THE ELECTIONS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 466, 11 December 1875, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

MR MURRAY-AYNSLEY AT LYTTELTON. Mr H. P. Murray-Aynsley, one of the candidates for the representatio i of Lyttelton in the General Assembly, met the electors of the borough of Lyttelton last evening at the Colonists’ Hall. There was a good attendance. His Worship the Mayor (Dr Bouse) occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the candidate. Mr Aynsley said he had asked them to meet him there that evening to hear his views as a candidate to represent them in the General Assembly. Before he concluded he would speak of something which had occurred at the meeting on the previous week. As regarded the abolition of the provinces, which was the great question, he said it was absolutely necessary to do away with the provinces for the benefit of the colony. It had been coming for some time, mainly on account of their spendthrift habits. The Provincial Government of Canterbury had got rid of large sums of money before the General Government got hold of it. They certainly had got good roads and good schools, but he thought they would agree with him that money had been spent very extravagantly. He alluded to the fact that contracts had been taken and sub-1 t a few days afterwards for three quarters of the amount. When he resigred his seat the land revenue was about £BO,OOO per year, and afterwards rose up to a quarter of a million, but this year there was a small falling off. By getting rid of the provinces they would get rid of the provincial jealousies, because when a vote came on in the Assembly th< re had always been a scramble to get money for other provinces, according to the respective ability of the members. It had been proposed to divide the colony, having legislatures in each island. In 1862headvocated this, with a Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, the Governor to be t he means of outward communication. But now there was a change. They had large foreign creditors, and it would not be possible to do it. His idea was to have a central Government in Wellington, the provincial districts carrying on the local matters, the Road Boards carrying on the outside works, and a large Central Board, the memoers of which should be appointed by the Road Boards, and having something like the powers conferred on municipalities. The District Boards to have a salaried chairman appointed by the General Government, who would give the whole of his time to the work, and be the means of communication between the people and the Government. From the Minister of Public Works’ speech, he gathered that something like this was intended by the Government, though he did not understand whether it was intended to give these District Boards superior power to the Road Boards attached fo them. He thought that the province should be divided for this purpose, leaving out the municipalities, and the Titnaru and Gladstone Board being one. The Provincial Councils had been losing their usefulness every year by the necessity of obtaining validation Acts each session of the Assembly. The whole of the land fund, after paying the necessary expenses, should be divided between the different Boards and the municipalities, the District Boards getting the balance. The cost of the institutions, such as hospitals. &c, should be charged upon districts making use of them. In years past the elector-i nt Lyttelton did not take much interest in electing a member for the House of Representatives, but looked after the members of the Provincial Council very sharply, and this because the doings of the Assembly had not much to do with them locally. He hoped, however, that when the Abolition Bill came into force they would see that their member would look after the finances of the colony, and see that the present extravagance was done away with. It had been stated by a member in Otago that the cost of the session of Assemb'y was £31,000, while all the Pro vincia! C lUncils cost was £32,000, and that therefore the provincial system should be retained ; but he forgot to state that if the provinc s were abolished the cost of the Assembly would not be increased, and the Provincial Council cost reduced by about 1 £25,000 by being swept away. They

had communicated direct with Wellington for some years in respect to the Customs, hence he could not see why they could not do the same as regarded their local officers. The double system of Government created great confusion, and he thought it would be much better to have one central government. He had been in favour of pushing forward the railways, but only in cases where it was fully ascertained they would pay fair charge on the cost and working expenses. He was decidedly opposed to railways being made for the benefit of private individuals, and not with a fair prospect of a return. As regarded the question of the squatters, he saw that he had been called a large squatter, but he was personally interested onlyiu about 9000 acres, not sufficient he would point out to them to make them think at all that he was likely to give a vote interestedly. His firm was, as they knew, interested so far as acting as agents for a number of squatters, and a large amount of wool passed through that town, but mainly from freeholds. His opinion was that they should do no injustice to one class as all would suffer. They should have the lands valued by independent per* sons sent down by the General Government —not neighbours called in to value adjoining land, and persons capable of estimating what the country would carry. If they cut up the country into small blocks they would have only a few sections in the front worth anything, and the back sections almost usele; B unless to those holding the front sections. The rate for the runs till 