CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Tho usinl monthly meotinr, of ~" mittee of tho Chamber of Commor ° yesterday in the rooms Hi,,i, „. ,!s Hi sent-Ur,,™. C. W. TunTi'^ 1 Laurie, Kifhir,l«on, Walton, (| OII | >»»}, Hawk**. M«rruj-Avn*U.v, Mm "on The ininutM of the previous me-i-V retui and confirmed. 8 leyj The Clnvirnnn .aid tho fi re t hu,;n PM ..,, mooting would bo to elect two mIA th * committee in tlin place of Mr J n » o{ pherson, who had retired, . m \ Stewart, who had become ilisq IW H|j* , r J, £ to non-nUendaure. * vl ' owing A ballot was taken, and W n and J. J). Mncphcrson were elocted' a ? Tho report of tho Newsmane/on*. ■ was brought tip, and adopted. °° mni »««o Air Win. Day was elected donate „«. ■ in place of Mr ab J^ , Const. "° 'Ust The election of Mc Day t. Q the oil! deputy-chairman caused a vaeanev i «° f committee, and Mr John Anderson w' la „?, !"* in his place. ••"•cleil Leave of absenco was granted to Mr w wood. ttB JA letter wae read from Mown, Sh opp3rd ar . Co. complaining of the present «il J d j gauging casks of epinte, wine, & c ., i Q ban I f duty and suggesting that the merchant; should employ a competent ganger to tes til Government quantities. Tho firm stated ft . they averaged their loss by this moans «t?» per cent. " 's Mr Walton said that lite firm suffered con sidorably from deficienciee, more pvrtieuk in first-class wines : tho reason for that m i 2 certainly bo that good wino was likdv evaporate more quickly in the Custom-hots, than those of a second-class quulity. Mr Murray-Aynsley said that ho undor stood tho Collector of Customs would b in Christehurch in a fow days, and h thought that much might bo done \l an interview with him. Ho would move »jul the Chairman of the Chamber of Comtnerowait upon tho Collector of Customs relative to this matter." Mr Gould seconded the resolution, which was carried. Tho Chairman read a form of letter'which had been sent in accordance with the resolutions passed at the last special meeting of the committee relative to tho tariff and the Dobtors and Creditors Act to all tho membew of the General Assembly. Soveral accounts wore passed, and ordered to be paid. Tho Chairman drew tho attention of the committee to au advertisement issued by tho General Government, relativo to tho leasing of the different lines of telegraph in tho Mld'ile Island. He thought that thepublio could not have as much confidence in a private contractor us they had in tho Government. A contractor could make a vory good thing by taking tho contract, as he could of course make uee of tho first information for his own benefit. Mr Waiton moved :—" That this Chamber having observed an advertisement in tho public newspapers, emanating from tho Government, calling for tenders to leaao the telegraph lines to contractors, viow with alarm this uausual courso of proceeding, and fooling that interests ofso important and private a character should be entirely under tho strict control of tho Government, and not be handed OT«r to private individuals, who might ueo bo dangi>rous a power to the serious prejudice of the whole community, protest against the contemplated leasing of tho telegraph lines, and that tho Secretary bo requested to nrgo upon tho members of the province in tho Assembly tlio necessity for immediate action in tho matter." Mr Matson seconded tho resolution, which wae carried. Tho meeting was then adjourned for a month. LINCOLN NOMINATION. The nomination of candidates fortholia* cola district took place yesterday. at ilia school-house, Prebbleton, at" twelve o'clock The Returning Officer (Dγ Donald) read th writ, after which he called upon any elecfow to propose candidates. Mr Alington, one of the candidates, iW& that it was not hie intention to contest &o election, and that he rotired in favor of tie other gentlemen who were eolicitinjj tlwir suffrages. Mr J. S. Broadbeut proposed Mi'H. J, Tancred as a fit and proper person to represent the district of Lincoln; as he hold a largo stake ia the pkco, and wae, moreover, eminently qualified from long experience to see that justice was done to the district, as well as promoting tho welfare of the province generally i lv« qualities as an able representative wore well known, and he hoped they would be appreciated by the electors in returning him at tho Utied of the poll. Mr John Tosswill secondod the nomination of Mr Tancred, and briefly commented upon that gentleman's abilities to fulfil the duties of their representative. Mr W. B. Tosawill proposed Mr A. 0, Knight as one of the members for tho district, and for one important reason—that he was a resident in tho district, and had been JO for a series of yoara, ho being engaged in agricultural pursuits, hie interests wore identified with those of the great body of elector*, and also that the agricultural interest was not sufficiently represented in proportion to the other interests in the province, and for that purpose he wished to boo Messrs. Tanored and Knight returned bb their members. He thought it was very bad tnste in bringing forward Mr Luck to contest one of the soativ aa if Mr Luck waa returned, it would bo taking one member away from the district'and giving it to Ohrwtoliurcli. Ho, honrover, bolioreu that Mr Luck would do his duty coneciantiously, but it would be too much to expect from any but one of themselves to know uh their wants. Mr Luck, in his address, had said that neither of the candidates who were boforo tho electors were likoly to tlie opinions of tho great body of tho oUetQT% but for his part he preferred Mr whom they, all fenew, and who was possessed of sound sense, judgment, and ability. . Mr Slater eeconded the nomination of 3M A. C. Knight. Mr C. Clarke proposed Mr Isaac haw » a fit person to represent the district, and eaid that although he (Mr Clark) was laboring under severe indisposition, ho could nota.a better time than tho present, when the elec* tors wero met together, tender Ins thaniui «> them for the truet they had reposed in ft® as their member for a period of nearly iW* years, and ho CDuld refer to hie acts ¥ their representative, as having secured jo u« district its fair eharo ia the d »tnbulWtt of