The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3628, 27 February 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1883.

The electors of Selwyn arc rather awkwardly situated with regard to the filling up of the vacancy caused "by Sir John Hall's retirement. * Selwyn is one of the Aery few electorates in New Zealand that has only once been represented by a local man. That single exception was AvhcnMr C. A. FitzRoy, noAV of Hastings, was put up, says the"'Christchurch Telegraph, half in joke, as a protest against Mr Reeves' candidature, and beat him by sheer force of personal popularity. Nobody regarded Mr FitzRoy as a politician" He was merely a Aveil-bred English public school-boy, Avho bad settled in the district, and whom everybody liked ; and the electors, haling no one else at hand, put him in to keep Mr Reeves out. Mr Fitzßoy made no great figure in the House, his youth, inexperience, and constitutional nervousness going i-cry much against him, but he was a great favourite among the members, and certainly did no discredit to his constituency. Towards the end of his term he went to live in the North Island, so that he, too, Avas in part a nonresident member. At all other times Selwyn has been represented by a member having no personal connection Avith the constituency, but usually by a colonial politician of recognised standing. The electors appear to have had none of that narrow local feeling which makes residence at a particular spot the paramount qualification in a member of Parliament. When they could obtain the services of an independent public man of high reputation, they have ivillingly elected him, in preference to one of themselves, and loyally supported him as long as he remained their representative. And they have never suffered by it. On the contrary, the district has gained an honourable name by its broadmindedness, and has, moreover, played an exceedingly important part in the public politics of the colony. The present candidates for the representation of Selivyn arc Mr E. J. Lee and the Hon. E. Richardson. Both may bo said to bo local men, the former being a pronounced Ministerialist, the latter announcing himself as opposed to the Government. Mr Lee is an old settler Avho has, wo leant from the Christchurch papers, taken an active part in local public affairs, and is a highly popular man, Avith good education and the highest personal reputation. He has come forward, at the request of his brother electors, not on any sharply defined political platform, but as a man of moderate views and determined to do his best for the public ivelfare, Avithout regard to personal considerations. In addressing the electors last week he asked their suffrages as a supporter of the present Government, because, though not agreeing Avith all their policy, they Averc superior, he thought, to those avlio might come iv on the occasion of a change. They had saved their country from national bankruptcy, caused by the bad administration of their predecessors Then with regard to their native policy, he felt sure they had done more to settle native matters than any Government Avhieh had preceded them. Mr Brycc he felt Avas a man Avho deserved every credit, as he Avas the first Native Minister avlio had had the courage to tackle the question and settle it once and for all. A great deal had been made about the shaking hands ivith-Te Kooti, ivhich he desired to say a few words about. He thought that Te Kooti was not tho bloodthirsty murderer some papers had made him out. He had at the Chathams all the white population under his hands, and yet ho did not commit any of those bloodthirsty atrocities that had been attributed to him. What he had done ivas to make Avar according to his rights and Maori warfare. Te Kooti had gone then to Tauranga, where he desired to have peace. Tho Government sent a party in pursuit of him, which was taken as a declaration of Avar. Thus he (Mr Lee) could not sec that there need be so much made of this hand-shaking by Mr Bryce, which, after all, was a mere matter of taste. Mr Bryco might have liked to do this, but he (Mr Lee) should not have cared to do so. Replying to questions Mr Lee said, as regarded the question of using tho Bible as a text book in schools, he had thought out the matter fully. The children whose parents did not wish them

to attend school whilst the Bible was read need not attend. Under the old system tho master of a school near him opened school by reading the Bible and prayer, and there was not a single word of dissatisfaction, though all denominations ivere represented. " Ho did not think that any sect would be offended by what he proposed. With regard to the question of ivhat Bible he would prefer to see read in the schools, he might say that when he mentioned the Bible he had no thought of tho Douay Bible ; what he meant was that Bible they, as Protestants, received as '' the Bible. What between Te Kooti and the Bible in schools avc do not think Mr Lee Avould stand much chance of election for a Northern constituency. He may satisfy the electors of Selwyn, but we must say that Aye hope the Hon/Mr Richardson Avill be seen once more in tho House on the re-assembling of Parliament.