WHAT REPRESENTATIVE MACANDREW THINKS OF THE HALF MILLION LOAN.

Auckland Examiner, Volume III, Issue 141, 12 March 1859, Page 2

WHAT REPRESENTATIVE MACANDREW THINKS OF THE HALF MILLION LOAN.

Upon the re-election of Mr. Macandrew to represent Dunedin in our General Assembly, that old political stager made an excellent speech- After stating that out of a large proportion of General Assembly members absent during last session, he was the only individual who had forfeited his seat, Mr. Macandrew spoke as follows—

I attended the General Assembly, not to serve myself, but to serve- my country. Hence the forfeiture of my seat. I acknowledge tbat’with Wellington men I was nrond to net. We were generally in the same boat together, for the purpose of keeping down the expenditure of the General Government with a view to the provinces having the appropriation to the greatest possible extent of their respective revenue ; and also to ppevertt the establishment of a national debt of half a million, from which Otago was to derive no benefit whatever. Such was the policy for which I was blamed for having united with the Wellington men in effecting— a policy which was carried by a majority of one, but subsequent? rescinded by the advent of two member* from Nelson. What had been the result ? Die General Government, instead of being limited to an expenditure of £50,000 a year, had expended £130,000, and if not checked, would gradually absorb, encroach upon, and swallow up, tbe whole Customs revenue of the Colony. The country bad been saddled with a national debt of £500,000, the oulv benefit from which accruing to this Province was the honor of paying its share of the interest, and ultimately of the principal also. So much for my alleged subservience to the Wellington men. I confess my admiration for them as the cleverest men and ablest statesmen in New Zealand, and I trust that so long as there are such men in the General Assembly, the representative of Dunedin, whoever he might be, will be ranged on the same side, and included in the same category.