HOKITIKA ELECTION.

West Coast Times, Issue 243, 3 July 1866, Page 2

HOKITIKA ELECTION.

N PUBLIC MEETING. One of the largest and most enthusiastic public meetings ever held in Hokitika, took place at the Theatre Royal last evening, to hear from Mr Bright, one oi the candidates for the representation of the town in the Provincial Council, an exposition of his political sentiments. The theatre was densely crowded in every part. ' Shortly before eight o'clock, Mr W. L. Rees, barrister, was called to the chair, and opened the meeting in an eloquent speech, in which he congratulated the electors upon the opportunity they enjoyed of securing an enlarged representation, and urged upon them the duty of returning proper men toco-operate with MrMoorhoHse ia advancing the interests of Westland. He then introduced Mr Bright, who was very warmly received, .and spoke at considerable length. He said, although accustomed to take part in political proceedings, this was only the second occasion on which he had appeared to speak on a question affecting his own candidature for a seat in a legislative body. When asked to become a candidate in a neighboring province, although his compliance would have been gratifying to his ambition and his tastes, he had declined the honor, because -he felt that his position as resident editor of a newspaper, in a small town, iv which a small Council assembled, might have compromised his j independence in both capacities. He regarded the circumstances under which he now presented himself as totally different, and felt that his presence in the Legislature, composed of a large number of representatives, and sitting in a distant capital, would enable him, both as their representative, and as still connected with the Westland press, 1 , to maintain his independence, both as an actor in the Council and as a critic of its proaeedings. (Cheers.) Except this was his thorough conviction he would not have consented to stand. (Cheers. J His connection with the press, which was too well-known a fact for him to have any delicacy in referring to it, affected in various ways his prospects of election. It operated adversely to him, because, holding the position he did it was impossible, as long as he did his duty faithfully, to avoid creating a number of petty animosities, whilst it had had the effect of keeping him personally a stranger to very many of those whose suffrages he now sought, for he had always deemed it right to secure his- thorough independence by holding himself aloof from much of the social fife of the town. (Hear, hear.) On the other hand it would prove an ad« J vantage to him, because it had made his views on all the great public qnestions of the day thoroughly well-known to the electors. There was no man before them

whose • politics they had had so full an opportunity of testing. A candidate might address them and make a set exposition of his principles, but it was a different thing with one who had been engaged for months past in discussing political questions in their successive daily phases. They had been able to turn him politically inside out —to literally dissect him, and examine every fibre of his political being. (Loud laughter and cheers.) He felt that beyond the extent to which he had alluded, he was personally a stranger to a very large proportion of .those present, and he might be allowed to refer, without egotism, to his past political career in the colonies, which commenced in Victoria fifteen years agdi As proprietor of the " Melbourne Express," he believed he was the first man in Victoria to propose the establishment of a special Miner's franchise. His coadjutor at that time was Dr. Owens, a man well known as the diggers' advocate in old days. (Hear, hear.) He had been the founder and first editor of the " Age," a journal which it was admitted had done great service to the cause of the people, especially in the memorable days of the Ballarat riots and the state prosecutions. (Cheers.) Without making further references to him* self, he might say that he had always steadfastly stood by that cause. Throwing these matters aside, he would proceed to refer to a few of the leading topics of the day. He held that recent incidents had practically set aside for the present the question of Separation. Under the government of a Superintendent, pledged aa Mr Moorhouse was to secure justice for the district, as far as lay in} his power — with the appropriation .to local works of all local revenues, as promised by him — with increased strength in the Provincial Council, and the prospect of the representation being still further enlarged, and with the establishment of the Municipal system of government, he thought it quite practicable to obtain a local administration, which should secure for the district most of the practical advantages of Separation. (Hear, hear.) They had all been gratified to hear that day from Mr Moorhouse, that he and his Executive intended to let Westlaud enjoy its own revenue for its own purposes. But he thought something beyond that was desirable, namely, the expenditure of that revenue under local responsible control. (Loud cheers.) It would be necessary, however, for the district to be placed in a position to exercise more influence both in the Provincial Council and in the General Assembly. In the former body, out of forty-five members five only had been allotted to the half of the province which was admitted to be the most populous, the most wealthy (hear hear), and the most actively industrious. He would advocate the increase of that number to fifteen members. (Cheers.) The Assembly had given them one representative, but he had no doubt the manner in which they had exercised their right of choice at the last election would satisfy that body that they were a community capable of choosing their members discreetly ; and if Mr Shaw had been returned instead of Mr Moorhouse, the same impression would have been produced. Amongst the further reforms Mr Bright advocated was a radical amendment of the electoral law as affecting the question of qualification ; a more adequate provision for the administration of justice on the West Coast ; and further, the infusion of the popular element in the administration of local charitable institutions. He regretted that this colony had failed to copy the example set them in other colonies and in the home country, where hospitals and other similar establishments were mainly supported by the people, and managed by the people. Even in gaols, which were necessarily government institutions, because they were part of the penal system of the colony, he would have certain powers conferred upon municipal bodies to protect them from abuse of administration. Mr Bright advocated the grant of subsidies for mail steamers running between the neighboring colonies and Hokitika, which was the nearest port of all the ports in New Zealand to every port in Australia. This might enable them to get some good out of the overland road, which was now a work completed in some fashion. It was the duty of the government which had expended so much Westland money on this road to make it in some way serviceable *o the district. He would, however, for one, demand that that money should be paid back to the district, to be expended on local works ; and the road be made a charge on the provincial loan. With reference to the sale of lands, he would strongly oppose any measure that would be likely to let them fall in large blocks into the hands of speculators ; but if any scheme could be devised which would permit of their judicious sale in small allotments so as to promote a permanent settlement of the country, without forfeiting the right of the miner to whatever mineral wealth they contained, he should be prepared to give it his support. (Cheers.) After adverting to several other topics, Mr Bright concluded by assuring the meeting that if the electors did him the honor to return him as one of their representatives, he would to the very utmost of his ability endeavor to do his duty to them faithfully, and to render them* an independent and unremitting service. The speaker sat down amid loud applause. The Chairman then announced that Mr Bright would be ready to answer any question put to him, and that gentleman gave further explanations to several of the electors, which appeared to be satisfactory, as they were 'received with cheers. * Mr Eicke then proposed, Mr seconded, and Mr Prosser supported a resolution to the effect " that Mr T. L. Bright was a fit and proper person to represent the district of Hokitika in the Provincial Council." The resolutiou was put from the chair and carried unanimously amidst loud cheers. The Chairman announced that the meeting had been called by Mr Bright, but that he understood Mr Robinson was desmous of addressing them as a candidate for their suffrages. Mr Robinson then rose, and proceeded to explain his views upon the sale of the town lands ; the establishment of a bench of magistrates in Hokitika, and of an Insolvent Court, and the holding of quar- ! terly sessions of the Supreme Court^ the necessity of- placing the Cemetry in the hands of Trustees; the formation of roads and tracks ; the grant of rewards to sold discovered ; the improvement of the harbor works, and other topics of locali nS terest. * ■

After one or two questions had been asked the candidate, Mr Thacker moved, and Mr. Hall seconded, *a motion to the effect that Mr Robinson was a fit and proper person, &c, which was declared from the chair to be carried. Mr Prosser moved (seconded by Mr Eicke) the appointment of a committee to secure the return of Mr Bright, urging upon the meeting the necessity of taking active measures for carrying out its previous resolution. The motion was carried unanimously, and" a committee appointed, with power to add to its number. A vote of thanks to the chaiiman was proposed by Mr Bright, seconded by Mr Robinson, and carried. Mr Rees, in acknowledging the compliment, made an eloquent speech, in which he strongly urged the claims of the candidate to the support of the electors. The meeting, which during some of its later stages had become somewhat disorderly, hen dissolved.