NOMINATION OF MEMBERS FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

GLADSTONE ELECTORAL DISTRICT. The nomination of candidates for the) representation of the Gladstone electoral district m the forthcoming Parliament took place at the Meat Preserving Company's works, Washdyke, yesterday. There waa a very good attendance of electors, and at noon the Returning Officer, Mr F. W. Stubbs announced tbe purpose of tbe meeting, which was to nominate oandidate* for one membership of tbe House, and read the Queen's Writ v the authority for tbe proceedings. He then called upon those present to nominate the various candidates they had to put forward,

Mr R. Buist proposed Captain J. H, Suttei as a fit and proper person to represent tin district. 'ihe proposal was seconded by Mr 3. 0 McKerrow. Mr J. Page proposed a gentleman who bac been known to them for 25 years, and who although ho had no catalogue of past service, to hold up, was yet an aouto observer and would muke an efficient member of thf House. He was not one to be led away easily and he had great pleasure m proposing Dr. Fisher as their representative m Parliament and he was sure he would make an industrious and assiduous rnembor. Mr A. W. Wright seconded the namina tion. Dr Fisher had been known to them a great many ye-irs and he was a gentleman they could all trust and respect. Mr John Crawford proposed Mr W. J. Newton as their repreaentatire, and Mi Reginald Orton seconded tbe proposition. Mr W. Warne nominated Mr D. Anderson and Mr Daniel Friel seconded the nomination. The Returning Officer then called on the various candidates to address those present. Captain Sutter came forward and said that they were coming to the olose of tbe oonteit »nd he would only say a few words. They stood now m a very serious position. If they were leaving the country for a time and bad to ohooio an attorney to act for them m their absence, they would do tbeir utmost to secure the services of the best man available. Tbey had an equally serious matter m hand — that of selecting a fit representative m Parliament. This waa not to bs ruu after as a piece of fun, where there was plenty to laugh at, but it should be taken to heart, and they should endeavor to select the best man, and no doubt it would result satisfactorily m the end. They aH knew his feeliags, as he had laid matters before them more than once. He was not a new chum ; he had been eighteen years iv the district, and was well known. Reports had been circulated mpecting his viows on the land tax question to which he might draw attention. A doal of noise bad been made about his having endeavored to put the town and the country at variance. This was not by any means the case, and was merely a party cry of a clique m Timaru, circulated to do him harm, and he wished them clearly to understand that the thing bad no foundation m fact. He was against all tax of tbe kind, except on large tracts of land ; he was dead against the land tax. An income tax tbat should affect both town and country alike was tho proper one ; the other was a most unjust tax. He would cite tbe Levels estate aa an instance to which they could all turn. The sheep were taxed at only half their value, whereas everything the farmer possessed and used was taxod, and his plant was continually at work, and was diminished m value by wear and (ear. The farmers supported blacksmiths, saddlers and cartwrights among thorn, but the squatters supported no one. (Hear, hsar.) Farmers were taxed, while those who should piy were absentees, a curse to the country. No one knew what sums the large property-holders paid m taxation. They sent tbeir schedules, with cheques attached, to Wellington, and it was merely tbe few oses that came before the Appeal Courts that gave any criterion as to the amounts paid. No one was a bit the wiser for this, and if elected he would do his utmost to support that party which fazorod the assessment of taxation m proportion to incomes. Why should not a man pay taxes on land that w«s lying idle P The land was bought at £3 per acre and had increased m value by tbe act of the Government m making roads and railways and m bringing m immigrants. It was not by any exertion of the man himself that the value of his property waa increased, and an Act should be passed for tbe purpose of taxing all such properties. That was not confiscation, nor communism ; it was only what was fair and right. No property was absolutely a man's own. If it were wanted to build a manufactory, the inspector stepped m to see that certain regulations were complied with and the health of the public carefully guarded against any nuisances. If they hod chips, the Customs officers went on board and knocked down bulkheads to give more room to passengers, and put a mark on tbe ship to which she might be loaded and no further. This vras all very proper no doubt, and tbey should be protected against tbe large landed proprietor as well. (Hear, hear.) In olden times it cost 22s 6d to get