MR TAPPER'S MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 1755, 17 June 1873, Page 3

MR TAPPER'S MEETING.

Mr Tapper addressed a meeting of the electors of Invercargill on Monday evening, at the Theatre Royal. Mr W. H. ! Hall was called to the chair. j Mr Tapper said that he was not used I to public speaking, and claimed their in- i dulgence on that score ; but be felt an interest in the prosperity of the town, and therefore at the solicitation of a number of his fellow-citizens he came before them as a candidate for a seat in the Provincial Council. He felt that ifc was right for every citizen, especially for those who had made money and accumulated an independence in a locality to spend someportion of their timeand money | for the benefit of the country in which j they lived. Accordingly, though far from -desirous of such an honor, he had, after many pros and cons, resolved to contest the election against his old friend Mr Lumsden, for whom as a private citizen he had great respect, but whose abilities as a politician he thought little of. It would have been wiser for Mr Lum sd. en's j friends to have persuaded him to retire, considering the inconsistent position in which he stood, and to have brought forward some other candidate who would j have represented their views. The point at issue was the manner in which the Council had been prorogued. As to the policy enunciated by the Superintendent there was little difference of opinion. It was wise and statesmanlike, and showed that they had a man at the head of affairs competent to guide them to prosperity. When they had such a man, they should even stretch a little in order to retain bim in power. His policy, if returned, would be to assist in carrying out tbe many important measures proposed in His Honor's address, and to see that this portion of the province had its fair share of the revenue. The Southland Newshad said that there was no comparison between him (Mr Tapper) and Mr Lumsden, and he hoped they would always hold to that opinion as far as regarded politics. In the Town Council, on any motion which did not emanate from himself, Mr Lumsden uniformly brought forward some amendment, and even after taking up the time of the Council to an unheard-of extent, if he found the amendment likely to be accepted by the mover, he would not unfrequently vote against his own amendment. Was a man with a habit of mind like that likely to make a useful representative ? He had been accused of neglecting his public duties by the same paper ; but he thought that with his attention to the Town Council, the Building Society, and the Hospital, he had, considering other claims on his time, really done his fair share. If returned, his vote would be given independently, to the best of his own judgment, and if they wanted a member to reflect in every sense their views, and not his own, he was not the man for them. On some portions of His Honor's address he had not thoroughly made up his mind. One of these was what His Honor termed the supplying of " the missing link," in connecting the Mataura railway with the Clutha line. He would be cautious as to voting for that particular measure, but if after due consideration he saw that there would be compensating interests to cover the expenditure, he would vote for it, though not otherwise. He would have no objection to see the connection complete with Dunedin, holding that each portion of the Province should have its due share of expenditure, and that there should be an easy communication between all its parts. A special claim, however, would bave to be made out before he would consent to the large proposed amount of Provincial funds being expended on this undertaking. Of roads and bridges, and the j •settlement ofthe people on the land, i enough had been said by others All wished for these things, and in such questions he would always aupport that which seemed to be for the greatest good of the greatest number. The talk about the Superintendent becoming an autocrat was absolute rubbish, and those who pro. mulgated it he really did not know what to make of, especially when they were men who had seats in the Council and ought to know better. He was against undue influence being exercised upon

electors. What he wanted was a straightforward and manly vote. The electors ought to place that man at the head of the poll who would act in accordance with their own views. His Honor the Superintendent had been very badly treated. It was evident that they had no abler man to place in hisseat,and he believed that the prosperity of the country was intimately connected with his continuance in office. He would take up their time no longer, but was ready to answer any questions that might be put, having come there rather to do so than to make a speech. His only desire was to do good for them all. His own interests were linked with theirs. What would be good for him would be good for most of them, and at the same time would do good to the community of which they were a part. An elector asked if Mr Tapper would support the Permissive Bill, and received a reply in the affirmative. Mr Waddell wished to know how, if Mr Tapper should see it necessary to make a railway from the Mataura to the Clutha, he would raise the funds ? Mr Tapper »eid that he would do so by the sale of the land through which the railway passed, in small farm?. In reply to Mr H. T. Rosa, Mr Tapper said that he would use all his endeavors to have the Winton-Kingston line completed, He was uot a pledged" supporter of Mr Macandrew or of any other man.

Mr Ross enquired whether Mr Tapper would favor the granting of more than 640 acres to any one individual, unless be settled and cultivated the same ? Mr Tapper said that he would not. He was in favor of small settlers, and the policy which would be for the benefit of the whole. He would be inclined to restrict the amount to even half the quantity named by Mr Roes.

A Mr Harvey enquired whether Mr Tapper would support immigration ? Mr Tapper replied in the affirmative ; when Mr Harvey exclaimed, " Then thafc will do for me." The same querist then further enquired whether Mr Tapper would be in favor of Chinese immigration, to which Mr Tapper replied — only to a limited extent.

Mr Goodwillie asked what Mr Tapper considered the best means of dealing with the waste lands to induce settlement ? Mr Tapper replied — To shut out large speculators by limiting the area to be taken up by one man, and to offer the most liberal inducements to the settler. He would go further than mosfc politi cians had done yet, in not requiring any money at all for tbe firsfc year or two, if improvements were being made. He believed in the land laws of Victoria, which had done good there, and would do good here too, if adopted.

Mr Goodwillie further enquired whether Mr Tapper would raise the price of land to £2 an acre? to which Mr Tapper replied that he would not.

No other questions being asked. Mr Wade rose to propose a vote of confidence in Mr" Tapper. Mr Wade's appearance was apparently the signal for a preconcerted outburst of noise, produced mainly by the united efforts of a number of small boys and others stationed for the purpose in convenient parts of the house. The uproar lasted for nearly a quarter of an hour, but it being evident that Mr Wade would not be put down, and that a majority of the meeting was in favor of his being accorded a hearing, Mr Wade ultimately spoke at some length, pointing out that after all tne question was one of measures and not of men — the policy of Mr Macandrew and his friends, which was favorable to Southland, versus the policy of Mr Reid and hie friends, which was not. Mr Wade appealed to the electors not to be intimidated by organised attempts to drown argument with mere noise • but to place Mr Tapper, who supported Mr Macandrew's policy, at the head of the poll. He then moved that Mr Tapper was a fit and proper person to represent the constituency of Invercargill. This was seconded by Mr Blackwood, and on a show of hands being taken the chairman declared the motion carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr Tapper, and carried by acclamation, closed the proceedings.