MR.C.S.BUTTON AT WAIHOPAI.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 54, 4 October 1864, Page 3

Mr^Button met too electdre of the above idistrict in the Plough Inn, North Road, yesterdayevening, at half-pftftt-7-o'clocfe. j Mr. John Hare was voted to the chair. j ~ TholCbiifman mtroslucJed .-the .candidate to! the eiectbra ' as a "gentleman in everyway "fit jind; proper" to represent them in the Provincial Council. ] .-■■'. Mr; Button- then rose and addressed ; the meeting. Hefelt much, honored by the call 1 of; the requisitionfsts that he should come: forward pa a candidate to represent the district in Council V and if he should : be elected, lie would feel it: his" duty to do his utmost in furthering their interests. He was, he said, not possessed of much eloquence ; but he thought there may be too many eloquent speakers ; and he begged to assure them that they had chosen the: wrong man if they expected much eloquence from him. Ho thought they wanted a man of sound common sense, superior to corruption, an* one who will unflinchingly do his duty at all times. If he were elected/this would be his endeavor. He (Mr. Button)- -said the first topic usually touched upon was that of the Superintendency. Now, he heard of two gentlemen spoken of as candidates for that seat. The one was the present Superintendent.of the province, and the other, Mr. Holmes. From' all he had heard, he considered Mr: Holmes would be the right man. He has been largely engaged in mercantile life, and he will therefore be able to comprehend the wants of the mercantile community. He has a large stake in the province as a runholder, and he would be conversant with the rights and requirements of the squatting interest. He is also a large agriculturist, and he wuld doubtleas give this interest a great lift. At present we consume largely grain of all sorts, which might as •well be grown in the Province, and he styled Mr. Holmes a benefactor, if by his endeavors he produced crops eight or ten times more valufcble from land than could be expected in a state of nature. As giving an impetus to a<n-icultural matters generally, he should support Mr Holmes. Another advantage •YFould'be that he will go into office entirely fresh and unconnected with any of the old quarrels between the Superintendent and the Council. He had also heard that he stood well at head-quarters, i.e., with the General Government. If so, it was so much more in his favor. Indeed, on the whole, he would decidedly vote for Mr. Holmes. As for Dr. Menzies, he did not think that because he (Mr. Button) praised one man, it was necessary to depreciate another. (Cheers.) They should be prepared to vote for the one who appears the best fitted for the post. He then referred to the government of the town. The Town Board, he thought occupied a very anomalous position. It possessed powers to levy rates and to spend the money so levied, but it had no other powers which generally belong to municipal bodies. It was besides a great deal too expensive ; it wants a thorough remodelling, or it requires being done away with altogether. The Government Surveyor might very well do all the surveying required, prepare the apeciGcationa of all required works, and altogether, a better and more satisfactory plan with arlvan- ■ ta*e be adopted. The Roads Ordinance worked unsatisfactorily. He thought it goes on a wrong principle entirely, when it sets forth that certain rates are to be levied on the lands according to the annual value of the lands to let. This system opened a door for continual dispute as to the annual value of lands, and he should propose a Tery great radical alteration. He looked at mam roads especially in a double light. First, as a means of keeping communication open between town and town ; and secondly, as a means of communication with the lands of settlers. He did not see why these settlers should not be made to pay a part of the expense of puch roads. The Government is evidently not able out of the revenue of the Province to construct these main roads alone. Mr. Button, after making a few further remarks on his method of managing the roads of the Province, next referred to the subject of population. The population of a Province, he remarked, was always taken as the basis of wealth, and he considered the Government had begun on a false principle in their system of increasing the popula ion of Southland. It was ostensibly one of assisted passages, but everyone knew how people were situated who landed without money