NOMINATION OF MEMBERS AT THE HUTT.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 839, 17 August 1853, Page 3

NOMINATION OF MEMBERS AT THE HUTT.

Last Friday was the day, appointed for the nomination of Candidates for the honor of representing the Him Disttict in the Provincial Council. A temporary Hustings was erected in ihj yard of the Aglionby Arms, and flags and streamers beyond the bridge served to give a-gay and holiday appearance to tiie scene. A considerable number of voters attended. the nomination with favors at iheir breasts, but the universal colour was light blue, and it seemed pretty clear ihe Hutt electors had made up their minds .as to the men o( their choice. Mr. St. Hill, the Returning Officer, in opening the proceedings said that since the Proclamation of the Constitution, the Huit settlers by their frpquent meeJogs and discassions had shewed themselves to be fully alive to the duiies and responsibilities of their position. Ma thought the privileges-which had been conferred upon them coul 1 not be too highly estimated, and as a whole that the New Constitution would be a most acceptable boon to New Zealand. Mr. St. Hill theu gave a word of advice as to the filling up of ths polling papers, and begged the electors would give to each speaker a patient hearing. (Cheers.) Mr. M'Hardik proposed Mr. J. Sellar as a candidate, he was not a man to jump Jim Crow, or deceive them, but if elected would exercise the trust committed to him for the good of all, and if he lost their confidence would return*"to ihem ihe power conferred upon him, Mr. M'Ewen amiJ some interruption seconded Mr. Sellar's nomination, Mr. Scott said- the Hutt electors had taken the lead in the proceedings connected with the introduction of the Constitution ; they had held numerous meetings, and every man had shewn himself deeply impressed with a sense of the importance of his new duties. He would propose Mr. Mason as a candidate, a man who was well kootvn to them, and who was highly respected. A good deal diad been said about Mr. Mason's not con ing 'forward at -ttheir public meetings, but some of their meetings had been of a sto;my character, and Mr. Mason was a quiet man. He (Mr. Scott) wished to see four good men elected. After many solioitalions Mr. Mason had consented to be put in nomination ; he had taken no active part, and bad no personal interest to serve, and Mr. Mason's bare word woo d be better than another man's asseveration. His bare word would be sufficient in the Resident Magistrate's Court. (Cries of "he's a quaker.)" if they elected Mr. Mason they would be sure he would always speak his real sentiroptrs, and if they studied their own interests ihey would return him to the Council a? their representative, Seconded by Mr. J. White.

Mr. Vennel amid a good deal of hissing proposed Captain Daniell as a candidate. Mr. Buck seconded Capt. Daniel's nomination, and thought they could not return a belter man. (Hisses.) Mr. Jaokson proposed Mr. Lodlam as a fit and proper person to represent the Hutt setters in the Prorincial Council, {Cheers.} There was no occasion for him to expatiate on Mr, Ludlam'a good qualities^ a* he could speak for himself. He could recommend him to the electors as an honest man, 'and therefore a good ■representative. '(Cheers.) Seconded by Mr. Copeland, Mr. Potts proposed Mr. Alfred Ren all as a ' candidate/ be bad been the champion of the -Hutt settlers, and had stack to them through thick and thin, and he was sure "they would return him. (Cheers.) Seconded by Mr. Cole. Mr. Philips amidst loud chews proposed Mr. E. G. Wakefield as a candidate to represent them. They had heard -night after night slanders Uttered against him which had been proved to be untrue. Mr. Wakefield had told them he would, if elected, clearly substantiate all he had said, would have the whole affair of the Company's debt sifted to the bottom. The people from Wellington had tried to poison their mindfi, but be hoped they would see justice done so that 'tbeir children, he meant those who bad childrn (laughter), would never upbraid them for neglect-, •ing their duty. Mr. Wakefield bad taken up the •cause of the working man, and would look to- their interests, and ..they should do by him as he would do by them. (Cheers.) ' Mr. Trotter seconded Mr. Wakefield's nomination (•* well done old boy ") and said there was -no occasion for him to speak for ono who; could so well speak for himself. 'Captain Daniell handed in the following protest. I, Edward Daniell, as an elector and candidate for the Htitt District, do hereby protest against Mr. E. 6. Wakefield as a candidate for the representation of this district, unless proof be afforded that be has fulfilled the condition of clause 8 in the Constitution Act : — •Inasmuch as, though >he may have been duly registered as an elector, I am not satisfied that he is legally qualified as a member,, as required by clause 6 ; and I hereby give notice, that should Mr.E. G. Wakefield be returned as a member, I shall present a petition to the -Provincial Council against his return. -'(Signed) Edward Daniell, Hutt, ■Settler. 