THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 53, 1 October 1864, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

MESSES J. E. DAVIES AND T. M. MAODONALD AT.INVEECAEGILL. The above candidates for seats in the Provincial Council, at tlje forthcoming general elections, mot the electors of Invereargill, at a crowded meeting in the Southern Cross Hotel, on the evening of Thursday last. Mr. John Hare -was voted to the chair, and expressed a hope that the candidates would receive a patient hearing in the expression of their politi* cal opinions; ' '■ ... ;:. . , '.. .1 Mr. Davies first addressed the meeting, and onrising was greeted with loud applause. He said that, with their kind indulgence, he should state his views with regard to the leading topics of the day, and afterwards he would be happy to answer any • questions the electors might put to him. With reference to the question of Superintendent ,. ho was of opinion that before any candidate for that office was elected, it was the duty of the Provincial Council to insist that he Bhould act according to, and be guided by and with the advice and consent of the Executive.. (Applause.) This was absolutely necessary, before the election took place, as, after it, the Council would be powerloss to effect any change, as the powers of the Superintendent were then beyond their control. Itwa* his opinion also, that as the Superintendent wa* elected by' the Council he should take his seat in that Council. As regards tho new Waste Land* Act, ho thought tho raxsing^df the price of land* from one pound to two pounds per acrej was most injudicious and undesirable. Ho would be glad to aid in carrying but a more liberal land system, and waa in favor; of froo soloptioja to $o»a Jtds settlers, aiid fcho price of land to be Woutr «hil- ! lings por aore. Tliis.ih© thought, would be tho means of aQbrding increased inducements to Bottlers iii tho' Provmoe? ■'> He (Mr, Davies) now said ho should ba Chappy ,td;roply, to any 'which Jfl^l^bo^tito nuni' '* *' : i^ f ; ; v* \ . ; Mr, 01b6m6 wished to know how Mr. »»fi»#

proposed to change the "law, making it necessary $hkt the^upAnntenient should J)e a of " the Council. The General alone, -he - considered, could effect such & change. < ■ Mr. Da VIEB said he would not bind himself to Tote for any man as Superintendent, unless ; ho complied with the conditions he had referred to. • ■•„ Ifc. reply to a.question, Mr. Davies said he would "" Vote for the abolition of the Education Ordinance. (Applause.) , * : \ Mr. OaBORiTB. asfce'd'the : oandidata if,'" in the event o£ an inquiry being instituted respecting Oxb working of :fche railway; he would ail on the committee, or. vote on the question. : ; -■--•-■ ; Mr. Davies replied that he certainly -would not • ■ "■■.■■, ■"•:■.'• ■.-'..-•■■■: Mr. 03B0KKE.— In that case then your .consti-tuency-would lose a vote. In answer to another question— Mr. Davies said the Government should make the main roads, and the cross and bye-road 3 .should be left to the districts through which they pas 3. Mr. Rbese -wished to ascertain Mr. Davies' opinions respecting immigration. ; Mr. Davies replied that he did not think the Province in a position at present to promote assisted immigration. Their greatest wants now were good roads and a more liberal" land system, and with these inducements he was sure the Province would recommend itself to the attention of 'intending emigrants from the mother country. (Applause.) Mr. T. M. .Maodonmld next addressed the meeting, and remarked that he felt happy at meeting the electors in that way, as it was manifestly an inconvenient method for a candidate to express his sentiments on political questions in the columns of newspapers. At the outset, he obaerved, that if he was elected he should take hia •eat in the Council unpledged as to any particular course he should pursue, or any one line of action. Circumstances might possibly arise which may tend to change his opinions on various matters, and so long as he felt he acted in accordance with the wishes of the electors he considered he should be permitted to exercise his own judgment in any matters which might come before the Council. If, however, the electors desired to pledge him to abide by any particular line of action he would state at once that he should not do so. (Cheers.) The first question he considered was that of the Superintendency. He did not think it absolutely necessary that. the Superintendent should have a seat in the Council — ; at all events he should not make that a sine qua non, as he saw no objection to seeking an eligible man outside if they did not.pos3es3 one arnorig3t themselves. "With reference to Mr. Mat-hew Holmes, who had been mentioned as a candidate for the Superintendency, he had to say that he would certainly vote for him. (Loud applause.) As to the unfortunate financial condition of the Province, he thought all were already aware of it. He thought, however, that the principle of looking upon the revenue from the value of lands as income was a wrong one, as it was nothing more than a realisation of the capital of the Province. This should be set apart for the carrying out of reproductive works, while the bonajide revenue from the customs, &c, should alone be appropriated to the maintenance of the various government departments. He thought the present Land Regulations had an injurious tendency, and the increased price per acre of land prevented any butmen of capital from settling in the Province. He (Mr. Macdonald) said he was opposed to the assisted immigrant system, but was in favor of the free grant system, as giving an equivalent to the passage money paid, but always on condition that the immigrant remained the specified time in the Province, thus not only contributing to the welfare of the province by his consumptive power, but also by his laboring power. He was in favor of the abolition of the Town Board, and he thought the Education Ordinance reqdiced to be remodelled. Mr. Binjtet asked the candidate if he would do his uttermost to have Torrens' Land System, which had been introduced with great success in South Australia and Tasmania, brought into operation here ? Mr. Macdonald said it was very desirable to have some system simplifying the conveyance of land -, but this could only be done by an act of the General Assembly. Mr. Osborjte asked Mr. Macdonald if he would rote for a bill to prevent Government contractors having seats in the Council ? — • Mr. Macdonajld replied that the Council has no power to pass such a bill. He believed a bill •was passed to prevent Government officials sitting in Council ; but the law officers returned it, because the Council had no power to pass it. This could only be effected by an alteration in the Constitution Act. After some amusing repartee with Messrs. Osborne and Dixon, Mr. Reese inquired what Mr. Macdonald' s opinion was a3 to the powers presently vested in the Resident Magistrate's Court ? Mr. Macdonald replied that he was in favor of extended jurisdiction in the Resident Magistrate's Court, seeing that we were virtually almost without a Supreme Court at present. After some desultory and unimportant discussion, Mr. Mtnro rose and proposed " Mr. Davies as a fit and proper person to represent the town of Invercargill in the Provincial Council." Mir. Dixoir seconded the motion, and said he believed that there were not three individuals in the room who had not been benefittedby Mr. Davies' capital, science, and enterprise. He felt quite certain he would stand at the top of the poll. (Cheers.) Mr. Osborne now got up upon the table, which was the immediate hint for loud cries of " Put liim down," "Dry up," "Down with him," "Hear him out," &c. The confusion and disorderliness of the meeting now became intense, but Mr. Osborne, although he selected a less elevated position' on the floor, still insisted on his right to speak. He wished to make an amendment, and that was that Mr. Davies was not a fit and proper person to represent' them in the Council. (Cheers and hisses). Further sallies of wit and repartee were now bandied between the speaker and the mob, till he sat down, amidst roar 3of laughter and great confusion. Mr. Lockhart seconded Mr. Osborne's amendment, which was declared carried amid confusion. Mr. Kingsland then proposed, and Mr. Binney seconded, a resolution to the effect that Mr. T. M. M'Donald was a fit and proper person to represent the town of Invercargill in the Provincial Council. The motion was carried by acclamation. After a vote of thanks had been tendered to the ohairman, the proceedings terminated.