OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue III, 26 May 1870, Page 5

OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

(To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times.)

Sir — Some weeks since I observed a paragraph which went the round of the papers, reflecting with some severity upon those of our representatives who, although they have long since ceased to reside in Otago, have not thought proper to resign their seats. That paragraph further endeavours to make out that the gentlemen alluded to have broken faith with their constituents, and that, instead of studying and serving their interests, they have followed after filthy lucre, and endeavoured rather to serve their own personal e,nds ; that they have, in fact, been guilty

of gross political dishonesty. The paragraph I refer to goes as far as to mention names ; and, among others, those of Messrs. Yogel, O'Niel, and Bradshaw are freely used. T think, sir, that taking statesmen as a whole, it is far easier work to pick hole 3in and find fault with their conduct than it i3,to understand the difficulties with which they have to contend . Still, as regards Messrs. Yogel and O'Neil, I have no special excuse to offer ; those who have watched their actions must come forward as their champions. Ido not profess to have been able to follow the sratic, agd. comet-like orbit of the one, nor the sleepy course pursued by the other. But as regards Mr., Bradshaw, although that gentleman is almost — I might say entirely — a stranger to me, it so happens that his career has come under my notice with considerable vividness, not only since he was returned to the General Assembly, but before that time ; and as I think that people should learn to discriminate between things and persons that differ, I feel it my duty to point out to the electors, so far as I am able, exactly what Mr. Bradshaw has done for this province, both in and out of Parliament. Firstly, then, let me premise that a very great difference exists between a member of the General Assembly and a member of the Provincial Council. One represents general and the other local interests ; and it frequently happens th&c a pettifogger in the Provincial Council who succeeds in obtaining for his constituents some small local advantage, such as a vote of money or the like, will shine in the estimation of electors more than the representative in the General Assembly who, having actually no local matters to deal with, and consequently no chance of obtaining popularity by their agency, nevertheless by very many means benefits not only his constituents, but the entire colony, by some master stroke — some statesmanlike measure, of which his puny Provincial Council brother would have been incapable. Now, as regards Mr. Bradshaw, I wish to begin by alluding to some seven years ago, when that gentleman lived at Queenstown ; and in order that I may not occupy more of your space than I can avoid, I shall simply state facts, and challenge contradiction. At the time I allude to the mining community had actually no "homes" in suitable places, and (at all events in the Lake district) every man was dependant upon one squatter for his supply of meat ; all the lands were held by one man ; the result was that the whole district was suffering more or less from scurvy ; and I believe I am correct in stating that at one time there were upwards of sixty scurvy patients in the Wakatip Hospital. Mr. Bradshaw was the first, and I may say the only one to SQgge&t and urge remedies for this evil ; and — as all those who are acquainted with the circumstances will gladly admit — a noble fight he fought in order to obtain the cancellation of Mr. Rees's lease over the Wakatip Run, first with the Provincial Government, then with the General, until, after an amount of trouble which few would then have undertaken, Mr. Bradshaw's efforts werecrowned with success, and the lease teas cancelled, Mr. Kees receiving L 8,500 compensation. Then came the ten-acre system, and I may fairly state that Mr. Bradshaw was mainly instrumental in obtaining its extension to fifty acres — I could show how, but respect for your space forbids. As regards the fifty-acre system, however, I may observe that while Mr. Bradshaw and Mr. Haughton were fighting for it, Mr. Yogel was waging hot warfare against it. When after this the Wakatip Run was cut up into small subdivisions and advertised for sale ; when over the question a great fight took place ; when the Provincial authorities had actually used the power which they then possessed, and had instructed Messrs Driver, Maclean, and Co. to sell the runs ; when their sale seemed inevitable, Mr. Bradshaw succeeded in stopping the unholy sacrifice of the public estate ; and it is a matter of history that he caused the auctioneers themselves fb be telegraphed to by the Premier, and distinctly forbidden to sell — this step being deemed necessary for fear, in the event of the Provincial Government being communicated with, any slip might arise and the runs be sold in spite of all precautions. Mr. Bradshaw's services to Otago during that short interregnum — when the "blow-up" took place between the General and Provincial Governments — although not known then, are, in well-informed circles, known and greatly appreciated now. His action in obtaining for agricultural lease applicants the occupation certificate, — which entitles them at once to enter upon their land, and binds the Government to give the lease, — is not the least amongst the several boons which Mr. Bradshaw's great energy has conferred upon a large class in Otago. All through his parliamentary career, the intelligent reader of "Hansard" will find Mr. Bradshaw steadily adhering to one course, that course having for its object the advancement of the interests of the masses. The reader will find that Mr. Bradshaw, since his return, has never been absent a single day from his seat in the Legislature I- I—present1 — present at every opening, every day of every session, and. at every prorogation — and I defy contradiction when I assert that this cannot be said of any other member of the General Assembly save one— -Mr. Stafford. In the mattdr of throwing- open the land in Otago, Mr. Bradshaw has ever voted on the right side ; and when the compensation clause went to. a division, we find Bradshaw, Howarth,, Mervyn, and Reynolds voting for the small rate, as against O'Neil, Yogel, Bell, and Driver for the high compensation. I must not trespass further on your space, otherwise I might go on and fill several pages in reviewing Mr. Bradshaw's consistent parliamentary career. I have thought rt but just to an absent man who ha» been assailed to state what I have been able to glean of his public acts, and the benefits which those acts have, in my humble opinion, conferred upon his constituents. Ido not think that it is imperative that a General Assembly representative should actually reside amongst those who return him. That such would be advantageous no one can deny ; but suitable men for the General Assembly are not to be found every day, and I contend, sir, that to throw up the services of a good man for such a shallow reason would be madness. Who knows what sort of an ignorant brute we might get in his place 1 Examples are, unhappily, not a-wanting. — I am, &c, - | * Electok.