THE CITY ELECTION.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2366, 1 November 1870, Page 2

THE CITY ELECTION.

Mr Bihcii addressed the electors at the Old Masonic Hall last evening. There was a fair attendance ; and Mr James MTndoe, M. H.R., was voted to the chair. The candidate premised his remarks by apologising for his absence from the hustings on the nomination day, which was owing to his having been unexpectedly called out of town on urgent private business. He then proceeded to state that he had been inconvenienced on his return to town by finding that all the public halls had been engaged by one or the other of his opponents. He had been circumvented by two clever men, but he should not be baulked ; be would address the citizens even if he had to do so. in the open air. The candidate then entered upon the points of bis political programme, discussing them seriatim. He expressed himself in favor of the reunion question, and was in favor of the immediate construction of the Clutha Railway. He thought this work might have been gone on with long ago, had not little jealousies cropped up, and some people in the place fancied they had a right to an interest in the construction of the railway. However, in the event of the Provincial Government not being able to get the work done for L 5,000 a mile, the General Government were empowered to step in and construct the line ; but, he believed, there was now in Dunedin a firm prepared to construct the line at L 5,000 a mile, and the sooner this and similar works were commenced the better for the Province. It was but too apparent that there was great stagnation, and that the Province was anything but progressing at the present time. He had travelled over the country, and could not understand why it should be so. We had a magnificent country, full of resources; but it was deplorable to see the state of stagnation. It was also of the greatest importance that a branch line should be made to Tuapeka simultaneously with the Clutha Railway. Such a branch would open up a vast extent of country'. He did not care what kind of railways they were, provided they were cheap and safe ; but in goodness’ name, let us have railways traversing the country to open it up. The bridging of the Waitaki was another important work, and the erection of it would be the means to a certain extent of the corporatiug of the Timaru portion of Canterbury with Otago.— (Hear, hear). A proof of this fact was that in the General Assembly there was, on the part of the Superintendent of Canterbury, indifference amounting almost to supineness about this bridge ; while the whole of the Otago members were very enthusiastic, because it would be one of the greatest benefits that could be conferred on Otago. He would rather sink the railway from Oamaru to Waitaki than that this bridge should not be erected. He was in favor of opening up blocks of land on goldfields on deferred payments. The question was brought forward in the General Assembly last session by Mr Mervyn, but in such a very peculiar way that very few members supported him If we had any idea of populating the country, and making it a country for the working man, we must offer encouragement for settlement, and the only way that could be done was by opening up the land on deferred payment of 2s fid per acre per annum. If a man purchased 50 or 100 acres of land, and had money to the amount of LI per acre in his pocket, it was plain that there remained 17s fid per acre to enable him to fence and improve his laud. Such a measure ought to meet with their approbation. Mr Birch then pointed out the necessity of encouraging the settlement of miners by offering them ample commonage. He thought the Provincial Government should take steps to get the telegraph extended to Martin’s Bay'. It was of more immediate importance to us to have telegraphic communication with Martin’s Bay than with Wellington. It was a sin and a disgrace to us to have induced men with their wives and families to settle in a distant part ot the Province without furnishing them with means of communication with settled parts ; they might die of famine or. pestilence without onr knowing anything about it. The Government ought to establish steam communication with Martin’s Bay once a month; and if he was returned to the Council, ho would do all he could to get it established.— (Hear, hear.) He was in favor in free selection, and had not the slightest objection to throwing open the whole of the waste lands of the Province to free selection ; but the difficulty of doing so at the present time was this—while the squatters were in possession of their runs, persons who might select small blocks out of these runs would have to do without commonage. A subject that had been made a stalking horse by the other two candidates was the Hundreds Regulation Act. So far as he was personally concerned, he would not give way with regard to his opinion on this Act. He still maintained that it was a good Act. So far as he was personally concerned in this matter, he would not give way. He maintained the Act was a good one.—(Hear, hear, and no, no.) It was so until it was tried; and if tried and found defective, he would have the defects remedied ; and if found to be unworkable, be would be the first man to have it repealed. Mr Fish, as the chief citizen, had stepped out of his way and had done what was derogatory to his position, to come upon a public platform to assail his (Mr Birch’s) honor. He maintained he was as good a man as Mr Fish. He maintained Mr Fish knew nothing about the Him Ireds Regulation Act. At a meeting of Mr Driver’s at Moruiugton he was present ; they hobnobbed together, and Mr Fisk, after enjoying Mr Driver’s hospitality wag perfectly satisfied with the Bill. Yet by some strange fancy, by some legerdemain, he now regarded the Bill in a different light; it was a very dangerous thing. Mr Birch then referred to Mr Bathgate, whom he called the greatest political humbug in New Zealand.—(Applause and hisses.) He did not believe Mr Bathgate believed in one word of what was stated in his address. Mr Bathgate would not accept the Solicitorship ! he was too honest ! he was above anything of the sort. After stating that there was a coalition between his opponents to keep himqut ( aqd the. understanding M’a 3 that oiie should' take

office, he went on to state that he might be wrong in that impression. Those were, however, his opinions on the matter. He was not in the habit of indulging in personalities, but these gentlemen had thought it meet in his absence to degrade themselves by attacking him personally, and he was provoked into using perhaps warmer language than he ought to have done. After two or three questions had been put and answered, Mr Logan moved that Mr Birch is a fit and proper person to represent the electors of Dunedin in the Provincial Council. Mr MiLLEßmoved as an amendment, “That Mr Birch, by his action in the last session of the General Assembly, has forfeited all right to the suffrages of the citizens of Dunedin.” On the amendment and resolution being put, eight hands were held up for the former, and the chairman declared the resolution to be carried by a large majority.