THE CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2161, 9 April 1870, Page 2

THE CAVERSHAM ELECTION.

Mr M‘lndoe addressed the electors at the School-house, Portohello, last evening. Mr J. Seaton, M. P. C. was called to the chair, and there were fully forty persons present. Mr M‘lndoe said he was very glad to find that the electors took so much interest in the representation of the district that no candidate should have a walk over. He looked upon it as a good omen. He was glad to see that the district itself took so much interest in the matter, as was evinced hy the fact that notwithstanding the shortness of the notice given, there was a very la-ge gathering of electors. He understood there were to be four candidates. There was Mr Cutten, who had announced himself in the papers—an old resident, and who had had an amount of parliamentary experience in the legislature of the Colony, and in that respect he admitted at once, that he had an advantage over him. He (Mr MTndoa) had never had the honor of being a member of the General Assembly, but he had not been an idle spectator or listener of what had been going on in regard to Colonial politics. He had studied matters very minutely, and had formed by no means a hasty judgment upon the various questions which referred more particularly to the progress and pi'osperity of the country. He had never been out of politics, he might say, for more than twenty years ; he took a very active part in them in the old country, and was generally identified with popular measures. The other candidate was Mr Ilobinson, who had announced his intention of coming forward the night before ; and there was Mr John Graham. Tn addressing himself to the questions he had to touch upon, he thought his better plan would be to treat them in a twofold light—in the first place, he would address a few remarks upon the questions which were likely to come before the Assembly, which bore upon the interests of the Colony generally ; and in the next he would touch upon questions more immediately connected with the Province. He might start by saying that he was a thorough Provincialist. He believed in’ the existence of our Provincial Institutions as they are J)OW _or rather as they were a few years arm. He thought the system of government by Provincial Institutions had effected some good for the Colony—more so than was possible to have been effected by a Central Government either at Auckland or Wellington. The principle was one which ho thought ought to be carried out the fullest extent, especially in a new country like this. We knew our own wants, and we know the bast way of making up those wants. He thought that the people of the colony generally were possessed of sufficient intelligence to bo able to ad- . minister to their wants, better than a stranger or parties resident a long distance from them could possibly do. One question which related to the subject of whether Central or Provincial Government as it was now obtained was the better, was the question of re-union of Southland and Otago. After referring to the New Provinces Act, and the County Acts, and their effects, Mr M‘lndoe said that he did not believe that,

in uniting with Southland, wo should derive in the main any material benefit from it; at the same time, after careful investigation of the affairs of that Province, he came to the conclusion that, notwithstanding the largo amount of its liabilities, there Was still a sufficient amount of Grown Lands to meet them all, and leave a respectable surplus to carry out public works for the improvement of the Province generally. He did not think that by re-union it would be any tax upon Otago—at any rate after a year or two. It might cripple our resources to a small extent for the first year, but after one or two years it would be found that Southland’s resources were ample to meet all the expenditure Otago would be called upon to make on its behalf. He supported re-union on the ground that it was a return to the position that the Provincial system obtained before the interference of the Stafford Government. He thought the system had still a large amount of work to do, before it was ripe to be wiped away, and that work would be better accomplished by larger provinces than small ones. He also supported that proposal in the hope that it would ultimately lead to the reannexation of Westland and Gladstone with Canterbury, and Marlborough with Nelson; thus restoring the Middle Island to its original position of three provinces. This was a step towards a consummation he hoped to see accomplished, viz., the separation of the two islands —insular, if possible, but financial on any account. The South Island had too long labored under very heavy taxation on account of the war, which had been a source of great ruination and loss. We were at present the most heavily taxed nation on the face of the earth, each man, woman, and child having to pay L 7 a year, but that tax was not felt to the same extent as if it were a direct instead of an indirect one. He might say that he believed strongly in the principle of direct taxation. If a man knew what amount of money he had actually to pay for the government of the country, he was more likely to take interest in the subject; and would see that not a shilling was wasted that could be usefully expended otherwise. He held strongly the opinion that it was the safest and best principle on which government could be conducted to have direct taxation ; and on thvt ground he always agreed with the Stamp Act, and would support taxes of a similar character. He did not think that the Stamp Act fell very heavily or very inconveniently on the settlers generally; it was exacted mostly from towns. He believed that a very large amount of most absurd expenditure went on under the General Government, and were the details of it made known, it would astonhh every man in the country. An example of it might be found in the province. We had Resident Magistrates going up and down the country, who did not do anything like the work they should do ; half the number could be done with and overtake all the work required by the community, an 1 it was quite po sible justice would be as well administered, and the community would be much better satisfied. Referring to the position of the two islands, he said he thought we had been long enough taxed to carry on the Maori war. According to all accounts, the backbone of the rebellion had been broken ; the enemy’s forces were completely routed ; and Te Kooti himself a fugitive, with very few followers. The forces organised for the purpose of prosecuting the war were now engaged road-making on the North Island—making facilities for opening up the country there. He did not think it was at all in accordance with fair play that the South Island should be called upon to pay the expense of improving land in the North. It would have been ail very well years ago for the South to bear its proportion of the expense of the war then raging ; but the partnership should at once be determined. We ought to know under what liability wc had come, and then the partnership should be dropped. The South should not be liable for works constructed in the North by the semi-military forces; the North should bear the cost itself. But if unable to do so, the best thing the South could do would be to leave it altogether. He believed this good would result from separation—the question of taxation would come under our own control, and he believed that we then should have a much less Customs tariff than we have now, while a sufficient revenue would be raised to enable us to carry on the functions of Government. There was scarcely an article imported but what was taxed. He would be inclined to reduce the duty on those articles which couid not be produced within ourselves, and for which we were entirely dependent on other countries, but would be disposed to continue duty upon any .article that could be produced bore, in order that a certain amount of protection mi & ht be afforded to settlers and parties engaged in agricultural and handicraft pursuits. Although in principle he was a free trader to the fullest extent, yet he thought the circumstances of a new Colony demanded that in the first place a certain amount of protective duty should be imposed on those articles we produced ourselves, to prevent other countries that had a surplus from sending their stuff into this Colony, and then putting on it a value below which figure it would not pay the grower to produce here. Insular separation could only be granted by the Imperial Parliament, but it was possible, and would be obtained by repeated application.' In the meantime, the General Assembly had the power within itself of granting financial separation, and there ho was heart and hand. He thought there was a prospect of having it effected; at any rate he knew the attempt would be made, and he would certainly give it his utmost support. Another question which was likely to occupy the attention of the Assembly was the mode of conducting elections. After explaining the _ efficacy of the Ballot, which he was in favor of, lie referred to the questions of a Colonial system of education, and emigration. He was strongly of opinion that the provinces ought to have the emigration system in their own hands. He did not believe in any system of emigration carried out by the Colonial Government; the matter should be left in the hands of the provinces, which were the best judges of the character and number of emigrants they required, The Central Government had not the energy or desire to act that the Local Government possessed, if the latter had power in their hands. It had been proposed to have a colonial system of education, but lie did not think any advantage was to be derived from it ; and from the pre-eminent position the system of this Province occupied, it would be very wrong to consent to have it altered or changed so as to be made suitable to the requirements of the colony generally. He pointed out that if the colonial system was adopted, the education reserves woflfld merge into the general scheme, and the Provfqfial