the public funrie. Hβ had ebrtja been an independent member j never eicung with any party in the Council, which course brought some good r&ulte to the count? ■». large He would instance the first lew which the Government brought forward m ttt Messrs Holmes and Co, and which h<? oppojett withaU his might, until the Government obliged to go back and draw up a new lg much more favorable to the public. Hβ W also, at the time tho equattere lenses were et tended, with Dr Turnb'ull, laid upon the tabJa of the Houso a written pff.ff, extension of the leases. He had fron kg acquaintance with Mr Luck found that their views on all public questions we£««JJ identical, »»d that Mr Luck's publ« •g and independence of character were bucl»tha* he would he a faithful repreeenta i« >U> Mr Luck had been au.pngjt them . W*m. years, and knew what the dwtne jWg and no felt satisfied that i tb« '* eoMJJW "Kdiww. ponded Mr Luck'e nomi^ 1 tiO No other candidates having been pjvjjj. the Returning Officer called upon the canas dates to address the electors. d [d Mr Tftncred'Mid that a^f a *7 d called in atthe:numeroue meetingswhichjie Q ll » d ng various parte of the dietnct, it « o ™*te™* was eaid to be the eoul of mh ue

"~~~~ , «n«ible. He was not, stricth " *£„' S a rSnt in the district, but had , gpeskm?. a refideutan d non-residen largo p tawei , . fg d i sadran tage9-TiS-on which, however, he woulo nevj ent . Inspecting pre nofc enlarge.a- conv i„ C cd that such « fflptl i™M. to be grossly abused, which abuses rl,ad Pouted out eight years ago, and sc he • J\ras bo of tho great evils of the at that time ho resigned Ins scat *- T! ,f Executive Council on that very question. sr*narke remarked that ho had held hw Mr i? about them since that. He had SKo fitting opportunity since then d • •„» iid tno subject, as a great part of bnng} n s ,£, boen gp Cn t in Auckland in the hl3 -Sof the General Government, but would that if elected, he would try and •""Sc the present law, and otherwise serve to tho best of his ability. th M, St said he felt a certain amount of diffidence in addressing them, as ho had not J Sent to make a long *pce-h, but such he ft „'t con-idcr a necessary qualification to J -n tre Council; if you want such, I am ♦ Wurman. Ho would, however, attend B0 f l« to the business of the Council, and J* thn lone speeches to be made by the ai -erSiants; he held that local should represent individual places, and !ft farming districts should be represented by bole following such pursuits. He, as an old ■inablio works encouraged, and was m favor 5 Z construction of light iron tram--I,* to conne-5* the various parts of the Prince- but he was against commencing »neff large undertakings, involving them in wv debts, but tho existing large works mu.«t Carried on to completion. He was against luring the Waste Lands Eegulations, with the exception of pre-emptive rights which ntoie placed on some better footing than °J g " Df> and would like to see justice done Id! to- the eqnatter and to the agricuitunl »« not to bi °f t , up the ntry ** wa3 at P resent the caß °- education, he approved of schools STendoned, and should support such a Sire. Should any of the electors wish mv measure brought forwara, he would be hannv to do so, and would be very glad to neat them at any time and explain his views on the different public questions as they might tuck said that having previously met the electors at Lincoln and Prebbleton, it would be unnecessary to detain them long at present, and would confine himself to a few of the topics touched upon by the previous speakers. He was against any tampering with the price of land, which he considered was worth the uniform price of £2 per acre ; but was decidedly opposed to the present system of locking up the country through pre-emptive rights, and would use his most strenuous endeavors to put down such a monstrous evil, as he knew from personal experience what purchasers of land were put to in having their money locked up for several months through euoh an iniquitous system. As he had at his previous meetings spoken on the various questions of the day, such as railways the last three years none of their members were residents. It was often tho case that residents in a country district knew little or nothing of the quirks of politics. [Laughter.] Although he was the defeated cock in Christchurch hie feathers were as long as ever, and bib crow as distinct as it was before that fight. He, moreover, felt in duty bound to come forward from the large number of persons who had asked him to stand. As regards the third point, if confidence were placed in him he, pledged himself to support a liberal system of education, immigration, &c. ; he would confine himself to giving his opinion on throe points, viz.,—The duties of your representative in the Council, residents j and non-residents, and the course he would pursue if elected. As regards the first point, ho considered that the first duty of any member was to study the prosperity of the province at large, awl to see that all great works were not' done to advance one portion and injure another. Touching his being a nonresident, he did not think he would be a ( fjiristchurch member as his principles were antagonistic to the people of Christchurch, and he felt certain that from his well known strength of character and love of justice, he could pledge himself to do his duty to them if elected. He might instance the fact that if returned be would look to the wants of tho district and visit the whole of the electors, so as to make himself acquainted with their wants; and at the beginning and close of each session to convene meetings of electors, to know their requirements and tell than what he had done. No other candidate having been proposed, the Returning Officer called for a show of hands, the result of which was— Tailored ... ... ... 12 luok ... ... ... 10 Knight ... ... ... 4 Mr Knight demanded a poll, which will take place to-day, from nine a m. till four p.m., at which hour the result will be declared. Mr Tancred proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning Office-, which was heartily given,. and duly responded to by that ger.tleman. 1