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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 302, 22 December 1868, Page 2

To the Editor op the Nelson Evening Mailj ! Sir — I should like to have heard the views of the two candidates now in the field on the subject of confiscation. Had I been able to attend either of the gentlemeu's meetings. I would have certainly asked the question, for upon it to my mind hangs that other momentous question, the advisability of suspeuding the Constitution Act, public opinion on which is being very strongly expressed throughout the North Islatid. Aud why? Because justly the much-lauded priuciplo of self-reliance has not only proved a miserable failure so far* but will, if persisted in, most assuredly land the taxpayers of this already heavily taxed colony in absolute bankruptcy, if it has not indeed already reached us, to judge by the condition of all the provinces at the present time, which present a most melancholy picture of depression. And yet the war still goes on, and raw levies are being raised both here and in Australia to go to - the Front, where, if they do not actually engage with ihe bayonet, may possibly by their formidable numbers help to frighten the enemy into his lair, but not, I think, afterwards subdue him — and the cost of keeping up this great standing army, miod, grows faster day by day and month by month — and the poor colony suffers, and

there seems no way of getting rid of this canker while our political physicians manage affairs so badly as to order Colonel Whitmore (our staunch friendly natives in the meantime fighting for us and losing their lives iu our defeuce) with his few hundred men, to march — no, sail — straight back agaiu. It there is no possibility of a suspension of the Constitution for a few years, and a determination is arrived at to crush Maori rebellion at once and fur ever, then the rebel lands must of course be confiscated, the natives being British subjects, and if so 1 would humbly suggest that when those settlers who have sustained losses "by this "war come to .petition the Assembly for compensation, as doubtless they will do, they should receive in part paymeut of their claims a portion of the sequestered lauds of the hostile trtbes, the colony not being in a condition to pay the whole of the .petitioners' claims in cash-. Yours, &c, An Elector. To the Editor of the Nexson Evening Mail. Sir — Mr Shephard has denied that he desires or has sought for or would accept office, that is, a situation under Government. Will he, or his friends for him, be good enough to explain what was the meauiug of the application made ou his "behalf by Major Morse, for the office of Resident Magistrate for the Waimeas and other districts? Elector. Nelson, Dec. 21.