Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 327, 7 December 1860, Page 4

dledira SWites. T" 0 THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF NELSON. Gentlemen —I have the honor to offer myself as a CANDIDATE for the representation of the City of Nelson in the next Parliament. Almost all subjects of general importance likely to occupy the attention of the General Assembly at its ensuing session have been mooted during that just concluded, and you are consequently in possession of my opinions thereupon.' With respect to the most serious subject of all, the war in which the Government found itself necessitated to engage with the rebellious natives of Taranaki, I may remark, that, however desirous I may be to see it concluded, I cannot think it right that any peace should be established except such an one as might reasonably be expected to be permanent; and that it is essential to such permanence, that the natives should be convinced of the power of the British Government to enforce obedience to the la*. If I am fortunate enough to agree in opinion with you on this and other points, I shall be happy to serve as your representative. If, however, you prefer to elect gome one else, I can assure you sincerely it will not efface the recollection of the very complimentary manner in which you originally conferred that honor upon me. I have, &c., ALFRED DOMETT. Nelson, November 16. 1364 fO THEELECTORSOF COLLINQWOOD. By an Act of the late General Assembly, the district extending from the West .Coast to the Watershed'of the Takaka; Valley.has been constituted an Electoral District;. , *, •-jT^,«. . - - t*-. ■ ; I'beg to announce* my intention of.soliciting your votes at the ensuing elections. A district so essentially mineral requires a representative - conversant with your wants and habits, forty years passed in the pursuit of mines and minerals, justifies my plea of a knowledge of the subject. The present position of political matters in New Zealand requires the grave consideration of matured judgment; it behoves you, therefore, to look well to whom you return as your representative in the new Assembly. The only profession I will make,' ia that I will serve you faithfully, and.will never become &, piace-hunter. W. LONG WREY. Nelson, November 28. -.1410 TO THE ELECTORS pit HE irtSTillCr ; OF MOTtJEKA. y ] , ■, u - 'Jentlemeh—The electoral district which I have had the honor to represent itt the General Assembly for the last three sessions being now divided, ; a «epa-. rate member having been ) appointed;; to Massacre Bay, and the district of Waimea-west added "to those of Motueka, Kiwaka, and Moutere, under the title of the Motueka District, I'offer'myself to youfor Election as your representative in^ti^'ti'ew'P&rliament." v~ The: proceedings of the House of Representatives in the sessions 1856, 1858, and. 1860, are before ypu, arid I \ believe you will give me credit for attention to the business of the House, and for supporting the measures which appeared to me calculated to promote the beet interests of the colony and of this province, without reference to any personal interests of .my own. ■'■ ■••• ■ '''~''■..'' ..•'-'. ..' " •■..•';.' You are aware that the greater portion of the late session was occupied in discussions upon the Native War, and there can be no doubt that the same subject will receive the first attention of the members now ! before the constituencies. The whole of the members for this Province, firmly convinced of the justice and necessity of this war; gave their warm support to. the existing. Ministry. Had they unfortunately been divided jn their opinions, Mr. Fox and Dr. Featherston would by this time have supplanted Mr. Stafford and Mr. Bichmond; all hope of a satisfactory termination of the present contest with the hostile tribes would have been lost in humiliating and probably unsuccessful attempts to patch up a hollow and temporary peace, to be followed by renewed outbreaks; mi the progress and prospeperity of the colony, and the honor of our name, would thU9 have been sacrificed to the unwholesome I ambition of two or three: men of undoubted ability certainly, but of reckless 'and unscrupulous political conduct. It was-well understood in Auckland that the first result of the overthrow of the Stafford. Ministry, would have been the despatch of a deputation to j the rebel W. King, to sue for peace upon the best terms he would conde&elid to grant. What measure of justice or favor your Province would receive from their inevitable successors, should | the present Ministry be displaced, I leave for your consideration. Notwithstanding the great waste of time occasionedby the fractious opposition of the Wellington party, who, when foiled in their discreditable attempts on the war question, went so far as to threaten to,-"'talk, against time," so as to prevent the passing of the esti- ! mates, and throw the whole affairs of the colony into | confusion, I am happy to say that several valuable measures were passed during the session; amongst them was the Land Registry Bill, an act to simplify the transfer of landed property, which, I believe, will be found to remedy a grievancel long felt and com- ! plained of. A bill to facilitate Compositions .between Debtor and Creditor, which I am convinced would have been most beneficial in its operation, was also passed by the House of Representatives, but rejected by the Le« gislative Council. .v ' ■ I opposed the repeal of the Now Provinces Act, because that measure secures to every district as it rises to sufficient importance, the right to manage its own local affairs; it in fact, merely carries out the intention of the Constitution Act, which treated the establishment of the six original provinces aa a. partial and temporary subdivision of the colony,.arid expressly contemplated and[provided fofthe formation of new provinces. •'■■ The opponents of the Act B,ye, I conceive, equally the opponents of local self-govemmeht, unless they understand the term to mean the management of their own local affairs, and those of their neighbors as well. . ■ .■•■■■ ■:" .. ■•: ■rl'''--- ;: ': ':' '■' ' '.- The separation of the Wairau from the Province of Nelson, I believe to have been, affected against both letter and spirit of the New' Provinces Act; and expressed myself,to,,that effectin the House of Representatives. , .. < ;. : The Tariff, although the question was not brought prominently before the House in the late session, is a 'subject which I know interests many of you, and it is .one to which I have given very great attention. I be* lieye an impression prevails to some extent that the existing duties are imposed unduly upon articles'of necessary consumption in comparison with those levied upon luxuries, 'and I therefore submit a few.fact* bearing [ upon'the- subject for your consideration. Of the total amount of Customs revenue for 1859, namejy, £\6B>J6O, the amn 0f.^103,000 was raised upon wines and spirits, foreign beer, irigars and tobacco, all of which must undoubtedly,be.xl^aed as luxuries.: Of the remaining^6s,ooo, probably one balf was raised upon what may be consideredf as semi-luxuries, such as-sauces, pickles, and fine clothing, and the remaining jg32,500, or one fifth, of the whole revenue arismg from the Customs duties, is all that pan fairly be Baid to be derived from articles of necessary consumption, .such as tea and sugar, blankets, slop clothing, &c, and 1 may remind you, that unless such imports as these bore a tolerable share of the burthen, the native popu. lation, who, on the northera island, are very largo consumers of them, would almost entirely escape their fair share of taxation. Whether ; a little jewellery and ■ other matters of small bulk in comparison with their value, a great portion of which were previously smuggled, still escape with a low rate of duty, is, I think, a matter of very little consequence, and is not to be remedied without an entire change in the principle of this tariff, under which all kinds of agricultural implements and machines, from a spade to a si earn engine, corn sacks, and many other articles with which you; are familiar, are admitted free of any duty whatever, i Should the part 1 have acted in the last three sessions meet with your approval, and determine you to elect me again one : of the representatives of this province in the General Assembly, I shall feel honored by the trust confided tome, v ; , . _.■,.; . I remain, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, i HERBERT EVELYN CURTIS. Nelson, November 30, 1860. 1453W JENKINS, TJNDEKTAKER, • Haidy^treet Kelson. 568