THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2470, 16 January 1871, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MR DRIVER AT MORNINGTON.

We continue our report of Mr Driver’s

speech :

About the loan for defence purposes, he had formed his own opinions, There could be no doubt that so long as we were, a part of New Zealand, so long should wc be liable for expenditure on account of the Native difficulty. He also considered that it should be carried out from year to year by loan, so that future generations, who would reap the benefits of peace, would have an opportunity of paying a portion of the costs—(A pplause.) They had heard men speak of (he magnificent laud which was to be found in the North Island. Now, although the Colony obtained the loan and paid the interest, he thought it would only be fair and right that, in connection with the North Island, and as security for the money advanced on its behalf, a land tax should be imposed, and the money should be set apart as a sinking fund. If he were returned he should endeavor to get something of that kind carried out. Regarding the borrowing of money, he thought the meeting would admit it was better to raise money on loan; it could be done cheaper than by spending our ordinary revenue, and we should not be cramped in the meantime; those who came after us and enjoyed the benefits of peace, would then have to contribute as well as ourselves.— (App’ause.) Now, he thought he had clearly shewn that the Immigration and Public" Works Act, the main features of which he supported during the last session, was not a bad Act for New Zealand, or for Otago aloi e — i.e., if it should be fairly and honestly administered. —(Applause.) As regarded railways, he told them plainly that Marlborough was about as insolvent as any province in New Zealand; but if it could be shown that a railway constructed there would be a reproductive work—that it would be a fair speculation- -he would, after learning the estimated cost and all other necessary particulars, advocate the construction of such railway; and he should also consider, further, that it would be the duty as well as to the interest of the Colony to aid in its construction, if it were shown that the railway would be the means of raising the Province from an insolvent to a solvent and prosperous position. When, in fact, that end was gained, Marlborough would be in a position to bear the burdens of the Colony equally with other parts of the Colony. What he feared was that if works were carried out in Otago under the supervision and control of a certain section of the com* munity, the works would be looked upon as many now were looked upon in Southland—monuments of the folly of thoce persons who had anything to do with them. He would ask workmen, dealers, producers, merchants, and others, whether they did not considir that things in this Province at the present time were in a rotten state. What was tie reason why people had got no capital ? because they were unable to sell to anything like advantage. If people made butter they obtained about fid of fid per lb for it, and for cheese and other articles they were paid in the same ratio. Stagnation appeared to reign supreme everywhere, and we were living upon hope and upon each other.—(Laughter.) We were like Micawber, always waiting fer something to turn up. But the electois should seriously and calmly consider tie question ai to the advisability of gettirg public works constructed. They should cm.• si ler whether they ought not to have a cheap system of railway communication; that would of it-elf draw population to olir shores; when a country was (prosperous it was sure to attract population. If cheap railways were constructed in the interior of the Prcr vinces, good would be done, not only to thoq people already here, bqt also to those who might yet come. There was one qiiest’oij connected- with the scheme of the General Government about which he had some misgivings, and that was the question of immigration, for unless it was handled very judiciously, an injustice would be done to three persons who were already here trying to make a livelihood. He was bound to say that if properly carried out, and with a proper and judicious system of public works, ho had such faith in the resources and capabilities of the Colony, that if railways aud othrr public works were constructed on an economical and proper basis, New Zealand would be enabled to support a population very much greater in number than now supported. If, however, the Colonial Treasurer should happen to he wrong in his figures concerning the populatiqu, and his data as affecting the next ten years, he feared that the scheme would utterly fail. Therefore hp would like to see consi tenable modifications made in different ways, as affecting immigration and other matters. If proper meu were brought to the country—meu possessing a little capital—and if the country were not flooded with men in circumstances like some of ourselves, there was plenty of room for them, and they would do well. We did not want labourers and mechanics, for instance, who found it difficult to obt.ru employment. M r Drivex 1 then referred to the Ballot Bill, intimating that }ic was prepared to go in for the ballot pure and simp’e; tile San Francisco ipail service; the Payment of Jurors’Bill; stating that he ayas prepared tq support qq increase of the payment to jurymen to Qs or 7s; ‘Representation BUI, the IMscjualifica* tiou Bill, aud the subject of a Workman’s Lien Bill. In regard to the last-mentioned subject, he expressed himself as being willing to support the measure, but denied that some candidates, as they had done, had any right to tajve credit for bringing the subject for* ward, for that was done in the Assembly last session, when the Minister of Justice promised to bring in a bill on the subject 1 next session. He next proceeded at' great length to deal with the laud question denying that ho hacj ever s'ai! the Hundreds Regulation Act was a good Act, for on the contrary his'opinion was that it was a had one. Rut as compared with the Goldfields arid Land Acts bf ISGii'it was not a bad Act; n*u Pleasure bad acted more as a hindrance (o'settlement than‘the two he had mentioned. Had the Hundreds Regulation Act been brought'into':, operation,' some 100,000 a’Cres of land coujd have been opened up li years ago; he said so without hesitation. ‘ He would like to do away ■ with all out Land Acts and their amendments, arid substitute a simple Act, liberal in all its proivisions, of course taking' into consideration the requirements for revenue purposes. He * was not in favor of free selection, but while h#fea,id-tqat, iq q oqqqtry Ne',7 £ealqqd,where good lan 1 was so spattered, system was capable of being used with provided means were adopted for preventing “spotting.” He would like to see a, tax upon unimproved land (applause) and the system of homestead rights, as adopted in

