MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. — WEST TOWN WARD.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 577, 25 October 1851, Page 2

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. — WEST TOWN WARD.

The adjourned Meeting of the Burgesses oC this Ward was held on Wednesday evening at the White Halt Hotel. It was one of the largest meetings we have seen in Auckland, a number of the residents in the adjoining Wards being present. Mr. Bain, the Chairman of the previous Meeting, was again called on to preside. Mr. Bruce stated that at Captain Daldy's request he begged to withdraw that gentleman's name from the list of candidates, as he found that the duties of his business would not permit him to attend properly to those of a Councillor. The questions which had been advertised by the Committee were brought under consideration, as indicating subjects on which it was desirable that the Burgesses should be made acquainted with the views of the candidates. Dr. Bennett, referring to the questions seriatim, stated in substance as follows : — He would enter the Council willing and desirous to secure every practicable improvement in the Charter, but with a determination to work it honestly and fully as it stands in the meantime, so as to extract from it as much good for the community as possible ; — he would endeavour by all proper means to obtain increased endowments, particularly endowments of land> which he considered the best, as being most permanent, as well as independent of the comparatively uncertain votes of a Provincial Council ; at the same time, he would take every means of getting aid from such Council ; and, under the provisions of the new Ordinance which gives the people a right to elect two-thirds of its members, he anticipated that there would be little difficulty in obtaining such aid : — as respects taxation, he thought it would be premature to say in what particular mode it ought to be levied ; his general principle would be to equalize it as far as possible, so as to guard against any class of the community, or any individuals, being burdened unfairly as compared with others : — on the question of the Suffrage, he deemed it a most valuable featuie of the Charter that it established so ex-* tensive a franchise, and he would be opposed to any attempt to narrow this: — on the question of an additional member for each of the Town. Wards, he regarded the Suburban Wards as virtually Town Wards, and there was every probability that members would be returned for them whose property would be so much in Town as to give them an immediate interest in it. With this in view, considering the extent of the Borough, he should not deem it fair that the Town and Suburbs should return nine members, out of fourteen, and therefore, if the Boundaries of the Borough should remain as extended as they are, and if the total number of Councillors should also remain the same, he could not consider it equitable to make the suggested addition to the Town representation. He should, however, be willing to consider any le-modelling of the arrangement which might appear consistent with justice, always holding to his belief that the interests of the Town and the Country are not hostile, but identical, and should be dealt with as such. In reply to a direct and formal question proposed by Mr. Griffin, Dr. Bennett explicitly declared that in conducting the New Zealander he had been at full liberty to form and express his own views, without being fetteied by any external influence. He deemed it due to the Government to say that they had never tried to influence him. And as for himself personally, he had never received a sixpence in money or in any other form from the Government, and he was perfectly independent of Government influence^

Dr. Lie had written his answers to the inquiries proposed by the Committee, and read them as follows :—: — '" Ist. I should enter the council with a desire to reform any objectionable clauses in the Charter. \ " 2nd. The almost total want of endowmeut to set in motion and cany on the Corporation, forms -my greatest objection ; therefore I should feel it my duty, to take legitimate steps to obtain a Grant from the General Revenue of this Province, for Corporation purposes, either by means of a deputation of the Corporation, waiting on the Governor, or by Memorial to Her Majesty the Queen " 3rd. Pending the reply to such Deputation or Memorials, I should (dm in? such interval) feel opposed to any extensive taxation, but would recommend a light tax upon hawkers, horse and caits, car^o, and water men's boats, dogs, &c. After a reply to such Memorial or Deputation, referred to, should the Corporation then decide on taxation, I should advise a small tax on "The Suffrage" as a just obligation for its enjoyment, or in other words, as " The qualification" of an Elector being that of " occupation of a tenement." So, I think the occupant of such tenement should in justice bear his reasonable portion of taxation, and not the freeholder. " 4th. Universal Suffrage being in accordance Ixvith. my own views, and the axiom of the present Charter I should oppose any attempt to interfere with the suffrage of occupancy. " sth. Ihe greatest bulk of taxes will be raised in the three Town Wards, therefore they have an equitable title to Two or more Councillor." Mr. Patrick Bignan having been proposed as a candidate, stated his views briefly. He would endeavour to carry out the provisions of the Charter faithfully, for there was nothing in it opposed to his principles; and would take all proper means of getting additional endowments; but he thought that these steps should be taken in a respectful manner, and not in the way of remonstrance with the Government, for he had seen abuse tried and found that nothing was to be obtained by it : — he could not then say, what particular taxes should be imposed, but he would strive to make them bear equally on all : — he would maintain the present suffrage, and if he could, extend it: — he would support a proposal for giving an additional member to each of the Town Wards, as he thought the greater part of the taxes would be raised from Ihe Town. The special business of the Meeting having now been brought to a close, Mr. Griffin proposed a Resolution designed to remove an impression that the Meeting was to determine on a particular candidate, with the understanding that the minority was to acquiesce in the choice of the majority. After some discussion the Resolution was adopted in the form in which j it will be found in our advertising columns. Thanks were voted to the Chairman for his impartial conduct in the Chair ; on the motion of Mr. T. Lewis, thanks were also voted and to Mr. Gkiffin, the Secretary of the Committee, tor the care and ability with which he had drawn up the Minutes, &c, and otherwise advanced the business. The Meeting then separated, having on this, as on former occasion, been characterised by the most creditable good order and regularity in its proceedings.

The Bishop of New Zealand will, we are informed, preach in St. Paul's Church on to-morrow (the 26th inst.), when a collection will be made in aid of the Northern Missions, on the services of which his Lordship, with the Bishop of Newcastle, has been personally and actively engaged during his recent voyage in the Border Maid. Fatal Boat Accident. — Praiseworthy Conduct of a Native. — We regret to state that a fatal accident occurred on Tuesday evening, by the upsetting of a boat, in consequence of a squall, between the Watchman and Callan's Bay. Two men were in her, one of whom, a black man, was saved by the intrepid endeavors of an old Maori named Kiri Wera, in the service of Mr. Gundry, who immediately put out in a dingy, which, however, was so small that when the individual he rescued was brought into it, it was in danger of sinking, and no aid could possibly be afforded to the other in time to save him. The unfortunate man who was lost was the comrade of the black man, but he knew him only by the name of " Ned." His body has not been found. We are informed that Kiri Wera displayed a humane promptitude, in efforts not free from considerable peril to himself, which merits high commendation, and which we should be glad to see recognised in some such manner as that in which the Government have, in recent instances, wisely rewarded similar conduct on the part of other Natives. Coroner's Inquests. — An Inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at Onehunga, before Dr. Da-vies, Coroner, on the body of Captain David Smale, one of the three persons drowned in the Manakau on the 7th inst., by the capsizing of the Government cutter Maori. The evidence was limited to that of the Native who found the body at the Wahu creek, and that of a policeman, who received it from him and identified it. All the parties who were saved on the occurrence of the melancholy accident are absent at the Waikato ; consequently the particulars of the disaster could not be formally ascertained at the inquiry. The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally drowned on the 7th instant" — On the 20th inst., an inquest was held on the body of Piers Geale, E^q., which was found on the morning of that day, and a similar verdict returned. Tenders Rhquired. — It will be seen by our advertising columns that Tenders are called for by the Colonial Secretary for excavating earth in Queen Street, and by the Commissariat Department for cartiog scoria from Mount Eden to the magazine in Albert Barracks.