Election Intelligence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, 7 November 1855, Page 2

Election Intelligence.

Nomination of Candidates for the Town of Nelson for the General

Assembly.

On Thursday last, the nomination of candidates to represent the Town of Nelson in the General Assembly, took place at the Court-house. The inclemency of the weather caused but few persons to be present when the proceedings commenced, ~ but the room very soon after became quite crowded.

The Deputy-Returning Officer having read the writ, called on the electors to nominate the candidates.

Mr. D. Moore proposed E. W. Stafford, Esq., as a fit and proper person to represent the town in the General Assembly. Mr. Stafford, he said, wa3 so well known to the electors, that any comment was unnecessary. Mr. J. Elliott seconded the nomination.

Mr. C. Elliott proposed A. Domett, Esq., as a candidate, and he had great pleasure in doing so, for he knew no one better qualified to take charge of our interests.

Seconded by Mr. T. C. Batchelor

Dr. Richardson proposed James Mackay, Esq. He had hoped that Mr. Sclanders would have been present to propose Mr. Mackay, but he had no doubt that he would be there in time to second the nomination. In choosing a representative we ought not to regard private friendship or private interest, but the welfare of the colony. The newspapers gave no complete evidence of the worth of a member of the Legislature, for they did not record the work he had undergone nor the number of committees on which he had sat : and the longest and most eloquent speakers were not always the hardest workers. If these propositions were trite, they were no less true. Of Mr. Mnekay he would say that he had been found always at his post ; and that he was as independent a member as they could obtain, for he did not wish for either place or pay. During the last three sessions of the General Assembly, he (Dr. Richardson) had had an opportunity of observing Mr. Maekay's conduct, and the regularity of his attendance ; and the amount of work he had gone through in committees was quite praiseworthy. In the first session Mr. Mackay had bestowed a great deal of time upon the Tariff Bill ; but no one could form an opinion on the amount of work bestowed upon the preparation of that bill, unless they had read the report containing a mass of evidence which was taken on that subject. He (Dr. Richardson) believed that the first Responsible Ministry would adopt Mr. Maekay's Tariff Bill, and pass it into a law. He beiieved that very few men had gone through the amount of v, ork which Mr. Mackay had done for the benefit of the public ; for he was always present in the Assembly watching over the interests of the proiince. "if Mr. Mackay had any fault, it was that of watching too carefully over our interests, and the only fear was that he would push the matter too far, and thus give cause of jealousy to the other provinces. Mr. Mackay was on the most friendly terms with all the Northern members, anil voted always on the right siae. He (Dr. Richardson) considered the constituency most fortunate in possessing a candidate who had shown so much zeal and had been so untiring in his attendance, and he left the matter in their hands, feeling assured that Mr. Mackay would obtain the justice which he deserved.

Mr. Sclanders seconded the nomination. Mr. Mackay had already represented the town of Nelson in the General Assembly during three sessions, and whatever might be said ot the time given up to public duties, he was sure that no member had gone to Auckland at a greater personal sacrifice than that gentleman. Mr. Maokay was well acquainted with mercantile matters, and with all the wants of the settlement ; he had also a great stake in the country, a large family, and all his interests were centered in this province. He (Mr. Sclanders) considered that the constituency ought to have some very good reason for refusing to give him their support. There were few public men who had not enemies; and some of Mr. Mackay' s enemies had been attempting to get up a cry against his conduct — sneers and ridicule had been hurled at him ; but at the public meeting held the previous week he had been closely questioned, and the answers he had given in so straightforward a manner that every impartial person ought to be satisfied. The electors were surely too sensible to reject an individual so competent to represent them, unless some very fit reason could be assigned. Mr. Mackay had proved himself a straightforward, energetic, and faithful representative, and was worthy of their firmest support. Mr. Mackay said, that as their old representative he would first address them. He felt highly gratified at the manner in which his name had been proposed. He did not pretend to be an orator, but he would bring before their notice a few of the questions likely to be proposed in the next Assembly, ne would only say that, if elected, he would use his best endeavours to promote the welfare of the province and of the colony at large. His past conduct had now become a matter of history. The removal of the seat of Government would be one of the first questions to be brought before the next Assembly. He would, if elected, vote for the removal of the seat of Government from Auckland to some more central and convenient spot. Either Wellington' or Nelson would be the most appropriate place for the seat of Government. Wellington had a Government house, and also a large body of natives in the province, but it was not so central as Nelson. He would hold up his hand in favour of Nelson; but he believed the question would be required to be compromised by Wellington and Nelson after it had been determined to remove the seat of Government from Auckland. The next subject, and one he would not blink, was the Pensions Bill. It was one of the first questions that would have to be discussed by the new Assembly ; and as it was a notorious fact that the old officials must be pensioned, why, the sooner it was settled the better, and the sooner should we have responsible government. Then would come the election of the responsible ministry-. Who the ministry would consist of must depend upon circumstances. If returned, he would seriously consider to whom he would give his support ; and when the ministry were established, he would only support them on those measures

