THE WAIHOPAI ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1689, 14 January 1873, Page 2

THE WAIHOPAI ELECTION.

The nomination of candidates for the representation of the Waihopai district in the Provincial Council, took place yesterday at noon, at the hustings at the rear of the Court-house." The Returning Officer (Mr D. Macrorie) having opened the proceedings by reading the writ, Mr P. Dalrymple proposed, and Mr G. Saunders seconded, Mr W. Wood as a fit and proper person to represent the district. After a considerable time had elapsed, Mr J. Dalgliesh said that it would never do to allow the election to be a walk-over, and he would accordingly propose Mr A. Kinross. Mr J. Russell seconded the nomination. Mr K. M'lvor proposed Mr P. Dalrymple, one of tho oldest residents ift Southland. If the electors would shoW more confidence in " old identities" than they were in the habit of doing, they would be sure of always coming in second best at any rate. They knew Mr Dalrymple's claims, and what he was capable of doing for the district. Mr R. Cleave seconded. Mr J. Harvey proposed Mr James Wilson, late Speaker of tbe Southland Provincial Council, an old and tried member, whom he hoped to see once more returned for the Waihopai district. Mr K. Rose seconded, Mr Wood then addressed the electors present. He said he would refer briefly to some reports which had. been circulated about the town touching the reasons why he had been brought forward. A number of citizens who always made it their business to circulate rumors of all kinds, founded on rotten statements, without a shadow of fact to back them up, had been busy on this occasion. It had been rumored that he was brought forward by a Taystreet clique for the purpose of pulling down Mr Macandrew on account of the way he had behaved to Mr Donald Reid and the members of his Executive. Now, nine-tenths of the signatures to his requisition were those of men separate from that locality, and many of them men who had not usually supported him, but men with whom he had been able to pull together for all good public purposes for some time back. Some gentle men, representatives of a very good cause, that of teetotalism, had been reported as anxious to bring forward another candidate, and that they were quite right to do if they liked. But they had gone a little further, and stated that he (Mr Wood) was the owner of public houses, and had a share in the carrying on of them, or of one at least. To this statement he could give the most unqualified contradiction, and if any one ventured to repeat it in future, h© would tell him to his teeth, and would tell him how, that he was a liar. It was best to call a spade a spade, and he was as much justified in using such language as they were in circulating such a report. He would not detain them longer on personal matters. With regard to the conduct of the Superintendent he would say that if anyone wished to send him up to Dunedin for the purpose of supporting Mr Donald Reid, or for the purpose of censuring Mr Macandrew for his late action, he was nut prepared to go up for any such purpose He considered Mr Macandrew and Mr Reid both to be good men iv their places, and he thought it was a pity they could not pull better together. He considered the Superintendent was justified in asking Mr Reid to resign his seat in tho Executive when he accepted a seat in the Ministry. He was also justified when he offered to reinstate him. and Mr Reid should have accepted that offer. Ptrsonal feeling might have entered into the decision which Mr Reid arrived at, but men in the position of Mr Macandrew and Mr Reid should not allow personal .feelings to influence their decisions on public ques tions. In so far as M r Reid refused to accept of the offer of reinstatement be was wrong. As far as he (Mr Wood) was yet informed, there was no blame to be attached to the Superintendent up to that point, but then he ought to have called the Council together at once. The gentlemen whom he now had for his advisers might be eminently qualified for that position, or they might not. The representatives of the people should have been called together and affordei the opportunity of pronouncing their verdict on the matter, which verdict the Superintendent of course would have had to accept. By not taking this course, the Superintendent had laid himself open to \ grave censure. Nevertheless if he (Mr Wood) went up, he would undertake to investigate the matter on its merits, and bring no party feeling to bear on the question. If he found these gentlemen were not entitled to the confidence of the Council, he would be the firat to help to put them out ; but if he found that they were worthy of confidence, he would not be a party to putting them out merely on account of the way in which they had been put in. He would never go into any assembly pledged through thick and thin to support any mau, or to pull down any man. He would like this question and all others to be decided solely on their merits. He thought, however, that when the Council met, a measure should be framed with the view of preventing similar action on the part of toe Superintendent for the future. With regard to matters of more detail, he was of opinion that money should be spent at once upon the East Road and upon the North Road, the entrances to Invereargill. This was a poiut which should receive the attention of the Council. This district should also be fairly dealt with in ■ the matter of tenders. The necessary information should be sent down in good time to enable local tenderers to compete. He was in favor of having the signalstation at the Bluff restored. [Subsequently Mr Wood read a memorandum from Mr M'Arthur stating that this bad already been done at his (Mr M' Arthur's)

