CITY ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 201, 5 September 1879, Page 2

CITY ELECTION.

MR. CURTIS AT THE PROVINCIAL HALL. There was another crowded meeting at the Provincial Hall last night, the Mayor in the chair. Mr Curtis who was received with considerable applause, said that he wished to remedy certain omissions from his previous speeches, to contradict one or two rumors, and to reply to certain charges, some of which were exceedingly specific. One of the rumors was that he had entered into a compact with Mr Adams and to this he desired to give an explicit denial. Each candidate, so far as he knew, was running entirely by himself. With reference to the statement that he had used his influence to take the railway over Jenkins' hill, he read a telegram from Mr Blackett, the chief engineer, in reply to one be had sent him, stating that he (Mr Curtis) had used no such influence, and had requested that he might not be consulted on the matter. In reply to Dr. Irvine's letter in the Mail he would state that he would do all he could to secure endowments for the Nelson College. He was in favor of re-imposing the duties on timber, grain, and flour, and* of placing an additional threepence per lb on hops. He would now reply to the mass of specific charges made against him in the Colonist (Cheers.) First with reference to the charge that in his nomination speech he had made a viperous and vitriolic attack on Mr Pitt. He appealed to the two hundred or so whom he theu addressed, to say whether there was the slightest particle of truth in that statement. (Cheers.) Under ordinary circumstances he would have attributed that article to Mr Shephard who wa3 the avowed and well-known editor of the Colomkt, but he felt assured that he could not have been the writer, as only two or three days previously they had epoken pleasantly together over the elections, and that gentleman had then said that he felt sure that they would be able to work together as cordially as they had done before. It was quite impodsible that a gentleman who had spoken in that way could have written such an article a day or two after, and he absolutely declined to believe otherwise. He should therefore hold the paper responsible, and would state that whoever made the charge did that which was wilfully, deliberately, and maliciously false. (Loud cheers ) Mr Curtis then went on to read the following paragraph amid great laughter — " This man who has blighted everything he ever touched, whose name has become a synonyme for disaster, dared to speak of himself as the leader of the Nelson members as having an indisputable claim to be at the head of those elected for every portion of the Province he brought into discredit by his lamentable and childish incapacity." That was pretty strong language, but he would assert without fear of contradiction that if there was one thing that had cast a blight over the province and checked its progress it was the Colonist newspaper. It had fought hard against the waterworks, and when the railway scheme was first brought forward by himself and the late Mr Elliott it had ridiculed the proposition, and characterised it a3 a wild, mad, and absurd scheme, and had done its very beat to stop it, until it found that public opinion was in favor of the proposal, and then it turned round and supported it, and when the then editor wanted a seat in Parliament he had come forward as an advocate of the raiiway. (Cheers.) As to what he had said about being the leader of the Nelson members he undoubtedly was

so en the railway question, biit not in matters of general politics, when they only followed the leader of their party. Every meeting on the railway question was called by circulars signed by himself, he always took the chair, and he it was who was selected to more that the Railways Construction Bill be read that day six months. The article said that he had brought discredit upon the province by his childish incapacity, but he believed the people were better judges than the Colonitt, and they had elected him Superintendent three times in succession, and, he believed, would have done so the fourth time but for the abolition of the provinces. The province had not progressed as others had done, but that was owing to the natural difficulties that had *x> be overcome, and to the fact that its revenues lay in the bowels of the earth and not on its surface, and although its population, commerce, or wealth bad not increased so fast as elsewhere, he believed that here there was more actual comfort among the inhabitants than in the larger provinces, where there were the extremes of wealth and of abject poverty. (Hear, hear.) It was by malicious and scurrilous articles, such as that in last Tuesday's Colonist, that discredit was thrown on the press, and disgrace on those who followed the high calling of writers for it, (loud and continued cheering) and further, he felt convinced that the writer had overshot his mark, and by his untruth fulnesa, unfairness, and violence had produced the opposite effect to that which he expected, in rallying fresh supporters around him whom he had assailed. Mr Curtis then referred to Mr Pitt's assertion that had Mr Moorhouse been Superintendent instead of himself the railway would have been made, and he pointed out the immense difference that ekisted between the natural advantages of Canterbury and those of Kelson. Had Nelson possessed anything like the wealth of Canterbury, there would be no doubt that this railway would have been made after he had succeeded by long and patient fighting against opposition in inducing the public to view the scheme favorably. A child might then have made it; Mr Pitt himself might have made it. He then went on to say that for his introduction into public life Mr Pitt was indebted to him (Mr Curtis). He had appointed him Provincial Solicitor and they bad always worked together in a friendly spirit, and he must admit that he bad felt deeply hurt when Mr Pitt had the other night offered nim a personal affront. HaviDg said that much, be should not allow what had passed to make the slightest difference between them, but henceforth should treat the words used as though they had never been spoken. (Loud cheers.) One charge brought against him was that he had taken too large an interest in colonial matters and not given enough attention to local affairs, but it could not be shown that he had ever neglected the latter, and so far from blaming him they should be glad and take credit to themselves that their representative had taken an active part in matters which affected the colony as a whole. The leading ground on which he was objected to was that he was not a new enough broom, but the experience of an old member and his knowledge of the men he had to deal with, their habits, and their ways, were advantages that were of infinitely greater value than that which was to be found in the newness of the newest of brooms. The railway question was one that required the most careful handling, and it was onryrby the Nelson members showing a firm and united front that it Was to be obtained. New members were going into the House, and there was one change imminent, as Mr Shephard was to be returned unopposed. He and Mr Shephard had -had their fights and contests, still they had got on well together and worked amicably for the interests of the province He had no intention of using the term in an offensive way, but it was well known that be was of an angular character, and unless they had a man capable of dealing with that angularity, and who was himself free from angles and not troubled with a hasty temper, the united band of Nelson members would be broken up and they would be helpless to urge the railway to a conclusion. He felt that he had done nothing whatever to forfeit their confidence, which had been of such long continuance, and would, he was sure, have its weight, and that the results would show at the polling on Saturday. (Loud cheers.) Mr T. Harlbt then rose and asked a series of questions, which, together with the remarks by which they were prefaced, were quite unintelligible, and were greeted with roars of laughter and ironical cheers. After this had gone on for some time, Mr Curtis said that in order not to waste the time of the meeting he must decline to answer any questions put by Mr Harley, a statement that was received with loud cheering. A vote of thanks to Mr Curtis and the chairman terminated the proceedings.