which he considered best adapted to promote the public benefit : for, if he went to the Assembly, he would go as an independent member. The next question would probably be the Finances. He had been a member of the finance committee, and had always voted with the majority. None of the strictures which had appeared in the local paper applied to him, as he did not vote in the minority on any occasion. If elected, he would most rigidly search into every department, especially in the matter of Contingencies. A vast deal of money wa3 put down under the head of contingencies, and he would pledge himself to search and endeavour to discover how those sums were applied. He had 'seen one item of no les3 than £> 1,000 for printing; and many others required investigating. The next question he would notice was the debt of Nelson and Canterbury to the General Government. The Government had been buying laud at Auckland with our money : but still we were said to be in debt ; and if the finance committee could prove it so, he would pledge himself for the province that it should be paid. The next question to be considered was the fact of the provinces in this island furnishing funds to purchase land in the Northern Island. This was very unjust, and some compromise was necessary to enable us to retain our money for local purposes. lie would pledge himself to give due attention to thi3 matter. Next would come the consideration of the New Zealand Company's Debt. A large quantity of our land revenue was taken away by those bloodsuckers at home. Two committees, appointed by the House of Representatives, had sat upon this question, and had brought the matter before the Home Government. Mr. Adderleyj had recommended a compromise. Last session it was agreed that a compromise should be attempted, and failing that, the house was unanimous that the colony should endeavour to evade the payment of the debt altogether. The next subject would be the alteration in the Constitution Act — it required alteration in various ways. In the event of the death of any member, 'no fresh writ could be issued for the election of another member unless the house was sitting. He considered that many of the proposed alterations were very necessary, and for such he would vote. He had now alluded to the principal subjects which would be brought before the General Assembly when it next met ; but he would beg them to believe that responsible government would not do everything for everybody. To carry out responsible government efficiently they would require more public servants and to give higher salaries, so that the public would have to put their hands in their breeches' pocket, for all those officers which would be necessary would not act for nothing. For instance, an Assistant Colonial Secretary would be required, who should not be removable, for the Colonial Secretary would only hold his office so long as he possessed the confidence of the House of Representatives. After these things had been settled, his old hobby the Tariff would have to be considered, for it must be altered; it was vexatious, inquisitorial, and annoying in every way. - It would be the duty of the responsible ministry to make these alterations. He considered that he was justified in doing as he had done as a private individual, for the Government would not take it up. They had complaints from almost every quarter, of the inconvenience which was suffered. He went into the question, and made a. strong effort to get the bill carried during the first session. The Auckland merchants presented a very strong petition in favour of it, and the Tariff Bill would have been carried, only the ministry, being jealous, did not like that a simple individual like himself should have the credit of it ; and in their jealously they forgot their country's interest. He had received many very valuable suggestions from the collector of customs at Auckland, and he could tell them the exact duty that was paid upon silk and other articles during the year 1854 at Wellington. The collector of customs at Auckland was actually ashamed of the prying and vexatious trouble which the present bill involved. It was a question which must be taken up, and if he was elected, it would be " his hobby" to get it carried. Next came the Customs' Regulations, affecting the shipping and storage of goods; merchants suffered great inconvenience from the present regulations. The Harbour Regulations for this province he thought Avere the most absurd that were ever circulated. If a vessel arrived in the night, she must be kept afloat till the custom house opened at nine o'clock in the morning. Another inconvenience was, that no captain of a vessel could get his clearance till he came up and delivered his declaration to the postmaster that he had landed every letter and newspaper. Why could not the collector of customs be empowered to receive the mails? If a mail closed at the post office at four o'clock, no captain could get his clearance that day, because by the time he got down to the custom house it would be shut. That waa a great absurdity. Again, a captain of a vessel, in shifting or removing ballast in the absence of the harbour master, would have to come and ask permission of theresident magistrate. That was another absurdity. Again, the pilot of Nelson received the smallest pilotage for bringing in a vessel through the most intricate passage of the harbour. These were all absurdities which required to be altered ; for what would Nelson be without its shipping and trade ? He came to offer himself as their representative to try and rectify these absurdities. The next matter which he would notice would be steam. It was necessary that we should urge on the letters and newspapers, and that every facility should be afforded to the merchants. During the first session it was one of his favourite hobbies to afford a facility, to try and secure the services of the steamer William Denny, for Nelson and Wellington, and also to run to Melbourne aad Sydney. Indeed, he had almost settled it, and got the deed prepared ; but the Auckland fellows watched him and pumped the captain; and when they found out that he was endeavouring to secure the steamer for the southern provinces, they immediately bought half the shares of the vessel, and we lost her. That could not be helped; but we could still try and facilitate the carrying of the mail 3by steam. It was quite necessary also that we should have internal postal communication. He saw no occasion

why the mails should not even be carried overland to Canterbury, when Mr. Weld's route was opened up. Many other matters would be brought before the house, and many matters would have to be settled by compromise, especially between the northern and southern settlements. The people in the north were very jealous of the other provinces. If he had the honour of being elected as their representative, he would endeavour to serve them to the best of his ability: and if any gentleman present had any questions to put to him he was quite prepared to reply to them ; and he hoped some of the electors had come prepared with a long string of questions.