1880 was £1 per 1000 acres, and many had dropped them leaving it open to any one to take them up under the old progressive rates, as it was found that a large number were not worth the amount. Do not let them run away with the idea that all the land was worth Is <>d per acre, because it was a mistake. There was no fixity of tenure, the present holders only having the right to hold unless they were sold or reserved. What he said was that they should offer the present holders these runs at the assessment made, and if they did not take them up then let them be open. They must also recollect that the holders had to pay on the Ist May rent for the ensuing year in advance, and yet itmight be taken up the next day by anyone paying £2 per acre for it. If they increased the rental, he thought it was only fair that a clause should bo inserted giving back the proportion of rent remaining not yet due if the Government sold the land. If they could give a longer or more fixed tenure of course they would get more for it, Under the present system they had prevented the speculator from coming in and buying large blocks of land placing it within the power of the agricul* turist to come to the Waste Lands Board and get possession of the land during any week. It was also fair to the runholder, as it prevented him from being jumped upon by large speculators, who desired the land only for sheep walks. He was, therefore, in favor of free selection as at present, because it would settle the country. Another question, which would be taken up by the Assembly during the first session, would be the education of the whole colony, and he said that he was of opinion that the Government should take up the whole of education, with a Minister at Wellington, and School Boards locally as they had now in Canterbury. The Government taking it up, it should be a charge on the consolidated revenue, after the educational reserves proceeds had been brought to account. By this means they would simplify and consolidate the system, and have the General Government responsible for the education of the rolory, instead of as at present having half a dozen. A fee of 2s 6d per child per year, up to four, should be made, as a sort of registration fee, and those children not sent to school should be charged 10s each, to see if they could thus be compelled to come. He was opposed to the system of compulsory education, if it could be avoided, hut he thought some pressure like this was necessary Wherever the e were twenty five children, the residents should have, the power to request a schoolhouso to be built on payment of one-sixth of the cost ; one-half, as now proposed, was, he thought, too much. He could not agiee with these buildings being put up free ; if the amount of one-sixth was imposed they would be sure that the residents would not ask for it unless it was necessary. He was in favor of a number of low scholarships being established, tenable for three or four years, and then to go on to higherscholarshipsleadingtothecollegeor the Universities, thus helping on those who had ability or wish to work, without having reference to the means of their parents. So soon as the harbor was taken over by the General Government they would require a Board to manage it ; this Board to have power to make pilot regulations, and do all works in the harbor to improve it. A great deal bad been said as to elective Boards, but be did not go all the way with it. Of this Board, at first the Harbor Master should ex officio be a member, two appointed by the Government, and two elected by the town. <Vhea they got to have a number of licensed pilots of course they would require to be represented, but at first, the Board constituted as he had sketched would, he thought, be found to work well. He thought if they began to elect paid officers, nothing would result but confusion ; it was far better to allow the matter to bo in the hands of the Central Government, who would then be responsible. He might say he was not in favor of paying the members of elective Boards, as he thought that the honor of having the confidence of their townsmen or neighbours should be sufficient. Another thing which the Government should look after was the ballot; they had got it, and they should not endeavour to alter it. But he desired, to point out that, while they had iheir ballot papers sent in secretly, they yet had shows of hands for members at nominations and also at public meetings, so that all could see which side they were voting on. He desired 1 3 see nominations made privately by means of papers sent in by the principal supporters of the candidate—[Cheers]—which would enable them to go to the ballot and vote perfectly free, and unfettered by anyone knowing how they were going to vote. [Loud cheers.] If they returned him, he would make a move in this direction. 1 Cheers.] He should be glad to answer any questions, and he only hoped that he should secure their confidence. He should now refer to a subject to which he had alluded before at the beginning of the meeting, and he was glad to see Mr Webb present that evening. Mr Webb was reported in the Press of December 6th, to have said “ He saw that he was to be opposed ; he did not object to this, but he did object to the way in which the emissaries of his opponents were hunting up for votes. Pressure had been brought to bear upon voters to a great extent, even so far as to tell tradesmen that dealings woujej

fee taken from them if they voted for him (Mr Webb.) [A Voice— Name. : ] He would not say who it was, [Mr P, Cunningham— ‘ Then I think, Mr Webb, you had better not say anything about it.’J He was only wishful to fight fairly, and he said this, that if he could he would only be too happy to do away with the touting for votes, which he said, was a mistaken system. [Cheers.J” Now he (Mr Aynsley) had inquired of some twenty gentlemen who were supporting him, and asked them whether they had done anything of the kind. They denied having done such a thing, and he looked upon it as a trial to undermine him. He had also spoken to Mr Reston, the gentleman whose name had been given by Mr Webb, after the meeting, and that gentleman had, as he expected, flatly denied doing anything of the kind. Mr Reston had left his (Mr Aynsley’s) employ on the 24th of last month, and had seut xu his resignation a month before he (Mr Aynsley) became a candidate, and would therefore have no power if he had made any such statement, to carry it out. So far as he (Mr Aynsley) was personally concerned, he had never made any promise or threat of any nature. [Loud cheers.] He asked those in Lyttelton whom knew him at former elections whether they thought he should be likely to do such a thing. [Cheers.] He fully and completely denied it—[cheers] —and he called upon Mr Webbto substantiate publicly what he had stated. [Cheers.] Mr Webb, who was greeted with mingled cheers and uproar, said that be did not accuse Mr Aynsley, but his emissaries, of doing what he said. Mr Cunningham had asked the gentleman who had told him (Mr Webb) whether it was true that he had told Mr Webb what he stated on Friday night last. Mr Cunningham had satisfied himself that this was the fact. He (Mr Webb) could not give the name of the first gentleman. (Mr T. McClatchie—“ I can tell you the name.”) [Cheers.] Mr T. McClatchie said that Mr Mackay had told him that he had told Mr Webb that Mr Reston had put pressure on him, This was told him by Mr Mackay going to the gasworks, and he would now leave Mr Reston to state what he knew of the matter. [Cheers] Mr Reston said ho had seen Mr Mackay that day, and that gentleman now admitted that he might have misapprehended what he (Mr Reston) had said, and that he was sati-fied that no pressure had been used. He (Mr Reston) was not an elector, and was not on Mr Aynsley’s committee, and though there might, as was the case in election times, be some chaff, he stated most distinctly that there was no intention on his (Mr Reston’s) part to, in the slightest way, put pressure on Mr Mackay. [Cheers.] Mr Webb said he hoped now the electors were satisfied that he bad told the truth. [Cheers ] Of course, if Mr Reston had been misapprehended that was not his (Mr Webb’s) fault. [Cheers.] In answer to questions, Mr Aynsley said he was opposed to putting the runs up to auction most decidedly, as they would not get such an amount as they would if the runs were fairly assessed. Of course, if the holders, who should have first chance of taking them, did not do so, they would, if more than one applicant applied for a run, be put up by auction under the Waste Lands Regulation. Mr Chalmers moved—" That this meeting thanks Mr Aynsley for his address this evening.” [Cheers.] Mr E. A Hargreaves seconded the resolution. The motion was put and carried unanimously. A vote cf thanks to the Mayor closed the proceedings. THE HON E, RICHARDSON AT KNIGHTSTOWN. The Hon E. Richardson mot the electors at the Kuightstown reading-room, last evening The 'hair was taken by Mr J. L. Wilson, who briefly introduced Mr Richardson to the electors. The Hon E. Richardson then addressed those present, repeating the statements and arguments he advanced in nis speech at the Oddfellows’ Hall. In reply to questions, Mr Richardson said that he was of opinion that the pro - emp'ive rights would expire in the year 1880. He thought that the action of the Government with regard to the Piako swamp sale, though technically illegal, was justified by the circumstances of the case. The Government had carefully gone into the matter of educational grants, and estimated that a grant of £40,000 or £50,000 for the erection of new school buildings was all that was required at present. He was decidedly in favor of Boards of Education, He was not in favor of compelling every child to attend the Government schools, but thought that those who did not do so should produce a certificate that they were receiving instruction elsewhere. He was of opinion that fourteen years should be the maximum age at which children should receive instruction in the Government schools. Provision had been made, in the Protection of Females’ Act, that females employed in factories should not work above eight hours per day, but in certain cases the Act had been found to be partially inoperative. He was in favor of plurality of voting in the election of Road Boards, &c. He said that the negociation of the last loan bad been most advantageously concluded by Sir J. Vogel. He explained that the difference between the Shire Councils proposed by the Government and the present Provincial Councils was, that the latter exercised certain legislative functions, which, after the abolition of the provinces, would be exercised by the General Government, while the Shire Councils would only have the control of the various public works. The Shire Councils would be elective bodies. The Timaru aod Gladstone district, where at present there was a Board of Works, would very probably be one of the shires. The Government did not think it advisable to reduce the customs duties. In the event of further taxation being necessary, he would be in favor of a general property tax. With regard to the question of charitable aid, the Government would have to make some provision, but he was not prepared to say of what nature. Mr Price moved, and Mr Ashbolt seconded, the following motion “ That this meeting thanks the Hon E. Richardson for his address, and having considered his conduct as their representative in the General Assembly begs to express its entire confidence in him.” . The motion, on being put, was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairman was then passed, and the piocecdings terminated,