'The Hutt, Augusts, 1853. The Reluming. Officer declined to receive it. Mr. Wakefield requested to be allowed to sea 'tbe protest which was handed to him. Mr. Lawson proposed Mr. G. Hart as a can.didate to represent them, and from his knowledge of him was satisfied he had always endeavoured to benefit the wo/king men. To those 'to whom be had let land, on tbeir making known their wishes, .he had granted purchasing clauses,' and he was sure he would faithfully represent their wishes and wants. He was neither Mr. Wakefield's' nominee, nor his satellite, but would do the best be could for their interests, and he hoped they would give him a 'hearty welcome us a candidate (cheers.) Mr. Moore said, that in seconding Mr. Hart's nomination he might perhaps be open to a charge of intrusion, but he felt great sympathy and admiration at tbe meetings and discussions which had taken place at the Hutt, which had produced f a wholesf me emulation, and which be believed had not been without their good results. He was glad to see the same good order which had always attended their meetings observed on the ■present occasion. Mr. Hart was in bis estimation worthy to represent any community, he had a good clear bead, an honest heart, and fixed principles, and deserved their confidence. Mr. Hart was no iparty man or identified with any set of men, he was convinced he bad only one object in view, and that was to carry out the best wishes of the electors. He was glad to see Mr. Hart's nomination so well received by tbe electors, and was satisfied he had established himself in tbeir confidence (cheers.) Mr. Sella'R had felt some reluctance in coming forward as a candidate, bat having been ■solicited be felt bound to come forward and place v his services at their disposal. He bad nothing to gain by this -step, tad sought Beitbw place nor emolument, and if he had auy talent he would •use it for tbeir advantage. (Be was for a reduction in tbe price of waste lands which one way or tbe other would have a great effect on the future of the Colony, and would endeavour to . 'keep open a district for small farms. He was opposed to the New Zealand Company 1 * debt, which unless reduced instead of leaving them any surplus would leave them overwhelmed with debt. He wished to see the revenue carefully managed, and every means taken to make it go as far as possible. He was opposed to over paid officials, but wished to see every man fairly paid for his labour. He was m favour of a land tax, to the necessity of which all parties seemed agreed, but he would have it on a graduated scale, as there were different -cissies '-of lands — some were freehold, some were held by lease from tbe natives, others from the Government, and tbe same tax should not be levied alike hi all cases; the amount raised should, he thought, be expended in the respective districts in which it was collected, (bear) in improving the district roads. The main , lines, he thought, should be placed on a different footing. Mr.HSellar "concluded by stating he . would vote for compensation to those who had suffered during tbe native disturbances, and if he could not carry out their views would resign. Mr. Mason said he came forward as an un- ' willing candidate as he bad never taken any part in politics. With regard to compensation he could come to no other conclusion than that those who had really suffered losses in the Native disturbances ought to be compensated by tbe New Zealand Company. He desired to see the price of land as low as possible that every man might have such' facilities for obtaining land as were given in America, and when sold would have a land tax imposed, for if tbe land was worth having it was worth paying a tax for. He bad taken no part in local politics, but bis interest was identified with theirs, and whenever called upon by them would, if elected, resign the trust committed to him. Captain Daniell said he was one of the oldest settlers* and bad unfortunately been the first to, subscribe £500 to the formation of the settlement. He had been one of the first who had been placed in the Commission of the Peace, and had also been dismissed by Captain Hobson. Oo a representation of his case to the Home Government

he had also been reinstated. He had always advocated the cause of freedom, and those who knew him aod approved of him would give him their vote, aud those who did nol would turn their backs on him which would please him just as well. He profened to be.