Mr. Stafford (who on rising was received with loud applause) said he was deeply sensible of the confidence reposed in him by the electors, in inviting him to become a candidate on the present occasion, and was fully aware of the responsible nature of the trust sought to be reposed in him ; indeed, from a long consideration of the duties which would devolve upon their representatives, he thought it likely that he considered that the task of efficiently advocating their interests in the next Assembly would be. one of greater difficulty than many of the electors supposed. The General Assembly had hitherto notoriously failed to afford that satisfactibu which the colony naturally expected from it. He did not impute to the men of whom it had been composed blame for this; on the contrary, he believed that the' collective amount of ability which the last Assembly possessed was not only highly creditable to this colony, or to any colony, but was not likely to be surpassed by that of any Legislature having the same number of members: and if in the next Assembly there was comprised as high an aggregate amount of talent and capacity for the performance of its duties, he, and the colony generally, would have reason to be well satisfied. Amongst many causes of the failure of the last Assembly, was prominently the fact that no declared policy — no guiding principle of action — was submitted for its consideration [hear, hear] ; that, as the inevitable consequence of this, the individual opinions of its members, and the interests they desired to advocate, appeared hopelessly conflicting; that, in the absence of any directing influence or control, there could be, and was, no beneficial result, but in its place an amount of personal irritation, often unnecessarily aggravated. It is true there was, for a short time, a quasi responsible ministry ; but while the responsible ministers were advocating certain measures iv the Assembly, the old executive portion of it out of the house not only, to say the very least, kept aloof from these ministers, but conducted the correspondence of the Government as if no such ministers existed. The knowledge of this fact, amongst others, had induced j him to counsel the so-called responsible ministers to resign, and thus to relieve the colony from the sham and deceit which was being practised upon it. That obstacle to the successful action of the Assembly was not, however, likely to exist long after the commencement of the next session, when they must have ministerial responsibility established on a secure basis, as the only means of enabling the Executive and Legislature of the colony to co-operate harmoniously for that which ought to be the only object of Governments or Legislatures, the., advancement of the public interests committed to their care [hear, hear]. As allusion had been made to the preliminary necessity of a Pension Bill, he would state that he regretted to believe that such a bill was unavoidable. For although he considered that something very different from pensions was due to those who were to receive them, it wa» necessary to make the best of a bad bargain, and a very bad bargain it was indeed [laughter]. That bill disposed of, then would come the very ixportant question of who were to form the ministry. They ali knew the celebrated preliminary to cooking hare soup, " first catch the hare." So, before cooking a policy for the General Government of the colony, it was necessary first to catch the ministers. Did any of them know, for he did not, where the men whom they would be satisfied to have as ministers were to be found ? There were in the colony plenty of men capable of becoming able miuisters, or, what was almost as necessary in parliamentary government, or composing an able opposition ready to teke the place of the ministers, if the measures of the latter were unsatisfactory : but he did not know with any certainty that any of those thus capable would take office ; while he did know that many of them would not do so, as they were either engaged in conducting public affairs in the provinces which they would not desert, or were precluded from other causes, or might not be in the Assembly at all. With this acknowledged difficulty of getting the best men, which could not be lost sight of, there was however one, and that no trifling consolation, that they could by no possibility have in office so unfit a set of men as were at present there [hear, hear]. To call such a set of men a Government was a burlesque on the name. Men, whose ignorance of what was required to promote the ever-varying interests of a country larger than Great Britain and Ireland, and rapidly progressing in wealth and population, was only equalled by their indifference to those interests. For their ignorance of everything in the colony beyond what they could see from their office windows, there certainly was ths excuse, that by Sir George Grey the officials in Auckland were entirely ignored, and when in that part of the colony he was his own Secretary, and would appear to have been his own Treasurer also [laughter], while those who in other places assisted him in governing the colony were not now in office ; but the disadvantages attendant upon an ignorance of its duties on entering upon office, might be overcome by men of sufficient capacity; and if they duly recognised the responsibility they had undertaken, and fulfilled the moral obligation imposed on each to do his best whatever might be his station, the once ignorant men might become most efficient public officers. But these old officials never desired to know their duties, and have to the last shown themselves supremely indifferent to the inevitable results of the Constitution Act. In Europe the effects of a dogged adherence to red tape and routine had led to the all but annihilation of as gallant an army as ever marched to battle. In this colony we had not to deplore a painful loss of life, but red tape and routine had greatly xe-

tarded its progress ; the former had been used to tie up with inextricable knots every thing calculated to afford information as to our requirements, while the routine followed had been that of refusing to recognise them, and above all, of refusing to let us have our own money. The cry of the "right men in the right places," so loudly heard at home, was therefore equally appropriate here. He trusted they had now got one man in the right place. That gentleman who had so recently landed on their shores ; and who, from his own public declarations, as well as from the opportunities which he (Mr. Stafford) had already had of judging, and from other information, he felt assured would adhere alike to the spirit and the letter of the Constitution Act, and would thus be, what they had so long and so ardently desired to see, a good Constitutional Governor [cheers]. The memory of what the old officials had done would however, he was sorry to say, not perish with them, but would rather reap the reward said to attach to the good deeds of other men ; for their treatment of the revenues of this province would not be forgotten. He would just shortly show to what extent we had suffered. In the two first years since the Constitution Act had come into

Operation, namely 18.73 and 1854, the receipts from the different branches of revenue collected by the General Government within this province amounted to 3651,933 6s. 9d., out of which only 3624,531 13s. Id. had been paid into the Provincial Treasury. Again, the receipts of the Land Department for the twelve months ended the 30th June, 1 855, amounted to 3619,221 18s. 3d., out of which we had received just 365,513 16s. Bd., and that was paid without their knowledge, and they have directed it to be recovered. Well, some people J would be tolerably content with that, and would consider they had been " clever fellows — very " to wring so much money from the Nelson settlers, who had never had, since the formation of the settlement, one farthing of the parliamentary grants and commissariat expenditure so lavishly poured forth in other parto of the colony. But no, they not only took all this money, but they turned round and said, you are in debt, too. Now, if he was not prepared to state the amount of this alleged debt, it was because the accounts had been stated by the Auditor-General in so many different ways that, as every member of the late Finance Committee well knew, they were simply unintelligible [hear, hear]. They had assumed so Proteus -like a character that it was impossible to tell which was the real Simon Pure. All he could say with certainty was, that the figures in none of them agreed in the whole with what he knew to have been the actual receipts and payments in this province, and that one and all were most unsatisfactory. The Auditor-General, who, by the way, was not satisfied with the duties of that office — which simply consisted in a comparison of the receipts with, the revenues and vouchers for payment, and the authorities for such payments — but aspired to those of a Chancellor of

