FIJIAN ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2364, 31 October 1881, Page 3

FIJIAN ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

As a general election is now taking place in the Samoan group of islands, wo have despatched a special reporter to watch the course of events, and we purpose, from time to time, placing before our readers the addresses of some of the candidates for election honors, commencing with Mr John Wild (Irishman), at the Academy of Music and in the midst of Oddfellows.

Mr Wild, who on coming forward was greeted with applause, addressed the meeting to the following effect: —He regretted from the bottom of his heart that his duty to his adopted country demanded such a sacrifice at his bands as to oppose so estimable, so worthy, so right-minded, so solvent a citizen as Mr John Ander’s Son, but the Fi. Fa. was issued, and ho appeared before them that night as a true, sincere, and thorough well-wisher of the people—as a thorough democrat, [Applause, and during an interval an individual in the body of the hall sang, in pathetic tones, the beautiful ballad “John Anderson my Joe,” which brought tears into the eyes of many of the unwashed, including the chief speaker.} In the neighbouring borough of Stan Moor Mr Boomerang had elated his policy to be “ Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” but ho (the speaker)* would go still further if necessary, and add the red cap of Liberty to his escutcheon, for he was determined to throw open the broad acres of this fertile, this magnificent, this glorious country to every larrikin, who, putting aside his tin-kettling, and his gate-lifting, and other jocose performances, came boldly forward to the portals of the State, and said, “Ob, Governor, give us some land.” [Lond cheers.] What grander picture couli they present to posterity than one in wherein the juvenile wrong-door of former times was pourtrayed driving off the jam-bucks of the proud and bloated squatter and settling themselves on land which had been sold to others and paid for in mistake ?—for lands of all countries from the north to the south pole were the unalienable possession of the people of the country and the proprietary right oould not bo parted with. [Whirlwind of applause.] This might appear to be a strange doctrine from a man who himself held land, but his land was in a far off though beautiful country, and ho had never yet been able to get it pegged out; for, tnrth to tell, the surveyors, who essayed to define the boundaries of his quarter-acre section, had to quit suddenly, leaving their scalps as heirlooms to the North American Indians. [This jocular anecdote was highly relished by a barber sitting on the platform.] He would ask the free, the intelligent, the public-spirited, the Righ-souled electors be saw before him to-night this one question— “Do you want land given to yon ?” [Loud shrieks of—“ We do, we do.” Then I say most emphatically—“ I wish yon may get it.” [Loud cheers, and three times three.] He would now speak on education. Everyone, commencing at the age of from six to nine months, should be able to read and write —to read all the papers and speeches on the globe, and thereby be able to taka a healthy and proper interest in politics. [Chorus of children in arms.] As regards voting, for years past he had held the opinion that no man, in any community, should have more than one vote, and every one should record his vote or be fined, or imprisoned, nnless he could prove from a medical certificate that he was too drunk to go to the poll. [ A voice—- “ Did you record your Indian vote ? ” “In response to that enquiry—though he considered it somewhat personal—he begged to say that he did not register his vote, as he was warned that there would be too great a rush to his poll,land he immediatelyietaailfor Fiji.” [Laughter.] The speaker then said “ he wished to dilate on the incidence of taxation,” whereupon John Lee, E«q., who mistook the sentence for “ impudence of taxation,” cheered vociferously. Among other scientific propositions, the speaker suggested that it would le the height of wisdom and (airplay quietly to get as much absentee money as possible with which to improve and cultivate the lands in Fiji, and then say—“Mr Absentee, we charge onr residents 10 per cent., but we shall now tax you double what the man who live hare pays, so make a note of this incident of taxation. [Load laughters and cheers.] He now came to law reform, which it had just occurred to him for the first time in his life was needed. He knew so many parties to law suits who had been utterly ruined that he would echo the sentence—- “ Hang all the law and the prophets, including Te Whiti, but you must not include the lawyers also.” [Sensation.] Touching on the Maori difficulty he said—“ No man in the South Island oould understand it, and in order to do so ho must go and live among the Maoris, and though rather a high-born race to live among, such a trip would be beneficial in many ways, as Te Whiti was glad to entertain any volunteers who might go and generally to teaob the art of fencing to the pakeba. In such cases you must make up your balance-sheet, showing orophet and loss, and strike the mean [Several idiots in the body of the hall seemed unconvinced with this argument.] For the Maori sinners to entertain the idea that their land was inalienable was simply ridiculous! The Europeans of course wanted to collar the best soil, and the Maoris should be satisfied to live on the hillsides, with blankets, and rum and aromatic schnapps, especially the latter liquor, which improve their odour when in prison. The Maoris should be shown the rod, and you should say to them, “ My friends, at present you are only black, but unless you move off and cook your eels and potatoes by the fire at the top of Mount Egmont, a bluish tint must be introduced in your future portraits, as your colors will henceforth be jlaok and blue.”

With this amusing and beautiful peroration Mr Wild resumed hie seat amidst loud applause. A vote of thanks was moved to the chairman, who had been gaping for upwards of two hours, and the meeting, after singing “ For he’s a jolly good fellow,” went homo to their cotton plantations.