The Puapeka Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1870. " Measures not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 145, 17 November 1870, Page 3

The Puapeka Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1870. " Measures not Men."

We weie not a little surprised to observe the great inteie^t excited in Dunedin over the election for a Provincial Councillor in the place of Mr. L>illou Bell, especially ip the i successful candidate could/ only hope with certainty t j hold the position during a few d tys sitting of the Council, at its last and special meeting, before a general election. Of the three candidates, Messrs. Birch, Fish, and Bathgate, we had a decided leaning to Mr. Bathg.tte, believing him to be the best of the trio, aud likely to prove the most i"a<l^peuder»t member. A. stna.ll majesty of the electors, however, thought differently, and returned Mr. Fish at the head of the poll. Mr. Fish may make a good councillor. He showed some good qualities in the less pretensious position of city councillor, and as chief citizen of Dunedin, he is now managing to support the dignity of the office with much ciedit to himself and satisfaction to the ratepayers. But, we fear, in the Provincial Council, where questions are involved of considerable moment to the welfare of the community, his yote and influence will go with Mr. Driver and his party. If so, Dunedin and the province will have caui-e to regret his election. The land Question, which the country districts have agitated to a sickening extent, is now beginning to be considered in Dunedin .as one of importance to the commercial prosperity of the city, and much, we doubt not, will depend upon the course of action adopted by Mr. Fish during the present sitting of the Council, as to whether he will be allowed to occupy a pla< c in the new 'council. Let him take warning from his unsuccessful opponent, Mr. Birch, whose fall from the giddy heights of popularity, to the lowest political depths, has been so woefully completed within the space of a few short months ; and; all for what? simply for throwing his independence at the feet of Driver, Macandrew & Co., acting the part of their willing slave, and forsaking -the people's cause. When the Hundreds Amendment Bill was discussed in committee of the House of Representatives, Mr. Birch steadily opposed every amendment which had the faintest leaning in favour of the settler. He voted for a pre-emptive right to the runholder of 640 acres, as opposed to one of 200 acres, proposed by Mr. Brad6ha.w. He opposed Mr. Mervyn's amendment in favour of deferred payments for the land taken up under the Hundreds Act, even although Mr. Macandrew supported it. These and other amendments moved in committee of the House, Mr. Biuh, with his Uf-ual dogged

r-e'isisleriC.y, \ oted against. Having the.'-c i;. ts recor ed of his doings, it

x ji iv.t].v. p kzl'ii^ to us t> account 01 for Mich irie r u^ii;teLcv f.s we find *■ exLibitfcc in Lie. jatast election utter-

ances in Dunedin, where find him advocating the opening "Up of land for settlement on the deferred payment principle, and the necessity for ample commonage on the Goldfields. But the Dunedin electors were not to be gulled by the nonchalance and bounce of Mr. Birch, and therefore signified their appreciation of his services in the public cause by placing him at the foot of the poll with an ignominious minority. We trust the county constituents will serve their political renegades in a similarly summary manner.