ELECTION AT KAIAPOI.

Press, Volume XII, Issue 1454, 6 July 1867, Page 2

ELECTION AT KAIAPOI.

On Friday last, at noon, the election of a member to represent the town and district, took place at " the Court-house, Kaiapoi. About twenty persons were present. T. W. Maude, Esq., the returning officer for the district, presided.

The Returning Officer having briefly introduced the subject of the meeting, called on any elector present to nominate a candidate.

Josiah Birch, Esq., proposed Mr John Studholme as a fit and proper person to represent the district of Kaiapoi in the General Assembly. It was not necessary to make many remarks respecting Mr Studholme's qualifications. He had been a long time resident in the province, and his interests were wrapped «p in the northern as well as in the southern districts of the province, and in the colony generally. Mr Dixon, in seconding Mr Studholme'e nomination, said he felt satisfied that from Mr Studholmo's matured views, and his intention of attending to the political condition of the province and colony at large, they could not find a better representative.

No other candidate having been proposed, the Returning Officer declared Mr Studholme duly elected.

Mr Studholme, in a short speech, thanked the electors, and said he esteemed it a high honour to represent such a constituency as that of Kaiapoi. Believing in the present ministers, lie should give their policy a general support so long as the affairs of this province were properly recognised. There would, in the next session, be a contest between provincialism and centralism, but Mr Stafford he thought would not press the abolition of the provinces whatever his private opinions might be. Legislation he thought ought to be confined to the General Assembly, and would prevent the necessity of so many small Acts being introduced into the Provincial Councils. It was the intention of the Government to bring forward next session a Bill affecting the loans of the provinces, which would be a great advantage. It was not right, as at present, to pledge one province for the debts contracted by other provinces. The land fund should also be very carefully guarded. The principal duty devolving upon him would be a strict attention to the reduction of taxation. At present they were paying £6 per head taxes to tho General Government, which was a much higher rate than ever the United States could boast of paying. It would take a good deal to ruin the prosperity of New Zealand, though for some time past they had been enjoying a fictitious prosperity. Ho hoped soon to see the prosperous state of the colony placing it in enviable comparison with the sister colonies. Referring to the recent disturbed state of Otago, he said that while he did not blame tho Government in assenting to Macandrew's election, he did blame them for the way in which they bad withheld certaiu powers from the Government of that province. The Bankruptcy Act had hitherto worked badly. Fraud he thought ought to be

punishable as a crime, while a method by which bankrupt estates could bo more quickly wound up ought to be devised. Oα eepara tion, he considered that it might have beon well ten years ago to introduce t»uch a subject, but he should :it present be in farour of union, provided that the districts in which rebellion existed among the Natives paid for the suppression of such rebellion. He again cordially thanked the elector-", and ended by proposing a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer.

The Returning Officer having briefly acknowledged the compliment, the proceedings terminated.