in places were they could not at once obtain employment at that work for which they were pecufiarlv qualified. Such people could not remain in the Province ; if they remain they must beg. •teal, or starve ; and it is not in human nature to stay in a place where this is the only alternative. "He (Mr. Button) then went on to advocate tome such system of free grants of laud to bona fide settlers as had been introduced in Auckland Province. Then he considered that if settlers could obtain land on a long lease at a nominal seat with a pre-emptive right at their option during the lease, it might meet the case. The increase in the price of lands per a'-re as authorised by the new Lands Act, he thought injudicious. An advance of 100 per cent, on the price of our lands would tend to frighten intending settlerß from coming here. He had baen asked if he objected to selling large tracts of country to single companies or firms, and he ; accordingly had made some enquiries regarding the recent extensive purchases of land lately j made in the province. He wished to know (since the firm of Messrs Douglas, Alderson and C. had been mentioned to him) how they were dealing with their lands. He found they possessed steamploughs at work, and over twenty teams of horses for ploughing up the ground. Now, he certainly thought such men a3 these should not be objected to for buying large tracts o£ country, seeing that they actually ware improving it, and bringing it under cultivation. Mr. Button in conclusion referred briefly to the Education Ordinanco, of •which he was an opponent, and he also was desiroi^j of seeing some change effected in the matter of our insolvency law 3as the present Debtor and Creditor's Act worked so very unsatisfactorily. He now said that he should be glad to answer* any questions that might be put to him. Mr. Mo'eeis. — "Will you be willing to have the powers of the Superintendent properly defined? Mr. Button.— l should certainly be m favor of doin"- bo. I am of opinion that he should con- . suit with hi 3 responsible advisers on all subjects, and be guided by their advice and act with their consent. A man, evidently laboring under some excitement, asked of the candidate some unintelligible questions on the subject of roads, and not receiving any reply to the rather practical queries of " How much did the railway cost per yard ?" and " How much did the North Road cost per yard ?" he eaid, "Well! You are a nice man to stand up there!" This same individual, after enlightening the audience on the extent of roads the Province boasts of/theircostof construction, the cost of construction of similar works in Otago and elsewhere, temarked that the wooden railway was destined to drive, all the carriers from Invercargill (he was a carrier !), and if the carriers left it, it was doomed. "Them's (he said), the men who's got the money!" (Loud laughter:) . Mr. Monteith asked the candidate, if the land .Bales -were stopped, how he "proposed to raise a . revenue as a substitute ? -y • Mr. Button did not anticipate that the sale of lands would stop ; nor '"did he "think that it would *"? soon all -be sold.' He shortly again referred to his ; former scheme of land settlement. .;. ■ Mi.' Button now, stated 1 that he had omitted . to -mention one topic i which 'he should -6ufn his , attention to.': That was a ; thorough - -into the-various "public departrhenfcg? with a J view to economising all that was possible, without 'interfering with thelefficiency o£thjs public service^ Mr SiNNBT now asked if Mr. Button would oWect^'aUow^^TDa^es^o run as long as he liked on the railway ir for -bis .own amusement? MrVJfb^ir t>ixbn ; "asked if he would give, free H&nefcs-to auctioneers? (Laughter.) '- jj r .BiimßT_(in retort) JUggeßted_tb.e. abolition "of the duty on iron •!. . .,.., , . :. : -, ; .. ; ,-- v --; , .■.:.;".■■■ ' AnotHer Voioe asked if the candidate would be : In favorof taking We.immigrantß to the^Fpur-mile

were ..removing— nog-coat . fthff Goynmmenti 15a»,---even at th^-rai.6roi^s f ,6dr,per day pur man ! \ r me_6ting; ! np>v^'being{ylriualj[y r at r aii end," »' of i those-preßen.t;^iif'thiß ! Btylcr prblotfgedjtha. meeting. At last;' however, Mr. Perkins moved; 1 and Mr. Pra£t seconded, to the effect. that Mr. C. S. " Button was a fi> and. proper pefsoh r to Represent' the district of Waihopai in "the Provincial -Council. . , This was- carried: by acclamation.' **' " -■'--•----'■•■'■' : A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.; In "'';'.:. •