MR. A. P. O'CALLAGHAN AT PREBBLETON.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5055, 19 November 1881, Page 2

MR. A. P. O'CALLAGHAN AT PREBBLETON.

Mr A. P. O'Callaghan, one of the candidates for the representation of the Lincoln electoral district in the General Assembly, addressed a meeting o£ tie electors of that district in the schoolroom, Prebbleton, last evening. There was a good attendance. Hr James A. Oammack -was voted to the chair and briefly introduced the candidate, bespeaking for him a patient hearing. Mr O'Callaghnn, -who on coming forward was well received, eaid he was glad to see the large attendance, which he took as a proof that the Lincoln electors did not desire a walk over, and that political life existed in their midst. He was well known to the electors, and on that knowledge he relied as to their opinion of his fitness to be their representative. Two reasons had been mentioned why he should not be returned. The first was that he livet outside the district. He hod lived twelve years in their midst, and even now it was only a bend of the Elver Halswell that pat hjjn into the Akaroa district. The second reason was that he had heaitatod too long before coining forward. That he took to be on advantage rather than otherwise. He came before them unpledged to any party, nor had he taken any hint as to the party he -should support, as his sole desire was to forward the interests of the electors of the district in the Honse. He would now touch on the most important questions of the day, and first as to the Governor, if he should be elected or nominated. Ho favored the latter, as ha should be clear of all party in. fivence in the exercise of his functions. Next came the Legislative Council, and to the next Parliament their etatne would have to be considered. His objections were (Ist) that it was a nominated Chamber j (2nd) that it was for life; (3rd) on accgunt of the property qualification, ant lastly that they were an unapproachable body and too conservative for the present state .of politics in Hew (Zealand. As at present constituted thos? gentlemen were a etandtng check on the program of New Zealand, and in that Chamber the wisdoii and intellect, and not the property of New should be represented. How they were only responsible for the dignity of the House in which they eat, althongh perhaps some of them had a dread of the Lower House. He once heard a Legislative Councillor say at an after dinner speech that he was responsible only to the Qneen, and not to any elector in New Zealand. The Premier had said recently that the Upper House should be elected, and last year he had said it should be elected by the House of Bepresentatives. He thought one-third of the, Upper House should retire. In twelve months tune an election of persons eligible for seats in that House should be taken, and the present members of that House should be eligible if the people thought fit. He would place it in the power of the Lower House to ballot a certain number of that body for the Upper House, and he believed that o«t of that body the best of the pride and intellect of New Zealand would be eligible. At present only some twenty-five or thirty members—honor to them for it—attended regularly to their datiea. As regarded the franchise, he counted himself one of the number who professed liberal views, and recently vast gains had been made, viz., single electorates, all elections on one day, and increased representation. He (thought I for the present it was well to stay here. The Eepreseatation Bill had been carried, bat he did cot wholly agree with manhood suffrage. He objected to the property vote as it sow existed. At present a roan holdins many votes could vote for different candidates, ana that, as against the one resident voter, was unfair. On the other hand, to refuse rotes to property would be unjust, and also [in |tho. elimination of the leasehold vote much injustice had been done —in Christchurch for example, and elsewhere. H a man was allowed cot more than three votes (say residential}, and two for freehold, or one freeitoft and. one leasehold, saoold be. tia utmost.

