PAPAKURA ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1490, 3 September 1868, Page 5

PAPAKURA ASSOCIATION.

Thb usual monthly meeting of the Papakura Association, was held yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock in the Papakura Hotel. Mr. Kerr, the Yice-President of the Association, in the Chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Andrews proposed that the following gentlemen ho received members of the Association —Messrs. John Gordon, J. Appleby, and Mr. Lindsay. Seconded by Mr. Geeenacre, and carried. Mr. Macdonald, in moving the first resolution, said —The Chairman had been deprived of the opportunity of bringing forward this motion, andhe willingly undertook the task. He had long felt that the elestoral roll was in a deplorable state, some of those whose names were on it being dead, while others were gone to other i portions of the world. Their representatives had hitherto believed in a corrupt electoral roll, and until that was purged a real reform was impossible. He had come to the conclusion to put no faith in their public men. He had been in Auckland since its commencement, and had watched the men who pretended to have the affairs of the province at heart, and the conclusion he had arrived at was that they were all a lot of place-hunters and land-jobbers. Some of them by their rashness in speculation had been ruined and then they sought to blind the eyes of the public by saying that they were ruined bv their political abilities. As to Mr. Oreighton, he believed him to be a man of no mean powers. Up to the time he went into the Provincial Secretary's office, he was the champion of the country settlers, but since he had accepted that office he had completely turned round. On being told ot it Mr. Creighton said that he and the speaker were only aiming at the same end by different means, and that his sentiments were unchanged. He claimed the right to criticise public men, because so far they were public property. liaßj