instance.] HVfJlid been spoken to by gentlemen conlifcted with the timber trade about|§sne new timber re-. gulations, bttt as he had heard ■ from the Commissioner of Crown Lands that these regulations were to be revised, and that the adyice of the sawmillers would be taken oh the subject, he did not think it would be necessary for him to take any step3«jHn the matter. With regard to the ""forking of ? tbe "Road Boards Ordinance, we had not had much experience as yet, but those who had elsewhere were wety satisfied with that law. Tbe aunttal-vahfMjbto let principle was objected to by sojp," and he thought an acreage rate might? be adopted on a plan that would be cjMgsaratively fair to all. Various P ro P^jjß» a( l been made to effect that object, aft^W which might be better than the especially if workft-lsgrunskilful hands. '*"*'' For instance there tjiSS^ be an acreage rate for tuasack lajjjltbr one amount, another for land und^P|rass r another for land under cultivafciolSpnd the annual* value-to-let for housjl_roDperty. Another ■^ i _p' i" _^4 good suggestion wasf that Government should sanction a rafleif on all land purchased from the Cro>n, and that a further rate should be raised on all improvements. It would be wise, however, for the current year to work the law as ifc stood, on account of the subsidy of £2 for every £1 raised. They should thus gain experience, and at the same time be paid for gaining it. He approved of the deferred payments system, and would like to see it extended to Southland. The introduction of that system, and the appointment of a new Land Board, were, he considered, additional reasons why the Council should have been summoned without delay. Mr Kinross stated that he had spent more time and trouble than he perhaps could well afford in days gone by in the service of the public of Southland, and that he would, if properly asked to do so, be prepared to spend time and trouble in their service again. But the manner in which he had been asked .that day was not such as he could consider proper. Without his consent, as he had already informed the Returning Officer, his name had been brought forward. No preparations in the shape of a committee or a requisition had been made. These preparations however he understood had been mads in the case of Mr Wood. Therefore he felt that he could not consent to appear before them as a candidate, and having been informed by the Returning Officer that his verbal refusal, which he had already given, was not sufficient, would at once go through the form required by law for the withdrawal of his name from the list of candidates. He was the more inclined to this course that he was not aware that there was any difference of opinion on important points between himself and Mr Wood. Mr Dalrymple thanked his proposer and seconder for tbe honor they had done him. He would make some remarks on Mr Wood's speech. Mr Wood had defended his character. He (Mr Dalrymple) had seen threescore years roll over .his head, and though his character had often been attacked he had never defended it once, and never would. About the Road Ordinance : he believed the taxation which was coming would make more admirers of Dr Adam Smith in this province than in any other in New Zealand. As for himself he did not believe that he could represent the Waibopai, for the simple reason that he did not represent their views. He could not represent them any more than he could represent the views of the Pope. He believed in the principles of Dr Adam Smith and in the British constitution as laid down by Thomas Brskine May. It was for him to tell them honestly that Jhey did not • believe in them ; neither did the Hon. Julius Yogel believe in either of them. He told them so distinctly, and they would see it in Hansard if they would like to look. He expected Mr Vo;iel would deny the Decalogue next. He would accordingly withdraw in favor of Mr Wood, who would make a good member. Mc,Wood was not perfect any more than other people, but he wag an honest, straightforward gentleman. Mr Wilson thanked his proposer and seconder. It was encouraging to see so many " old identities" proposed at there had been that day. Tbe four men who had been proposed held, he believed, the same opinions, and this was an evidence that great unanimity of feeling prevailed amongst the electors, as far at all events as appearances went. In all matters affecting the public interest of the district he entirely endorsed the views which had been expressed by Mr Wood. With regard to his past conduct, he could say that he believed he was the only member of Council who had opposed the abolition of the signal-station at the Bluff, With ** regard to matters which had not been mentioned by Mr Wood, he held that it was of importance that the Winton railway should be continued into the interior from Winton. He considered that the General Government bad acted wrongly in commencing railways everywhere over the colony, and in finishing none anywhere. Reproductive railways should be made first in order that they . might as speedily as possible get some interest on the outlay of their money ; and the Winton and Mataura lines would prove to be of this class. Before the Biuff and Invereargill railway was made, in the Southland Provincial Council, he had made proposals which, if acted on, would have prevented the waste which had occurred at the Mokomoko. He was also the first person that called for an enquiry into the conduct of the railway works when the public were being robbed by the contractors, and were payI ing £600 a-year to an engineer to assist them, and he had difficulty in getting others to join him in demanding- that enquiry. He would go into the Council, if returned, unpledged to anything but to do the best he could under, whatever circumstances might arise for .the ad*p I vantage of the district. that he would | pledge himself most unresefyedly, botrto

nothing further. He had had until that day no intention of coming forward on this occasion, but be bad represented the Waihopai district many times before, and baring been asked, was willing to do so again. He had been requested to come forward by a good many gentlemen, and had consented. He had accordingly no intention of retiring ; and it would rest entirely with them to say whether he was te go in or not. A show of hands was then taken, with the following result:—

A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Wood, which was announced to be held on Friday the 17th inst., at the courthouse, Inverearffil), and the Court-hoi'se, Campbelltown, between the hours of 9 * n<l **• _ »» In the course of the afternoon Messrs Kinross and Dalrymple formally withdrew their names in accordance with the intimation made on the hustings. *"**"""""*"""* M "^"^^^^^^^^^

Wood •••• 8 Kinross 1 Dairjnple ... ... ... 1 Wilson l 3