a t»le of wool from the back country to tbe port, now it ciuld be done for 3s 6d by means of th* new conveniences they bad, and the difference went into Dr Fisher's pookot and tbe pockets of those around him. A voice : Wbat about Dennis Macarthy ? He would come to him presently ; be would briefly refer to the land law of 1877. As printed it said that the runs m New Zealand were to be split up m May, 1882, when the present leases terminated. Ibe Upper HoUte, however, got & clause included m it tbat excluded Canterbury and extended the leases for another ten years. Sir George Grey had gono to tbe Governor and asked him not to sign the hw, and had been called a manioc for it. The Governor signed the law, wisely acting on the advice of bis Miniators, but that did not make it a just law. That Bill handed over balf-a-million to the squatters, and if their runs were so bad aa they tried to make out let them heave them up m '82, no one would ttop them. (Hear, hear.) In the case of Otago it was different. A law had been passed to out up the land there m blocks of from 600 to 6000 seres on deferred payment*, and tbe number of sheep would be doubled there m a few years. The squatters had never tried to make two blades of grass grow m place of one, and he conld not blame them under the circumstances ; he should most likely have done just as they did had he been placed m the same position. The laws were bad, but who made them but the iquatters. No doubt be should be told that this was all fudge about the runs — (Dr. Fisher: "So it is")— he would ask Dr. Fisher not to interrupt him, it was extremely bad taste for one candidate to interrupt another. He would point out that there was quite as good land locked up m Canterbury, and he would give them an instance showing the benefits arising from dividing the land. The Oamaru Harbor Board had leased their endowments for £720, and when the lease expired tho squatters said tbey could give no more. The Board cut tbe land up, and it yielded them £3080, m place of £720, which the squatter said was all it was worth. Look at Benmore again ; that Btation was now sublet for £3000 a year, and the squatter pocketed £2500 clear out of the bargain. The upeot price of £1 per acre put upon Crown lands by Govern- ! ment was too high j it was a plausible way of locking it up, and if elected it would be one of his objects to do away with this Bill m such a manner as to modify prices, so that the land might be got at its proper value. Tbe Premier at Leeston last year complained tbat the Upper House was m a bad state because it had thrown out one of his Bills. Ib was m a bad state. A lot of old gentlemen had been pitch-forked into £200 a year for life, who were unfit to sit on committees far less to make laws, and tho Premier said that tbey ought to bo elected from the House of Representatives. This was a piece of sham, the Ministry having tho majority m the House. These old gentlemen, if snch a thing it ore proposed, would come before the Houie and gat elected m tho same way. Why should these men enjoy £200 n year and a free railway ticket all over the colonies ? These old foetes hud been pitchforked into the Upper House because they had voted for some Bill or other for the Ministers of the day. Captain Butt«r then loft politics, and alluded to a letter signed Dennis Macarthy, which appeared m our columns a few days ago. In speaking of this letter, which be called a myth, he alluded by name to tbe proprietor of this paper, and also to the Sub-Editor, and to what he chose to term an apology for that letter. (Tbe apology was simply a correction on our part aa to a olear error of fact stated by the writer of tbat letter, which it is no broaoh of confidence for as to lay was written by a resident m the Gladstone electorate.) A question was put to Captain Sutter respecting the removal of tbe Point railway station, and m reply he said ho was not m favor of tbci idea. Tho Levels had gut it placed, where it was, but he did not wish to hurt anyone's property. Dr Fiiher, tbe next candidate on tbe list, then addressed tbo elootors present, and said that be bad but very few words to say. He | quite agreed, with O»pt»in Butter's Brit re-

r marks, and be would say that tbey should be 9 very careful to secure tho services of the be»t man. He must take exception to Captain '. Butter's other remarks, howercr. Thbl gentUmao bad got hold of a great ] tirade against the squatters. Where wore i, they ? AH the iquatters nowadays were . shepherdi and the like, whose ra*sters I were all gone, bought out or drivrn out by s the moneylenders, who hid put the shepherds , m charge, and when the rum did not pay . these men were not paid. Were not the , tquatters the pioneera of the country ; what - wo uld the bark country be to-day if the squatters had not taken it up and spent the money on ■ it they had. Tho land bad been bought up i under their feet, driving them back to the r mow line, and they bad to buy to protect themselves. MrSutter had spoken of farmers . agricultural implements being taxed ; he r denied that there was a tax on implement*. He bad been connected with farming all his ( life, and he waa still net only a farmor, but rrae connected with the Farmers* Co-operative Association, and was farming now, and in--1 tended to continue farming. Captain Sutter asked the speaker ho? many t acres he hid on his run. : Dr Fisher replied that he had 60,000 acres leasehold and 3000 freehold. Captain Suiter presied further quostions I on the apeake.