- in favour of cheap land. (Interruption). " f - Mr. Wakefield as an elector would not apologise for the question he was about to put to Captaiu Daniell, as he put it for the information of him■elf and his fellow electors. He wished to ask ; Captain Daniell upon bis honor as a gentleman if that protesVhad originated solely with himself, or if he bad conferred or consulted with any other person concerning it t ' Mr. St. Hill said the protest had been set aside by him and •could not be received. ; Mr. Wakefield said be bad put this question before the electors in order to ascertain as an elector whether the protest bad come out of Weilngton. He wished to know with whom the protest tffiginated. Captaiu Daniell said he had no right to answer that question, but he bad no hesitation in stating in reply that the protest did not originate with any other individual than himself. -Mr. Ludlam, who was greeted with loud cheers, said the time had now arrived for the electors to nominate their candidates, to-morrow they would by their votes declare who they most approved of. He came before them not as a candidate who had caavassed every elector, be i bad never directly or indirectly solicited a tingle vote, nor asked one elector how he intended to vote. It bad been said he had jumped Jim Crow, but he would enter into that point fully. He (Mr. L.) was -one of the first to recommend the -electors to hold public meetings that they might discuss and fully understand what they had to do, meetings at which all parties should be invited to attend, and that they should vote for those men to represent them who had their confidence. Mr. Fitzherbert in his smooth oily way (cheers) had attempted to influence them. He (Mr. L.) could understand and defend himself from fair and open attacks ; but he could not understand these underhand attempts to injure ; him that were made behind his back, and be did not think the public would listen to them .(hear.) Then Captain Daniell came with a resolution from Wellington ready cut and dried, and tried to blind the electors, and said he would move heaven and earth to prevent his election because he (Mr. L.) had been a Nominee, but it was not in Captain Daniell's power to injure him with the people (cheers.) He was opposed to the -compensation job by which a body of land owners | bad helped themsekes to the public lands. They i had treated the settlers as the beggar woman treated the child she had borrowed to excite compassion ; she had pincbed the child until its cries excited the sympathy of the public, and had put the halfpence in her own pocket (cheers ' and laughter.) The land purchasers had acted in a similar manner ; they had said, let us divide a lot of land amongst ourselves, and men i had actually received compensation for making money (bear, hear.) He was totally opposed to such .proceedings, he never had and -never would receive a j farthing of -compensation <(hear..) He thought the old Hutt settlers entitled to compensation for their sufferings during the native disturbances, but when they had established their claims let them be compensated in hard cash. He had never opposed these claims, but be was opposed to compensation in land which he considered was a had system. His opponents bad come to him, and had thought he would have been fool enough to join them ; they had wished him to join them in their abuse of Mr. Wakefield but he had refused ; he (Mr. L.) was opposed to Mr. Wakefield on many points, but bad refused to join his opponents, and had told them if they canvassed he (Mr. L.) would oppose them by every means in his power. If he (Mr. L.) had joined them, they would have jolly well sold him now (laughter and cheers.) At the next meeting they brought forward a resolution against canvassing, and after that they went round the valley and tried to humbug the electors (cheers.) They came to their meetings to lull them into security, aud then scoured the valley for votes. He had told the electors not to pledge themselves bnt to vote for whom they liked. He (Mr. L.) had lived amongst them for ten years, and would leave them to say whether he jumped Jim Crow or not (no, no,) If , they had confidence in him they would elect him, ■but he had not taken a single step to secure his election. Mr. Ludlam declared himself to be if favor of «faeap land, a land tax, for the extension and improvement of roads, and that power should be given to the Provincial Councils to manage i the waste lands of the Province. He wished to see Steam introduced; and would support a liberal provision for the extension of education. He would vote for an inquiry into the compensation job, and for a reduction of the <:ivil list. He was in favor of the pledge which made tbe representatives responsible to their constituency, it had been called political pap at Wellington, but j he called it political honesty (cheers.) He cautioned the electors about filling op their voting papers, that they should not allow themselves to be juggled by the opposite party, for\ those who wonld canvass would do anything {cheers.) Mr. ■ Ludlam entered into an explanation of his conduct with reference to Mt. Wakefield. Mr. W. ; had told the Governor that at the time of the debate in the House of Commons on New Zealand, be was ill in bed, and Dr. Featberston had said that Mr. Wakefield told him that on tbe nigbt of the New Zealand debate, he (Mr. W.) was in tbe house of Commons. He (Mr. Ludlam) had prepared a resolution exposing these contradictions which he intended to move at one of their ' public meetings, and had applied to Dr, Featherston's friends for leave to use his name, but this leave was not given, and he took no steps in the matter, Dr, Featberston had also said be disagreed with the Hutt memorial/ and has never denied that he said so (cheers.) Mr, Fitzhehbert, who was received with hisses and otber marks of disapprobation, said he would with permission of the meeting refer to Mr, Ludlam's statement which was as false as a man could make. In the presence of some other persons Mr, Ludlam had said to him (Mr. F.) that if he would get the authority of the Superintendent to make use of his name he would show that the statements made by Mr. Wakefield to the Governor and to Dr. Featherston were totally at variance. Mr. Ludlara now states he never had Dr. Featherstou's authority. This gentlemen is a complete lie. (Hisses.) *• Mr. Ludi.am said Mr, Fiuherbert had

