QUEENSTOWN.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2522, 17 March 1871, Page 2

QUEENSTOWN.

[from our own correspondent.]

March 13.

Election matters must he allowed to have precedence just at present—the whole country having been kept in a ferment thereby for the last three months. Messrs Haughton and Robertson ha e enjoyed a “ walk over ’’ for the Provincial Council, it having been looke I upon as hopeless to attempt to organise anything like su cessful opposition to the return of those gentlemen. Some enterprising publicans tried hard to set up even a dummy candidate, for the sake of the contingent nobbier- 1 , and went even so far as to propose one ; but the good sense of the community was so immediately and strongly expressed, that they were glad to back out of the by no means patriotic position they had assumed—“ Let Home perish so long as I sell drinks ! ” The district may indeed rest very well satislied they have secured the s ',rvices of a tried man of acknowledged ability representing the county and the General Assembly, and of a distinctly local mau, highty respected, and having a very large personal stake in the prosperity of our community. Last, not least, oar two new members strongly supported Mr Macandrew in the late contest, and may be depended upon to assist him in carrying out his policy of d veloping the resources of the Province. By the way it may not be out of place even now to remark that the polling for the Superintcndency in the district was not what we expected, and there is no doubt that many worshippers of what they fondly thought the “rising sun/’ were found. That Rats were plentiful, and that even the constant “ b’owing” of the gentle Shepherd had its effect upon the weak-minded. Success, however, is everything ; and now it appears, from their own statements, that everybody voted for Mr Macaudrew ! What a~horrible collapse by-the-bye for the popular member,” nob only defeated for the Assembly in his own district, but actually not even asked to stand for the Council—driven to seek pastures new. He has had to seek new sheep at the Dunstan, where he will probably, in default of a better mm— Heaven save the mark ! —be elected. How proud the residents of the Dunstan must be of having had to go abroad for a member, and of having secured so great a prize. The people here, however, arc only too glad to have got rid of him, and take little interest in his ultimate fate.

The proposed visit of the Governor excites little or no interest. A public meeting was held to consider the reception, but was a decided failure, and simply terminated in a resolution that all arrangements should be left in the hands of the Municipality. In fact a pretty general opinion is getting abroad that we have had enough of these things, and that the day of kootooing to Imperial dignitaries is gone by, especially considering what little we gain from them, and how perfectly able we shall find ourselves to subsist without their exalted presence in the Colony. It may not be outrageously “loyal,” but the fact is that the country districts as a rule look upon these vice-regal tours as an abominable nuisance, and will be sincerely glad when his serene Highness goes back to Auckland. The district is going ahead in everyway—wining and agricultural. The escorts are

steadily increasing, and the crops, now safely housed, have been something extraordinary ; the farmer we may hope finds himself upon his feet. The weather has been very dry for weeks, and although we had several hours heavy rain upon Saturday, it does not appear to have done more than rinse the surface of the ground. The roads, always neglected, are abominable through dust, and promise to be impracticable in the winter ; but we are a long-suffering race in these parts.