OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4499, 21 August 1875, Page 3

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(from our own correspondent.) Dunedin, August 16. In a day or two I suppose we shall be in the thick of the election struggle, Provincialism v. Abolition, and there can be no question but that upon this occasion it will be measures and not men that will carry the day. At one of Mr. Stout's meetings—l think the one at the li'orbury which, being composed wholly of his own constituents, was represented to have been enthusiastically against abolition at that meeting, I say, Mr. Stout, if he did not state positively that he would not go to the Assembly this year, even if a chance offered, at least led his hearers to believe so. This, however, was before Mr. Tolmie's death, when indeed there was not the slightest chance of his being called upon to go to Wellington, and no doubt Mr. Stout thought he might very safely make the assertion. On the death taking place, however, notwithstanding what he had said, a requisition was presented to him, and he then said that he placed himself in the hands of the electors—that if they chose to elect him they could, but that he would go to no expense or trouble in tho matter. In fact, he treated the whole thing very cavalierly and with the greatest sangfroid. But at this time it was not in certain circles thought there would be any opposition, and it was considered certain that he would have a walkover. And judging from ono or two telegrams, the same opinion seemed to prevail at Wellington ; why, I know not, unless in certain circles the wish were father to the thought. However, this opinion so far as Duncdin was concerned was soon found to bo premature, for the abolitionists of this city did not mean to allow their principles to receive such a check as to be trodden upon without a blow. A very influential and numerously signed requisition was accordingly presented to Mr. W. J. Larnach, chairman of directors of the Colonial Bank, and for years past one of our leading men. Mr. Larnach was known to be a strong abolitionist, and at the same time a thorough expert at financo, and this is no doubt one reason why ho does go in for abolition. Unfortunately most of those who go in for provincialism, at least among the masses, have not been able to understand the Abolition Bill as laid before tho House. Were they all so clear-headed as Mr. Larnach on the question of figures, and had studied the Bill as well as he, then I think there would be very few provincialists in New Zealand except the Executives and hangers-on

of these good old effete institutions. In the meantime the candidates are about to address the electors in the various districts, for although the electoral district is called "Caversham," Green Island, Forbury, Anderson's Bay, and the Peninsula are all taken in. Mr. Stout is no doubt very pjpular in Caversham, Ins own particular little district, but in the others Mr. Larnach will certainly have a strong majority. No doubt Mr. Stout is a better, a more specious, and a more plausible speaker of the two; but for all that, it is generally considered that his opponent will get in, and odds are being offered in his favor by those who know the man and the people in the district which he wishes to represent. The nomination takes place on Wednesday and the polling on .Friday, so that very little time is being lost ; in the meantime each candidate is nightly about to address the electors. It is' confidently expected that the matter will be decided in tune to allow the " returned," whoever he may be, to get away to Wellington in time to vote on the Abolition Bill. The result will be known on Friday night, and a steamer leaves for W ellington on the following afternoon, so that it will be as well if each gentleman prepares himself for a start beforehand, because when the result is once known there will be little time to pay the washerwoman or look after new paper fronts and collars. With regard to the question of abolition generally there is no very strong feeling shown here by the people one way or another. The Press have daily leaders on the subject, but with a very different refrain. The Guardian —which by-the-bye is going to get "fits" from Mr. Stout at his meeting to-night—day by day points out the strong necessity for the Bill being passed this session. The Times, on the contrary, asks for delay, and says that every day the discontent of tho people with the proposed measure becomes stronger, and that it is not difficult now to understand why their "precious chicken" should not chip the shell until the last moment. It says the only chance of passing such a measure was to bring it forward with some bounceableness, and this is what they allege the Government have done. The article in question goes on to say: "It is satisfactory to know that in so far as Otago is concerned the public is thoroughly determined, and desires the postponement of the question, for two reasons, viz., that the details of the measure are most unsatisfactory, to the country districts especially, and that tho political immorality of passing such a measure through a moribund Parliament is unprecedented, aud impertinent to the electors." Is it ? Then why don't the electors say so. With the exception of Auckland—the people of which province are at present under the ban of Sir George Grey, but the scales will soon fall off from their eyes—with, I say, the exception of Auckland, and a few people in a suburban district in Otago, who are just as much under the "spell" of Mr. Stout (can it be because he is a spiritualist), as the people of Auckland are under the spell of Sir George Grey, every meeting that has yet been held in the colony, and they amount to a good many in the aggregate, has pronounced unhesitatingly for abolition. And if it come to a question of country districts even in Otago, then there can be no doubt that those districts are eagerly asking for a change. On Wednesday last a large public meeting was held at Lawrence, when a motion in favor of the immediate abolition of tho provinces was carried unanimously. In the next issue of the Ttta-pel-a Times, that journal says : "After the very decided expression of opinion adopted by the meeting of Wednesday, the member for this district (Mr. J. C. Brown) will, we should think, see fit to modify his original intention. It will be within the recollection of our readers that before leaving for Wellington he gave the district to understand that he meant to support the proposal for getting the abolition question delayed until next session. And now that there has been such a decided expression of opinion here, we do not see how he can do otherwise than give the Bill his support. Both in public meeting, and through the Municipal Council, the proposal has been warmly espoused, and in the face of that espousal it would be very singular indeed to find the representative voice speaking and acting against it. Now that the local progress committee have set the ball rolling, we hope to see it taken up by other bodies throughout the district." Yet in the face of this, and the undoubted fact that nine men out of ten in Otago are abolitionists, the Otago Daily Times sets itself up as Sir Oracle on the question, and says we want delay—"we" are Otago, ergo Otago wants delay. Well, we shall see if " Otago," in the shape of the Daily Times, is correct in its premises.

We have had some very changeable weather here during the last week, but on the whole it has been magnificent.