the Exchequer also, he supposed, from the

great satisfaction he had given as auditor [laughter] — had, in addition to incorrect figures, set aside the principles of the Constitution Act, andinstead of computing the sums due to the provinces from the surplus remaining beyond any legal appropriation of the revenues, had acted upon the cash balances in the .Colonial Treasury after a most excessive expenditure. It might at first sight appear to be a matter of indifference whether the public revenues of the province were paid to the Provincial or Colonial Treasurer ; aud if any public works were executed by the General Government there might be some plausibility in that argument for those who did not mind destroying the usefulness of the Provincial Councils; but when they remembered that the General Government would execute no public works, and had required the Provincial Government to fulfil the duty of carrying on

all such works as were necessary to the open-

ing out of the country ; that the Provincial Government was also required to maintain immigration, to establish a system of education, to keep up a police, to provide in many other ways for the due execution of the laws • and the " peace, order, and good government " of the province, it was unmistakeably evident what a mighty difference it made to them whether the great bulk of their revenues were

received by and paid from the General or the Provincial Treasury, or whether the warrants for such payments were signed by the Governor or by the Superintendent. Let them consider the effect upon themselves if their revenues

continued to be treated as they had been for the last two years. All public works and immigration in this province would be stopped ; and that this had not already been the case was to be attributed to the fact that at the

commencement of the last provincial financial year there was a large balance in the treasury. As it was, however, both public works and immigration had been curtailed, a3 the Provincial Government had not had the money to " expend which the Council of the province had voted : not that the estimates of revenue which he had laid before the Council were in excess, on the contrary, the actual receipts had been some thousands more than he had stated to the Council; but then he had not contemplated that these receipts would have been withheld, or that the financial regulations upon the faith of which the Provincial Government had acted from the first, would have been disturbed by any act save that of the General Assembly ; certainly not on the mere ipse dixit of an auditor. But after he had framed estimates to lay before the Council, he received a despatch informing him that the deductions which they had previously told him ■were to be made from the Customs and the Land Fund were to have a retrospective effect of Borne months, which would cause a refund of some thousands of pounds, and he was instructed to make this refund accordingly. He had, however, become by that time so suspicious of the manner in which the revenues of the colony were being dealt with by the General Government, and especially as they would not state the accounts, that he very civilly refused to obey this instruction, and it was in consequence of this refusal, joined to the fact of the previous balance in hand, that tljey had now an immigration in progress, and that public works tending to convert the wilderness into a productive country were being carried on in all directions [cheers]. Well,

finding that he knew better than to let them have the money back, they instructed their officers to stop the amount out of the revenues of the current year. More than this, some months after, they again wrote to say that we owed them £5,206 10s. jd. besides, and that xintil this was paid we were not to get a penny of the Land Fund. The Provincial Council had previously passed the estimates for the current year, which estimates were thus deliberately knocked on the head. He would ask— if the action of the Provincial Councils was not be a mere sham, if the time and attention bestoived by the Superintendent and Provincial Council in considering the manner in which the public wants were to be provided for out of their own money, was not to be an utter faree — could such a state of : things be endured? Well, the refunding of their money and a fair settlement of the accounts would be one amongst the duties of their representatives, and they might wish them joy of their task [laughter] ; but however they had suffered in this way hitherto, there would very soon be an end of this under the new order of things, for he could not by any effort imagine that with a Governor devoted to the progress of the country, and with a ministry responsible for that progress, their public funds could continue to be taken — their public works stopped. If there was one thing more than another of which he felt certain, it was that no ministry which allowed their revenues to be plundered as they had been would stand half an hour in the next Assembly [cheers]. Another question of the gravest importance was the means of preventing our Land Fund from being swallowed up in the purchase of lands in the Northern Island. They could not shirk this question, for even if j they wished to keep it out of sight the people of Auckland and Wellington had refused to let them do so — the latter provinces endeavoured, under the shield of the Constitution Act, to ride rampant over them in this matter. He was not prepared either to admit or deny that the power of taking their money to buy land in other provinces was given by the Constitution Act; he thought that very good arguments might be advanced on both sides : but admitting that this power existed, he believed the evil might be cured. The Auckland people eagerly desired to be, and the House of Representatives had passed a resolution that they should be, relieved from the Company's debt. Now, if it was unjust that Auckland should pay a share of that debt, it wars equally unjust that the money raised by the industry of the hard-wrought Nelson settlers should buy land for the people of Auckland. He saw, therefore, the possibility of a compromise with Auckland "looming in the future." Then they had to deal with Wellington. Well, he believed an arrangement could be come to with Wellington also, but he did not think it prudent to state it just then [laughter] . They had a difficult game to play, and it would not do to show their cards before the proper time. On this question the policy of Canterbury and Ofcago was identical with our own, and the discovery of that short route between Nelson and Christchurch, for which we are very much indebted to Mr. Weld, was a great political fact for the whole of the Middle Island [hear, hear]. This island, however, had still a great interest in the purchase of land for the Northern Provinces, even regarding the question as a mere pecuniary one : unless the Northern Provinces prospered, and the cause of Native disturbances was removed, we should suffer. The fact that any considerable portion of New Zealand was in a bad or dissatisfied state would, out of the colony at all events, re-act upon tho whole. Land for settlement and cultivation was and would be wanted from time to time by Auckland and Wellington, and unless that land was obtained, great dissatisfaction, and possibly something worse, would exist. Measures must be devised for obtaining that land for them, and he considered that one such measure might be the raising of a loan for the purchase of land, the interest of which loan should be secured upon the revenues of the colon}', and the repayment of the loan made a first charge on the proceeds of the land purchased by it [hear, hear]. In this manner the same thirty or forty thousand pounds might buy up, one after the other, every block of really desirable land which the natives were willing to sell, and on no account could the present desultory, unconsidered, and in every way irregular mode of acquiring lands be permitted by a responsible ministry ; nor must the accidental visit of a Land Commissioner continue, as at present, to determine the purchase of lands, by far the greater portion of which might be barren and inaccessible hills and snow-topped mountains, which neither in this or any succeeding generation would be of any value. The v\nfair responsibility now thrown upon Mr. Maclean must be kept upon the shoulders of those who ought properly to bear it, and though good cultivable or otherwise valuable land, whenever it could be procured, should be bought when its acquisition was really necessary to the progress of any province, he saw no reason for acquiring, at a great cost, blocks of land neither desired by the settlers or fit for their use, especially as much of this land would, j from the absence of owners, eventually lapse to the Crown. In saying this, he desired not to be misunderstood, as regarding the diminution of the native race as a subject of satisfaction ; on the contrary, he viewed the decrease in their numbers with great regret, and would eagerly employ any means tending to preveut it. Another question having reference to the natives, that of the administration of the reserves made for their use, also demanded consideration. In this province the reserves might be made most vrluable, if a legalized system for administering them were established. At present there was no system whatever ; no principles laid down as to what were the objects of the trust, for whose sake it was maintained, or how the proceeds should be expended with advantage to the persons concerned. Much of the land had already been deteriorated in value by the useless destruction of the timber upon it, while, from the absence of any power of granting beneficial leases, large portions were either unoccupied or the occupation was, from its uncertain character, neither beneficial to the occupier or the property. This was productive of much irritation and loss, alike to natives and colonists, and might

