ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 14, 7 April 1860, Page 2

ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

LOWER -WAIRAU. The nominations-for this district .took place opposite the house of Mr. A.M'Kune, on Friday, the 3Qtb. instant, pursuant tp. notice;. S ; L. Muller, Esq., R.M., Returning Officer. There was a considerable number of persons present, who all appeared to take great interest in the proceedings, showing a contrast to the tame, matter. ,of-fprm nominations and .elections that had previously .taken place in the province. • . . ... The Returning -Officer having : read the Mr. C. Murphy proposed, and Mr. J. Daily seconded the nomination of William Robinson, Esq., of Lower Wairau. -, - Mr- Murfhy proposed and Mr. Robinson seconded Mr. George Wratt.. F- L. Vickebman,, Esq., proposed and Mr. John Macdonald seconded Mr. Henry Dodson. Mr. Budge proposed apd Mr. Attwood seconded W. H. Eyes,Esq. : r ..3 1. ••• - After the candidates .had been duly proposed and seconded, Mr- Robinson expressed his willingness to answer any.: questions which might he put to him. *dr ■ . \ Mr. Macdonald and others then asked several questions, to which r.. ■ • - : Mr. Robinson replied.:: He would vote against borrowing money M be. -£pcnt on the ; waitohi road; would not vote against spending an y money on that road-, because he believed that Waitohi must be the port for this province; but the expenses of.making,the. road should he paid from the proceeds of,the land sales, and not with borrowed money. H 9 considered that a trunk line from-the-Top House to the Bush would materially benefit Marlborough. He would advocate that good trunk-lines of road should he made by Government,, lint thought Ihqt branch roads ought to be made byihe partie&interested. He believed that a steam tug would npt.be required for. the port of Waitohi, and therefore he should not be called on to record a vote on that matter. He would., yote against taxation on labour and improvements; in taxing labour and improvements you taxed capital: would not vote for land to he sold-pt 2s. 6d. or ss. an acre, and thought that it should be sold for £1 per acre; if sold at the present prices they would be compelled to resort to taxation, for all their land would then soon be gone, and the proceeds would be insufficient for the* requirements of the province. He should vote against paying members. If the Superintendent held other offices also, their expenses would he less. He might tell them candidly that, if elected, it was his intention to vote for Mr. Adams to he Superintendent, because he believed that that gentleman would be just and impartial, and as be was a lawyer there would be a saving in law expenses. Ho (Mr. Robinson) had never asked any elector for his vote, but if elected be should be thankful, and represent the district impartially, honestly, and disinterestedly. He did not crave for election , it would be to his interest if he were not returned. . . Mr. Wratt said. Jie was well known by most of the gentlemen present, and it was not necessary for him to enter into a long explanation pi bis views on the vexed/questions of this province. However, he might say, that he was opposed to taxation in every sense; and, if elected, would always advocate Economical government consistent with efficiency. He would not sanction useless expenditure nor heavy salaries. He would conclude. -He was a working, man, and therefore they could not expect him to indulge in flowers of rhetoric. •••„.■ • ■ ,-• ■ d ,In answer to questions, bfl.sajd 5 woulq yose for a man to bold moxo than one office; wfta

satisfied that Mr. Adams, if elected Superintendent, would hold the scales justly for all men, and would therefore vote for Mr, Adorns, if a better man could not be found ;; would vote for the main who would best consult the interests of the province. The political creed at the Beaver - was sufficient to turn the heads of people. He would not vote for the payment of members; but would not go to the Council pledged. - Mr. Dodson said ho would be brief, as speechmaking was not the order Of the day. He would vote for Mr. Adams to be Superintendent, if he g_ave up as tradComftwßmen_