*, who reminded him of his l own ruling that it was bad taato for one • candidate to interrupt another. (Laughter.) i On the subject of taxation Dr Fisher said > that sometime ago Captain Sutter adrocated 1 the land tax, but now he was an advocate for ' the property tax. Thfre was property m the towns valued at £12,000,000, £4,000,000 of 1 which might be considered as representing the land, and the remaining £8,000,000 the property. If they bad a land tax instead of a property tax this £8,000,000 worth of pro- ' perty would go free. They must therefore keep the property tax. He paid nearly £100 a year, and if that tax wore taken off, a vast amount of property would not be rsached. Captain Sutter again interrupted and asked the speaker to point out when he bad proposed a land tax p Dr. Fisher replied that he had done so at his meetings. Captain Sutter laid that it was not true. Dr. Fisher had gone shuffling about the country saying (hut he (Captain Sutter) did thii, that and the other, and yet what had ha said himself ? Why he had said there was no leasehold land, while at the same time he held 50,000 acres himself . Dr. Fisher again rominded Captnin Sutter of his owu previous ruling, and said ho must decline to enter into personalities with him. Dr. Fisher having oonoluded his remarks, Mr W. J. Ncwtou came forward and made a short speech. Mr Newton »aid that as it was near dinner time, and they were probably hungry, ho would not detain them long. Mr Sutter had said that the triennial Parliaments were too short, and that they should have five-year Parliaments. He thought that that would be a great curse to tho country, as now they could send a man about his business if he did not suit them. Dr. Fi»her had said there was no land, no runs and no squatters. Why, there were millions of acres of good land m Canterbury alone. America was smothering the farmers of this country with grain, and they muit do all m their power to counteract this. Every man had a right to the land, but it vtas not right that they should hare to pay £2 an acre for it and go to the Timnru Shylocks and pay them 12 per cent for borrowed money to buy it with. That was not the proper way of dealing with tho question. There were thousands of acres of reserves, and he would let the working men take them up and pay at the rate of 5 per cent for them. The land would grow oati, barley, and potatoes, and if it would not grow wheat it would grow pigs. After 2000 acres he would go to 6000 acres and have the liud surveyed by practical men. 5000 acres of the coldest land m ihe country would carry 2000 sheep, which would bring m £600 a year, a difference of £430 between the squatter and the farmer. There was good grass land iv the Mackenzie Country, and the day the law was passed he would take up 5000 acrea and put his sheep on the land m the summer timo and bring thorn down m the winter. Thera were millions of acres of land, and every man should hare it. As it was dinner time ha would aik them to excuse him saying more. Mr David Anderson then addressed those present, and said that a great many people thought it was a piece of presumption on his part to come forward and contest the election. He would tell them tint, though he wes a working man, the interests of the farming community were linked op with his, and if be served himself he served them at the same time. He bad no private interests to serve ; the candidates m the field did not truly represent the views and wants of the district, and that was why he came forward. They wore all aware of the hue and cry againßt the squatters ; bo thought this cry was m a manure unjust. They mint remember there was a time when tbe squatters were a great boon to the country, and it was unfair to cry them down now. Evory man should have justics done him. The farmers would commit themselves to an inconsistency if they elected one of the candidate! before them. They had found it necesßary to 00-oporate against the merchants, and if tboy were not careful they would aend one, or a person who had been one, to represent them m Parliament. That gentleman would not represent them faithfully ; be bad strong interests to serve, and he would eerve them and himie'.f. He (the speaker) bad no interest but theirs, and he should doubly represent the farming community m Parliament. Speaking of immigration, he said it was almost at a standstill, and no wonder, when the last Government rushed m and flooded the country with