NOMINATIONS FOR WELLINGTON COUNTRY DISTRICT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4604, 22 December 1875, Page 2

NOMINATIONS FOR WELLINGTON COUNTRY DISTRICT.

Yesterday, at noon, J. O. Crawford, Esq., Returning Officer for the Wellington Country District, attended at the school-house, Kaiwarrawarra, to receive nominations of candidates at the forthcoming election. There was a fair attendance of ratepayers. Mr. Hunt proposed, and Mr. Cameron seconded, Hr. A. de B. Brandon as a lit and proper person to represent the district. Mr. Goldfinch proposed, and Mr. S. Woodward seconded, Mr. E. T. Gillon. Mr. J. H. Wallace was proposed by Mr. W. R. Bonner, and seconded pro forma by Mr. Hdrst. Mr. Brandon, in addressing the electors, said since he had announced himself as a candidate he had put his views so plainly before the ratepayers in different parts of the constituency, that he thought it scarcely worth while to repeat what he had said upon previous occasions. Replying to some remarks made by the proposers of the opposing candidates, to the effect that the district had suffered from his inertia, and that his views on taxation were not 'sound, he said that if his reported speech were read ratepayers would see that there was no ground for the assertion that he was opposed to taxing property. He was opposed to a tax upon land, but he was m favor of taxing property by means of an income tax. He disapproved of a land tax because he thought it unfair to tax small freeholders, or persons who had invested their savings in the purchase of land rather than in merchandise. A land tax was a tax unon a particular class of property holders, while anincomo tax would touchall property holders. He assured them that if returned he -would do his best for the interests of the colony in general, and the AVelliugton Country District in particular. Mr. Gillon did not intend to address them at any length. The views of the candidates were before the electors, and he urged them to weigh well the opinions expressed by Mr. Brandon with those expressed by himself, and give judgment according to their conscience, without taking into account personal considerations. On the last occasion, when he had sought their suffrages, Mr. Brandon had said his' views and ' those of his opponent (Mr. Gillon) wore" identical. (Mr. Brandon ; I think it was yourself said that). No, it was

Mr. Brandon who said it, and he (Mr. Gillon) asked the electors to look at the experience of the past five years, and say whether their views had been identical. Five years ago Mr. Brandon had been a strong ultra-provincialist, and an ultra-provincialist he was now, but he (Mr. Gillon) had on the previous occasion come before them as an anti-pro-vincialist, and on that same platform he again stood before them, satisfied that the abolition of the cumbrous form of government under which the country had groaned so long would prove to be a benefit to the people. On the question of taxation, constitutional changes, status of the Legislative Council, and a variety of other matters, he and Mr. Brandon were distinctly opposed to each other, and he asked that they might be judged according to their views. He would not have come forward had he seen that the district was being properly or efficiently represented, but he had seen that this was not the case, and therefore he had resolved to ask them to elect him. The district was not participating in the general progress of the colony, but was falling behind other districts, and this was to a large extent traceable to the inertia of his friend Mr. Brandon. Under that conviction, he asked them to make a change. Mr. Wallace said he had come forward because he had understood that the electors generally ■ were desirous of a change, and wished to get in place of Mr. Brandon, who had shown great inactivity in looking after the requirements of the district, some one who would be more alive to their interests. He declared he was in favor of abolition of the provinces, and twitted Mr. Brandon with having changed his opinions to obtain support at the election. He mentioned several other topics, but said ,he did not intend to speak at length on them, because as all the candidates had been reported in the Times, the people had an opportunity of knowing exactly what were the sentiments of each. However, he would mention that he was in favor of triennial parliaments ; considered there should be a uniform land law for the whole of the colonies, notwithstanding the compact of 1856, which, if it had ever had more than the force of an understanding, had been broken when an alteration had been made in the law on the right to purchase preemptive rights to native lands. With reference to the attempt of the early settlers to obtain recognition of past services to the colony, he charged Mr. Brandon with having neglected to take any interest in the matter, and the other candidate had been worse. He was not going to be mealy-mouthed in speaking of Sir. Gillon, but should speak out plainly and fearlessly, and challenge him to contradict anything he (Mr. Wallace) might say. One of the gentlemen who had proposed Mr. Gillon had said his writings were known, and quoted from one end of the colony to the other, hut what qualification was that ? In the colony, or even the old country, there were a good many penny-a-liners, who received great consideration at the hands of those with whom they were mixed up in business. As penny-a-liuers, they might be looked up to, but when men were wanted for parliamentary work that was a totally different thing. They did not want editors for parliament. To the early settlers Mr. Gillon had behaved shamefully ; he had not opposed the movement, but had cast upon them every slur he possibly could. In the position he held as editor of the Evtniwj Post, he had heaped upon them every contempt, and every abuse, and assuming the “ we,” and as representing public opinion, had attempted to put them down. He asked them whether the early settlers deserved this. They did not, and he, as an early settler, resented the insult, and threw it hack in the face of the man who offered it. Would they put such a man as Mr. Gillon in to represent them. He hoped not, and said such a person deserved no consideration at their hands. Mr. Brandon had neglected them, but Mr. Gillon had gone further, and taken a mean advantage of his position as the editor of a paper to cast a slur upon them. He (Mr. Wallace) claimed that his experience in the past enabled him to give correct opinions upon the leading questions of the day. He believed he had the ability, and he knew he had the willingness and honesty to serve them. Mr. Old Smith ; What about the Horokiwi letter. (A laugh.) Mr. Wallace : I don’t know anything about the Horokiwi letter. You may be sure I shall use every : exertion, and give every attention to the interests of the district. Mr. Old Smith : And your own pocket. (A laugh.) Mr. WALLACE : I am now ready to answer any questions. Mr. Smith (addressing the assemblage, and pointing to Mr. Wallace): I have known this man a number of years, and never yet heard a respectable thing about him. (Loud laughter.) Mr. Wallace : I challenge you to prove anything against me. Mr. Smith was understood to say something about Mr. Wallace having charged commission a second time on a sale which took place some ten month’s ago. Mr. Wallace denied it, and said Mr. Smith had a private grudge. Mr. Smith -. You are a liar ! (Laughter). The Returning Officer pointed out that this was not quite proper. Mr. Wallace (excitedly) : He has made a statement against me, and X challenge him to prove it. Mr. Smith (advancingtowards Mr. Wallace); I can. You are a liar ! Mr. Wallace : And were I to call you a blackguard, I should be telling the truth. Mr. Smith : My character stands higher than yours. Mr. Wallace : You can go and do what you like with your character. You can go and exercise your vote as you like. I don’t respect your vote or you either. Mr. Gillon, having obtained permission to make a personal explanation, said there was not a single word of truth in what had been uttered by Mr. Wallace against him with respect to the early settlers. Mr. Smith ; Ho more there is. It’s all lies. Mr. Gillon went on to say that the whole of the statements made were unqualified falsehoods. He had never said or written a word against the old settlers as a body, though he had a supreme contempt for some of them. He believed no body of men had in the present day gone through so much as the early settlers of New Zealand, and, therefore, he respected them. Mr. Wallace : It is all very well to say that now. Mr. Gillon : I give the whole thing an unqualified denial, and I don’t know that Mr. Wallace could have the matter put much plainer. Mr. Wallace said he had stated the truth. The paper of which Mr. Gillon had been editor had contained slanders against the old settlers, and he held Mr. Gillon responsible for publishing them. The Returning Officer called for a show of hands, with the following result : —Gillon, 14 ; Brandon, 8 ; Wallace (including his own), 3. A poll was demanded, and the proceedings then terminated.