THE WELLINGTON ELECTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5735, 16 August 1879, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON ELECTION.

ME. LEVIN - AT THE ADELAIDEKOAD THEATEE. Last evening Mr. W. H. Levin addressed a meeting of the electors of Wellington .at the Adelaide-road Theatre. About three hundred people were present, and the platform was filled by a number of our most prominent citizens. On the motion of Mr. COW'EX, Mr. G. H. Bayliss took the chair. The Chairman said they were all no doubt aware of the object of the assembly, but he would read the advertisement convening the meeting. Mr. Levin had been invited to attend that evening,to give them his views on the political topics of the day. Mr. Levin was born among them, and was a man who had grown np in the place, and knew what their requirements were. It gave him great, pleasure to be able to support him, and he would do all that lay la his power to get him returned. He would now call upon the candidate to address them, and he would ask them to give him a fair hearing. (Hear, hear.) Mr, Levin, who was well received, then addressed the meeting. He said their kindly greeting gave him courage. He came amongst them with great diffidence, as he was not , a , good speaker, but at the same time ho would try and give them his views on the current topics of the day. He appeared before them at the instance of 467 of his fellow-electors. As the Chairman had told them, he was a native of Wellington, and he yielded to no one in his desire to see Wellington and the colony at large go a-head. At the. present time there was a very grave crisis in the colony, and therefore when asked to come forward he had done'so with alacrity.; Mr. Levin proceeded to speak of his fainily history to show that he had a claim upon their suffrages, other things being equal. ~ (Loud: cheers.) ; HiS' associations were bound up iu and'his interests were thoroughly • identified with theirs. (Cheers.) The poli-, tical platform on which he stood was a Liberal one.- He had been accused of sailing under falsa colors, but. this was not true. He gave the accusation the. most pointed denial. He had no interests to serve in entering Parliament, ‘except to serve them. He was no office seeker. (Applause.) It he had the distinction of being one of their representatives he should be satisfied. He was not going to pour promises in their ears. In his published address he had given them his ideas, and he should stand by that address in every way. He had run his flag to the; masthead, and he would stand by it. (Cheers.) He would now briefly touch upon the principal topics before the country. He was in favor of an extension of the franchise, and he would cordially support the-Bill re- 1 cently laid before Parliament. (He proceeded to speak in detail of this measure.) He believed in doing away with the present system of hustings nomination, being in favor of written nomination. He was also in favor of the extension of the hours of polling. He next referred to the Bribery Bill. Its provi- ; sions would largely reduce the expenses to, which candidates were at present put. He, had as yet had no experience as regarded elec- ; tion expenses, but any measure which would, prevent a corrupt expenditure of money j must be a beneficial measure. (Cheers.); Theie was one feature in the Electoral Bill he would like to see altered. He should like to , see the polling booths open to 7 or 8 in theevening, as it was undesirable to disturb people in their occupation. At the same time they : should have every opportunity of recording their votes. He would next touch upon the question of a revision of the representation of the country. He made special reference to Wellington, which had been for a long time, practically, disfranchised. (Applause.) He should be very glad to support a measure upon; the basis of population if it was practicable, but there were certain difficulties in the way.. If they had triennial Parliaments however such difficulties would be removed. It would be competent for the Parliament at its diasolu.tion, to remedy any injustice to the const!-; tuencies. (Cheers.) Triennial Parliaments: seemed to him to go hand in hand with the measures to - which he had; just alluded. SuohParliaments were absolutely; .necessary, in a country like New Zealand,; where there were so many changes. A country, should be governed by public opinion, and this would be done if they had triennial Parliaments. : There’was a feeling that class legislation existed—and no country could be happy where such a feeling prevailed. Such a feeling could be got rid of by placing the government of the country in the hands of the people. (Applause.) They would remember that at the last session of Parliament, just over, a five million loan had been autho- • rised, which would bring up the debt of the. colony to £27,000,000, which was. a very large sum toiplace on to such a comparatively small; .population. It was true they had the land, tax, but something more than that was re-' quired. It was not fair that those who did. not’ own land should not bear their fair share of the burdens of. the colony. But. with an income and property tax the burden ; would be placed upon the right; shoulders. He had never wavered on the sub-1 ject of the land tax, but what- he had said! was that they should have a tax which should 1 touch all classes of the community. He next touched upon the necessity of introducing; capital into the country. They had resources; developed and undeveloped, and the only way they could make them beneficial to the colonywas by the introduction of new capital, and they must, therefore, not put so much tax upon the land as to frighten the capitalists in the Home country. (Hear, hear.) There were few people in that room who had not during, the last six or eight, months felt what the want of; capital was. (Applause.) What they wanted was a sufficiency pf money at a comparatively cheap rate, so that they might develop the, resources of the country, with a view to becoming ultimately self-reliant. (Cheers.); There would then be no cries of want of employment, and lowness of wages. All would then be paid a fair day’s wages for a a fair day’s labor. He believed in putting the maximum rate ou the luxuries and the minimum rate on the necessaries of life. At present, unfortunately, however, they could not wholly-remove the tax from tea and sugar-. A great evil they had to contend. with was the mismanagement of - their governments.. They were, he had no hesitation iu saying, an oyergoverned country." It was high time an enquiry should take place as to the cost of the Government of New Zealand. (Applause.) And no more fitting time could be had than on the assembling of the new Parliament. He believed they were • now paying more for government than they were three or four years ago.' They could not afford luxuries in the matter of government more than in anything else! (Hear, hear.) Every penny they had to spare ought to be spent upon the opening up of the land. Speaking of our public buildings, Mr. Levin said they were a disgrace

