Correspondence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 72, 5 December 1855, Page 2

Correspondence.

MOTUEKA ELECTION.

To the Editob of thb 'Nelson Examinee.*

Sib — Fearing that Mr. Salisbury's address to the electors of Motueka, published in your paper of the 7th instant, may leave a wrong impression on the minds of some of your readers, I beg the favour of your inserting in your columns the following remarks respecting thiß election. When the late House of Representatives waa dis-

solved, the electors of this district were desirous of obtaining the services of some gentleman able and willing to represent them in the next Assembly ; and having confidence in Mr. Parker, one of their representatives in the Provincial Council, they applied to him to allow himself to be nominated, but this gentleman replied, that he feared the personal sacrifice was more than he was prepared to make. Mr. Salisbury was then brought forward bj his friends, and the electors generally not being well acquainted with him, had no objection, provided his political views were such as they could approve of. The electors wished Mr. Salisbury publicly to explain his principles before the nomination t that in case they were not satisfied, they would have an opportunity of looking about them for another candidate, but this wish he purposely failed to comply with, contenting himself with stating, in his reply to the requisition of his friends, that he "should be happy to afford the explanation on the day of nomination." Now the object of this delay, this staving off the question until the last moment, until in fact it would be too late to get another candidate in the field, could not fail to be seen through by the most casual observer.

The electors finding themselves in this position again appealed to Mr. Parker, who, after considerable hesitation, consented to make the required sacrifice, and allow himself to be brought forward should Mr. Salisbury's explanation prove unsatisfactory. Fortunate for the electors was it that they had thus secured Mr. Parker's consent to serve them in case of need ; — the statements and replies of Mr. Salisbury on the nomination day were most objectionable io the great, majority of the electors, who were, in consequence, l under the necessity of calling upon Mr. Parker to redeem his promise. Afl to the canvass immediately afterwards commenced by Mr. Parker's friends, it is not true that they "demanded and obtained written pledges for him from many of those who but a few days previously had pledged themselves to support Mr. Salisbury. A committee having been formed for the purpose, as a matter of course they did call on the electors indiscriminately, and some whose names had been attached to Mr. Salisbury's requisition declared their intention of voting for Mr. Parker : but why was this ? A public meeting of the electors was convened for the 29th October, when Mr. Salisbury and some of his friends attended, and made this very charge against these "pliant electors," who fortunately were present to answer for themselves : and what were their answers ? The first person arraigned by name was William Egginton, who replied that one of »Mr. Salisbury's canvassers, when asking for his signature to Mr. Salisbury's requisition, told him that Mr. Parker (whose opinion was supposed to have some influence with Egginton) was favourable to Mr. Salisbury's election, and from*this representation he allowed his name to be put down. Mr. Mickel, another elector, residing at Eiwaka, then asserted that he was told by Mr. Salisbury's canvasser that all the electors on the Biwaka plain approved of Mr. Salisbury. Charles Green, sawyer and an elector, then said that Mr. William Giblin, when canvassing him for Mr. Salisbury, stated, "Why, your mate, Mr. Noden, has signed the requisition." But it afterwards turned out that Mr. Noden had not sighed at all. Mr. Giblin did not attempt to deny this statement ; indeed^ the tables were completely turned. Mr. Salisbury had attempted to show that some unknown person connected with Mr. Parker's supporters had used, as he asserted, "undue and underhand influences" with these "pliant electors" to induce them to withdraw their promises, when it was clearly and publicly proved that this had not been the case, but that undue influences and misrepresentations had been used by his own canvassers in obtaining their promises. These circumstances having occurred at a public meeting, and in Mr. Salisbury's presence, are patent to the public ; still they would not now be mentioned had not his address provoked it. "Such is the state of things at Motueka," that the electors are happy in being sufficiently enlightened and intelligent to be able to judge for themselves whether or not a gentleman is fitted to represent their views in the Legislature of the colony. They did not consider that Mr. Salisbury possessed the requisite qualifications j and if any further proof were wanting to confirm them in this opinion than they were before in possession of, Mr. Salisbury has furnished it in his address. I beg more particularly to call your attention to one statement of his at the nomination, reported in your paper of the 3rd November, that he considered the ballot "perfectly ridiculous." I will remind you that Mr. Salisbury many years ago stood 'a contested election as a candidate for a seat in the iHouse of Commons, for Lancaster ; so that politics must not be supposed to be new to ldm. Knowing this, and that the subject of the ballot at home could not have failed often and often to have forced itself on his consideration, and hearing him so recently declare his opinion thereon, that it was " perfectly ridiculous," yhat was my surprise when I found that he " begins to think for the first time in his life " (and he is not a young man) " that the ballot is becoming necessary, not for the protection of the poor man, the cry so piteously advocated in England," no, but "to give the educated classes fair play, of which their present position now seems to deprive them."

. The "pity" Mr. Salisbury affords to " those pliant electors who allowed him a loop-hole for his escape," he should have kept for himself; for, even supposing those pliant electors were faithless, how can he from this justify his own conduct towards his supporters ; his want of faith in not coming to the poll, after keeping it open; running off to Nelson on the day of election, without the slightest explanation (for he could not think that your paper of the 7th would be seen at Motueka before the election on the Bth) P Mr. Salisbury evidently, from his address, thinks that lie shirked his duty, but, being shown a loophole, he gladly jumped through, it. One -would think that bo honourable a man would have been above making such a sorry excuse : however, he was " too glad" to have thi* excuse to make : — " My only object in keeping open the poll will be, to allow those electors who have signed my requisition " (including his best friends and most active supporters) "an opportunity of recording their votes against me, .should they feel disposed to do so." Surely his friends must feel proud of the moral courage displayed by their man. I have heard of masters placing money in their servants' way to try their honesty. Ido not quite understand what Mr. Salisbury intends to insinuate by stating that his "especial thanks are due to our legislators, who publicly sanction and maintain that written pledges given one' day may be recalled the next, should it Buit the purpose or inclination of any one to do so." At the public meeting on the 29th October, our three repre» •^ntatives in the Provincial Council were present, and took part in the proceedings ; but that either of them sanctioned or maintained, or even gave the slightest reason for any one to suppose, that " written pledges given one day may be recalled the next," I most emphatically deny, and I know Mr. Salisbury's friends and supporters will bear me out in this. By what infatuation Mr. Salisbury was induced to make so gross a misstatement, or what either of our representatives said which led him to form so unjust and unfounded a conclusion, lamat a loss to imagine ; but it is all of a piece with this " delicate morsel " of composition. Talk of the educated classes, I should be sorry to believe that there are many gentlemen to be found amongst them who would have attached their signatures to such a pitiful, splenetic wail of disappointment and spite as is conspicuous throughout the whole of Mr. Salisbury's address. It is perfectly unprecedented in the history of elections for a defeated candidate to vent his spleen and vexation publicly upon a whole constituency in the terms which Mr. Salisbury has thought fit to adopt. I am, &c., Biwaka, November 10. An Elbctob.