MR. HURSTHOUSE'S MEETING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 177, 24 July 1878, Page 4

MR. HURSTHOUSE'S MEETING.

(Communicated.)

In reaponsa 'to Mr Hursthouse's; , invitation, the electors of Moiraeka met. bim 00, Monday nifjhL Mr J. F.WiV- ' ion'liaving been called to tbe'tebair, " „ Mr Huisthouse aatd that he had re. .quested the electors to meet hiroa't this time as L'e thought it preferable io' do so before, rather than after the session, so - that he mjaht give them an idea qt his future action, and also an opporfucity of inak.n^ suggestions or asking 'qu^. twnt. He thought that it placed him -• irr eioser commu Q ica' ; ioa with them as to tbe measures to be introduced. It could not ahoge.her be called autism on bis vm ir..he \hU that hl>h*d met his coraut/uents oftener-than almost any other .member.'' Sit I 'George Grey had spoken pf. radical reforms b&ing contemplated, each «s manhood Bu£ra£e> income tiad property tax, etc.) aud „ had gone the round of the colony visiting everywhere except Motueka. Mr Bah lauce, in f.ig epaech at,R an2 i^ c i Said that according jo .hU Views manhoo.l auflfraye wouM »<>l be so unjust K s it hud beett understood to be, on account of certam resiriclions or qualifications .. . to bQ jugisted U pon. Mr Hurathouee here read large!y,from Mr Ballancb's ispeech, uadi said that on bia return I from last netßi&ti' he' had Btßt ed that he was not averae-to in-iuhbdd "auff^ajwith certain restrfctions, for iustHnce] if a person had resided in a p | aCd aix mo U thsß , He did not think- that inability iqsi-n v a. ma n * naore - e bbuld- .del Jar frpl the -* Jraucbwe;- Theofdsißteni.oi regißtr,,- - c. t s on was difficult on ■"account of) £h« -' neceeßary -forma not always being 3o-taina-bie. B^tnougbt that ratepayers bavtog a rrghtfto^ote whs a good thins »Dd had been tbe means of putting mci' f . o^.the 101 l who wouldvnoft^eibeentherp otherwise. : -He dti&< obje'et io trioiinial parliaments otherwise than - enwiling expeneeTupon the eountrV, as he thought that when member B lost the confide^ of their ,c QDB tiluen. 8 it was ! m ,\^L t0 > reßi BDsfor8 D s for part he abou afiei^inly do so, and tbereforo he fihould : oppose any chan - c from tfa . e present Vrm-five yeKre. Ha thought r; fP m tll ° -mropoeed readjustment of .JlLa reprejentauon of the various! dietnctß as to numbera, the towns! and thickly populated places would benefit at the cost or^more -thinly populated places, to wpspeoplQ. a 8 a rule, holding together better rural populo- -. . tiop^whewas: people %ho had lon* settled in the coup tryOano-" 1 were produpera, .Bbould:hHveaKire coniiflera^ori. The exports -of 'the colony, of which the 3 < -o principal WGra wdoT/ gold, timber, grain, and tallow, Were produced" .by country peqplM .bmftnknufacturbrifgshoulcl arise ..Wihich would .reduce the imputation of many articles. At_ present ha- iooked upon townspeople aa paiasitea on th« country^ Mr the member tor the ' Grey, commented last tension \ upon 'the- -iufiidebfee" of tokaiion, and suggested a property or income t hX , or boib^as Und.had. iocreaaed in.,- value in consequence of public workp/'eueh as railways, etc.. ; ■.Capitaliels had largely . x benefited, and- -paid-but lfttle. J ,io f r t e furn - towards- tBo revenue .^proportion. Small holders of land, say to 300 or 400 acres, (mould h» jaxemp^lrom a property tax (Mr Baliance placed thjßv limit at ■\ three hundred"'- and twenty acre's), by which only 1 Borne three 'or four holder^ . in.the.,M6tue^ diairiefc would 1 ,b 6 .affected, as batVew were' fortunate' . . ..enough >,to hold bo much. - The. tax - . .should be-only on the original value, and not upon .fltnprov,ementß. .Shareho'ldergv in companies, some of wbomwere making 1 Jatige incomes ehoold be taxed; theamount could be got at by the published -"' information, 1 and woiifcf aoi be-liable to ._ the. .objection- .of being- inquisitorial. ... Ministers jvifihed^nti doubt to see, large , nqmbers of email farmers in the country, „ although, capital would alwTays'lißve an • he was pleased" to see that iik proposed to, sell land on.de- . ferrad payment, which srould asaist in- .... < 'dustrious persons^who could-Vdot othec- • wbe get on for want of means. The' '■"■bufdens'at presetft pressed upon the ■'"' poor .classes, but lax'eß should be taken off the necessaries of life ao that they migbt'be supplied ata cheaper rate. He thought that a further duty of three pence per pound ehould be pqt on hops. aa he" e'orJßidered it an impoffa^fe i product,; and one particularly suited to the" climate, and-woul^ c.top Californian hops frorp being brought in. With regard to the honorarium to members, he had formerly opposed the increase from 1 £150 to £200, but in consequence of " ■ the lengthened sessions his views were modified, and he thought that oiuny members, especially business men, suffered- great loss from their 'absence from home for ao long, and tha^iherefore the presentaraduntwasiiot excessive,, but he should oppose any further increase. In Motueka they wonted a wharfinto deep water, a railway, & road fronv Stanley Brook to Dovedale, also a road to Takaka. The Motueka bridge was obtained after long striving by the late member as well as hiineelf during nearly three years. He bad received an answer with regard to tbe approaches to the bridge that they would be put in order, and that the roada to Stanley Brook and Takaka would not b 8 proceeded with during tbe Winter. The amounts voted for these last were, for the former £1200, and for the latter £1000, which would have, to be re-voted next session, He would endeavor to get these roads passed, as Takaka needed it much, having at present only communication weekly by sea. With regard to the railway, a flying survey was promised and he believed it tad bee&^adej he would