lead to serious difficulties at any moment [hear, bear]. la any plan for the administration of these lands, the power of exchanging portions of them, at the desire of the natives, should be given, and when the land given up was more valuable than that taken in exchange, an equivalent in money should be made, the amount of which might be a first charge upon the proceeds of the sales of the resumed lands. He feared he had trespassed too much on the time of the meeting ["no, no ; go on"]. Well, from the sketch he had given of a few of the duties of the representatives, it would be admitted that their task was by no means an easy one, and he would caution the electors against being disappointed if their members failed in obtaining all they desired. When individuals or constituencies strongly willed anything, they naturally felt disappointed at not obtaining it ; but they must remember that their wishes and interests would be opposed in many points to those of the members from other parts of the colony ; that many of these members would be able men, knowing well the interests of their constituents ; knowing how to speak well and forcibly when those interests required speaking to advocate them ; and, what was at times as necessary in those concerned in public affairs, knowing how to keep silent when their interests were best promoted by silence. With respect to what Mr. Mackay had stated a3 to that part of the harbour regulations which prevented vessels from getting their clearance until the mails were at the Custom House, he might remark that he had some time since written to the General Government on the subject, and authority had now been received to allow vessels to receive their clearance 24 ; hours after notice of their intention to sail had | been given at the Post-office. As to Mr. Mackay's share in the attempt to secure the William Denny for this province, it did appear to him that Mr. Mackay assumed to have been the only person who had acted in the matter ["no, no," from Mr. Mackay]. Well, then, he supposed it was only the lion's share of the merit which Mr. Mackay claimed. Now the facts were these : months before the William Denny had been heard of, the Superintendent of Wellington and himself had mutually agreed to recommend the councils of the respective provinces to give a bonus for steam communication to Melbourne. When the William Denny arrived in Auckland, they lost no time in seeing the captain, and finding that he was willing to enter into an arrangement, he (Mr. Stafford) had asked Dr. Monro, as tbc only member of the Nelson Provincial Council who was on the spot to consult, and the Superintendent of Wellington had also asked those members of the Council of that province who were then in Auckland to meet them, with a view to securing the William Denny. They all concurred in the belief that the advantages which would ensue to Nelson and Wellington warranted the respective Superintendents in offering under the circumstances a bonus of 260,000 in the absence of any appropriation by the Provincial Councils for that service : accordingly, the heads of an agreement having been arranged with the commander, Mr. Travers on the part of himself, and Mr. Hart on the part of Dr. Featherston, prepared a deed, which was within an hour of being signed, and was only not signed because the people of Auckland purchased the vessel. He would here publicly thank Mr. Travers for his services on that occasion, which were afibrded gratuitously, and he felt the more grateful to Mr. Travers for his having thus worked for the interest of the Province, from the fact, that at the time Mr. Travers and himself were not on such terms as would warrant his being under an obligation to that gentleman. Before he sat down he might perhaps be expected to allude to his intention of resigning the office of Superintendent. lie had declared before he was elected to that office, that he did not intend to offer himself for a seat in the House of Representatives. Whether that declaration was necessary, or judicious, was not now the question ; but having been made, he felt that it was alike - due to himself, to the office of Superintendent and to the electors of the province, that he should, when he now complied with their request to become a candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives, place himself in the position in which he originally stood, of an elector of the province, whom his brother electors might invite to fill such offices as they thought desirable. Were he not to resign, his previous declaration would prevent him from acting as a member of the House of Representatives, as it had prevented him, when in Auckland, during the first session, from accepting a seat which was offered him in the Legislative Council. He would not detain them any longer, but would now beg to thank them for the the manner in which they had listened to him [cheers] .

