THE PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2515, 9 March 1871, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS.

THE NOMINATION.

We resume and conclude our report of the speeches at the nomination on Tuesday

Mr Walter wished the electors to use their own independent judgment. He apologised to the electors who asked him to come "forward within the last fortnight, and whose requisition he had declined, lie had no intention to do so had he not been again requested. He considered that the main industry of the country had been lost sight of -.-the goldfields. He considered it would be wise to vote large sums of money to reward discoverers of new goldlields. He would advocate that course if elected. He was not one to advocate the annihilation of the agriculturists or driv ng the squatters into the Pacific Ocean, b it to advocate such measures as would induce capitaliits to come to the country as well as working-men. As to the übse vation made by one of the candidates that the Provincial Treasurer should only have 1.150 a year, he considered a person holding that office should bo a man of education, and should be able to devote Ins time to its duties ; large sums of money passed through his hands for which he was responsible, and LISO a year was not sufficient to secure efficient services. He saw no difference betwein the reduction of wages of the Provincial Treasurer and that of the working-man. He believed i i payi- g liberally for efficient works. He consi lered paying for a number of cabs for taking voters to the poll contrary to the principles of the ballot, and, instead of that, intended to present the amount lie woul I have expended to the Benevolent Institution. In reply to ques'jms; he w,ent into the Council thoroughly independent, and would not plujge'himself to the Reid, Duncan, or any other ministry. Mr Reeves : Although it had been said by most, qf the candidates they would support »o party, if he were elected he should g0 in for p pty, and that would be “the pnvty of progress.'’ It was necessary to go in fop public wqrks, and they would not be cafrigd out by such plans as those of the present Executive. He §hpuld go in for the policy of having railways constructed qiider the General Government ‘chome. The Province had members returned to the General Assembly, and it would bo gross injustice to them not to give them all the support that could be given to the measures tiny had adopted. If they we e not competent to adopt measures, they were not lit to be elected. He did not believe in a false economy, but would advocate what was nee ssary to secure efficiency. He considered twenty-four or twenty-Hve members sufficient to secure efficiency, and would advocate the red ction of the Council to that ■number. Pie was no squatters’ friend, but ,did not like injustice. Pie was in favor of a liberal land law, and considered the Province would not prosper until it was divided into small farms of 50 or 100 acres.

Mr Howorth intended to support the General Govermeut policy of carrying out the public works, and assist the Superintendent in carrying out the rcsolntiqus he brought down to the Council in every way he possibly could. If he were returned it must be on that understanding. He supported those measures in the Assembly, for lm considered them pecessaiy to the welfare of the Province, They were passed almost unanimously in the Assembly, and whatever Government was in power would have to give effect to them. Opposit on to them had been organised for political or party purposes. He was in favor of a revision of the land laws, as in their present state they were very unsatisfactory. He believed himself quite able to frame good laud laws, and perhaps better than many of the candidates who had come fory/ayd- He was in favor of fostering native industry, and thought Government money could not bo litter spent than in developing the re-

sources of the Colony, He should endeavor to forward every scheme calculated to benefit the population of the Province. In reply to a cpiestion, Mr Howorth said he heartily approved of Torrens’s Act. Mr MTndok thought it unnecessary to allude to the m r a ures he had advocated during the time he had reprcscu‘ed a constituency in the Province. He initiated the e locational scheme that had resulted in an ample endowment for that purpose. He advocated that volunteers should bo placed in a better position than they now were, so that instead of taking land scrip representing 30 acres of land, they should each be entitled to receive L3O in money. He had advo ated the con traction of public works, and was glad that the construction of the Southern Trunk Railway might now be considered an accomplished fact so far as its being decided to go on with it. The attention of the Provincial Council must be directed to other matters. The completion of the line from Winton to Mataura must be taken into consideration during next session, as well as tho bridge over the Waitaki, which had been provided for by the General Assembly. It would depend upon the action of the Council whether th"y would go on or not. The goldfields required water supply, and he was glad to find the miners were disposed to return the right men, and had given up all opposition to the Goveral Government scheme. They had passed resolutions asking that water should be conducted to the gold fields. He was glad to find the opinions he had always held on the land laws were now advocated by most of the candidates. He wished that the whole system should be set aside, an 1 a more liberal one adopted. He should support propositions for free selection and deferred poyments. Mr John Graham entered into a long rambling explanation of facts and deeds during Hie canvass for the SiiperinP ndency, and produced a curious map of his construction to illustrate the boundary question in Southland. He showed how he supported Mr Macandrew and voted for Mr Reid, a man he never bc’ieved in, lie affirmed he had schemes in his mind that far transcended the moat expanded of Mr Vog.d's, and amused the mee mg by comments on every subject that whirled through his brain. Mr Smvthiks was happy to say he .appeared under most auspicious circumstances. He could not point hack to promises he had made and kept, for it was the first time he had come forward to take part in the politics of the Province. But although he had had no part in previous Councils, ho had not been an inattentive observer. It was probably the last Provincial Council that; would sit. Four years ago he attended a meeting at which Mr Macandrew spoke, and heard the policy he was prepared to inaugurate. He approved of that policy, and voted for him. He watched the proceedings of that Provin cial Council, and noticed that the whole course taken by the party in the majority was to thwart him in h's attempts to carry out that policy. He considered they had not acted fairly to him, as they had not given him a chance to fulfil what he had promised. In fact he Hid not consider they had acted consc'entiously. It was c ident their object was to deprive him of his position and to bring forward a man more popular with themselves to carry on the Government of the Province When he saw those proceedings and that Mr Macandrew was again returned, it was proof that the constituency of Dunedin approved of what he had done, and it was for them not to stultify themselves by putting in men who would act as clogs to him. He the efore offered his services, and wished to go into the Council that the Superintendent might have fair play. If elected he would bind himself to no party, but would candidly consider all measures brought forward. It was the more important to he careml to select proper men, as it might be the last time they would be called upon to elect a Council. He believed Provincial Councils were dying out, and therefore the constituency should bo careful not to give <ne reason for their opponents stating the Council was unworthy of trust. At any rate they should die game. There was not much for the Council to do. It was evident that the General Government intended to take the carrying out of large measures into their own hands, and consequently little would remain for the Council to do. One of the most important matters would be t > advise what railways should be made, and the money should be expended on public works. Cheap railways should be made to go to every man’s door to bring their produce to market. The gold fields were the stay of the country, and every necessary thing ought to be done for them. There were reproductive works which would benefit all classes, and bring population to settle on tho la id. He trusted if one of the number rejected it would be in favor of a man able to carry out their wishes better than he. He thou lit he could, however, be of service, and if elected, was prepared to fulfil his duties. He thought the land ought to be divided into smaller sections, so that a man of small capital could support a family on one. He did not believe in largo blocks being locked up by land sharks, ajul kept from settlement. Re wag nob prepqmj tq say this would be avoided by free selection. If it would prunote settlement on the land of these here, and those expected to come, he would support it. If tho General Government borrowed money to spend on reproductive works, and the population could not carry them out, let them bring people to do them. In reply to questions, he was not in favor of immigration such as the late importation into Wellington. If there was work to be done, he would bring as many as were necessary to do it, but he was opposed to bringing out a parcel of beggars and keeping them poor. The proceedings that followed have already been reported.