thought fit to call him a liar. In answer to whit had just been said he would only state, that Dr. Featherston did not give him leave to use his name until a month or five weeks after the occasion referred to, when the Superintendent would have authorised him to say anything, but he (Mr. L.) did not intend to be made a too! of by any man. He (Mr. L.) would on that occasion have attacked Mr. Wakefield if he bad had permission to use Dr. Featherston's name. C»pt. Daniell : It'« an infernal lie. Mr. Renaxl said be had been one of the deputation that had presented the . compensation Memorial to the Governor, he afterwards saw Dr. Featherston, andhehad expressed himself in favorable termi of it, but wished to give it bis calm deliberation, after which he said ha would be in the Hutt and see him (Mr. R.) In the report drawn up by the Deputation, it was stated that Dr. Featherston had declared his opinion in favor of this application. He had shewed the report to Dr. Featherston who did not wish his name to be brought before a public meeting, but he was told the Deputation could make no report without using his name. At the next public meeting it was believed Dr. Featherston would authorize some person to contradict Mr. Wakefield's statement. Mr. Fitzherbert was asked if he bad authority to do so, but he disclaimed having such authority. (Hear.) He left it to the electors to decide between these statements. Mr. R. said if elected he would promote their interests to the best of his ability. Captain . Daniell, Mr. Sellar, and Mr. Mason bad said they were in favour of compensatiou, but were in no ways agreed among themselves as to any plan. He -was on most public questions of the same mind as Mr. Ludlam, and with regard to | the waste lands be thought to do good, they should be administered on a well considered plan ; the price wai only one part of such a plan. (Cheers.) Mr. Wakefiezb then stepped forward to address the meeting, and was received with three | Tounds of applause. He said that he would not J i add to the irritation which had been caused by I the use on the ■hustings of such elegant language j I at " infernal liar," by using any such language himself, even though the bad example was set to him by gentlemen who piofessed to be great, judges of propriety. They had not met there to indulge in personal abuse, but to perform an important public duty ; and he begged of them to listen in a spirit of sober judgment to the few words that he should have the honor of addressing, to them. It was far from his intention to go * through the various topics of public interest which had been recently discussed at a succession of public meetings in the room close by. On those subjects he could add nothing to what he bad said before-; and be would not fatigue the meeting and himself by repeating over again what he had addressed to them more than once. But ! there was one matter which 'had not been considered by them on any previous oocasion, which had not been discussed in public anywhere else, which be thought ought to have been publicly discussed previous to the elections, and on which therefore hejwould -now express bis own opinions.: he alluded to the subject of (he provincial revenue and expenJiture. (Cries of hear.) Most of the candidates, indeed, bad professed in general terms i their love of economy in the public expenditure. Of course everybody would say that he was friendly to economy ; but such general professions were of small value ; and they really left untouched the important question of the means whereby the Province was to obtain the greatest amount of good by the outlay of its public revenue. (Hear, hear.) As a newly arrived immigrant be bad looked about him very diligently, and he had been able, in the course of the last few months, to asfk some twenty or thirty strangers, visitors or newly arrived immigrants, what they thought of the state of the Wellington settlement. Unfortunately every one of them agreed with him in | thinking that it was most unsatisfactory. The state of the roads, for example, was perfectly disgraceful. (Hear, bear.) He could hardly call the roads by that name : they were rather lines !of slough and mud holes. (Cheers.) Every day, I and at many places, one could see horses and 1 carts being torn to pieces in struggling with obI stae'es caused by neglect of the roads. If the r< ads were in decent order, »irice as much could be carried with ease as was now carried with great difficulty and at a great cost of wear and tear. (Cheers.) Why were the roads in this wretched condition? Because there was a want of the requisite money for keeping them in repair; and unless the