Dr. Monro wished to say a few words on behalf of Mr. Domett, as that gentleman was not present to 6peak for himself. Mr. Domett was one of his oldest Nelson friends. There were many gentlemen present to whose minds Mr. Dometi's image was familiar, and whose manly conduct and ardent impetuosity while he was in Nelson would be remembered by them. The great ability with which he had edited the Nelson Examiner during one of the most trying periods in the history of the settlement, was Boch as to give that journal a character far above »11 its contemporaries in New Zealand, and many of its editorial articles which appeared at that time would have done credit to the leading London journals. If the old settlers would recall to their minds what Mr, Domett was when he resided amongst them, he (Dr. Monro) thought that they would come readily to the opinion that they could not do better for the welfare of the province than by electing that gentleman. He had heard nothing urged against Mr. Domett. It had been said that one of the candidates proposed was a man of property, and averse to taking place; but what would be the character of a House of Representatives composed wholly of Huch men f It was not only necessary that there should be a body of independent men to make the laws, but honest and able men were also necessary to carry into effect those laws after they were made, and the welfare of the colony depended ai much upon the character of the Executive as upon the character of tboso who made the laws. We wanted gentlemen in ihe House of Representatives prepared to accept Executive offices, as it was to be feared that the greatest difficulty would be experienced, now that the colony was to be governed by a responsible Executive, in getting men willing to take upon themselves the onerous duties which would attach to these offices. If we wanted responsible govirnment we must provide the mauribh for it in the house,— men who would be able

not only to make laws, but also to take office to carry out those laws. The difference between the state of parties in an English and in a New Zealand Parliament was such, that it reminded him of an old saying, that "the poor man had a difficulty to yet a dinner for his appetite, while the rich man found the greatest difficulty in getting an appetite tor his dinner." Here the difficulty was to get men to nil the places; and we should stand in a very ridiculous position if we did not send to the next House of Assembly men who would be capable of taking offico if called upon. Now, Mr. Domett had not fettered himself by purchasing large tracts of land or owning large flocks of sheep, and would therefore be tho more ready to take office should he be called upon to do so. One of the first things consequent upon the introduction of responsible government would be the selection of men to fill the offices, and no man was better fitted to take a high office of tru-t than Mr. Domett, for he was one ol the most honest, able, and straightforward men which the colony possessed. He was a Nelson settler in heart, and his entire sympathies and allections were with this province— allections and sympathies which he could not transfer to another part of New Zealand. He (Dr. Monro) put n to the electors whether, looking to the paucity of men fitted for Executive office, would .Nelson buffer by having such a man to represent them in the house, and ready to fill a high Executive office? They had had a long exposition from Mr. Mackay of his past con duct, aud one of liis remarks relating to the Tariff Bill he would criticize. Mr. Mackay had told them that the Tariff Bill was rejected by the mi.ii-.lry through jealousy, and lest a simple man like himself should have the credit of passing it. Mr. Mackay was not justified in making such an insinuation against tho^e gentlemen, with whom, he (Dr. Monro) had cordially acted. That ministry was composed of gentlemen who were above all Biich petty feelings ; and as for himself, he could assure Mr. Mackay that he had never been the least jealous of him, and he would- readily admit that on the floor of the house Mr. Mackay had enacted scenes which few could hope to emulate. Mr. Mackay had obtained leave during the first session to bring in a bill to amend the tariff; but soon after, the ministry resigned, and the house was in a stale of anarchy. The tariff was a most important item in connexion with the revenue of a country; and a House of Legishture was not a committee to consider the amount of duty which should be levied on tapes and threads, for a Customs Bill was usually passed upon the responsibility of a ministry who pledged themselves to the correctness of the details. Mr. Mackay's Tariff Bill was refeired to a committee of the whole house, and they called for evidence, and this evidence they found to be entirely at variance with the report of the select committee, and the house canoe to l!ie conclusion that the colony would suffer a great loss if the bill were passed. They therefore threw the bill out, but without being actuated by any such paltry motives as had beeu unputed to them. A revision of the present tariff was undoubtedly necessary; but until are sponsible government vva9 established no properlyarranged bill could be carried out. He would hope that bis remarks respecting Mr. Domett would receive the consideration of the electors, for he did not know tint the electors of the province could more' advance its interest than by electing such a man to represent them — a man who, from his abilities, was especially marked out for a high executive office. Mr. Domett, if in office, would not (suffer the land fund to continue in the iwrtisfactory state in which it was at present, but would rectify it, and that, too, without oppression to any one paiticnlar province. The most direct cure that we could apply to our present grievances was to send a man to represent us in cha House of Representatives who, besides being an honest and upright man, would be lilted from his abilities and his position to take a place at the helm of Government.

Mr. Mackay explained that his previous remarks were not intended to allude to Dr. Monro, With respect to the evidence taken before the committee of the whole house, theie was only one individual examined— the Collector of Customs, and he did not make any objection to a single article in the bill, but said that, if the ad valorem duties were done away with, there might be a small lo»s to the Customs revenue; and Mr. Brown, an influential Auckland merchant, had offered to pay the whole loss which the colony would sustain from the loss of the ad valorem duties, sooner than that the merchants should still suffer the inconvenience which they did. Dr. Monro had alluded to the scene in the house; but there was no house at the time— it was prorogued j and he did not go there to insult any member. He had seen some members, when the bouse was not sitting, smoking even in the Hall of Assembly; but the poor member for Nelson could not get his umbrella, because there was a tyrant majority acting in a most illegal manner [laughter], lie had then defeuded himself when insulted, and he would defend himself now. Why, even the gallery of the house were prepared to leap the barrier of the hou«e and come to his assistance. He was sorry to allude to this matter again, but it bad <>een cast at him, and he was compelled to defend himself.