America, together with a system of deferred payments introducel. The land laws in existence were miserable and vicious, a good law would do as much goo I as any public works or immigration scheme ; the one was useless without the other. He might here remark Mr Reid had told fie Dunedin electors that . the proposed borrowing ot money would be the means of taking away our land revenue as a pledge for the repayment of the loans. Either the statement must have been knowingly uttered as a deliberate fa'sehood, or the speaker was unacquainted with the subject be was talking about, and tber fo c should have said nothing about it. 'I be public cre litor bad no direct or indirect c-aim upon the land revenue of any Province. An Act had been passed in 1867, which distinctly declared that such loans sha 1 be a charge upon the Colony, and shall not elfe-.t territorial revenue. And that gentleman had voted for the 4th clause of the Payment to Provinces Act, which jire vented for all time Provinces borrowing mmey. He felt called upon to make these remarks, because he (Mr Driver) had been accused by Mr Peid of having acted inconsistently. He thought he had tried to con vince the meeting that the party he had opposed in the Provincial Council were not sincere in their cry ; they wore not progressionists, hut that on the contrary, they were obstructionists. The gentlc'/man at the head of that party, who now aspired to the Superintendency, profesjed to ho .an nltra-Provincialist; whilst lie had given his vote far a Government that had done everything in their piwer to destroy Provincialism, and had not only been publicly hooted on the wharf at Dunedin, hut requested by four-fifths of his constituents to resign. That gentleinuy had done more in his place in the Provincial Council to destroy Provincialism than any other person in the whole community. He s lid so without fear of contradiction. In conclusion, he held to thank the meeting foi the patient hearing he hal received and for the kindness he had ever received at the hands of the electors of the district. If he thought he had forfeited the confidence of the electors, he would not again offer himself forelection. Itwaswithno selfish motive that he came f .rward, for he could assure them a representative was a fool to himself; hut he felt as a citizen and a member of the community, having some political knowledge, tat he bad a duty to perform, and he placed biimelf entirely in their bauds.— (Loud applause ) In answer to questions, Mr Drivkb said he had not stated it was his intention to support Mr Macandrew. He merely stated that, as a member of the Provincial Council, he had been opposed to Mr Reid, and thought he was likely to remain so. He did not bitterly oppose Mr Macandrew at the last election, and no man could say lie did. He certainly voted against him. It was all very well for men to clamor and to say this and that about being honest and that sorb of thing, but Mr Macandrew >vas better than any of them.—(Loud applause.) As between the two candidates, to use a vulgar phrase—and then perhaps it WO uld be appreciated—-he would rather have the devil he knew than the one he did not know. —(Laughter and applause.) He was in favor of making the Legislative Council an elective, in place of a nominative, body. At present the Council was composed merely of “old fogies.” He would like to see the ban distributed according to revenue, if it were possible ; hut he did not know that it would he equitable hi all cases. He was not in favor of a Colouial education sche ne, and did not think that there \i as any immediate necessity for handing over our e location reserves to a corporate body. Jn the event of the abolition of the Province, ,3 would support such a proposal, .and at time he would strenuously oppose any attempt to divert our educational revenues for the benefit of any otl)er pl ice. He was nqt ready to give a certain answer on the subject, but was inclined to support manhood sufrage, with a six mouths’ residence qualificatiou. Mr J. Mitchell stated that, until he had heard Mr Driver, his mind hj id been wavering as to that gentleman’s opinions ; hut be had been entirely disabused of t’losc feelings of doubt. He had therefore much pleasure in proposing Mr Driver as a fit and proper person to represent the district in the Asscm^ The motion was seconded by Mr Thomson, and carried by acclamation. In acknowledging the compliment, Mr Driver said that, if at any time requested to do so by a majority of the electors, he would at once resign.