electors of the Province tock good care, that want of money would continue. (Hear, hear.) _ThoHgfc every body was in favour of a land tax, it would be a great mistake to expect ■much revenue from that source at first. For a considerable time the land tax would produce but i a trilling amount. (Hear.) There was only one I main source to which they could look at present | for a revenue for public purposes $ and that source was the proportion of the receipts of duties at the Port of Wellington, which would be handed over to the Provincial Government. Hitherto the bulk of the revenue raised in the Province had been expended on official salaries, {cries of hear) and be warned them that their new constitution would produce but little change in this respect unless they, as electors, watched their representatives in the Provincial Council. (Cheers.) He did not intend to disparage the composition of the Coun- | cil, but only to point out the necessity of watching the members of Council, lest they, being erring mortals as we all are, should be tempted to make no other change in the outlay of the Provincial revenue than that of taking the salaries from the present recipients and dividing them amongst themselves and their friends. (Much cheering.) Unless there were much vigilance on the part of the people, the only change would be turning the present officials out of office and putting other people into their places. (Hear, hear, hear.) Now the change which he desired was a cutting down of the proportion of revenue devoted to salaries. (Cheers.) It was a question of high or low salaries, (cries "of low. 1 ') He was not at present in a condition to form a judgment on the proper amount of salary for any provincial officer. He could not arrive at conclusions on that subject without more enquiry and reflection ; but he knew as they all knew, that in the whole of New Zealand there were not more than 30,000 colonists, reckoning men, women, and children ; and that the present amount of expenditure for salaries was enormous in proportion to that small number of people. (Cheers.) It was very different in all those colonies of England which had enjoyed se f government from the beginning.

When the American war of independence broke out, there were thirteen distinct colonies which engaged in it, each of which bad a distinct and complete government, consisting of a GoTernor, a Legislative upper bouse, and a House of Representatives, with a judicial establishment, a militia and a marine. The population of the thirteen colonies amounted to three millions ; and the I whole public expenditure for those thirteen distinct and complete governments was less than £100,000 a year, (cries of bear.) And the reason was this — that only a small proportion of the revenue was expended on salaries, and those only were paid who earned their salaries by useful work. (Cheers.) Nay, many of tbe higher officers were content to be paid with the honor of their high position amongst their fellow colonists. (Hear, hear.) In tbe New England colonies, the Governors, who were elected by the people, often served without a salary, and in some cases the speakers of the representative assemblies. Those patriotic citizens were even proud to serve in high offices without pay, rather than add to the taxation which always weighs so heavily upon a people who are engaged in settling a new country. (Cheers.) He trusted that the same thing might occur in New Zealand. (Cheers*) He had in bis possession a history of those self governed colonies in America, with some account of their revenues and expenditures ; and if tbe electors of tbe Hutt should send him to tbe council of the Province, he hoped that be should be able to make some good use of that volume. (Cheers.) The principle by which he should be guided was this : that as much as possible of tbe public revenue should be laid out in satisfying the desires of civilized men for whatever tends to preserve civilization, and as little as possible upon salaries. (Cheers.) Nothing upon useless salaries. (Cheers.) Considering the paramount importance of that subject, be had been unwilling to go to the election without having touched upon it; but he would now turn to a topic of more pressing* interest for to-morrow. He ventured to urge upon the electors that they should come early to tbe poll. This election* work was quite new to them ; and they would make sad mistakes if they per- | formed it in a hurry. Let them come early to tbe I polling place, and so have plenty of time for filling up their voting papers with deliberate care. (Hear, hear.) In the doing of unaccustomed business which requires thought, plenty of time for thinking was all in all. What the electors had to take care of was, that tbe voting papers were really filled up according to their intentions with respect to the choice of candidates. If they came early, they would be less apt to caake mistakes, and would bave time to correct such mistakes as should be made. (Cheers.) He would now say a few words about the protect which bad been delivered to the Sheriff by Captain Daniel). That gentleman bad declared, upon his word of honor as a gentleman, that