Mr. C. Elliott craved the indulgence of the meeting while be spoke a few words on behalf of the gentleman whom he had nominated to represent the electors of Nelson. AH that Dr. Monro had just said of Mr. Domett's character and abilities., he (Mr. Elliott) could vouch to be correct, A. more liberal and high-minded man than Mr. Domptt ha never had the pleasure of knowing, and his talents were of an order to command respect in any society whatever. A prejudice was 6out»ht to be excited against Mr. Domett on the ground that he was in no way connected with this province—that he was not a Nelson settler; but the fact was, that the only property which Mr. Domelt possessed in New Zealand he was afraid was confined to some sheep which were in this province; and although that gentleman's residence was at present in the Ahuriri district, the heart of no man there present beat more warmly for the interests of Nelson than did Mr. Domett's. So far from Mr. Domett being an ineligible member for the Town of Nelson, it appeared to him that he was one of the most eligible men who could be selected for the office, in every way. As an early Nelson colonist, Mr. Domett identified himself for seven>l years in the closest manner with the settlement, and was the eloquent denouncer of ihe wrongs it then laboured under, and the energetic advocate of its rights. In addition to the service which Mr. Domett rendered the cause of good government by bis able writings in the Nelson Examiner — writings which Dr. Monro had truly characteiized as unsurpassed by the press in any colony — in the days of our tribulation succeeding the Wairau massacre, Mr. Domett, together with Dr. Monro, were the choten delegates of the people of Nelson to proceed to Auckland, for the purpose of representing to the then head of the Government the infamous treatment the settlement of Nelson was then suffering. Those who were resident in Nelson at that sad time will remember that a subscription was raised to charter a small vessel, which proceeded with these delegates to Manukau; and the able manner in which these gentlemen acquitted themselves of their task was fully appreciated at the time. Again, when the misrule of a Fitzßoy had brought the colony to the brink of ruin, whose but Mr. Domett's was the able pen which set forth the grievances of the colony in what has always 6ince been known by the name of the " monster petition "" — a petition which was signed by nearly the entire population of Nthon, and adopted almost as unanimously by

the populations of Wellington and New Plymouth. Although ihe prayer ot that memorial — the dismissal of Governor Fitzßoy — was anticipated before the document itoelf could reach England, the admirable reasoning with which that memorial abounded on the native and other vital questions affecting the welfare of the colony, was fully appreciated by the Colonial Minister; and there can be little doubt but that it contributed .largely to the reversal of that policy which Government hitherto pursued towards New Zealand, and which had led to so many disasters. He would echo a sentiment expressed by the gentleman who had proposed Mr. Mackay, and say, that when discussing public questions, private friendship should not be suffered to. have any influence. He (Mr. Elliott) had no wish to speak disrespectfully of Mr. Mackay in his private capacity — as a good settler and liberal host, he would give him every credit. Nor .vould he even deny to Mr. Mackay a certain usefulness as a politician, for he believed the House of Representatives was indebted to him for many of its comforts and conveniences. He did not, however, intend to draw any comparison between the services which Mr. Mackay could render the Province of Nelson and the colony at large, if elected to a seat in the house of Representatives, and those which they might expect to obtain from Mr. Domett. To weigh the services which one of these gentlemen could render against the other would be an insult to Mr. Domelt. an insult to the understanding of the The one hail a mind filled with trivialities, scarcely rising above questions of silks and cottons, threads and children's socks; the other was a man of highly cultivated understanding, capable of grasping all questions affecting human progress, and of framing and carrying out a policy for human improvement. To hesitate between the choice of two such men, was what the electors of NcLon could not be guilty of. Mr. Mackay has treated them with a long list of his intended doings if elected, from revising the tariff downwards, but what did they all amount to? A number of matters, all, it was true, very useful in their way, but many of them unworthy of a place in a hustings speed), from their matter-of-course character. The probable extent of Mr. Mackay's services to the province, the electors could gather from that gentleman's own speech; but if they elected Mr. Domett, they would have for the colleague of their Superintendent one of the? most able and experienced men in the colony, with every probablity of seeing a representative of the town of Nelson become one of the highest executive officers, by which we should obtain a direct voice in the government of the colony. The importance of this had been so fully shown by Dr. Monro. that it was not necessary that he should further refer to it, and he would conclude by expressing a confident hope that the electors of Nelson would set the right man in the right place, and that he should have the satisfaction of teeing Mr. Domelt their representative.

In reply to questions put hy Mr. Curtis, Dr. Monro said that Mr. Domett's name was on the electoral roll, and he could therefore be elected by any constituency. There could be no objection on the part of Government to his going, although he tilled the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands, for many other Government officers had gone to the Council during the previous sessions at the bidding 1 of Government. He could not positively say whether Mr. Domett would accept a heat, if elected to one, because he had not yet received an answer to a letter in which he informed Mr. D.imett of the intention to bring him forward ; but he had very little doubt of his accepting the office if the electors conferred that honor upon him.

Mr. Curtis wished to be informed, in the event of Mr. Domett being elected for both Waimea and Nelson, which ot the constituencies he would choose to represent.

Dr. Monko could scarcely reply to that question ; but he had no doubt that Mr. Dometi's friends would withdraw him from that constituency where he had the least chance of success.

Mr. Curtis regretted that be could not speak from a personal knowledge of Mr. Domett; but he had been told by those who did know him, that he had advocated one line of politics one time, and when promoted to a Government situation he had advocated another and different line of politics. He thought this, if true, 6howed Mr. Domett to be a man of a very uncertain state of mind, and he would like to know if such ivas the case?

