TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF NELSON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 107, 4 May 1872, Page 3

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF NELSON.

Gentlemen — I have the honor to offer myself as a candidate for the seat vacated by Mr. Lightband, lately one of the members for this city in the House of Representatives. During the nine years I have lived amongst you I have, in the course of my ordinary avocations, freely declared the opinions I entertain, and the principles upon which I act. It does not, therefore, appear necessary to enter here on a lengthy explanation of my political views, especially as I shall have an opportunity of meeting you and discussing the main points of that Policy which at present attracts the earnest attention of all thinking men who, like myself, have made New Zealand a home for themselves and for their child.e_. I may, however, briefly indicate the line of conduct which, should I have the honor to represent you, I shall consider it my duty to pursue. My political creed, then, may be stated in two words — Peace and Progress. Believing that these two great elements of national happiness are the leading principles of the policy of the present Ministry, I shall (if returned) give that policy a fair and reasonable, but at the same time a discriminating and independent support. The calamitous conflicts with the Natives for years banished peace and prevented the possibility of progress. These conflicts necessitated a lavish expenditure which, for a long period, had to be continued, without any return that could benefit either ourselves or those who come after us; while the feeling of insecurity to life and property which the war created paralysed that immigration of men and capital which form the life blood of a new country. I pass over the bloodshed produced by mismanagement, of which we all still entertain piinful recollections. ' By the wiser course of conciliation, the present Ministry have established peace, and,with the consent of the Colony, has expressed in the will of the Colony's representatives, have set oa foot a policy of progress, under which money borrowed instead of being squandered in worse than useless wars, shall be applied to Public Works intended to further the intercommunication of the people, to improve settled districts, to open and settle new country, and to give an impetus to our natural productions hy cheaply bringing them to a market. If I am elected, it will be my steadfast endeavor to aid in securing the carrying out of these Works urder a system which shall provide value for the money expended; and it should be the duty of all representatives narrowly to examine and criticise the course pursued by ministers as, year by year, the works now begun are extended by means of the anr.al sanction of the House of Representatives. As forming an integral portion of the General Railway Policy of the Government, I have steadily supported the construction of the Line from Nelson to Foxhill. Were it necessary, I might point to special efforts in that direction made at times when the success of the project was endwjgered through the laxity of some whose earnest efforts, it was naturally expected, would be exerted in the way of urging on its speedy completion. I am an advocate of Direct Taxation, as not only being just in itself, but specially, as furnishing tbe means of reaching absentees, whose property and p.ofits are protected by the Government of the country, for which we settlers pay while the absentee draws an untaxed income from the labor and productions of the Colony. I shall, therefore, give a ready support to any well-con-sidered measure for establishing a Property and Income Tax. On the question of Education, theory points to a purely denominational or a strictly secular system , In the divided state of opinion in the country, I should be pvepared to consent to such compromises as would produce a general scheme of education for the Colony as nearly as possible like that which now obtains in Nelson, making a few improvements and modifications in the details of the latter system where these may be found desirable. Economical Administration is a necessity to New Zealand, and, while justice demands that all workers in the public service should be fairly paid, I should insist on its being shown that the pay is also fairly earned. Respecting the Provinces, in the absence of any superior method of Local Self Government, I am in favor of a modified Provincial system, by which the number of Provinces shall be reduced, their average cost lessened, and their real usefulness increased. On these and other topics I shall have the pleasure of addressing you on an early day. Though I have not yet had an opportunity of forwarding your interests in Parliament, I may be permitted to claim that I am not a wholly untried representative of public opinion, and, if you consider that, in my capacity of journalist and otherwise, I have evinced an honest, energetic, and fearless determination to stand by what I deem correct principles and the Rights of the People, I may venture to hope that I can inspire you with a confidence that I shall not desert these jf placed hy your suffrages in a position to exercise a direct voice in the Legislature of the Colony. Respectfully soliciting your support, I am, Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, D. M. LUCKIE. Nelson, 18th April, 1872. > 843

