The Globe. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1278, 24 April 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

Mr Saunders, one of the candidates for ;he vacant seat of the district of Chet lot. tddressed the electors at Kaikora on Saturday evening last. From the report if his speech which appears in the lolumns of one of our morning contemporaries, we learn that Mr Saunders has oeen induced to come forward because he Fought the present time and the next session of the New Zealand parliament a most important turning point in the history of the colony. He thinks that his past career justifies him in coming forward in the present juncture, as ho “ might be needed to stand in the breach and prevent too violent reaction in the opposite direction to recent legislation.” This self-sacrificing devotion to his country’s good is worthy of all praise, more especially as Mr Saunders is likely to share the fate ot moderate met who affect a monopoly of wisdom and aro going to do such greai things when the proper times comes We are promised a revolution, in the midst of which the old-established jrder of things is to be upset, and class legislation put an end to for ever. Mr Saunders thinks there is danger in tin present crisis, and that there is a chance at the destroyers going too far, and hemming violent aud vengeful. Ho therefore thinks that he is peculiarly qualified to act as an advocate of moderation aud strict justice, and ho was therefore tempted “ to offer to go and spend six months in a wretched place like Wellington.” Mr, Saunders evidently has uc small opinion of his own merits aud qualifications as a representative, and sets no -lid-fit value upon what ho is likely to effect should he take his scat in the House. Upon two points, he says, he j ( ,rees entirely with the present head of Fe Government- He is in favour of a listributiou of seats and triennial Parlaments. But so, no doubt, do a huge lumber of the electors of the colony, who would certainly repudiate the leadership ot -fie present Government. All agree that Parliament should he thoroughly repieseutative, and that, if it is not so now, a redistribution of seats is necessary. But ju what basis is the change to bo effected ? Is it to bo on that of population or upon the number of electors? Will Mr Saunders be prepared to par.{ally disfranchise Cheviot, in order that ■fie centres of population may have more representatives? On these points ho nay of coure have spoken, although in the summary of the speech before us no mention is made of this question. But it s well that the electors of the district should be acquainted with his views or. hose points. It may make all the difference to them were they aware of his opinion regarding the propriety of taking ; fie powrer almost entirely out of the lands of such districts as Cheviot—districts whose members are looked upon as the exponents of the views of the squatters. As regards tl e qualification of olecto g lie expressed himself in favor of the substitution of a residential for a property qualification, because, be said, it treated all Hasses Mike, How he arrived at this tone! usiou we are aot informed. Of course, if due precautions as to registration were taken, by which it became impossible to place fictitious names aud false qualifications ou the voting rolls, the change need not bo greatly feared. It must not be forgotten, however, that the present qualification approaches very near to universal suffrage, Were the registration laws {simpler, no one of the proper ago neorl fee without 6 v«te who mat to ft

But it (lnn« -if f rdopp f ])q -power of voting in tiio li.-jmis of Iho roughs. Universal suffrage, as originally proposed by the Premier, would have had that effect. The working mon of the colony, as distinguished from the above class, do already possess the franchise, and as a matter of fact exercise it to the full at the present time; and they are moderate in their views, and conservative in their aims. But because they are so, certain men aro anxious to add the rowdy element to their numbers, and so to swamp their influence. Mr. Saunders, though he talks the language of the popular agitator, does not go the leugth of advocating universal suffrage. He belongs to the Montgomery school of politicians, the “ middlemen” as they are called. His view regarding a change in the incidence of taxation is another evidence of his trimming instincts. Ho would not, ho said, go all the way with Sir G. Grey about the abolition of the Customs duties. In the present state of the colonial liabilities they must be touched with groat caution; and the Customs revenue must be applied only to purposes in which rich and poor were equally interested, such as education hospitals, &e., leaving the land to bear the cost of railways and other public works. Such is a brief outline of the views of Mr. Saunders. With some of his opinions most of our readers will no doubt agree. But the impression left on the mind, after reading his speech, is that he is profoundly impressed with a sense of his own condescension in offering his services to the electors. Ho has come out of his retirement at a critical period in the history of the colony, and ho evidently wishes his self-sacrificing conduct to bo appreciated. Moreover, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that ho is haultiug between two opinions, and is more anxious to appear than be impartial. Although he appears in the garb of a conservative, his language every now aud again betrays the instincts of the demagogue.

In an account of the visit of the Premier to Nelson the other day, the Mail says:— As it was evident from the fact that Sir George Grey left Auckland for Nelson direct, without telegraphing his intention of coming here that he was desirous that his visit should be of as private a nature as possible, there was no public demonstration of any kind, although he was met at the wharf by some of the Nelson members and a few gentlemen. This attention to what was so clearly his wish, must have been peculiarly (/ratifying to Sir George, who, in his recent tour through the colony, has been bored to death by deputations, wearisome banquets, after-dinner speeches, and irritating attentions of obsequious crowds. Sir George, accompanied by a few gentleman from town, took a run up to Foxhill by special train this afternoon. And yet lie did not seem much gratified on a recent occasion, when ou arriving at the Christchurch railway station, he. after looking anxiously round, inquired “ where are the Mayor and Corporation ?” and when the “ obsequious crowds” were conspicuous by their absence.