The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 9. 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 110, 9 May 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 9. 1878.

Mr. AhipitEi) Saunders, who is so well known m Nelson, is about to contest the seat for Cheviot with Mr H. Ingles, whom, we should think, he will not experience much difficulty in defeating. Mr Saunders' presence m the House would be an advantage to the country • Mr Ingles' absence from it woUd not be noticed. As there are many in Nelson who still take an interest in Mr baunders, and attach considerable weight to his opinions, we have no hesitation in publishing the following extrcat from a speech he recently made at the Waiau •— " Mr Saunders said that although his opinions on public questions had for many years been before the publfe of New Zealand; there were no doubt before him those who did not kuoft. them, and the he\V position which public affairs had lately taken would require him to refer to Sir G. Grey's proposals in detail, ana to say how far he agreed and disagreed with them. In redistribution of seats, in triennial Parliaments, aud in the aubsitution of the residential qualification for the property qualification, he believed he was entirely at one with Sir George, but he did not go all the way with him about the abolition of Customs duties or the details of his land tax. Ihe present arrangements under which education was paid for by the land revenue, aud interest on public works paid for by Customs duties, were very bungling and Unsatisfactory, and should never have been adopted. Public works, which increased the value of land, should be paid for by a tax on that land, and should never have been charged to a fund to which the land proprietors paid no more than the man who held no property. On the other hand, he knew the heart of the working men of New Zealand well enough to know that they would far rather continue to pay the Customs duties, if by so doing they saw that they were providing an ample fund for the tho- ough education of their own children, without being under any obligation to the large land proprietors for that education, and that at the same time they themselves supported the hospitals and charitable institutions from which misfortune might at any fue compel them to seek assistance. He claimed to advocate the interest of no class in particular, but simple justice to all. Hitherto there had been an injustice to the poorer portion of the community in not making the land pay for its own improvements. Both parties in the House had now agreed to alter that, and the danger really was that injustice would be done in the opposite direction, and that we should imitate Victoria in adopting class and vindictive legislation. In exempting all small properties from taxation and increasing the tax as the holdings became larger a great principle had been violated, und one portion of the community had really undertaken to tax the ether without taxing themselves If persons were allowed to tax other i persons without at the same time taxing themselves, there was nothing whatever to compel them to to moderate in tha imposition of the tax or economical in its expenditure, and such an arrangement was sure to impede the prosperity of any country, and was a violation both of justice aud liberty. For this reason he would not like to see any land exempted f.om the tax, however small the quantity held by any individual. The land U".x would not hurt the small holders, and it was necessary that they should should pay it if only to give them a constitutional right to tax their neighbours. He was surprised to find the large land proprietors in the Cheviot district so much in favor of an income tax, as it seemed to him that no class would suffer so much from it as they would. It would be double banking the same burdens on the same shoulders, and render more than all the same danger of injustice, as small incomes would certainly be exempted from that tax so that one portion of the community would impose the tax, and the other portion pay it. Besides this, whilst merchants, tradesmen, and professions would be able to represent their incomes at what they pleased, the income of landowera nnd sheepowners could be easily ascertained, and they would often be compelled to pay far more than their due, or to make a public profession of all that they had borrowed, and other private transactions that really diminished their incomes." We understand that Mr E. J. Dowling, the acting manager of the Bank of New Zealand, who ia about to leave Nelson shortly, has kindly consented to give one or two readings in the Provincial Hall for the benefit of the Nelson Institute. There will also be instrumental and vocal music at intervals by some well known amateurs. An advertisement which appears elsewhere announces that a skating rink is to be opened in the New Choral Hall at Wakefield on Saturday next, so that our country friends will have an opportunity of indulging in a delightful exercise that for many of them will have the charms of novelty. The floor has been specially prepared for the purpose at a considerable cost, and the Committee have also provided for those who prefer looking on to rinking by supplying comfortable seats on the stage. They hope with the facilities for getting about the Waimea afforded by the railway to have occasional visitors from the town and other parts of the district. A corbespondent writes from Stoke:— Last night at the Public Hall, Messrs Wilkins and Cowles gave the first of their interesting lectures, illustrated by clear, distinct, and well executed pictures, thrown on to a large screen by means of two powerful lanterns. The audience, though «mall, was appreciative and attentive, and I think were well satisfied with the quantity that the lecturers gave them for their shilling. I feel no hesitation in saying that the one to be given next week on African scenery, &c. will be much more of a success in a pecuniary point of view (as it, deserves to be) than its predecessor, as the fame of the last entertainment will by that time have thoroughly spread abroad. Jaundiced views. The bilious and dyspeptic subject takes "jaundiced views" of everything, always looks at the worst side He is despondent, gloomy, full of foreboding, in short, a most wretched individual. Let him take heart of grace. There is a certain remedy for his depression, for his gastric tortures, for all the ills that a disordered stomach and liver inflict. UDOLrHO Wolfk'b Schiedam Abomatio Schnapps. — Advt.