NOMINATION AND ELECTION FOR THE DISTRICT OF EDEN.

The nomination and election of two members to the Provincial Council, for the eleotoral district of Eden, took place at the toll-gate, Newmarket, at noon, yesterday. The weather was very boisterous ; a strong easterly wind waa blowing, which was accompanied by a heavy downfall of rain, and this accounts for the very limited attendance, as besides the Returning Officer and three reporters, there were not above ten persons present. The porch of the house opposite the toil-house was used as tho hustings. At noon, R. C. Barstow, Esq., the Returning Officer, said that the hour of twelve having arrived, it was his duty to explain that they had met for the purpose of electing two qualified inombers to represent in the Provincial Council of Auckland tho district of Eden. He then read the advertisement of the nomination from one of the daily papers, and the writ of the election. —Mr. Potriok Lundon stepped forward, and said : Mr. Returning-Ufficer and Gentlemen, —-I shall propose a gentleman with whom I had the pleasure of sitting in the Council last session, and who helped me to reduce the salaries of his own constituents to the amount of £1200. He then represented the Thames, and the salaries at the Thames wore reduced, and the amount expended on the wharf entirely by his judicious management. As il is wet to-day, and the audience small, I shall not detain you further, but simply propose Mr. Andrew Beveridge as a fit and proper person to represent you in the Provincial Council.—Mr. J. Dennison seconded Mr. Beveridgo's nomination.—Some short time elapsed, and no other person was proposed, when Mr. W. Buckland was observed passing through the' toll-gate. He wbb immediately stopped, and asked to allow himself to be nominated. This he refused to do at first, as he said lie was going down South, but, on being pressed at length consented to stand. Mr. R. .Dennison then proposed, and Mr. W. F. Houlton seconded, the nomination of Mr. W. Furlana Buckland. No other candidates being proposed, the Returning Officer declared Audrew Beveridge and W. F. Buckland, Esqs., duly elected.—Mr. Beveridge said: —Ghintlemen, I thank you for having returned me as your representative, and will endeavour to do my duty to you as far as my abilities and judgment will permit. I had intended to have addressed you at length, but on such a day as this I cannot. I intend to support the Education Act, wilh the exception of the rating clause. Looking buck at the Acts passed by the Council, I do not think there is one which I can rofer to with more pleasure than this, with the exception of the rating clause, which should be modified to something like what it was when brought in by the promoter of the bill. However, I will support any resolution that is brought in to alter that cluuse ; otherwise I think tho Act is as it ought to be. There is nothing else in particular that I wi9h to call your attention to, in consequence of their being so few here.—An Elector : "What about the Licensing AcL ?—Mr. Bereridfb : Well, Mr. Cunningham has spoken of the Licensing Act. I think it ought to be altered to a certain extent, and that is with reference to the Sunday trading clause. lam as much against Sunday drinking as any man. A publican ought to have hiß day of rest as well as other people j but, gentlemen, it was only the other day it was stated from the Bench, by the Resident Magistrate, that there were not above six public-houses in the district of Auckland that were kept closed on Sundays. Inspeotor Broham admits that to bo the case, and the police cannot help it. But there is a remedy. I do not see why the workingman should not hare his glass of beer on the Sunday as well qb the rich man. The rich man can order a case of beer, and have it on the Sunday ; but it is not so with the poor man, for if he gets the beer drawn on Saturday it is worthless on the following day. I therefore think, and in this opinion I am corroborated by those who ought to know best, that tho public-houses ought to be open for an hour after Church service, eo that the working man could get his beer, and for a similar time in the evening. As it is at present, the Sunday clause is a dead-letter, and I do not think the constables are to blame for this, and I think the plan I have suggested will be sufficient to prevent unfairness to the working man, and also prevent undue indulgence in intoxicating liquor.—Mr. Buckland, who had not got off his horse, having asked permission to keep bis hat on, as it was raining, said the honour had been thrust upon him. He bolieved that the existence of Provincial Institutions was nearly completed, and that this was shewn by the fact that they had to go begging for a representative. With rogard to the Education Act, he could say that it was wilh much pleasure that he had assisted in paaaiag it, and ho would vote for it intact. It was in no way different from Acts which were successful in other places, and what had been proved by experiment to answer in one place would do in another. The time would come when an income tax and house tax would have to be imposed, but the education tax was inevitable. Nearly all the rates collected under the Education Act were for the benefit of the owners or occupiers of Bmall houses and not of the large ones. It was quite possible to run wild on tho question of education. He would admit that it was absolutely right and Becessary that we should teach what had been facetiously called " the three Rs." Yet he questioned the policy of Mr. Yogel wlion he proposed a general tax for tho purpose of giving a high class education to all. He thought it to be a duty to see that every child waa taught the rudiments of education, and that it was tho duty of persons who were possessed of the means to themselves provide classical education for their children. With rogard to public-houses, ho thought that all they had to do was to. protect tho churohgoing public from annoyance, otherwise ho did not see why a working man should not get his glass of beer on Sunday aB well as any one elso. Down South tho Sunday was kept with as great decorum as in

Auckland, nnd " the public-bouses were allowed to remain open. He would assist Mr. Beveridgo in his ideas on this question.—Mr. Houlton put the following question to Mr. Buekland : —" Will you promise to resign your sent in the Provincial Council if your conduct givos dissatisfaction to a majority of your constituents, and if requested by them to" do eo —Mr. JJuckland : "Yeß, I will, although I do not bolieve in delegates ; if the electors require it I will resign."—The next question was : "Will you promise not to allow any petty feelings to influence you in trying to thwurt Mr. Williumson in his endeavours to promote the welfare of tho province ?"—Mr. Buekland said that he should be exceedingly sorry to think that such a thing could be supposed of him. He had before supported Mr. Williamson, and should be glad to do eo again in everything which he considered would bo condusive to the public good. —There being no other quostions, Mr. Buckland rode away.—A vqte of thanks was proposed to the Returning Officer, and tlie business of the meeting closed.