Ikjr Reynolds, by invitation, .afterwards e ;plained the financial policy of the Government, and produced a statement showing the appropriations for each island for the current financial year. It had not yet been laid before the people of the Province; it was rather an elaborate statement, and at that late hour he would not trouble the meeting reading the whole of it, but would hand if; to the reporters for publication. The remarks which he made in the Assembly were based upon the financial statement of the Co'onial Treasurer ; since that time, however, the Appropriation Acts had come into his possession, and he had therefore been able to compile the ■ ssatcpi'ept (o which fie had referred, wlqefi was more correct than that which appeared in Hansard. He contended that the distribution of the expenditure during the last session of'the Assembly was most unfdr and unjust to the Middle Island. He would just read to the meeting the special appropiiations, including Defence, &c. He (Mr Reynolds then mentioned the total sums, embracing the items which appear in the statement, which is subjoined : XOKTH. ISLAND,

Pay of Natives (Cast Coast) for services in 1805 and 180(3 ... £2,O;K) 0 0 Balance of advances made from special fund in account of Bay of Island settlement ... 5,43!) 12 10 Armed Constabulary and Contingent' Defence ..; .., 50,7-8 2 10 Purchase of nuva ... 7,000 0 0 Native Dhpartment— General contingencies ... 10,500 0 0 Civil List—Native purposes ... 7,000 0 0 Salaries of European and tive officers 12,002 5 0 Half-expenses of Luna ~, '3,500 0 0 Defence office ~ 1,470 0 0 Do Store Deputmeiit ... 3,557 7 0 Do Miscellaneous ■ ... (-:’!} (j. BJrrica of Jjjmxipoan ami Na- 1 otpie'S, 18634) ■ 1 1,254 7 10 Continent Defence, .1868-9 ... 22,964 l 5 >2 On account purchase of Luna, ' 1869-70 • ••• ••• 3,000 0 0 Whrking expenses, Luna, 1869-70 ' ' ‘l2l 12 7

North Island (including Native, Defence, and other purposes) appropriations amount to £I, •23’1,821 13s 9d, which among the European population of 97)800 gives at per hea lof population .. £l2 12 3 South Island (including Ntvtive and other purposes) appropriations amount to £842,005 which among the European population of £152,200 gives at per head of population.,. 5 10 /

In favor of North Island per head of European population £7 1 8 Other Purposes than Native and Defence (but special votes): North Island £900,400, equal to per head of European population £9 2 0 Mfd.lle Island £841,215, equal to per head of European population ... ... ••• 510 6

In favour of North Island per heal of European population £3 11 0 The following shows the Consolidated Revenue for the year 1869 : NORTH ISLAND. Auckland £250.624 Taranaki ... .. 8,406 Wellington 97,436 Hawke’s Bay ... 31,904

£3 19s 5d per head on European population. SOUTH ISLAND. Nelson .., ... £91,735 Marlborough ... 8,718 Canterbury ... 125.851 Westland ... 104,26(1 Otago ... ... 273,930 Southland .. 32,480