Dr. Monro replied that he was not aware that Mr. Domelt bad ever changed his principles. Sir G. Grey's conduct as Governor had not at all times received the approba'ion of the public, and his officials often came in for a share of public odium to which they were not entitled, tie knew that on more than one occasion Mr. Domett voted against the Government of which he was at the time a member, and he believed had often entered his protest Hgainst the acts of the Government in the minutes of the Executive Council. Mr. Domett had received considerable injustice at the hands of the public; but be was satisfied that, should he be elected, he would discharge his duty as their repre sentative honestly and fearlessly.

Mr. Cuktis thought we should be rather degraded if we had to go out of the settlement for a representative, who, he had understood, did nor posHeßß a single bit of property here, and that it would also be a reflection on the gentleman who had hitherto served them so well and had devoted so much of his time to committees and other public duties.

Dr. Monro did not subscribe to the view expressed by Mr. Curtis. He alluded to England, and particularly to the instance of Joseph Hume, and others in which constituencies sometimes went to very great distances to seek for a representative. He was sorry that Mr. Domett had so little property; but he believed that whatever property he had was in this province.

Mr. Mackay would remark that the reports of the proceedings in the House of Representatives were very defective last session. Had his own remarks been correctly reported, the electors would have found that instead of voting for the old officials getting their pensions at once, he advocated that they should not receive them until they had given up every book and paper (o the new officers who would be ready to take their place. If members did not go to Auckland to do their duty, why should he be blamed ? There were as good fi^h in the sea as ever came out of it,

The Deputy Returning Officer then called for a show of bands for the different candidates, after taking which, he declared the election to have fallen on E. W. Stafford and J. Mackay, Esqrs.

A poll was then demanded by sis electors, on the part of Mr. Domett, and the polling was announced to take on Monday next, the 12th instaut.

ELECTION OP MEMBERS TO REPEESENT THE WAIMEA DISTRICTS. The election of two members to represent the Waimea districts in the General Aserably, took place on Monday, at Richmond. After the Returning Officer had produced and read the writ, Mr. Barnicoat, M.P.C., proposed Mr. C. Elliott as a gentleman in every way qualified to represent the districts. Mr. Elliott's zeal and ability were well known, and to no one was the province under greater obligations for the boon of self-government, Mr. Elliott having been a long and consistent advocate for the introduction of the institutions which the colony was now enjoying. Seconded hy Mr. J. J. Thompson. Mr. C. Kearns proposed W. T. L. Travcrs, Esq , and remarked at some length on the conduct

of Mr. Travers during the late session, and the good service he had rendered this province.

Seconded by Mr. W. M'Rae.

As no other candidate appeared, the Returning Officer declared Mr. Elliott and Mr. Travers duly elected.

Mr. Travers, as one of the late sitting members, Hist addressed the electors, and returned his most sincere thanks for the honour which had been conferred upon him. Although not an elector of the Waimea, nor engaged in agricultural pursuits, the interests of the agriculturists of the province would not the less receive from him every attention. One of the subjects deeply connected with the prosperity of agriculture throughout New Zealand was a satisfactory settlement of the Waste Lands question, and this he should strive by every raeana in his power to bring about. An equitable apportionment nf the Waste Lands revenue, and the removal of the seat of Government to a more central position, were also questions which would claim the early consideration of the new House of Representatives, and in the determination of these he should carefully regard the interests of the Nelson Province. The interests of-Nelson in these questions were nearly identical with those of the other provinces in the Middle Island, and it was of the greatest importance that representatives should be sent from the three Provinces of Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, who would unite in their demands for justice. An instalment of this justice had been already conceded by the Governor, his Excellency having paid over to the Superintendent of Nelson a portion of the money which the General Government had improperly withdrawn from the province; and much was due to his Honor tho Superintendent of Nelson for the char and able manner in which he bad stated the case of this pro* vince to the General Government. When in Auckland, he (Mr. Travers) had called the attention of several of the northern members to his Honor* despatches on the subject of the Nelson land revenue, and after perusing these they at once declared that the money which had been so improperly with* drawn from the province ought to be refunded. After referring to several other questions of great public interest, Mr. Travers concluded by again thanking the electors.

Mr. Elliott, on rising, said that he was deeply sensible of the honour the electors of Waimea had conferred upon him, but he would far rather have seen some other gentleman, and one more intimately connected with the districts, placed in the position of their representative. It wa9 with considerable reluctance he had consented to become a candidate for their suffrages, and would most willingly have retired had any other eligible candidate been brought forward. But 6ince he waa become their member, he would not shrink from the performance of his duty, nor disappoint those who bad reposed confidence in him. It was not, he thought, necessary that he should give any exposition of his principles — as the conductor of their local journal, his principles must be known to all; and he trusted he might be allowed to refer to his past conduct for the fourteen years he had been a Nelson settler, as the best guarantee for bis conduct in future. Among the earliest of Nelson colonists, be had watched the growth of the settlement from its very infancy, and its progress and welfare had always been, and would always continue, first among his thoughts. Although, like his colleague, he was not a Waimea agriculturist, he could claim the honour of being a Nelson farmer; though his interests in that way lay in the Wairau instead of in the Waimea. It waa 'true his present cultivations were small, but he intended to increase (hern, and he hoped to be able to unita agriculture with dairy farming. Indeed, be scarcely knew what prospect of recompense was bo great to a man for the anxieties and toils of life, as the repose and pleasure which might be found in country occupations : and it ever he could getjaway from town and take up a residence in the country, if he did not farm for profit, he should certainly do so for enjoyment ; and when that day arrived, no place could have greater attraction for him than the slopes in the Waimea. He again thanked the electors for the mark of confidence they had bestowed on him, and be trusted that, whenever called upon, he should be able to render a good account of his stewardship.