Council would be unable to deal with the revenuesderivablefromthem as well as appropriating portions of the ffvenue for educational purposes. WitS regard to the native war, he believed the policy the present Government had adopted would accomplish the desired object, viz., the speedy extinction of the war. He thought the Stafford Government made a great mistake in the mode they carried on the war. He believed no member of that Government was sufficiently posted up in matters affecting Ithe native race or who had a sufficient amount of energy or determination to carry out a policy ; and the officers they employed had not the qualifications nor possessed the menial calibre to occupy a position of such vast importance, or to cope with such an insidious foe as the Maoris had proved themselves to be. He believed that the Colony generally agreed that the hon. the Defence Minister was the man pre-eminently fitted, from his knowledge of the race, and firm and resolute character, to bring about the extinguishment of the war. He therefore felt dispored to support the policy of the present Government, if elected, would give them every assistance in his power to have it carried out. He afterwards referred at very great length to matters more immepiataly affecting the Province. Speaking of the Hundreds Regulation Bill, he said it was just possible the Assembly might refuse to reconsider the recommendation s of the Provincial Council, but at the same time he did not think it would. He had all along supported the Bill, and he then proceeded to give his reasons for doing so. However much good the Hundreds had done in the early days, it was time they were done away with, and free selection, of which he was an advocate, granted in their stead. A cry had been attempted to be got up against him that he was a place hunter ; that he aspired to political honors with a view to paltry pelf. He could confidently appeal to his history in political matters here and the Home country. For more than twenty years he had been a representative man. Here he had occupied a seat in the Provincial Council, and at Home he had been a member of poor law boards, corn laV leagues, &c., for which he could have had pay if he had so desired. He might have got place iu the Provincial Government ; but did not go in for such a purpose. He went to the Council because of a strong love for politic* and he asked for a seat in the Assembly, on the same account ; he cl d not go there to benefit himself pecuniarily, but because of a thorough love for the political institutions of the country, and with a desire to do his best to make them as popular as he could. In answer to questions, Mr M ‘lnode said if the Thistle Ordinance could not be enforced, he would endeavor to have a Validation Ordinance passed; he thought the Maoris should be compelled to clear their land of thistles, and pay rates equally with white men. He did not believe in mail subsidies, and believed that shortly there would be such competition on the San Francisco route as to render one unnecessary. He was greatly in favor of the continuance of the subsidy to road boards of L2 to LI, and the granting of subsidies on special rates. The Otago Roads Bill, introduced by Mr Haughton, was unworkable, and he should try and get it repealed. He believed in the payment of members of the Assembly. He believed the question of the relations of the mother country and the colony would come up for consideration in the A ssembly. His impression was that, if we got no benefit from our connection in the way of getting soldiers or ships to defend us, or assistance, it would be better for the Colony to be independent. The time was n»t far off when we should be a separate nation from' the mother country. He recollected 12 or 14 years ago, Lord Brougham, one of the most astute of lawyers and far-seeing men, declared iu his place in the House of Lords that he looked forward to the time when Britain would be rid altogether of her colonies, and the object the colonies had to aim at was to be independent of the mother country. He believed that matter would be talked of in the Assembly. He believed the best plan would be to set up shop on our own account. We were not fighting men, and it was not likely we should get into complication with America or any other power. Mr Wilson proposed, and Mr Muir seconded, that Mr M‘lndoe was a fit and proper person to represent the district in the Assembly; and the vote was carried tiem, con. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings,