Page 5 Advertisements Column 1

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 472, 20 December 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE NOMINATION SPEECH OF j. w. teea: CANDIDATE FOR CHRISTCHURCH

Bkother Electors — I feel much obliged to those Electors who gave me a fair hearing on Wednesday, but as the contest is confined to so short a period, 1 shall be glad if you will allow me to just touch very shortly upon the platform appearing in the papers this morning, as an explanation to the general body of electors. . And first, as to my candidature.-Lest it should be thought impertinent on my part to contest so influential and commercial a constituency Imust explain that I was forced into this position by my conscience. Indeed I could not clear my conscience in any other way. (un .w----and persons leaving for their dinner hour). Suppose scieutiously vote f o°r any of the six candidates faefiare you then J**™ be forced by your consciences to come forward yourselves. j services on that basis. , . The ballot-Freedom of Conscience, that I.have thebme should be abolisUecl, ana » p*«^"J """ ". . nnmnagxa heowu* there be thrown into a common fund for educational purposes, because tnere arehunX«Eof fine freehold estates in the country, and many unoccupied contribute nothing towards education, whUe, Ifepoor hard-working man has to pay his £1 even for a mud hut. It is not fair play. (Loud cheers). A city divided against itself must fall. That is the Word of God. And if New Zealand and her provinces quarrel and spoil each other, New Zealand will fall. (Loud'cheers). If Christchnrch sends two men on totally opposite platforms to the House, she will have only one vote, instead of three, and you will be disfranchised. (Cheers). The proposal of Messrs. Montgomery, Reeves, and Richardson is simply an attempt to plaster orer the constitution, by smoothing a sheet of plaster over the word " Provinces," and then putting in its place the words " Boards of Works," Shire Council." (Applause). This retains all the vice and expense of Provincialism, without the safeguard of the outspoken »ower of the people. (Loud applause). Some might say "Ihave no political experience," but I would rather not have the political experience of Mr. Richardson, for instance, because you know that ft was through the political cowardice of that very ministry which Mr. Richardson represents (pointing to the Hon. E R.), a cowardice alluded to by Mr. Stevens in the celebrated words " Your money or your life." It was through the political cowardice of the ministry that the Pubic Works scheme was abandoned.—A scheme that was to spread the expenditure over ten years, at £850,000 a year, and now the whole loan was exhausted in five years. Well, what is the result ? Why a stilted condition of finance. Financially you are walking on stilts. That is already shown by the words of Sir Julius:— ''The colony is in a mess, and must have money." (Cheers). Look at the Bank of New Zealand last balance-sheet. With 600,000 of capital, they have liabilities eight millions ! That is they owe eight millions of money to the Government and to private persons. What have they done with it. Look at their sheet, and you will see the Bank of New Zealand have lent out that eight millions to trade on bills and discounts. Now, gentlemen, when the Government wants the money, the Bank will have to get iffrom you, the traders and commerce of New Zealand —and that may produce a universal crisis. Mr. Stevens tells you the same, only he says " You will have to be content with the husks." I defy you to disprove what I say, because it is the truth ; and I am competent to know, because I have spent twenty-five years out of a life of forty years in studying these subjects, and I canhandle them as well as any plasterer can his trowel. Mr. Stevens proposes no remedy ; but I do. I think that the evil day will come when the Government call in the money, and there will be a crisis. It is in view of this tiiat I propose-to place all your commercial affairs upon a sound basis. (Applause) You will shortly be connected with the Bank oj England, and with the London Stock Exchange by telegraph. Give a charter to one of your Banks on a similar principle to the Bank of England, and affiliate the Bank so chartered to the Bank of England. In times of difficulty you can issue against your land and stock legal tender, convertible thro' the Land Fund, and Stock and London nffiliatioii. This would give you a really safe basis of commerce. (Loud applause) Gentlemen !—Don't put of the evil day ! Forecast it! Take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them ! (Cheers). G. Tombs & Co., Printers