The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 70, 9 November 1864, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9, 1864.

The manner in which Mr. Stu\kt acquitted himself at the Waikivi meeting on Friday evening last resulted in his audience declaring in his favor. There was a show of opposition raised, Mr. M'lvon moving an amendment to the effect that Mr Btuart was not a. fit and proper person to represent the District in the Provincial Council ; but it wa? rejected, and the original motion accepted A long list of questions was proposed to the candidate by Messrs Calder, Tosilaoji, and M'lvor, all of which were satisfactorily disposed of. Mr. Stuart declared liiinselt* strongly opposed to the raising the price of land to two pounds !an acre ; and although the Provim-hil Council has no direct voice in the matter, it certainly has an inlluence which may be brought to bear on any future legislation. The candidate thought that thirty shillings per acre should be the maximum price. On the question, of Provincial .expenditure, Mr. Stuart was very explicit, and expressed an opinion that reductions should bo made whenever it was safe to do so. The Southland New.takes Mr Stuart severely to task for his want of knowledge of the state of the Province, and particularly of the cost of the Police establishment. Mr. Caldkr i asked the candidate whether he was I aware what the cost of that department ! was at the present time, and Mr. Stuart said, " not exactly." Mr. Calder then stated that it was "about thirty shillings per head for every man, wo--1 man, and child in the place.!' To that Mr. .Stuart answered that -it was enormous, and added, "I know tho force U in a very efficient state ; ' bufc I would be in favor of a reduction only on principled consistent with true economy," How Mr. CA.LBKit fell into an error of such magnitude we are unable to say, bub ifc is Unj'iiUfe and unfcrue to sny that Mi\ Btuaut " swallowed the, same utory. Had, our coatt»inpoi'ftvy been jpycsoijli ho

would have known that Mr. ■Sttta.ht, although unable to tell at the moment: the exact amount we ; |)ay for police, pro-' tection, was by no means so ignorant on the subject as the News represents him to have been. He certainly was aware of the' approximate number of the population,'and "could have told within a little what the- ■' police expenditure amounted to ; and he did make itapparent,if not in words, at least by his manner, to those who were present that Mr. Calder was in error. As for his saving that '' there IS 110 use to "have any depar bmenbu if we cannot pay for their necessary expenditure " we suppose no sensible man would cavil at that. Our contemporary, however, makes Mr. Sttjajit in 1 point of fact, say that "there is no money to pay them, and therefore there should be no police." All this mis-' representation is very pitiful' and childish, and quite unworthy of a respectable journal. ■ . ; -..,> It will be remembered that Mr. SnJAirr putin'objections to a number of na-nes on the electoral roll, and this is, most unfairly made use of by , the lYews to damage him in the eyes of of the Waikivi electors. We are told that Mr. Stuart attempted, " through " the agency of Mr. Ki^g, his part- " ner's clerk, to disfranchise a hundred " and forty of the citizens of Invercargill, " by ferreting out a technical objection t: to t ieir cl'iim to be placed on the " registei*." Now, this charge is altogether malicious, and the way in which it is worded is calculated to convey- a wroup; impression of certain facts. It would seem to imply that one trivial technical objection was" raised to the whole of the hundred and forty names. Wo will here inquire whether the JVetvs is in favor of manhood suffrage, or whether, a qualification being at present required, it would lie advisable that the roll should be stuffed with the names of those not qualified to vote? If the answer is in the affirmative, we must leave our contemporary to the enjoyment of his opinion, but if not, the soundness of Mr. Stuaht's defence can scarcely be denied. That gentleman was convinced by information tsndered him from a reliable source— information -which was not at nil of his seeking — that a large number who applied to be placed on the roll had uo right to be there ; were, in fji-i't, socking illegally to obtain the privilege of electors, and he m.ide the objections in the usual form, such as " no qualification,'' " insufficient qualification," " dead," etc. lie did no more than his duty, and no more than any one having his knowledge would have done under the eirciifiisrances. What is to be regretted is that Mr. Stuwrt did not carry out the work lie had taken in hand. Ifc is unfortunate fur the 2¥eccx that a Liile personal feeling can be traced iv tin's mutter, as two gentlemen connected with that office were amongst those so objee'red to. As long as the law remains as it is at present, it must not be made a ground of complaint against a candidate that he took the ordinary steps, in a fair and open manner, for carrying that law into effect. The assertiou that Mr. Stu.vut and Mr. I-Tauvkv resigned '• as a concession to public fooling, which was strongly excited on the subject." is altogether false. The writer of the article we have quoted from nulnot the smallest foundation for the sfc ite.nenh The resignation was on purely private grounds. The Js~ews is reluctantly compelled to admit that it was through the instrumentality of Mr. Stuart that the Council was enlarge.! from fourteen to twenty members, a service which would of itself entitle the candidate to the thanks of the community. During the perio.l that Mr. Stitakt was a member of the old Council he was conspicuous as a icorklnrj member, lie prove! himself trustworthy, and invari-u-blv sulvocated that the Government should be carried on in a constitutional manner. We can fully endorse Mr. Cam) tin's words, that " although not " gifted with au abundant flow of words, " Mr. Stuart has gifts of far higher " moment, and will make a very useful '' member."