working men, who, when depression came, had neither money nor work, und able-bodied men liad to swag it about the country, leaving tbeir wives and children to starve. He would certainly not allow one penny to bo spent on immigration until the time wht-n there was a chance of all procuring employment. He would impose a poll tax of £50 per bead on all Chinese coming into the colony. Education was a broad question, tind although the Act m itielf gave satisfaction there wore some things that were not satisfactory. They ought to hare the Bible read m schools, and Catholics should hare a sharo of the money ; they should be paid by results, as they were duly entitled to it. High schools should be put dowD, as the poor man was made to pay for them a] well ac tbe rich. Mr Anderson repeated bis former remarks on the railways and Crown , land*, and also regarding the Legislature, m which ho said caaes had arisen whore members had not attended until half the session was over, and that for all the use they were their £200 might ■ hare been saved to tho colony. He placed himself m their hands, and they all knew , that he belonged to the working class of the community, and yet they would find it diffi- , cult to gel on tbe north sido of him. It was , said that one of the candidates was a shrewd man und came from Peterhead, was an Aberdonian m faot ; well, he came thirteen miles i further north than that. (Laughter.) Ho would leave himself m thoir bands and hoped they would poll a good number of votes for j Davy Anderson. Tho Returning Offioor then called for a . rlio» of hands, which was giren with the following result : — Captain Sutter ... 13 Dr Fisher , 6 Mr Newton 1 Mr Anderson ... 6 Dr Fislicr demanded a poll, and the Returning Officer announced it for tho 9th inst. at tho various polling places. Captain Sutter proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, which, being carried, the proceedings terminated. [Pbbbs Association Tblbgbah.J Bat op Islands, Doc. 1, Mesirs Hobbs and Lundon were nominated. Tho show of hands was m favor of Hobbs. Rodhbt, Deo. 1. Meisrs Seymour George, Shepherd and Parnell were nominated. The show of hands was m favor of Mr George. Auokl/AND, Die. 1. Tbe nominations for City West were — Dr. Wallia, Messrs J. M. Dargavillr, W. 0. Laing and A. Fleming. A poll was demanded. For City East Sir 0. Grey and Mr J. M. Clarke were propoied. Bursbxtj, Deo. 1. The nominations to-day were Messrs Luni don and Hobbs. The show of hands was : — Lnndcm,B ( Hobbi, 18.

Napibb, Dec. 1. At th* nomination for Napier to-day the following wero proposed : — Jobn Buchanan, Justin McSweeny, carpenter* j John McDougall, journalist. Tho show of hands was m favor of Buchanan. Mabtoh, Dec. 1. For the Rangitikoi seat to-day, Sir William Fox and John Stevens were nominated. The sbow of hands wis m favor of Stevens. A poll waa demanded on behalf of Sir William. Welhkotok, Deo. 1. Messrs W. H. Levin and Thomas Dwan were nominated for Thorndon to-day. Nominations for the Hutt took plaoo today. ■ Messrs Tlios. Maion, Henry Jackson, M. L. Marks and Duncan Bincl»ir were proposed. The show of hands was m favor of Mason. CflßiSTcnußOH, Deo. 1. Mr Montgomery was the sole candidate for Akaroa, and was duly elected. For Cheviot Messrs Saunders, Fendall and Mcllwraitb wore duly proposed. The Usturning Officer proceeded to take a show of bands, wh«a Mr Sauaders claimed the right to speak. Messrs Fendall and Mcllnraitb wished to have a show of bands taken, and the Returning Officer left it to the meeting, which decided by a considerable majority to take a show Brat, Mr .-sunders again protested against this illegal action, but tjfe show was duly railed for, and resulted as follows : — Saundera 2, Fendall 25, Mcllwraitb 19. Saunders' supporters refused to vote. Mr Saunders said he would address them at Amberley next Tuesday on tbe illegality of tbe nomination. DtJNBDIN, Deo. 1. For Dunedin South — Messrs Henry Smith Fish and Archibald William Rois (lato Mayor) were proposed. Tbe show of hands was m favor of Mr Fish. For Dunedin West — Messrs Thomas Dick, William Downie Stowart, and William Jackeon Barry were nominated. The sbow of hands was m favor of Mr Diok. The following were nominated for Dunston yesterday : — Messrs W. Fraeer and V. Pyke. The sbow of hands resulted : — Pyke, 15 j Fraser, 9. Taxbki, Dec. 1. Mr James Fulton was elected to represent Taieri without opposition. Motjnt Ida, Dec. 1. Messrs 0. A. DeLautour and M. J. S. MoKcnzie were nominated. The show of bands resulted : — DeLautour, 14 ; McKenzie, 28. Waikouaiti, Dec. 1. Messrs James Green and A. C. Thompson were nominated. The show of hands was m favor of Mr Thompson. WAKATisr/, Dec. 1. Messrs T. Fergus, A. Mcßride, and A. 0. Thompson were nominated. A show of hands resulted : — Fergus, 24 j Mcßride, 15 ; Thompson, 14. Bet/ob, Deo. 1. Messrs W. A. Murray, Jamos Adams, and James Rutherford were nominated. A show of hands resulted: — Adams, 32; Rutherford, 28; Murray, 15.