New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4605, 23 December 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23.

.» Messrs. Pearce and Hunter held an open-air meeting last evening at Te Aro, which will be found reported at_ length in to-day's issue. We do not intend ■to travel over the topics covered by these gentlemen in their very able speeches, beyond saying that nothing could be more lucid or more satisfactory than their exposition of general policy. Mr. Pearce dwelt especially upon the financial position of the colony, and demonstrated its soundness. With regard to taxation, both candidates were agreed that every person should contribute to the State according, to his income. It was absurd, therefore, to say that they favored class legislation. To-be sure neither of these gentlemen ever said anything that could lead to the supposition that they favored taxing the poorer classes and relieving the rich from taxation ; but the unscrupulous opposition which has been organised against them does not hesitate to charge them with holding that opinion. It was necessary, therefore, to disclaim all participation in such views. The object of those who fabricated this charge is patent enough : it was an attempt to prejudice Messrs. Pearce and Hunter with the working classes, but the attempt is certain to recoil upon themselves to-day at the poll. Who are the true friends of the working classes of Wellington 1 Surely the answer is not far to seek. Messrs. Pearce and Hunter are men who employ largely and pay liberally. They do not belong to a profession which lives and prospers by the misfortunes of men as Mr. Travers does. Their interest is not to grind down the working classes, but to encourage and assist them, and we confidently appeal to their personal reputation in this city to bear us out in the statement that they have I always taken an active part in every movement calculated to benefit the in- ! dustrial classes. The cry of " oppressing " the poor man," therefore, will not serve Mr. Travers at the poll to-day. If such a cry should be raised against any of the candidates, it would be much more justly levelled against the Opposition candidate than against Messrs. Hunter and Pearce. But we consider such a line of attack unworthy of a great occasion like the present, and prefer beating Mr. Travers on his merits than by a side blow. We leave that gentleman and his backers to resort to the unworthy weapons of detraction and misrepresentation. As we have said, Messrs. Hunter and Pearce disposed not only of the charges preferred against them, but they justified their support of the Government policy by the evidences of prosperity which it has brought about to be seen on every side. If Mr. Travers had been returned with Mr; J. C. Richmond at the last general election, Wellington would not now stand a good third on the list of New Zealand commercial centres. There would have been no public works, no immigration, no progress, no commercial enterprise or mercantile development. England waited eighteen hundred years for its railways, said Mr. Travers, and so should New Zealand; but railways are a new thing, and if they had been invented any time during the Roman occupation of Britain you may depend upon it that that country would have been consolidated by the iron way, in which case the history of England would be altogether different from what it is. Mr. Travers, however, does not understand this. His ideas are non-progressive and contracted, aud it is only when he is carried away on the flood of prosperity, which he vainly endeavored to stem, that he declares himself in favor of the public works and immigration policy. Now, we put it to the electors of Wellington whether a man who plays fast and loose with a vital question of this kind is at all a desirable representative for this city, which requires so much to be done for it in the way of public expenditure before it can be said to be worthy of its position as the capital of New Zealand.

Then again, on the matter of education, Mr. Travkrs plays fast and loose with a great principle. He is everything by turns and nothing long. To-day a denominationalist, to-morrow a secularist, veering about with every breath of popular opinion. On this question, however, the constituency require fixity of principle, not the veering of a political weathercock. The majority of the electors suspect him, and not without good reason, of having allied himself with ultra-denominationlists for political support. Ho has twisted and turned in every possible way to get out of the dilemma in which he finds himself, and we can only suppose, in view of the compact mentioned, that lie made his last declaration with a mental reservation which would save his conscience in the event of his election and voting for the aided clauses of an Education Bill. Be that as it may, we unhesitatingly pro- • nounce his public utterances on the education question as eminently unsatisfactory, and for this reason we invite all friends of secular education to record their votes for Messrs. Hunter and Pearce. And now a word in conclusion about the poll to-day. The eyes of the colony are upon Wellington. It is a test election. The Opposition put forward their best men. One of them refused to fight, and now their whole strength is concentrated on Mr. Travers. He has assailed the public works policy in every possible way. He ha 3 stimulated discontent, and would, if-returned, do :his,i

utmost to bring about a Ministerial crisis which would be fatal in some respects to the prosperity of Wellington. Every vote cast for Mr. Travers at the ballot box to-day is a vote recorded against the continued prosperity of this city. On the other hand, every vote cast for Messrs. Hunter and Pearce is in favor of progress. These gentlemen served the constituency well in the past; they are prepared to give their best energies to the service of their fellow-citizens in the future. We ask the electors of Wellington to put them at the top of the poll. Let them return old and faithful public servants, who come before them clean handed asking a renewal of their confidence, instead of a candidate who has no claim whatever upon them. No one should split his vote who desires the retarn of either Mr. Hunter or Mr. Pearce. The Opposition will endeavor, by plumping for Mr. Travers, and trying to split the votes of the supporters of Messrs. Hunter and Pearce, to secure his return. The way, and the only sure way of checking this move, is to vote straight for Messrs. Hunter and Pearce, and so ensure their return. We are confident, however, that the result of the poll to-day will make them sitting members for Wellington.