THE ASHLEY NOMINATION.

Press, Volume XXXII, Issue 4399, 5 September 1879, Page 2

THE ASHLEY NOMINATION.

The nomination for the Ashley di-tnc* wok place at the Town Hall, Aiobwlej, at boob** Wednesday. About 100 electors wore pr««»Mr O. Whitefoord, returning offiser, P»" sided, and called upon tha electors to pro| J :-' some candidate to represent tho the House of Bi-preaontatives. After Borne delay, through somo of di*' present who had engaged to proposs ciMdates not being very clear about tho pf»r order of precedence, , Mr B. I* Higgins, .of the Oust, «■*«• ward and proposed Mr Walpolo On»£r Bendall as a fit and proper person to "r sent the Ashley district in Parltamens- ** Higgins said as it was customaryon OCcasioßS to make some remarks, "? only say that he had much pleasure ia »-.. porting Mr Fendall, because he hod «»«*£ himself a supporter of Sir tt. Grey s Gonw. ment, of which policy he was hin«*'',_, humble follower. He said that he w«>g an uncompromising opponent ot sue jw. i and the party which Mr Moorhou-ei rf» oated. His idea -a* that the former (tog* ment—via:., the Atkinson—were only aow destroy institutions, and were »«,*£•_» replace them. He felt very rtrcnglj »-f matter, nd would like to put ™™*1% would keep out suoh a principle. - 41 * 0 j? wa , was not essential to have a local»»_;»"' always better to hay* one if practie*of*. *> said hi. friend Mr Fendall did »ot »P»| tho pastoral interests exactly, but sil|fr materially ro F e" nt •*• 'of He belie/ed that Mr Fend-il w« » «*£ very considerable ability, and h». J***** were identical with their own. , eJB ;„ Mr 0. Enso? seconded Mr Itf*-*"*» * & naUon. His remarks *^,'P™ p 2_T__Si«' effect, views. He said, also, that Mi: «»» Wished to misrepresent tnem as he ns» his late Christohurch constituency.