session but one Mr. led the opposition and to such an'extent that the Provincial Secretary turned his back and fled. The result was a private meeting, at which it was resolved to offer Mr. Creighton the vacant office, which he accepted. He had done wrong to himself and his family by his action in this matter, becauso his talents were such as would placo him in any sphere. The poll tax was passed through tho Council in a most unparliamentary manner. At the opening of a session the speech should contain an outline of policy to be pursued. Had that been done the tax would never have been levied. But still he blamed their representatives who allowed tho bill to pass more than the Government for passing this bill. Mr. Buckland, at the meeting at Otahuhu, had said that he never would misrepresent his constituents. But ho had done so by voting for the tax. Thanks, however, to Mr. Gillies tho poll tax was dead. He had no faith in permissive taxation. Had they not felt its benefits from that sham—tho Education Act. The question of the sick and destitute should be made a special charge, and the lunatics should be a general charge. Let each section of the community accept its own responsibilities. But to obtain these ends they must have a change of sj-stem. The would be to purge the electoral roll. Some would say that they were clamouring for local self-government for the sake of hearing themselves talk rot. He flung this accusation back in the teeth of tho men who uttered it. It had been his opinion for some time that the Papaj kura Association should discuss other than agi ricultural questions, and he was glad to see that 1 his opinion iu the matter had come to a decisive issue. Ho begged to move that a committee to consist of the following gentlemen— Messrs. W. Hay, J. B. Hay, James Runciman, H. Greenacre, H. S. Andrews, A. McDonald, Drs. Wood, Rayner, Messrs. Walker, Kerr, .Rhodes, Wilson, Smollett, and Austin, bo appointed for the purpose of revising the electoral roll of the district of Franklyn and Raglan." Mr. H. S. Andeews seconded the motion, as it was only carrying out the resolution of last meeting- They had frequently on previous occasions been defeated by men whose names never ought to have been on tho roll. Mr. Macdonald's remarks had been rather sweeping. There were some bright exceptions in the members of the Provincial Council. Let honor be given to those who deserved it. One of their representatives—Mr. N ewman—had opposed the poll tax most consistently, and to him all honor was due. He should not be placed in such a sweeping category. Tho Association ought to be one of such a character as would have its influence on the members of the Council, and he would urge upon them the necessity of always taking action before a law was passed. It had been hinted that an income and property tax would be imposed next session. Let the Government then know in time that the province could bear no additional taxation. With regard to the question of separation, he was of opinion that it was most desirable to have one Government for the Northern Island. Until they got insular separation all their local boards would be of no use. He had been for a long time agitating for one Government, but still at the same time not to give up the provincial institutions. But he was gradually giving up that idea, because he thought they ihad' better throw over entirely provincial nstitutions in order to get hold of only one single Government for the Northern Island. They must go hand in hand together to get rid of these dual Governments. For a time the provincial institutions were productive of good. But that day was past. They must throw them overboard entirely. He had great pleasure in seconding the motion. Dr. Baynoe said there was nothing left for him to say on this question. Unless they combined themselves together their strength would be nullified. At home the electoral rolls were scrutinised most closely, and it was for them to prove the importance of the motion they were initiating, so as to make the influence of the Association felt. Dr. Wood regretted the manner in which Mr. C. Macdonald had spoken of Mr. Creighton. That gentleman was devoting his great powers towards carrying on the present Government in the most effective manner. As to the poll tax, although Mr. Macdonald had condemned the poll tax so strenuously, he had suggested no other means in lieu of it. There was perfect silence, both in the newspapers and in private society, as to what was to be done. Mr. Andeews referred to the statement made in the General Assembly by Mr. Kerr, when he stated that Mr. John Wallace had told him that if Colonel Haultain were to put himself forward, he would at once be re-elected. He had asked Mr. Wallaeo point blank if such were the case, and Mr. Wallace distinctly denied it, and further said that Mr. Eerr must have totally misunderstood him. He himself (Mr. Andrews) was of opinion that if a stick were to put up in opposition to Colonel Haultain it would be returned. Mr. Macdonald in reply said that Mr. Andrews had somewhat misunderstood him. He never dreamt for a moment of including Mr. Newman in the category of legislators that were to be condemned. As to Mr. Creighton he was his advocate against selfish motives being applied to him. He condemned most strenuously those who stated that Mr. Creighton had accepted office from motives of selfishness. In the political course he was now pursuing he was most probably doing the best he could with a bad Government, but at the same time ho had turned the tables on the country settlers. As to the support of the sick and destitute, he still maintained that there should be a local charge. jN* ow he would guarantee for his own. district that all the poor in that district would be looked after by the district. The motion was then put and passed. The Chaieman then said he believed the first duty of tho committee would be to framo a petition to have Papakura made into an electoral district, after which they would have to purge the electoral roll. If they had a representative for this district they would doubtless be able to bring a large amount of pressure to bear on a certain individual which would be of great benefit to the district. The Seceetaky called attention to the fact of the large number of persons whoso names wore not on the roll and who ought to be there. The Chaieman said this would be an easy matter to arrange. All they had to do would be to communicate with the Chairmen of lioad Boards who could at once supply the information. The Seceetaey said there would soon be a dissolution very shortly, and a petition ought to be got up praying the Assembly to pass such a law ss would enable them to alter these rolls at once. The Cjiaieman thought that the present was the time to send in the petition so as to have this district proclaimed an electoral district. It would be to their interest to have a representative to themselves, as the interests of Papakura, Otahuhu, The Thames, and other places w ere entirely different. Mr. H. S. Andeews proposed—That the committee be instructed to prepare a petition of this nature. Mr. Hay seconded the motion and it was passed. Dr. Wood gave notice that he would move at the next meeting—That this meeting has learnt, with surprise and concern, from a recent statement of the Deputy Superintendent, that within the past twelve months the expenses of the Lunatic Asylum and Provincial Hospital hare greatly increased, and are still increasing—the rate of increase being about £1000 per annum for both institutions ; > that in the opinion of this Association it is the

duty of the Government to institute an immediate and searching enquiry into tho causes of the present enormous increase of lunacy, bodily disease, and destitution among tho working classes, coming, as this disease does, at a time when a marked general prosperity is raising tho rate of wages throughout the province ; that the above enquiry should be more particularly directed to ascertain how far the increase to destitution, lunacy, and bodily disease among the working classes is attributable to tho existing licensing Acts virtually pressing on the working classes (as they seem to do) so many opportunities and temptations to spend their means on drink, to the great prejudice of themselves, and the great increase of the poor rates."