Magistrate said he had no option but to inflict the fines, but as it was evident that the charges had been brought by the iuformersout of ill-will to the defendant and not from a desire to protect the revenue, lie would not allow costs. The New York Herald states that an impious blasphpemer, while the fire-fiend ■was raging in Chicago, harangued a multitude from the steps cf the Court House inciting to disorder. He cried out " Where is your God ? Where is your God now ? Where are your God's angels now ? " A policeman took him by the collar and confined him in the basement of the Court House. What became of the blasphemer is not known — the Court House was soon after consumed. The Otago Daily Times learns that the shipments during March of preserved meats from the three establishments of the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company reached the very high figure of 1,087,000 lbs. The daily production of these establishments during the last four months, and at the present time, exceeds 40,000 lbs, and this rate is expected to be maintained for two months to come. Although the following sounds like an old acquaintance, it is said to have occurred at a late Ministerial banquet. If it didn't really happen, there is this in its favour, that it might. A person opposed to the Government in politics— attracted, perhaps, by the bill of fare — attended one of those not unfrequent entertainments with which our country cousins delight to honour political success. When "The Ministry" was proposed, he attempted to evade drinking the toast by feigning earnest conversation with his neighbour. But when detected by the watchful chairman, and severely looked at, with an enquiry, "Gentlemen, at what sticks the Ministry?" he was surprised into retorting, "At nothing, by George. — -_Egles. Australian Wool. — The extraordinary price wool has been fetching at the late wool sales, says tbe Australasian. has put even London brokers completely out of their reckoning. Mr. N. P. Bayley's (Mudgee) last sale is reported as follows : — Ex Ann Duthie — 3 bales at 511 b., 2 at _.7£a\, 2 at 46£ d., 1 at 47|d., 2 at47_;d., 1 at 45d., 2 (broken wooJ) at 29 d., 4 at 27d., 3 (locks) at 24d., 2 at 23d. The brokers report received by the previous mail values this wool in no case over 3s. 4d., and concludes by complaining that "it is very poorly washed and full of grass seed." In the face of this it fetches nearly Is. per lb. over the broker's valuation ! The fact is remarkable, but there it is ; and it would almost seem as if buying wool was becoming as speculative as buying goldmining shares, and the value given in some cases almost bordering on fictitious. A Singtjl arJMemorial to his Excellency the Governor is in course of signature in Auckland. It is in favor of the sureties of H. G. Collett, charged with falsifying the books of the Flagship Golden Anchor Gold Mining Company, praying for mitigation of the penalties attached to them as Collett's bondsmen. The reason given is unique, and is, " that the sureties had full faith in Collett's honesty, and that they did not receive any fee or reward for becoming his sureties." If bondsmen are to be released every time their faith in the honesty of men is proved unfounded, the farce of obtaining sureties may as well be at once discontinued. The American Papers seem to be fully alive fo the unreal character of the " indirect claims " preferred against Great BritaiD, and amuse their readers by burlesquing the doctrine of consequential damages in such letters as the following, which appears in the New York World, from "A Retired Shopkeeper : " — " When the war came on I was doing a snug business, which paid me a net annual profit of 5000dol. On this I lived very -comfortably. But for the prolongation of the war, caused by the Queen's proclamation of neutrality (I think they call it), and the ravages of the Alabama and the other cruisers fitted out in England for the Confederates, I could have continued to be a prosperous man. But the increased taxes caused by the conduct of England, the enhanced expenses of living, and the general difficulty of making both ends meet, quite broke me down. In addition to this my eldest son, who had for several years assisted me in my business, was led to enlist as a private soldier, solely in consequence, as I can prove, of the kind of neutrality pursued England. Not to weary you with details, I will only add that I have been falling behindhand, little by little, ever since that fresh impulse was given fey England to the Confederate cause. I am now out of business and in debt, and my actual losses amount to more than 30,000d01. '•" I' see that; the subject of * consequential' ,'datriages ! ; is much dis4 cussed* anal- shall be glad if you will inform me why lam not entitled" to ask our Government to include my claim iri some part of their bill which they propose to present to the arbitrators."

The Wellington Telegraph says :-rMr. Fox. baa come back. ; Mr. Yogel is coming back, or soon will be. The Ministry may be then said to be at home. The work still to be done will probably prevent the meeting of the Assembly before the usual time. In that case there is still time to give Mr. Gisborne a holliday. We are perfectly serious. He deserves it, and what is more ho ought to have it. Holidays are coming into fashion, and he is looked upon as a poor helpless creature who does not do his annual sloughing off the skin of care. Every bumptious little counterjumper who can manage to go through a year's uninterrupted work thinks his superhuman energies want recuperating. Under these circumslances it is possible a few people may think that even a Minister should have a holiday — even a Minister of all work, as some mean newspapev hacks put it in a contemptuous phrase. If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, Mr. Gisborne ought to be a horrible dull dog by this time, for he has had work enough in all conscience since he joined the Ministry — indeed it has been one "demd horrid grind" ever since. We protest against this bit of Ministerial imposition. When Parliament meets, such work will be cut out that Ministers will want to stand in their places with their vital energies uuimpared ; and not one in the House will have to answer more questions or generally to go through more meutal wear and tear than the Colonial Secretary. Perpaps none can manage to go through what he has to do with more of that lubrication necessary to make unpalatable things pleasant, but that's no reason he should be eternally immured in Government Buildings.