MR. JOHN EWING AT ST. BATHANS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 302, 11 December 1874, Page 1 (Supplement)

MR. JOHN EWING AT ST. BATHANS.

Mr. John Ewing addressed the electors ■'of St. Bathans in the schoolroom on Wednesday evening.- There was a large at-' tendance.- Mr. G. H. Smith occupied the chair; and, in a short speech, introduced Mr. Ewing to the meeting. Mr. Ewing. spoke of the diffidence of which most new aspirants to such, an honorable office feel it necessary to speak. He thought he had more of the feeling ir. addressing those present, his friends and neighbors, than if his audience wore comparative strangers. He and his remarks .would naturally be pulled to pieces ; and whosoable to dothat as a man's friends and neighbors? It was seldom that a man was a prophet in his own country. He said that, though his name had been mentioned for some time back as a probable candidate, it was only thai afternoon he had definitely consented to stand. One of his reasons for not caring to come forward was an extreme reluctance to oppose One of the gentlemen who have already announced themselves candidates. But he had reasons, on the other hand, urging him to come forward—thinking, as he did, that he should be able to command the confidence of the district. When he found that, notwithstanding we had just had in Mr. Oliver (a Dunedin man) such a good member—in the opinion of many, one of the best the district has ever had (a fact that should have gone a long ' way in favor of another Dunedin man) -when he found that, notwithstanding this, the feeling throughout the district was still so strong that none save a local man could represent the district properly, and, when requisitioned by a body of the electors, representing all classes, he was no longer justified in refusing. He now came forward the readier, as be had that afternoon received a telegram from Mr. Armstrong (who was in. possession of all information regarding his motives for standing) that he had his entire approval; and he (the speaker) was led to infer that, had Mr. Armstrong not been pledged, he would have withdrawn from the contest. In making these remarks, he did not for a moment

.wish them to believe otherwise than that Mr. Armstrong would go to the poll, and do his best to win ; but he was quite sure that Mr. Armstrong would acquit him of any want of gratitude. He used the word gratitude, as Mr. Armstrong had at one time, while acting as representative for the district, laid him (and, through him, the mining community) under great obligations.. The candidate went on to state that his claim to be a fit and proper person to represent the district was not arrived at in a round about or equivocal He had that mighty spur toaction —personal interest—-to urge him on, and those safe guides, personal knowledge and experience, to guide him in the right direction. He said it appeared to him the motives which animated the typical clever Dunedin gcntlemen,always ready to honor up-country constituencies, were something like these. They would mix with the gentlemen who rule the commercial, financial, and political world of the Province. They would find it add considerably to their influence could ihey obtain a seat in the Provincial.' It is hopeless of getting in for Dunedin—there are too many like, ourselves, and better known ; and so we turn to some country constituency. When they get into the Council, let them only be clever enough, let them only take a prominent enough place in advocating Dunedin interests; and, next election, Dunedin herBelf may receive them with open arms. But a Dunedin gentleman though he sought to represent an up-country constituency, from ulterior motives, might be am honorable man; and, while our representative, try to discharge his duties to us. But he could only do it in a perfunctory manner. When he was making a speech on Goldfields matters, the Council would know that it was his constituents he was addressing, more thaa it. Ixet our best men think how they could lepresent Dunedin, And yet most of them must know more of Dunedin—whose wants were continually reiterated in its Press—than any Dunedin man eould of this district. He had no doubt there might be exceptions to the rule he lad laid down, but we could hardly hope to get hold of the exception. The candidate proceeded to state that, according to his judgment, the question of questions at the present time was the land question., He said that in the old countries of Europe the land was possessed by an aristocracy, tracing their titles in many cases back to the time when they were won by the sword ; but that, in these new countries, the people to whom the land belonged, by a higher right than, that of ancestry, were being gradually by means of sheep. He said it was perfectly just when this Province was occupied by a few Europeans, that ten square anileF of country should be acquired almost as easily as ten acres are now, but it was very wrong that, after fortunes had been made out of that land, the pastoral tenants, should make use of their influence in the Legislatures as they had done to obtain heavy compensation when the land was acquired for settlement. H e was glad to think this eountiy was \ being put in possession of all the luxuries which modern inventions had given Europe; but he thought it was 'paying too dear for our whistle, if, for grand postal services, railways,- and the telegraph to