Mr Dilnot Bladden said, as Mr Wilhara o_fton Moorhouse- was so well k-34-wn fa-Can-terbury and Canterbury men, it would be;a ~_fect superfluity for him to endeavour to l\ r anything in favonr of Mr Moorhouse. ___ Moorhouse's actions and past exertions in .vg —»y of advancing the interests of the colony, and Canterbury in particular, were too w«_l known and admired to require any gag-Bent from him, or any other old settler trio had watched his career for the past treaty years. Of course, they were now, in the shape of railways and every other advancement, reaping the rich fruition of the policy instituted by Mr Moorhouse and his coadjutors, and so firmly planted as to be an everlasting boon to them, their children, and - their children* children. He was -very proud to be there that day to propose Mr William .- Sefton Moorhouse as the most fit and proper person to represent the Ashley district in the _£ouseof B*pressntatives. Mr 3. W. Moore seconded Mr Moorhouse's jjßjninatioT!. He thought the Ashley district jhould feel very highly honored to have the ehsnee of returning such a veteran reformer as Mr Moorhouse. He asked them to believe thai he was a true Liberal in the proper sense of tbe word, but not a liberal of the claptrap kind. He alio asked them to remember t__t Mr Moorhouse had always been the truest friend of the working man, and had been returned by acclamation by the working nun or the colony long before Sir G. Grey or his party had considered it conducive to the __ca»ss of their party tactics to institute the dan against class cry. He was not going to be led to believe that their old and tried friend m now in his ripe age going to turn the enemy of his old friends, the working men. Hor had he read anything to give him such tn idea, either in any of the public journals or in any record of his ptst views or his priest actions. He did not represent the but he was fully competent to rjnressnt the ma»ses, and the country would __.re every reason to cry " Shame" on any coßstUaency who would withhold from the House such an old and tried servant. He had known Mr Moorhouse for twenty-five years, always as a most liberal statesman, and Canterbury to the backbone. And he was then only adding his quota to the support of ' a genuine Liberal policy in seconding the nomination. In conclusion he wonld say that the more able the captain the more chance they would have in getting into port. [Cheers.] Mr Anthony Hodgson then proposed Mr James Alexander Cunningham as a fit person to represent the constituency. He said his friend Mr Cunningham was an eld resident. Though a young man, he was well read, and well qualified to be their member. He said no doubt Mr Moorhouse's name would be loved and revered so long as Canterbury stood, bnt he found fault with hi— because he did not speak quite so powerfully as formerly. He supposed he was getting old. He said, if he spoke candidly, he believed they would most of them yet vote for Mr Mom house. He was cot a politician, but .ee-_id—ed they would most of them rote for Moorhsute. But Mr Fendall had, he was tarry to tay, made a mess of himself altogether. Why did not Mr Moorhouse launch out and give us a good speech. The old salt die, and we must bring the young forward, viz., such as Mr Cunningham. He did not give much for professions on the platform, because when they went into the House they would vote the way they thought proper. Mr Pater Duncan seconded Mr Cunningham's nomination. He said Mr Cunningham had once been a squatter, but had fallen from that high position, and taken to grow Cabbages. [Laughter.] But he was a man very highly esteemed in his own district. His qualification as a legislator was first-class. He was a fine man, and would jealously keep guard over their interests, and he was also of ths full age, and could speak for himself. He other candidate being proposed, the Beturning Officer called upon the several candidates to address the electors, if they thought fit. Mr Fendall then came forward to address the electors, and was cheered by his supporters. He said he would not detain them with a long speech as he had so often addressed them before. In addition to the views he had already expressed, he said he should he in favor of dividing the district, leaving Labnm to go somewhere else, as any _—didate from there must be a stranger to that part of the district [Cheers and groans.] He would now leave himself in the hands of _«electors. [Applause.] Mir Moorhouse, who was received with several rounds of applause, said he felt very jßueh obliged to Mr Hodgson for the ver handsome tribute he paid to his past services. The only thing he seemed to find fault with was that he (Mr Moorhouse) did not speak on local matters, and that he did not own a large or a small farm in the district. H that was the only necessary qualification, that Slight be very easily overcome. After the handsome speech of Mr Hodgson, he had not much to say, but asked them te infer from his past services that whatever was left of the energy of his youth in the way of progress, would still remain- in the same cause, and he did net think he was y» very ancient. [Loud and long continued cheers] He said he would not say that the policy of the present Government —at stolen, but it was adopted in nearly all its p_tic_ars from that policy originally introduced by the late Government. The sole b—inees of the General Assembly was to make general laws, and his friend Mr Fendall well knew that all local matters were mostably administered by County Councils and Boad Boards. He hoped shortly that they might have that place very much improved by the extension of the railway to the West Oeast. As regarded the Bank arrangement, that had been very much misrepresented, and he considered tbat both parties in the House should arrange [the basking account.

Mr Cunningham said he did not consider he owed any apology to the electors for coming forward. He did not contest of his own desire, but upon the requisition of a luge number of his friends in the Lohurn district. Though his friends called him a young man, he did not think he was ao young -after all, as he had already dene a great attOfffit of trabHe serriee on the Boad Board. He wished to beconie what Mr Moorhouse said he was, a young beginner. He had no Mc» of coming for—aid a fortnight ago. Ho (Hd not agree with Mr Fendall, because his idea was that manhood suffrage was one of the ■*_ndard points of the Liberal policy. He wonld go further than that. He would give every woman who paid rates a Tote. Mr Moorhouse believed in the land tax, and woold tax improvements. Mr Moorhouse here said the candidate was aitmpreeenting him. He did not approve of the land tax and would not tax improventests.

Mr Cunningham said he was reported to S«y so va i "the " Lyttelton Times." Mr Moorhouee said he did not care what fee "Lyttelton Times" said.

Mr Cuninngham thought it was unfair to tax Crown lands. He would rather raise the ttaladders' rents. They must have a general property tax, as the country people were too much taxed in proportion to townspeople. He was in favor of selling land on deferred payments, as most of the land now was held under and sharks. He thought it seemed impracticable to distribute the hanking account. He hoped thf y would cot smile, but help him with a few votes. If they did not like him at present he would do his best to make them like him in the fat are. He could not make a set •peeeh, as he was only in the habit of saying a few words at a time." In conclusion he came forward as the ia—cers' candidate.

At the show of bauds there were for Mr *o©rhous* 27; Mr Fendall IS, and Mr Cunnrcgham 4. A. poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Osnnißgh-an. A vote of thanks to the returning officer, |wpo~d by Mr Moorhouse, seconded by Mr closed the business. Three hearty cheers were then given for Mr Mocr--)g_M»—cd one rasa gave~a cheer for Sir G. The poll will take place on 11th September.