U4 6s 4d per head on European population Total ... ..'.T 1,025,53) Mr Reynolds stated that Mr Driver had entered upon the financial question so fully that there was really nothing left for him to say. The elec 1 ors should reject all candidates for the Assembly who would not pledge themselves to do their utmost to have the expenditure on account of the two Islands equalised.. He also trusted the doctors would take care to extract from all candidates a promise to resign if requested to do ■so by a majority of then’ cons' itucuts. He certainly thought Mr Reid had gone beyond his depth in his addjvss to the Dune dm electors on the financial policy. That gentleman evidently ’ did not understand his position. Mr Reynolds answered a few questions, after which the meeting adjourned. MR BATHGATE AT THE MASONIC HALL. Mr Bathgate addressed the electors at the Masonic Hall on Friday evening last as a candidate for the representation of the City in the General Assembly. He said : 1 He was again a candidate for their suffrages; not for'the Provincial Council, but for°higher game—the hj ghest in the Colony —that of’ member of the General Assembly. Having’stated'the leading principles of his political creed at length some time ago, he Would not travel over the'same ground, l,iu(i as a crisis had arrived iq thp circumstances (jf the Oolfiny, a few observations were necessary to explain his opinion on it, He would, therefore, confine his remarks uhutly to current events, ' Upon the result of the election depended very much whether the lioviuee was to 1 advance or to retrograde-whether its resources were to be developed or whether it was to sink deeper into the slough of dispond, in which, he was sorry to say, it was floundering. He wou(d endeavor explicitly to explain- hja views, so that they might know precisely on which side he was. Ho had not much satisfaction in contemplating the political history of New Zealand. It was principally one. of personal advancement. As occasion served, centralists became proviueialists, and proviueiillists, as wa& proved by recent • occurrences, more thorough peqti’Jili'atq thai’V their opponents. H.Pi therefore, would commit himself to no party, There had been distinguished administrators oh both sides; but, Hufortunatcly,' they had not been connected with' Otago, 'therefore, if lie were elected, every question brought before the General slmiU hot ] ]Z censiderg,l by IIiUJ. i u 9 . party aspect, biit as it Reserved. That vyas to say, he-would lend his aid to found an Otagap policy, and look on every measure from a Middle Island point ot vnvV. .Such'a might be charged vHtli being selfish ; but be considered it the best adapted to foster the general proSpefity of the Colony, Otago' thus far had, been considered by the North as‘ 'a Iryperbnr.eau region, and its people'as settlers, whose only usefulness depended upop ijhep’. ylplt goldfields and their productive revenue, from