every Tillage, we should barter the land at a price vrhich, in a few years, many of the present purchasers will think" bo shame to ask as yearly rental. The pastoral tenants were fast becoming "freeholders ; and looking at the fact that, when the public works expenditure had ceased, fresh taxes would have to be imposed, he would be in favor of a heavy . tax upon unimproved land. If it were possible to manage it, he should be in favor of land being leased, not sold —?o " tha,., as time rolled on, and the labors of' the whole community made the land more valuable, the profits should not dp reaped by individuals. He would not be • in favor of any land being sold likely to prove auriferous. Would be strongly in favor of land being occupied in the neighborhood of goldworkings for agricultural purposes until wanted for mining—care being taken that, when wanted, it should be immediately obtainable. He need not. tell them he was in favor of the abolition of the gold duty. He would support action in. the direction taken by Mr. do Lautour last session—care being taken that the Ordinance this time was so framed that it could be not disallowed.--. He said that what goldmining had done for the Province, and indeed the whole Colony, could hardly be overstated. . It : had given the old identities a civilisation 15q years ahead of their time. The can-didate-then compared what the two great interests of the Province, the, pastoral and goldmining, had done for it. But a small portion of the profits of goldmining ever left the Colony: they were, expended in the purchase of agricultural produce—Colonial manufactured and imported goods keeping up a populatior outside the Goldfields much larger than that upon them. The pastoral interest gave employment to an insignificant extent, compared with the country occupied, and the great profits arising from it wftre spent in supporting absentee proprietors in England, or in converting pastoral loans into freehold estates. The candidate -thought it possible that the Provincial Council may be asked next session to affirm whether it desires to be abolished or not. He said his ideas on the subject were expressed pretty nearly in a terse couplet of Pope's : For forms of government let fools contest, Whate'er is best administered is best. He thought it, was more the administration than the form of Government we have to blame for the present state of affairs. No matter what the form of Govvernment, the representatives were chosen by the people, and the Executive by the representatives, and all depended on thw people's choice of the latter. Notwithstanding this, he thought so many Governments difficult to administer- He-. should be in favor of the abolition of the Provinces as soon as workable schemes of District Boards are brought forward to ** supply their place. In speaking on the education question the candidate said he care what a man's religious opinion s might be. The first question concerning him was, Was he honest ? not, What is his religion ? He said we see men sin riving at all degrees of worth and worthlessness under all creeds-;. we see men equally happy or miserable under all creeds ; that Government had given up attempting to direet or control religious opinions- ; but that all this was- reversed with regard to education, that education made a man, more happy, more able to help himself, more useful to others, readier to kelp in that progress which ignorance retarded, and that Governments were gradually coming to see it their duty to eompel education. He did not underrate the • value of religious instruction, and he might be in favor of the denomi- . national system, if secular instruction could be imparted as well under it as the secular. But, in a sparsely peopled coun-. try, that was impossible—indeed, he believed it would be impossible in anv conn- " try. He thought that in choosing a. repr e-. sentative, the electors would be wise to" put the education question to one seeing that the decision of this district could not affect the general question as; regards the Province. The candidate next dwelt with the local wants, and said that (if returned) he would do his best to have them attended to. He would do all in his power (if returned), to get the Prc--vineial Council to do what it could in pushing a new Goldfields Aet, or framing new Begulations for the Province Tinder the old one. New regulations were badly wanted. He had thus briefly touched upon a few of the subjects whack, he considered to be of importance, and would be glad to reply to any questions which might be put. i Mr. Ewing then resumed his seat amid loud applause. Several questions—on immigration-, thegold duty, the Permissive Bill, and otherimportant subjects were put to the candidate, and elicited satisfactory replies i after which

It was proposed by Mr. Pyle, ,and seconded by Mr. Mobgin—"That;, in tbe. opinion of this meeting, Mr-. Ewing is a fit and proper person to represent the Mount, Ida district in the Provincial Council." An amendment was proposed by Mr. Bhown. and seconded by Mr. Gii/ksj Taltt—" That Mr. Ewing is not the most fit person to represent the district." The original motion was carried.A vote of thanks to. the Chairman minuted the meeting.