CAMPBELLTOWN ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 708, 12 August 1867, Page 3

CAMPBELLTOWN ELECTION.

MR LONGUET'S MEETING. A meeting of tbe electors of Campbelltown, was held at Lockyer's Hotel, on Wednesday evening, 7th August. Mr Longuet, in addressing the meeting, said: — It is not my intention to occupy too much of your time, but to give you my views in as few words as possible ; my interests as a resident among you, must be identical with your own, and I can assure you it is with no other object than to represent those interests that I seek your support. The first, and most important matter to be considered, is good internal communication, the opening up of the country economically and expeditiously ; carriage made cheap to i the equal advantage of all can be achieved by | railways, and rail ways only; and I believe that the completion of the Oreti Line, and the railway to the Mataura,'will be the salvation oft the Province, and the commencement of a trunk line through the I Island. The argument used by many, that the Province is too much involved ; that payment in land is an injustice to the squatters, as it enables the contractor to spot his run at a cheap rate, &c, &c, is nonsense. I believe the land fund is the only legitimate means we can look to for the construction of roads of any kind, and otherwise used, would be misapplied; our land fund must, some day, come to an end, therefore if not properly used now, we shall hereafter be heavily taxed for what we now condemn ; besides, the affairs .of the Province at the present time, peremptorally demands active measures ; our revenues are decreasing, trade getting worse every day, and the labor market as bad as it can be ; therefore nothing but active measures in the shape of public works can again bring about a healthy state of affairs, renovate trade, employ labor, and draw population. Railways "will do more in this respect than any other kind of public works, and the money expended thereon will be more equally distributed to the general benefit. I also believe railways will materially add to our advancement by creat- ! ing a vast amount of permanent labor, by opening up the country, giving ready access to good markets, and enable small farmers to dispose, of their grain, or stock to the best advantage, and to a certain extent, crush a. petty monopoly. I am an ardent supporter of railways, and should unequivocally accept the General Government offer, and proceed at once to carry out their views. I should like to see an improved system of education. I would make it compulsory it would take up too much time now to enter fully into my views on this subject, but I hope to do so at some future period. I consider education all important in a new country, for there is no doubt that the better men are educated the more serviceable they become. I should also support immigration ; for without, in some shape or other, our progress must indeed be slow. We now come to the Bluff Harbor and Campbelltown, which, considering its importance as the key to Southland, has been the most neglected place ; the conflicting interests between this and the New -River impedes the beneficial advancement of either, and the probability is, that had the Government not persisted in its endeavours to make the New River (which from its position it can never be), the chief harbor of the Province, at the cost of many thousands and considerable loss to private enterprise, the railway would now be paying at least expenses ; it is like a firm starting in opposition to itself, and paying a manager to undersell them to the ruin of both establishments ; upon what principle the Government have acted it is impossible to define. If the railway is to pay, the expenditure must be reduced, and rates of carriage lowered, and the New River staff materially lessened, or entirely done away with, and every effort made to concentrate the trade to this port by giving every possible facility to the merchaut and shipper; either the New River or the Bluff Harbor must be closed, as no house divided against itself can long stand. I do not profess too much political knowledge or talent, and although from want of experience I may not at first be able to grapple with the detail of public business so rapidly as older politicians, you will find that where our rights and privileges are concerned, I shall not want energy to protect and forward them, and I do hope that members will be Returned to the Council who will use what talents they possess to advantage — and by wise and judicious measures obtain for Southland a better position in the political world than she has hitherto held. Gentlemen I thank you for the kind and impartial hearing I have received, and trust that the confidence yo-i have placed in me will not be misplaced. (Cheers.)