CHRISTCHURCH.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2873, 1 May 1878, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

Tuesday.

Mr E. C. J« Stevens has addressed his constituents. There was a moderate attendance. The speech was mainly a review of the events ot the past session. Eeferring to the continuance of the present Government, he said, he believed the country was tired of party strife. No one was more so than he, and he would be much indisposed to cause the removal, of the Government from office at the present time. He said the franchise should be extended so as to include all bona fide residents in the colony, whether they owned real property or not, but he objected to a residential vote. A person should have a vote for any district where he owned property, and not be confined to the district in which he resided. He did not think it advisable to take so much off the Customs revenue as had been proposed and substitute a landed property tax. To so reduce the Customs revenue would be a mistake, and if more taxation was required it should be on property generally, not on land alone. Eepresentation should be on the basis of population, which would not give, as supposed, an undue advantage to towns. He was in favor of local option if compensation was allowed to the holders of licenses taken away. Mr Moorhouse, also a member for the city, in reply to a question as to whether he intended to address his constituents, said one speech was sufficient in an evening. He had been ill for, three months, and was health-seeking. He felt some difficulty as to the course he should take next session. The ship in which he sailed was wrecked and foundered, and he stood on the shore quite disengaged, under no pledge to any one.