of the people of this eolonj? were tw S* G «°f? e Grej D6Ter *S5 » truer wnr^ft" he said that, despite his eleoUon fTr n, thoee who voted for bimbri disfranchised. Tho thinking, was as nearly Sot «o U ** <* and it would be a grindl thlnt youngest country in tho world g n ,l V", 9 ' t} * system Aβ for Wion. t hs d thU taf the fairest system that couldX adoX-iT** although he regretted that lomo prowrttf l et 0» escaped. To reach the rrofe« e f o holae » tax shonld bo imposed. He also thoufSt largo accumulated properties did not lit thi portion to thoir obligations to the StLfi the large companies in tho south of this £ which lived like parasites. Besides it w- 8 festlv unfair that an income of £100 OOj 5? ,51 - ---&&00. In the one easo the tax meant only *fS or OP. luxuries, whilst in the other it meant f Sff eitios. Therefore, some means lehonld bod«£ by which the holders of accumulated woalth B h> Sf bo taxed proportionately higher than mc" of « fl poxatively small incomes. Iv savin*? this L no Coinw.nnistio idea. Wealth ehmild 1« * spectod, and preserved by the State. But it «L 1: be taxed for that rospoet and preservation Thi no new theory. Taxes on increased wealth JS* levied in England, on horses!, armorial bearin and tho kind of houses occupied, and ia ntP* ways, and why not here. It had been said that f>? tax would drive capital away from those s&mSf but it had not, nor wonld it do bo, for where t< f ! and good investments were to be fonnd thero «Jwil capital fall. Last year the property tax amonSSt to £240.000, and tho Customs Amies SoTSa* half millions. Muoh though ho objected to th * duties and wonld liko to sco thorn abolished «* exigencies of tho country domaudod their n»» tions. They had all of them doubtless h«SI "j the pamphlet "Land Ho!" and altbcngh itm true that the land belonged to the peonlo S? creation of freeholds had conferred boner' on mankind. It prevented nomads, 'and n liked n freehold; therefore, no snuh sctjJJfs as that proposed would over be adopted vX he regretted that land was held in large blocks to the detriment of the coin,? as waa the case near Waimato, at the back <& Oamaru.tho Levels, and other spots. AlthnnA he could not blamo tho holders for taking ocfraiiS of the land lawa, it was to tho detriment of t£» colony, and made his blood boil. As to edncaßmf he was not as one of tho papers called it, "A»S kneed" oaudldate. Ho woa in favor of f2f aoonlar, and compulsory education. The sSr oonld adopt nothing else but iracb. a system c't allowing the relictions viewe of tho childwatoh* tampered with. [Cheers.] To prevent the risiSr generation becoming ir.fldels. :is in France la tfi, hist century, he wonld liko to see'aU sertl form a compact body, joining topothor to iw>S religions instruction for tho rising Rstwrafi/vn! [Cheers. J Mnch vnlnablo timo was lost in optuaiiS the present system, bnt as the cost of eaohAM educated was three times greater than at home. v 3 16 per cent, of the revenue of tho State was thS absorbed, it wonld be well if the Government™! ceiyed help in relieving tho oonntry of thie bnrdea. ""his, he thought, could bo done by giving a caettr tion grant to any child, wherever taejtht.-wha satisfied the school inspectors. Ho wonld like to dofor any lengthened reinarkß on local solf-irovern. ment till after the Premier had spokonat Leectes on the Government scheme for the comin» session He thought it to bo regrottod that th» Counties Suspension Bill had not becoaa law last session, and although ho hcß that it was possible that both County CooeolU ani Hoad Boards were wantod in some parts of New Zealand, only one body shonld bo allowed to kn rates. Protection of local industries ehoald ba only (rranted for a year or two, to see if thoindnatrr could oompeto with Homo products. If not it shonld be at once suspouded, aud he deoWedlj ob. jected to bonuses. As tp tho direct steam eerrice. tho colony conld not oiford it at prosont, aad if it wonld pay, private companies wonld take it m> although one great drawback was the eioesaira harbor duos, especially in Lyttslton. which ihwJHbe reduced. The piiotage charges alonootttissi e.s. Norfolk -were £67, and the captain told Ma ft was the most expensive port in tho colonies. Tkj railway tariff on grain, Ao.. was too high. Hs> could not ccc why a train of soreaty trneku, drawa by ono ongine on the level plains, shonld pay ttm same rates as on curves and eraafents, whero only ten tracks were attached. The einglo faros every da-r for pasaeuger trafßo would bo conducive to filling the traina as on. Saturdays. Tho liieeusiuir Bill sh >uld have a fair tried, and if found effect!*? not altered. He wonld compensate ivny person who conducted his boose properly and wan doprivod of ii by local option. The honorarinm nhonld be caatinned, as its dioontinnanco would iuflict a blow oa liberalism, and curtail the choice of candidate A irroat deal of cheap popularity had been songU by those who oould do without itj bnt ha sever heard of its being handed back for the %oni of the country. The governing body <rt the Agricaltnral College at Lincoln abould l)3o!ecttl by the farmers, as although the present em were good, election was better than nomiiMitior, Besides, the college was supported by anandw. ment of 100,000 acres of land in South Cantebmy for agricultural purposes, and ho felt enro til agrioalturist had not benefited by it. Tho rejocfei of the Protection of Crops Bill by the Upper Hctt) was due to the action of the Hons. J. T. Ftaooe; and W. Eobinson, who wore ignorant of Tjhattfe«? were both speaking aad voting about, atid thoefisi barm to farmers. If they returned him to tfe General Assembly he would guard the taxvmt f?terests with all the powers he possessed t> O'Callaghaa renewed his seat amidst prelcsgK applause. In answer to qnosttong, lie said that ho ma itk iv favor of every child's parents having to ftflsc high class education, as clever sons of poorparerti wore entitled to it by virtue of certiistwwW! specially mode for that purpose. No more am; Bhould be borrowed than was sufficient to Mmpfctd necessary public works. He conld not ttfSstim to undortake law reform, bnt would snppon&sje'.ejs in that direction.

In answer to Sir O'Cnllagtmn.tho otbercinfifeto (MrPeryman) said ho was in favor of Miyel«AoE who had signed his requisition voting w hap'.cueJ, as the ballot was the working man's charter, a»Mr T. G. Rule proposed, and Mr «T. SafiH seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr O'Call«s!jaß, wMti waa carried unanimously. A like voto to the chairman torminafenl Aβ meeting.