which material benefit could bs derived. He would endeavor to effect a change, for laws had been passed aud money squandered in the utmost profusion, solely fur the benefit of the North Island. Ten years of this policy had prevailed, and what was the result ? A debt of L 8,003,000, commerce depressed, settlers verging towards ruin, chronic bankruptcy pervading the Middle Island, and a chronic native rebellion in the North. The Colonial expenditure was L 300.000 annually more than the revenue, as would be seen when he said that last year the revenue was L 1,003,000 and the expenditure L 1,300,000. Those were the fruits of the North Island policy. As men of common sense, would they go further in that path ? But while the Middle Island provinces were prostrated, what was the condition of the happy recipients in the' North who had received L 5,000,0000 oat of LS,000,000? Auckland, t > use the words of one of its own ci izens, notwithstanding its goldfields was at this moment stinking with bankruptcies. Hawk os Bay was a sheepwalk, and Wellington in a state of bankruptcy. If those statements were true, and ho deli d anyone to deny them, what ha I become of the L 5,030,000 ? Of that sum LISO.OOO was given to buy land. By the Loan Act, 1860, L 150.000 was wholly devoted to Taranaki. A second half mildon in 1862 was entirely given to the North Island ; and in 1863—the year of his arrival—he heard some one say, “ What plucky fellows these North Islanders are ; the Bank of New Zealand has more deposits in Taranaki than in any other province in New Zealand. After that half million in 1862 came the grand loan of L 3,000,030, to be spent in the North Island. The North had cost the Colony 1,5,000,000, aud he said advisedly by that extravagance th ; North Island had become utterly demoralised. When in the North two years ago he was surprised at the tone of socety. He happened to go into a shop at Wellington. At that time they were in a kind of chronic state of panic. It was at a time when they were expecting a visit from the Natives. They knew he was a Volunteer, and the tradesmen Volunteers you in Otago are. Your men talk and pretend to be great shots ; why do not you come up here.” —(Laughter.) The self-reliance of the settlers was quite destroyed, and they seemed to obtai i a precarious livelihood by sponging their fcl.owcolonists in the South I si mil. That mm s whrt he called a “codling” experiment, but if they were unsuccessful or not, he need not say that no nation, Colony or Province, could be coddled into prosperity. The idea of making a great nation out of the tn r o islands was enticing, but he had no doubt the meeting would say with him they would have no more of it. It did not matter to him if it resulted in an exodus from the North Island, those who remained would be of the right stuff, aud if the settlers in the * aikito, Taranaki, and along Cook’s Straits M*erc to abandon their estates, he would undertake to go in with a thousand gallant spirits, who would defend and occupy the land against all comers. The policy he advocated was that every Province must be ir it own burden. That,would commend itself to their jndginen's. But he moiil.l recommend generosity with regard to the past, nor did he wish to rake up, what a statesman called the “wretched past,” But in time to iome they would pay no more, nor allow the revenues of the Province to be spent upon an estate so vnl te ess as the North Island. But he would give another answer to the charge of s-Ifishness. It was very hard that their revenues should be taken away to pay fot the "defence of persons who paid hut 5s or 10s an acre for their lands. It would he cheaper to give each of them 100 acres in the South than that; the North should ho demoralised. He could not uulerstand how settlers who paid from 2s 6d to 5s an acre for their laud should come to Otago aud wish for money to he spent on their estates. However, that it was so, he woild quote from the Daily Times correspondents in Taranaki aud Wellington. The writer said it was a splendid country, and the land was good. Could it he obtained from the Natives it would he invaluable, hut before possession was obtained by Europeans, it would cost the Colony hundreds of pounds an acre.’ Judging then by the prints, if such were the results'of the "North island policy, he was sure he should hive their support in that view. The discovery of gold in iB6O seemed to have turned everybody’s head, aud the Colony was only beginning to rouse itself, hut lie hoped they would he increasingly wide awake to the acts of public men. He would Lrielly allude to the financial scheme of last session. Keeping in view that he had already said no fault c mid he found with it, it must be considered a magnificent one. It involved an expenditure of twelve and a-half millions of money. Adding that sum to the loan of L 5,030,000 already contracted for, New Zealand would he a respectable nation, owing L2 0,000,000. It reminded him of the man who thought it a grand thing to be in debt, for it showed that some people had confidence in you. The only weak point in the scheme was power w as given to borrow without security. ' He did not believe in that. If the Colony went on with ut security for proper investment 'and without security for pepaymeut, the coddling system' mms continued, and we should go on floundering in a deeper deep than at present. Not that all borrowing was had. If twelve and a-half millions could he spent reproductively, he would go in for it at once. There were times when a country could borrow profitably both to honwer and lender. L'nder certain circumstances money spent on railways would he both for public and private gain; hut it should ho ascertained that they Mould be really ivpra luctivc, and M'hethcr there mms security for repayment of principal and interest. He had no hesitation in s tying that the time had long ago arrived and was past when half a million might have been profitably applied t« making railways in Otago. Tlierofoye, v,lieu he'fouun fault with the financial schemes, ho was not finding fai'dt with bomnving money where'it could he profitably spent aiid where the security mms ample. At the risk of being pronounced egotistical, he would c'aim to speak with authority on’ railway construction, as ho had bear engaged of ™ omc . in constructing two Vauways ' if tj 10 (Jlutbn oh way could lie constructed for Lo,()(t0 a mile it avou’d he profitable to the Province. Ho was one of three who projected an expenditure which in 1851 readied LI2 1,000 in ii district where the whole foissenger traffic performed by an old three-inside and two-out side chaise, and the gosds traffic by a waggon that took out a load and returned two days afterwards.’ People thought them beMfofoed. The country Was very like Cfoa"o. a.nd, 'the las't informatipu he had was that it was paying eight per cent, above M’orking expenses. As a citizen he was ready to bind himself