to the Government. They had had too many promises and two few performances. [A Voice : Dont you promise anything, and then you will be returned—laughter.] If returned he should support what was known as the Public Works Policy, and should especially support the West Coast railway. If they had this railway Wellington would become what it was intended by nature—that was to say the neuclus of commerce for all parts of the colony. (Cheers.) He was in favor of the settlement of tho people on the land; the welfare of the country depen,led upon it. He had been told there was a scheme to settle railway laborers along tho line at the completion of such railways. He said ho was thoroughly in favor of sqoh a scheme. (Applause.) He had himself been connected with the Foilding Special Settlement, which was one of the most successful they had ever had in any part of New Zealand. (The speaker briefly described the operations of the association.) With that as an example before his eyes he would also support like schemes, because it had proved such a success. (Applause.) And the reason it had been a success was because the land was originally good, and the people had been given access to the larger areas of population. In these few observations he .had endeavored to avoid the use of the term “ working men,” which had almost become nauseous. (Applause.) What were they there for but to work—work onwards, and to improve their wordly and socir-l position ? and ha trusted they thought none the less of him because he worked with his pen than he thought of them for working with thenhands and arms. He thanked them for tbs very kind hearing they had given him, and could only say that if they returned him 1 1 Parliament he would do his best to forward their interests, with which his own were so intimately bound up. (Loud and prolonged cheers.) The Chairman said Mr. Levin would be glad to answer any questions. A Voice : What about the Education Bill ?

Mr. Levin : Under the present Education Bill the Catholics received no more than any other sects. The law existed. He was not responsible,for it. The Voice ; Will you advocate our rights.

Mr. Levin said if returned to Parliament he should not feel justified in helping to pull down the fabric which at present existed, much as he sympathised with the Catholics and other denominations.

Another Voice : If you think we are, grieved you are supposed to see us put straight if possible. Air. Levin : I have endeavored to show that, in doing what I considered to be right I should: try and remedy any legitimate grievance. In answer to other questions, Mr. Levin said that in municipal matters it seemed only reasonable that there should be a plurality of votes. In regard to native matters he wished to guard himself from promising too much, and this he would be doing if he were to promise to do away with the Native Depart- 1 ment.

Mr. Wilson thought the Europeans should have equal laws in the matter of taxation with the natives. In this matter the Europeans were at present very unfairly used. , Mr. Levin said that when the natives were put oh all-fours with the Europeans on other matters, they must be put oa all-fours with them as regarded taxation. He would oppose the Maori having a dual vote. (Cheers.) He was not sufficiently conversant with the land laws as to answer the specific question put to him, but if he had the framing of the land laws ha should so frame them that the land went to. the many and not to the few., (Cheers.) A Voice : Will you support the Local Option Bill ?

Mr. Levin ; There are so many of .them, but I would support a measure to put into the. hands of the majority the power of keeping a public-house out of the district where it; was not required. (Applause.) I would , uphold; any measure in a community that would support the propriety of the community. (Applause.). . Mr. Wilson; Would you - work in cooperation with the other members, and not do' as Mr; Barton did ? Mr. Levin : IE I am returned to the. House, it will not be my fault if I don’t. I should go to the other member after the election, if returned, and say, “Let us, now it is all over, .do the .best that we can for the people who have returned us.” (Loud cheers.) Mr. Morris here asked a question about the nightsoil, but it was received with such laughter that our reporter was unable to catch: the gist of it. The Chairman said that this was rather a question of a municipal than a political character. 1 He saw some civic dignitaries who would,probably answer the question after the meeting. (Applause and laughter.) , In reply to other questions, Mr. Levin said he would do all iu his power to see that the. money which was raised in the country should be spent in it. (Hear, hear.) An elector here arose amid cries of “Sit down.” Elector : I shall not sit down. The Chairman said that Mr. Maginnity had the floor. Mr. MaoinnitT would like to ask Mr. Levin if lie would support a measure for again placing an impost on imported timber. , Mr. Levin ; Most certainly I would. : Mr. Buck: I apologise for getting up before ; this august meeting—(laughter)—but I did not. see Mr. Maginnity. Will -Mr. Levin do his utmost to stop the influx of immigration ?

Mr. Levin : It is done. I shall always vote against' people coming to this country if they could not get employment. Mr. Bock: Another question; would you; you do your best to cut down the honorarium ? Mr. LEVIN agreed with members, being paid for. the expense they had been put to, and no more. They had no right to make a profit out of Parliament.

An Elector : Would you be in favor of suppressing Chinese immigration to this country I: ' Mr. Levin : Most certainly. Mr. Howell proposed, and Mr. EichardS; seconded, the following resolution:—“That 1 this meeting, having heard Mr. Levin’s expla-! nation of his views on, the various political! questions of the day, deem him a fit and proper! person to represent the city of Wellington as one of its members.”

The motion was putand carried unanimously, Mr. Levin briefly acknowledged the compliment. .

The proceedings then closed with a vote of thanks to the chair. , ■ ' ’