the protest originated solely with himself, and *hat he had »ot consulted or conferred with any other person concerning it. By that declaration he (Mr. Wakefieldjj was disposed to abstain from going at lengifa into the matter of the protest, because be considered that, as tbe act of an individual, it did not merit his serious attention. It was a mere personal offence by Captain Daniell towards bhnselT, and as such be would deal with it for tbe present, {Cheers.) But it had not surprised him. On tbe contrary, it had cured h'rra of a feeling of surprise wbicb be bad entertained for tbe last ten days or a fortnight, during which he bad indeed been surprised that not one man amongst those persons in Wellicgton who were busy in circulating anonymous placards reflecting upon him, should bave tbe courage to exhibit his malice in public so as to become responsible for it. Tbe 'cowardly intrigues against him which had been going on in Wellington, had at last found one person to adopt them in public. -(A cry of "he is uot a «oward"j). He (Mr. WakefieWi) did not say he was a coward. On the contrary he had spoken of bis singular bravery. Knowing that tbe protest was utterly without effect in law, that it was not worth the paper it was written on, that its delivery to the Sheriff was nothing, and could be intended as nothing, but a personal affront towards himself, he bad given Captain Daniell tbe oredit due to him for having come out alone from the intriguers an Wellingteu who were attacking 'him in a secret, underhand, cowardly manner, in order to give some effect to their malice by putting an affront on <him in public (Groans.,) He distinguished Captain Daniell frora the baser intriguers, who wanted courage to attack him otherwise than by anonymous handbills and sneaking insinuations, {groans.^ But he knew who they were. (Cheers.) And what did it all wean? It meant that if they could have their wisb,-they would pass an Act in the Provincial Council to send him back to England. (Loud and continued cheering.) He had a confirmed habit of regarding private conversations as unfit to be brought into public discussion ; but as he would mention no names, he might without impropriety repeat some things which had been said to him by some of those who were now engaged in these intrigues, the object of which was to disgust him with the colony and to drive him away. (Groans.) They had asked him in a friendly and sympathising tone, whether be was not disappointed with tbe colony ; whether he did not find the climate very rough, and the roads very ba'4 ; whether the ill will of some who on bis arrival bad expressed tbe warmest gratitude to him for the services he bad done to the colony, did not make bim feel uncomfortable ; whether he was Dot sick of New Zealand, and so forth. He had not answered their questions, but would do so now in the words which a towu corporation in England had addressed to Queen Elizabeth after the destruction of that Spanish armada which was intended to destroy England. The Mayor and Aldermen had expressed their loyalty in rhyme, thus : — "And quickly your Majesty made it appear The Spaniard had ta'ca the wrong sow by the ear," (Roars of laughter and much cheering.) So he said now ; they had mistaken their man. (Much cheering.) If he were sent to the Council he should soon meet them in a proper place for discussing public questions, and if necessary the questions of this protest. At the present time he would only add that he desired and courted a public discussion with regard to it ; and that if it were not waste paper, except as it was intended as a personal affront — if there were any valH grounds for supposing him to be disqualified for sitting in tbe Provincial Council of" Wellington, it was strange that he should have been a member of tbe House of Assembly of Canada, the greatest of England's colonies, (Cheers;) ~ Though he

would say no more about the protest now, he | would seize the first opportunity of explaining how he hid been so unfortunate as to produce in the minds of some gentlemen at Wellington the wish to drive him out of the colony. He alluded to leading members of the Settlers Constitutional Association, (Hear, hear.) Some of the members of that body insisted that it was they who obtained a free Constitution for New Zealand ; that they alone "fought and won the battle of const?* tutional freedom". In saying this, they immeasureably overrated their own importance. He would' not undervalue their exertions, but could assert, with perfect accuracy, that the indifference of the British public to all colonial questions i* such that a petition or remonstrance from a society at Wellington, in New Zealand, would never even have appeared in an English newspaper r if he (Mr. W.) had not got it inserted ; and that no public man of mark in England ever did take an interest in the subject of obtaining a constitution for New Zealand except at the instigation of himself (Mr. W.) and a few of his. intimate friends. He asserted with confidence that the Wellington Constitutional Association, could have accomplished nothing without his aid (cheers.) But be would not dwell on that subject