and his family (o pay their share of the interest and sinking fund of the Clutha EailM r ay beyond the revenue derivah'e from it. He was afraid, read in the light of past ex-peri-nee, that the loan of L 12,000,000 would hj; principally spent in Taranak', Auckland, and the North. Were the Act applied fairly be should not have a word to say ; but how was it to he practically can ied out ? In 1865 1/1,000,000 had been spent on the North Island, and the liability divided amongst the Provinces. Auckland M r as charged LIST,O3O ; Wellington, L 15.000 ; Hawkcs Bay, L 2,727 ; Taranaki, L 40,000 ; altogether out of L 4,000,000 Otago had a little under half a million. After that had been solemnly allocated provincially, two years afterwards another Act was passed. It resembled the ancient Scotch Acts—short, terse, and definite. One passed in James the First’s time mms uumiscakeab’e, and could not he evaded. It was—“ Gif tiny hodic taks the guicls of another, he shall be banged.” Such a law was not a dead letter; and the Act repealing the Loan Allocation Act, 1865, was such another. It merely said—“ The Loan Allocate>n Act of 1865 is hereby repealed.” Very likely some clerk M r ho hj d been keeping accounts at L 250 a-year, as everything was done according to rule, lovt his work ; hut Auckland, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, aud Taranaki, that avere in arrears, and owed sums varying from L 5.746 to LSO.OOO, were quietly wiped off. Things should he called by their right names ; and in the light of the interest of Otago, such a course mms rank repudiation. Our legislators bad no rifot to wipe those debts out —no right to saddle the Province with a quarter of a million of debt previous Parliaments had admitted to ha due by the defaulting Provinces. That same year Auckland had a present made of *l/25,003 13s 4d. In 1869, year before last, Wil'ingtou was presented with L 72,030 for bridges and roads at our expense. Wellington had not to hear the burden of the bridges and roads of Otago. Such expenditure was not justifiable on any pretence whatever. Mr Weld, who M as a most conscientious man, when he M'eut into office after the FoxWhitaker Government, signed warrant after warrant in perfect bewilderment. He could not imagine what they wanted the money for, so profusely was money squandered on the Northern Island. In 1866 a Loan Expenditure Indemnity Act was passe 1, M-hicli indemnified the Colonial Treasurer for the unauthorised expenditure of LI, 132,773. Who mms responsible for that wholesale system of plunder, and to M’hom must they look for redress? It was impossible to believe that there was any security for repayment of a lo m to Provinces that con’d not furnish a gaurantee prior to the M’ork being done. If he were returned he should act on the principle that Provincial charging should not he letter, and that be would oppose expenditure of money unless wisely and judiciously. That mms not a selfish view. It was best for bith North and Middle Islands. If the North was ever to be a profitable region, they must give up leaning upon the South. With respect to the land question, his views were perfectly well known. Ho. M-as for a land laM’ of the most liberal kind. He M-as not in favor of assisted immigration, for there M-as not in history the record of a country being forced into prosperity. It mms against the nature of tilings. It was only by determined work and effort that prosperity could he attained, and if by a wise system of land laws the burdens on the pro pie could be lessened, and immigrants would he induced to come hi aud settle aud bring capital M-ith them. He M-quld, therefore, 0 advocita settlement an defcrrcl payments, if by such a pla i a man M-ith LIOO could be aide to purchase and farm 100 acres of land. He M-ould also give free seI ction under seem ity ; he M-as opposed to class legislation, and many squatters agreed M-ith him that access to land was made too difficult. He need not go into the vexed question of the Hundreds .Regulation Act. He would never cease protesting against the manner in M-liich it was carried. It was not to bet derated that any class should smuggle an Act prejudicial to the people tlp-oggli ; both Houses. There M-as in* security that a greater evil might not he carried in the same way. He M-as au advocate forcdueitiou lo the iv'd-st extant, aud he thought Otago M-ould he justified in saying to our legi-lators, “Leave us alone; M-e arc perfectly coni cut M-ith our system, and sha’l ho obliged to you to limit any measures to the Nor.h Island. Teach the i not to leave a race of paupers on your soil.” He M-as for coinpulsiry education, for there could ho no other safeguard than education in a demo--■ratic Colony. As a matter of self defence ho would ask M'hether it was better to allow children to run about the streets and thus grow vicious, or to open the school doors and college doors, until everyone received a due share of enlightenment. He would support , a strict sys f cm of economy. Tim expenditure of the Col n - had vgaohod L 300,000 above the income,' Ten years ago the money . spent on offices and everything exclusive of the debt M-as LI 05,366. Last year it reached j the enormous sum of 1/388,0ff0, and half a million Vesicles. A Joseph Hume m as much wanted in filie House, far every sixpence spent should he rigorously scrutinised. The legislation of the country ha-1 been based too much upon English and Vic'.orian models, hut something better was wanted-. Workin n should he better protected. His attention had'been drawn to that, and many cases had come before him in whichj men had been injured. tors, and others v'lo had'hundreds at their connpapd, might tide over a loss.; hub a man who lived by Ins labor should have his wages scoured, to him, He M-ould endeavor to have a measure passed to g|v-o a M'orkuim a lieu on the \vprk :;,s se- ;• curity for wages. There mms “a large ! aud powerful Lady v.t Friendly Societies • in Ot.\go, ayd sa.me legislation was required to*' ryudeii tiiein as extensively useful as possible. At present they M-ere governed by English laws, and limits M-crc put to the extent to M'hioh individuals conld : enjoy the pi-oifts of the society. The rate per M-eek allowed was also limited. In England-there mms a. jealousy anipng.-t the mop foci elates who had influence to prevent fop extension of the principle, Hfoghouhl like them to.be fairly logifoifofo fo v , and instead, of, a mysterious H,l', 1.0.0. F. tp, wlijcd hp belonged, to have a New Zealand Society. If he \vt.re i relur.ied, lie M-ould give the, •nhjcufc hfo j a 1 touti -n Ho'M-ould also do bis best to | check t-Uo ci a to legislation the (J, deny was j suffering Iron. One half of every s,;-s- JM as spent ’ on amending acts pyev-fowsly ■ passed. Every measure befog passed should ho suhtiiitfo.il to. the people through the p.ip-s,. in ovdev that the right of petition" m'ght he exercised in need. In conclusion lie M-ould sny that if returned he should not go as the representative of any class. Ho M-as not connected with any special class iu