He believed that the Superintendent ougni 10 ne a check on the Land Commissioner, and prevent such transactions as they had heard of in Nelson , formerly. He did not approve of -

much into the hands of one man. Ihe office, were not both filled by one man in any of- the •• other provinces, in which, if desirable, the expense would have been saved long ago, and he did not think we were wiser than they. He would not go in to support any crotchet, but he • would attend to the wishes of his constituents; - it would be his duty to represent them. He would not gq to the Council pledged to support any Superintendent. He was opposed to taxation, and might say that he admired the Canterbury Land System, which had worked well there, and thought it as good as any; but he would vote for cheap or dear land, whichever he thought was for the' public benefit, but he could not pledge himself to vote for any fixed price for land. In this matter, as in all others,he would represent his constituents. _ ‘ " Mr. Eyes then addressed the meeting. He ■ said: It was only about a week since he Was"' requested to come forward as a candidate for their suffrages ; and he liad complied with that request because he believed that every man who could afford to spend the necessary time without prejudice to his business, ought to take aL least his share of public duties. He would not detain them long, and would merely allude to the subjects which had already been introduced to the meetimr. ‘ The most, Vexed' question—that of

WaitoKibeihg brdhgfit into bitter communication ; with Wairau—was the most important one; and • he believed that a good common road ought to be made. The present , road might be made into a sufficient one. Theymust have a port, and obtain their share” of the Customs revenue, or otherwise they must resort to taxation. At the same. time settlers about this partwould not send their produce through a port at Picton, if they could get'it "transmitted cheaper otherwise/ He believed that if the Canterbury Land System were adopted here, they tvoiild have no Land Fund at all; for there would be no purchasers. In Canterbury there were immense tracts of magnificent land, such as were not here;' while it would be worth £2 there, it might not be wbrth tWo shillings here.' If £1 were to be the price there* Would be no sale at all. He would not put a prohibitory price on the land of this province. He had had a 'Conversation with Sir Charles Clifford on this subject, and he (Sir C. C.) said that if the pastoral land were sold for more than ss. per acre; he amongst others would not buy at all.'. He had been to the trouble of making calculations, and it was his firm conviction that thev had better sell their land for 10s. am acre.

and make use of the money thus obtained-.fof p4bii£ works, at once, than wait, for no one knew Kpy long,' to find purchasers at a higher pricer and'in the meantime paying all the inevitable expenses that would constantly he incurred m the land and other departments. He objected to two offices being held by oiie person ; vftmldvote for Mr. Adajms tg» be Superintendent,-if he re* signed his appointment as 'Land Commissioner. It would be folly to allow one man the management of two or three offices ; the power in bis hands would he too great. He would’not advocate high salaries, as paying high taxation kept the people down themselves. With regard to what had been said ; about cheap, law, fid might remind them of an old saying, that “'cheap law was had law,” and be considered that a man whose attention had to he given to other matters was not the best legal adviser-that could be chosen. As Mr. Adams’duties might he onerous, it might he found that hills prepared by him, amidst a multiplicity of other duties, would have to he done over again. The document referred to by Mr. Wratt was an expression of opinion onlv. In the present state of this province, however, everything being new to them, he could not pledge himself on all suhjects ; A>ut if returned to represent them; he would go into the Council to support no man or party, but the good of the province. He would not advocate any measure in behalf Of the district that would be prejudicial to the province ; hut he must enter upon his duties unfettered, y V.', The Returning Officer then called upon tht meeting for a show of hands for each candidate which he declared to he in favour of Messrs. Ro binson and Dodson. ‘ „ A vote, of thanks hafing been given to thY Returning Officer, he explained some of tM newlaws relating to Elections and made a fet appropriate remarks. '• - • The meeting then dispersed. On the following day (Saturday) the polling took place at the house of Mr. A: M'Kurie, Lower Wairau. At a few minutes after four ° C Thc Returning Officer announced the fot • lowing state of the poll• Dodson. . • • Eye? •' * * * Jo Robinson . • • , Wratt . ’ and declared Messrs. Dodson and Eyes to hfc then briefly addressed tl . persons assembled, which terminated the pn ceedings. ,