THE PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2513, 7 March 1871, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

THE NOMINATION, At noon, Mr Burnside, the Returning Officer appeared on the hustings. IHe read the writ appointing the election, and the advertisements appointing the nomination and the polling places. Tho number of persons pr sent was not large. The following were the candidates proposed : Mr Mackerras proposed Mr W. H. Reynolds ; Mr John Edmond seconded the nominal.on, .and was supported by Mr Sibbald.

Mr Sibbald proposed Mr T. Bikcu ; Mr Robert K Murray seconded the nomination

Mr Mercer, amid much disapprobation, proposed Mr George Duncan; Mr Jacob Fog el seconded.

Mr De Carle proposed, and Mr W. Hawkins seconded —(hooting, and cries of hear, hear) —Mr H. S. Fish. Mr James Uobin proposed Mr John Bathgate ; Mr Peyman seconded. Mr Mercer proposed Mr E. B. Cargill—(cheers); Me Hawkins seconded. Mr Jacob Fog el proposed Mr George Turnbull—(cheers) ; Mr J. Wain, junr., seconded.

Mr Siierwin proposed Mr George E.' Barton ; Mr Hannioa . seconded.

Mr Robert Murray proposed J. W. Jngo (oh, oh, and hisses) ; Mr John Bryce' Thomson seconded.

Mr Reid proposed Mr G. K. Turcon, and Mr Gilchrist seconded.

Mr W. Barron proposed Mr W. H. Cult u, and Mr Thomas Moodie seconded. Mr John Grifken proposed Mr W. Mason, and Mr George Monro seconded the nomination.

Mr Alexander Wallis proposed Mr Barnard Isaacs, who was seconded by Mr Peyman,

Mr John Matthews proposed Mr John Barnes, and Mr Robert M ‘Skimming seconded.

Mr Samuel Schlksinger proposed Mill. J. Walter, and Mr W. Macdonald seconded.

Mr William Grey proposed Mr Ch-.rles S. Reeves ; Mr Griffen seconded. Mr Joseph F. Watson proposed Mr H. Howorth ; Mr John Griffen seconded Mr Howorth.

Mr G. E. Dekmer proposed Mr James M'Tndoe. He was seconded by Mr Robert K. Murray.

Mr W. Lloyd proposed Mr John Graham; Mr Thomas Blandthorne seconded.

Mr EXiiY Sfears proposed Mr Henry Smy tines; Mr Thomas ’ Blaxdthokne sescconded.

All the candidates addressed the meeting, some of them at length ; bat the early hoar at which we go to press prevents our giving their speeches in this evening’s The following represents the show of hands*as delated by the Returning Officer

The Returning Officer declared Messrs Graham, Barton, Smythies, Barnes, Bathgate, E. B. Cargill, and Reynolds duly elected, unless a poll was demanded. Mr Jago demanded a poll, which was appointed to take place on the 13th March between the usual hours.

On the motion of Mr Howorth, a vote of thanks was given to the Returning Officer.

MEETINGS AT THE MASONIC HALL. Mr FT. Howorth addressed a large meeting of the electors at the Masonic Hall last evening. He said he had been told that he labored under a disadvantage in appearing <o early in the field ; but it was his intention to be candid and outspoken throughout the contest Some of their present members might fairly claim a renewal of their confidence on the sc >re of past services, which he admitted should not be lightly rejected; but at the same time the interests of the Province were so important that the electors must sent'inise their past actions. He had some claim upon the electors on the sc re of old acquaintance ; he had resided here for fourteen years, had always endeavored to hold a respectable position, and had ever taken a lively interest in the politics of the Province and its public institutions. He possessed an advantage over some of the candidates, that he had had two years’ parliamentary experience as the representative of an important Otago constituency in the Assembly; and ho was cor tent that he should bo judged by his actions in. ' that place. He gave that intimation in order that there might be no doubt as to the course he intended to adopt, if elected. As they were aware, the immediate dissolution of the Provincial Council was the rejection by it of the financial policy of the General Government. The new Council would have to take up the subject where it had been left off, or rather review it altogether. Now it was several months since those measures had become law; he had read and heard a great deal about them, and in his opinion they had been misrepresented. Had they been as fairly represented as they had been misrepresented, public opinion in Otago at the present time would be very different to what it was.—(Hear.) He would like to know was there any necessity for those measures? —if there was none, the Assembly was wr<mg in passing them, and he, as a member of that body, had boon guilty of acting in opposition to their interests. But there was an absolute necessity for passing them. The Provincial Council agreed that certain public works were necessary, and sauct.oned the application to the Assembly of a loan which bad been refused. The Province, although possessing a valuable landed estat*, was without the means of developing its resources; . it was therefore necessary for its welfare that public works should be gone on with. | Judge of his surprise then when he found i that a majority of the Council had rejected ! those measures, wh.ch, in his opinion con- ! tained numerous advantages to the Province in particular, and the Colony in general. It , was because he sc strongly felt that those

measures were for tbe advantage of the Province that h'e had the assurance to come forward and ask their suffrages, in order that he might take action in the Council, similar to that which he took in the Assembly. In his opinion, the opposition to these measures had been got up for political purposes; in all probability for the purpose of returning to the Assembly men opposed to the present Government. But both sides had combined to make them as effective as possible, and whether they were administered by Mr Fox or Mr Stafford, they were now law, and it was absurd for the Council to set up their backs in opposition to the measures ; and in conclusion stated he was in favor of the Hundreds system, but was prepared to try the various systems in different parts of the Province ; was in favor of selection before survey ; aud iu favor of the encouragement of native industries.

[Acorrespoudent calling our attention to the Daily Timei report, says tbe reporter has tilled iu” ago >d deal. We confess the “ironical cheers and indescribable noises,” and which are said to have accompanied Mr Ho worth’s illusions to the Clutha .Railway, only exist in the reporter’s imagination. There was some slight applause, and a little interruption, which latter incr ased during the speech, because the speaker dwelt unriecessarilylong on the Government measures. —Ed. E. .S’.]

Mr Mason afterwards addressed the meeting. He expressed theopinion that the General Government could borrow on better terms than the Provinci 1 Government; declared himself in favor of railways ; of a sat sfactory scheme of immigra’.iou, which however he had not yet seen propounded ; the expenditure of a large sum of money on goldlields, as being likely to advance the prosperity of goldfields. He had never looked upon the existing land laws in a favorable light. As in order to carry out the General Government policy, a large proportion of land in the hands of squatters would have to be given up for settlem nt, it would probably not be necessary in all instances to give a monetary compensation. He was in favor of free selection aud deferred payments; would g ve every adult 40 acres, and make a stipulation in regard to children, to every immigrant who could show he intended to remain in the Colony. He was prepared to advocate protectionist principles. The subject of the employment of prison labor was a difficult one. The use of prisoners iu gangs, while it did good, was neither beneficial to the inhabitants nor themselves, and their appearance in the streets was prejudicial to the morals of the place. He thought they should be employed within the prison walls iu learning a trade.

Key nolds 60 Smvthies 83 Birch - 12 Duncan11 H. S. Fish - 20 Bathgate 52 E. B, Cargill 40 G. Turnbull • 9 G. E. Barton 94 Jago Tut ton8 10 Cutten - 5 Mason - 11 Isaacs - 1 Bai nes • 71 Walter - 18 Reeves - 18 Howorth 29 M‘In loe 10 Graliam 150