MR J. M. M'CLURE'S MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 702, 29 July 1867, Page 3

MR J. M. M'CLURE'S MEETING.

A meeting of electors called by Mr M'Clure was held on the 23rd current, , in Mr A. Robertson's house, Eorest Hill. The following is a condensed report. On the motion of Mr Wm. Russell, Mr A. Cameron took the chair, and briefly introduced Mr M'Clure to the meeting. Mr M'Cltjbe said the main question at present before tbe people was with regard to railways. He did not choose it as a popular question, having been a consistent advocate of railways for some time, more especially the completion of the Winton line, which would secure to us the lake trade.. He had indeed suffered a mild sort of martyrdom on the question at the recent Waikivi election where railways were unpopular. If they wished to keep pace with other countries they must make use of railways the mechanical improvement of our age. Bail ways were not only suited to the exigencies of the province, but were an absolute necessity of the age. Eailways were as much in advance of tramways, as tramways were in advance of roads, or roads of bridle paths. If railways in the first instance did not pay they would do so ultimately by introducing population, the more dense the population the more wealthy the province. We labored under great disadvantages here in the formation of our roads owing to the softness of the soil and the scarcity of metal. Eailways would not preclude the making of roads, but give increased facilities for their formation. The Mataura line would form the commencement of a line to run through the provinces of this Island. There is no option given us, we are not allowed to choose between roads and railways, but railways or nothing. Our representatives who had the charge of the public estate instead of preserving it violated their trust placing our revenues in the hands of the General Government As he had before .stated in prosperity they lost their heads ; in adversity they lost their hearts. Eailure was written on every thing that has been attempted. Dalgety and Co. raised a barricade on the Bluff line and the Gpvernment actually submitted to it. Again on this Oreti line after that wonderful thing had ceased to run, the conveyance of metal was hindered by a barricade. How the dispute was settled he did not know, but the line was open again. There. was no use mincing matters : the Railway Bill was lost last session owing to want of confi-. dence in the government. They failed in everything they took up. They lost the Railway Leasing Bill, they were defeated in the Eceles scheme, they failed to carry this last Railway Bill. The unfinished state of the Winton line told more against lis than our weight of : debt. -.. As s sojne gentlemen here Jmew, he (Mr MC.) has.