The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1871. " Measures, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 159, 23 February 1871, Page 4

The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1871. " Measures, not Men."

The battle has been fought and lost. Mr. Macandrew, we regret to say, has been elected by a small majority. The Tuapeka and Mount Benger districts alone gave Mr. Reid a majority of 450, and in 43 out of 63 places in Otago proper, Mr. Reid had a majority ; but with such majorities as Mr. Macandrew had in Dunedin and Southland, we had grave doubts on Monday night of Mr. "Reid being able to overtake such long odds. The contest has clearly been one between the town and country. Had the Southland reunion nottxken place, the country districts of Otago would have returned Mr. Reid with a good majority, notwithstanding Dunedin's unequal voting ; and even with Southland, had miners' rights and business licenses been a sufficient qualification, we have no doubt Mr. Reid would have been returned. However, we have been defeated, and we acknowledge it. But we have this consoling reflection : the Tuapeka and Mount Benger districts have nobly done their duty. They have by their vote protested against a reckless undigested scheme of colonisation, and against the man who would do nothing to have that scheme in any way modified. Never have we seen such a pleasing exhibition of public spirit as was shown in Tuapeka on Monday last. The liveliest interest imaginable was taken in tfye ejection throughout the day, and our evening telegrams were waited for by an anxious crow 4 of people, doomed, we are

sorry to say, to disappointment. All the district can now do is to return gentlemen to the Provincial Council who will place the power of doing any mischief beyond his Honour's control. That the financial scheme even now can be greatly modified, we have every confidence in believing, and we are pleased to notice that a considerable majority of those gentlemen who have been elected throughout the colony to the House of Representatives, have been elected on the understanding that they will demand a complete revision of the scheme.

One of the worst features of our political stato, is the undue prominence which is always given to one or two stock questions, ofttimes to the entire exclusion of all others. In this Province, the question of questions for years has been the laws affecting the administration of the Waste Lands. To this is now superadded the Financial Policy of the Government. On these two questions the elections have entirely hinged. In the scores of addresses we have had the misfortune to peruse during the last few weeks, the changes have been rung on them with perseverance and a plenitude of words which strongly contrasts with the paucity and feebleness of the ideas they represent. No other of the thousand matters which affect our prosperity as a nation has in scarcely any instance been touched upon. We are by no means disposed to underrate the importance of these questions. We fully admit that they are second to none, and that their right or wrong settlement will for years mar or mend the prosperity of the Province. But, however important, they should not be allowed to throw all other political considerations into oblivion. In every state, and more particularly in one like this, which may be said to be yet in a state of adolescence, there are other problems affecting the social, moral, and material welfare of the people, which are quite as worthy of the consideration of our statesmen. It is unnecessary to specify particularly what these are. We may instance the defence of the colony against external foes ; the question of education in many of the provinces ; the repression of crime ; the wholesale adulteration practised in many articles of consumption; the state of the law which admits of reckless speculation and fraudulent bankruptcy; and man y similar questions. But with problems like these, many of our legislators are little fitted to grapple, while a few threadbare commonplace sayings about the Hundreds Regulation Act, the advantages or disadvantages of the Loan Scheme, are attainable by all. It is our serious misfortune that these questions have been adopted by most of our constituencies as the " Open Sesame " which admits to the Legislature for the next four years. If a candidate . fail to pronounce this shibboleth aright, his condemnation is certain. However upright and blameless in his public and his private capacity he may have been ; however pure and ardent his patriotism ; however well qualified to advance the interests of his country ; he is discarded for the demagogue, ignorant, venal, and unprincipled, who may be imagined sound on these pet questions. The results of this system of election are fraught with disaster. Men are chosen not only ignorant of the merest rudiments of political science, but of the rudiments of education. Too ignorant to be aware of their deficiencies, and not content simply to record their votes, they are constantly obtruding their want of knowledge, bringing contempt upon themselves and discredit on the body of which they are members. Failing distinction by legitimate means, they readily adopt the congenial weapons of abuse, detraction, and slander. Men of character will not care to resort to these means of warfare, nor to be jostled by such opponents ; and the result will be that the arena of politics will be left by those who have a reputation and a position to preserve, to those adventurers who have neither. Electors who assist in returning men of this description, ought to reflect that they are doing their best to make iegislation a farce, and politics the last resort of scoundrels.

Wf, understand that it is likely a circuit sitting of the Supreme Court will be held in Lawrence half yearly, and also that the sittings of the District Court will be held every three months instead of every two, in consequence of the enlargement of the Judge's district, v/hich will now include Southland; and that the District Court will sit in criminal jurisdiction, hearing cases up to seven years' penal servitude. These changes will, doubtless, be a great benefit $o the district, and a saving of expense,