Otago. He had acted as ajent for some friends who had a run at one time, but he had given that up. aud M-as perfectly free aud unfettered. Being in the same boat with the rest of the people, his obj -ct was to secure prosperity. He merely mentioned the matter lost, as an election cry, 1m mi fot be charged M-ith being a squatter. He had been iu Otago nearly eight years, and it had been gradually going back. After seven years of depression, however, there M-ere signs of a change—there mms daylight in the distance. For the first time in four years the yield of gold had increased. Flax also M-as looking better. He that day saw a heavy load coming into the city, and he never saw a finer spectacle. It M-as remarkable for the tidy way in which it was got up. It would bring L3O or L4O a ton. He had clearly stated his views, and claimed to be returned their representative, as they coincided with M’hat he believed to be theirs. He never thought it right in a contest to blackguard his opouents, and therefore avoided allusion to them. There were three of them in the field, ausM-ering to the three degrees of comparison—good, better, and best; aud he hoped they M-ould m ike him, by their votes, either better or best.

In rep'y to questions, Mr Bithoatb said he mms in favor of a nominative Upper House ; of the ballot pure and simple ; did notionsider it incompatible for a solicitor to be a J.P. ; hut it would ho a grievous piece of corruption if a solicitor were, M-bilst acting as a J. P., to favor a client, and lie should he immediately expunged from the commission ; M-hilst brought up in the pvinc’ples of free trade, he did mt consider free trade applicable to a young Colony. Such industries as M - e could raise should be protected in a slight M-ay ; lie was in favor of compulsory education.

Steamers Sturt and St. Kilda, ISIS 69 6 8 Armed Constibulary, 1868-9... I9,7o.» I 10 Native contingencies, 1868-9... 66i 16’ 10 Defence office — Co itiseated Lands, Armed Constabulary and Contingent Defence, 1860-70 4.53o 4 8 New Zealand Settlements Acts Confiscated Lands ... 4.000 0 0 Armed Constabulary, Defence, &c. ... ...170,000 0 0 £333,361 13 9 Welli gton Botanical Gardens £300 0 0 Defence an I Other Purposes Loan Act 73.000 0 0 Roads ... ... — ...400,000 0 0 Purchase of Land ... ...200,000 0 0 Capitation Allowance ... ...195,600 0 0 Account of Maori Population 8,000 0 0 Propo tion of L50,000 for Road Districts ... ••• 19,660 0 0 Under Native Schools Act ... 4,000 0 0 £900,460 0 9 Defence, Natives, &e. ...333,361 13 9 Total £1,233,821 13 9 SOUTH ISLAND. Salaries of European and Native Officers ... •• £840 0 0 Additional Grant to Westland 3,000 0 0 Defence and other purposes Loan Act ... ...100,000 0 0 Railways and Roads ... ...400,000 Capitation Allowance ...304,400 0 0 0 0 Special to Westlaild ... •• 3,375 0 0 Proportion of £50,000 for Road Districts ... ••• ••• 00,440 0 0 £842,055 0 0