bow, having only introduced it for the purpose of explaining that, as he had in England effectually co-operated with the Association, so, on bis arrival in New Zealand, he bad felt towards them a warm sympathy, and an earnest desire that he might further co-operat« with them in helping to bring the Constitution into useful effect (cheers.) He had met them with perfect good will and confidence. They bad received him apparently in the same spirit ; for many of them were parties to the address of compliment and congratulation which was presented to him on his arrival. But he had soon discovered that he did not really enjoy their confidence. He was speaking of some of the leaders, with whom alone he had conversed on public matters of interest (hear, bear.) By degrees he discovered that their professions of confidence in him were not sincere ; and at last they drew off from him altogether, so as not even to preserve an appearance of sympathy. He had reflected anxiously and most carefully on the subject of their estrangement from him ; and he was now able to pronounce a deliberate judgment upon it. He was persuaded that they distrusted and disliked him as soon aa they found out that he was incapable •f being their tool (loud cheers); that they now stood aloof from him, and would drive him away if they could, because they had found that it was not in his power to shrink his views of public policy for New Zealand down to the level of their small select vestry malice towards individuals with whom they bad been at war. (Cheering.) They would have had him join in. carrying out the war after the very subject of it was at an end. (Cheers.) According to his notions it was most impolitic, after the constitution was obtained, to continue the old battle against nominees. (Cheers.) He did not know, and did not wish to know, who had been nominees. He had urged that nomineeism, as it' was dead, ought to be forgotten ; and that all who were disposed to pull together for the good of New Zealand should be invited to do so. (Much cheering.) Therefore it was that those of whom he was now thinking, wished to drive him out of the country. (Groans, followed by loud cheers.) He would not be provoked by their malignity. He promised that no abuse of himself, no personal attacks, should induce him to let temper get the better of his judgment* (Cheers.) With men «f every class and party, even with those who now so much distrusted and diitiked him, he was ready to cooperate earnestly and faithfully for the good of the Colony. (Cheering.) And he would now tuna to apleasanter theme. Again urging them to get tbiougb to-morrow 1 s business during that part of the day when electors were least apt to he deprived of tbeir own judgment, by the offer of a glais here and a glass there, and to be tricked oat of their franchise fey the further offer of aid in filling up their voting papers, he would, before retiring, mention that the united Committee appointed at the last public meeting bad a project in view, the execution of which could not but tend to put an end to any heats and anunosities occasioned by the election contest. At tbeir public meetings, when they discussed the subject of land compensation for men, they had often staid so far into the night that the other sex naturally complained of such late doingv, (laughter), and it had been suggested that some compensation was due to them. (Cheers.) It was therefore intended by . the committee, as he understood, that when both elections should be over, all parties in the valley without distinction should be invited to join in getting up some amusement, which would bring them all together in friendly intercourse, and in which the wives and children might participate. {Cheers.) He rejoiced to hear of' the proposal, and should be happy to assist in giving effect to it. (General and prolonged cheering.) Mr. Hart, who was very well received, said it would be in the recollection of electors that he had come forward as a candidate at the solicitation of a deputation cf the electors. He thought the Hutt settlers entitled to compensation, and that that compensation was clearly among the liabilities of the New Zealand Company. He would vote for the strictest inquiry into the New Zealand Company's debt, and would only pay them what was proved to be justly due. He was in favour of cheap land, and was of opinion that the waste lands of the Province should be in the management of the Provincial Council. He would advocate a land tax, and a comprehensive plan of education without any undue preference to any one denomination, and in this respect would follow the plan recently proposed by Lord John Russell. In conclusion he would assure them that he would in his public conduct act up to those principles which regulated his conduct in private life, and would immediately resign if he found he bad lost their confidence. (Cheers.) _ " The Returning Officer having called for » show of hands, the meeting by an overwhelming majority decided in favour of Mr. Wakefield, Mr. Ludlam, Mr. Hart, and Mr. Renall. A poll was demanded by Captain Daniell which was appointed to commence at nine o'clock the following day.