enquire into theuiatter- on his arrival in Wellington. The wharf iatMeep water would Wot fnWeafc the IJpper i Moutere, who would prefer a railway, Whe'reafe the residents in Motueka , ftieht prefer tbe wharf. Through the •••kindneea o/'Mr Moffait, tbe wharfinger^ ha Was able to give n list of goods that bad been through his hands during the last six mouths which would perhaps ta.&lig.ht!y-above the iaveraag'o !P6r thb Jjear. The tots! nu'mhVb o\ tone was 1348 of for the year 2696,' Mr BritW a 'gtetotieban we11.,, known „a mongst them,, esiimit&d the length- of the ..wharf required at 2 mile?. (A voice j All' bosh). Ode mile would ;cost £10,550 and the interest &cp on ' that Would be £750. At 3d per too on all . produce a fcuta of £650 might be rai&eJ which Would leave oulyTiTsmall deficit, anil then a eaviog of iO3 per ton in freight, 16 Kelson as-, at preaenf; on about halt, the produce shipped which would • leave a (Sonsiiierdble balanceto the gdocH/ At^ny rate the present .whorf, roust be. repaired, 'and at onep : . '. An iDspector Ehould be appointed in each district {o look ittp, these matter p, pBl • the Goveinment nt present. said (hat Mr ' Cross ehould repair, and Mr Cross aatd -'hq -liad nothing (o : do with. aoythiV beyond fair wear add tear,, fio JbeUeen them nothing was done. • He would m.ke enquiries ns to tbe ftost of thnkiua the present harbor available at half tide tor^ *hi£t»iog. Af'er thanking { the auqiwee-for their paiien-p, he would <. e»y somothiDg- about tho various "re- » Orts aDj accusations that, had been mode 1 , against him in the paper?., ej^cinHv < tb,os9 of a wrijer in the Evening Mail who signed himßelf "F." All; he c<>uld-do whs to deny it aa he had done ><«?. He might have" eaid some : :^)on«t things, and perhaps opened his mouth, tab' much without due consideration^but after all he thought it a fault on the right side. He thought jhat. against some of the accusations actions for .libel would lie, but law cost money and he had onne to spare as he was a -poor, man, and preferred paying his way to B oin<j_ to law. He hoped that his cohßtituents, both friends and others, would- support him aa a man worked .better when he felt that he had that support. A vote of confidence was passed nem con. There was considerable applause during the address. Mr A HUrsthouse having proposed a vote of " thanks to the Chairman, the uieetW separoted. ;