed of the members, who met outside the Council Chamber. Some of those who took part in I'as caucus said to the others, " We will tiol touch your West Coast Estimates, if you will help us to do certain things " —at least' it looked very like that.— (Cheers.) The whole of the West Coast salaries were passed with one exception, and of that I will speak presently, whilst an onslaught was made upou the salaries of officers here. It was quite clear that a system of log-rolling had been organized, and that of a dangerous and unconstitutional character. —(Cheers.) I never saw or heard of such a system carried out on such a scale as was

adopted in the past session of the Council. I say I never heard of bucli a tiling as for a. party of members to meet, and, to determine avowedly to reduce officers' salaries, without having one word of explanation as to why the salaries had been so fixed in the Estimates. No argument of the representatives of the Government in the Council had the slightest weight. It had been determined that certain salaries should bo reduced, and it appeared useless to say a single word in defence of them, for a compact had been made, and carry tho point they would. This conduct of some members of the Council supports me strongly in the reason I have urged against the establishment of the goldfields into counties ; their members will join anybody to do anything to serve their own political ends.— (Cheers.) The petition, is said to bo so numerously signed, in favor of separation—in favor of another county as it is called, but which in term is merely a blind, for what the difference is between a New Province and a County I havo failed to discover. The Chairman is elected by the Council the same as is the Superintendents of the new provinces—yes, there is this one difference, the County Councils have no power to mate laws, although they have what is akin to it, they can frame an Act, and send it to the General Asembly and get it passed. Tho differences, therefore, is very trifling. [Mr Curtis again referred to the subject of retrenchment, and the reduction of the salary of Mr Dent, manager of the Brunner coal-mine. With regard to him, he said—" I shall take care—although his salary has been reduced—that he is properly remunerated." He continued :] The total saved under every head by the Council is £791. A voico: Is that all ?

Mr Curtis: I beg pardon. No it is not, it is £791 and five shillings !—(Laughter.) Now when looking at the Council and its own officers, I do not see that they pursued the same course of strict economy. But let me first say that I by no means think that their officers, the Speaker and the Clerk, are too highly paid, the Speaker having £2OO, and the Clerk £l5O a year. I think these sums are reasonable. But then you must look at their duties. The Council has sat about a month, and the only other duty of the Speaker is monthly to attend the Waste Land Board, and that of the Clerk to see to the publication of the blue-book. Now compare these salaries with those of officers against whose pay so much complaint has been raised.— (Cheers.) There is one officer whose salary has been reduced to .£2OO, and yet this officer's travelling expenses have been £9O in a year, in addition to which he must keep a horse. This surely will show that the Council had neither reason nor moderation. Then, again, look at the Councillors' own remuneration.—(Hear, hear.) They this session

took a step which quietly increased their pay by 25 per cent. This doeß not appear very clearly, until the fact comes out that tho Council has sat another day a week, which of course means another day's pay.—(Hear, hear.) The honorarium paid to country members being intended to cover their expenses while in town, these were not increased by another day's sitting.—(Hear, hear.)

Mr Ltjckie : Mr Chairman, Ido not concur in the remarks made by Mr Curtis as to the caucus, as he calls it, being unconstitutional. If it had not been for the sifting of the proposed measures of Government, the Council would, as it had formerly done, have been undecided how to act. By means of a caucus it had decided on economy, although I must say I regret the saving made by the Council was so small ; it might have been more, but we desired from a conciliatory spirit to the West Coast, to grant them if possible all they required, and hence it wa3 that tho reduction made in their Estimates was bo trifling. I quite concur in the necessity for doing this ; it was to prevent separation, but I must say, I do not think it was wise or well for the Superintendent to have referred to separation in his speech on opening the Council. I think that his Honor has come forward in a most unusual way to diseuss here the merits and demerits of the Council, of which he holds the position of outside executive head. Suppose the Governor of the Colony came forward and complained of a cutting down of the Estimates by tho Houso of Representatives, what would be thought or said of him ? Now it is hard to refer to offices without mentioning the name of those who hold them, still I must say that I think the proposed salary of the Provincial Engineer was too high. A"GSO does seem a very large sum when it is remembered that ho had an assistant on the West Coast. I think £450 and expenses is liberal. I must also say that I think it scarcely fair of the Superintendent to have snubbed the Councillors as ho did iu closing tho Council.

Mr Donne was received with hissing and applause. He commented in general terms upon the speech just delivered and upon the prorogation address. What would the British Parliament have said were it similarly treated hy Her Majesty, or what

would the General Assembly say, were they so addressed by the Governor ? The tone and manner of the speech and address were undignified, and ho was surprised that it should meet with approval.—(Hear, hear, and hisses.) He informed the meeting that where he came from the people were in the habit of hearing both sides of the question, and if it were not so in Nelson, he should sit down. —(Cries of "Go on," and "Hear him.") He alluded at some length to the Separation question, and the inadequate representation for the West Coast. A Voice : Plenty of loafers down there, aren't there ? Mr Doxn'e : They seem not to bo confined to that neighbourhood.—He then went on to show the differences in facts and figures from those laid down by his Honor—that only <£4ooo had been the actual saving on salaries and the balance was a saving on contingencies. He pointed out that the large deficiency last year was known to the Superintendent previous to the prorogation of the Council, and that they should have been made aware of it, to have reconstructed the Estimates. The expenditure in departments this year was seven per cent, greater than that of last year. He defended the action of the Council in several matters alluded to in the speech, and expressed surprise that such a trifling matter as the honorarium should bo referred to, the amount being so insignificant, and in no case equal to the expense members from the country were put to. He concluded by reminding the Superintendent that the £6OO for his own salary was not reduced.—(Hissing and applause.) In continuation, Mr Donno said the reason the Superintendent was burnt in effigy at the West Coast was that he had dipped his hand in the public purse in order to assist those who were opposed to Separation to get up a memorial against it.—(Oh, oh.) Had the Su. perintendent taken proper steps to insure fair representation for the West Coast, Separation would never have been heard of. His explanation was, he thought, very unsatisfactory and undignified. Mr Eeid : You have said that you do not consider goldfields communities fit for the exercise of local powers of administration. How can you reconcile that with your declaration in the Assembly last session in favor of limiting the powers of Provincial Governments, and the extension of local self-government ?

The Supebintekdent : The inhabitants of goldfields, as a class, are not a settled population. They do not possess fixed property, nor do they live in dwelling-houses. Until the goldfields possess a population of settled habits, and acquire a permanent interest in the country, they are not entitled to the same privileges of citizenship as residents of settled districts.—(Hear, hear.) Mr Donite, seconded by Mr Gibbs, proposed a motion to the effect that the Superintendent's statement was unsatisfactory, but it was withdrawn, and a simple vote of thanks was put from the chair and passed.