The Dunedin Election.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 76, 23 December 1875, Page 3

The Dunedin Election.

I Messrs Macandrew, Stout,^ and Earbaek^Bdressed/^u^o^ded Jaoadj^rftifuf siastic metting at the Drill Shed, Duriei 1 j jdin, on7§^furday Evening* Although J the eMOT^^ [ {we,pwb)ish fwm;tep^mpa^r^Mac^ t ahdre#s surring spjeecbYoii" the oqbasibn,'' and . whiGhTweiare J Mr& wjllb pE6y&b.6th instauctiy&and interesting to our ifead-BT8.:-~An<?^i!dcryr>iii <d\}<yi?i,ydA :snA:di ' Mr Mac anbre w/%hb i was 2 received "jtvith loud and prolonged- applause, said his object in appearirig'fßeVe that night ! was not so muchTror^ of explairli6g7;hJC V°stf&iltyiimans, as: fpfj the putppse.,o.f expiaijnjpgv^lp the,electors of Dunedin the 'reasons 1 which 'had influenced him in .iComjjng before them. f as a -candidate.for their suffrages on thepresent !.P.cc&sion.^ n HjsApolitiG&l M<W3? and opinions were so well known, and they had been so "widely circulated in print, that he-Tthought ihe rshould be trespassing pn:tbeir/pajienT;e ; ,.were he to enter into Vhem on the present occasion at any length." "Great fault had been found with iiJra'j-Tfe^haS 1 been cen6Ured^:for 7relinquisbin g. a his.;. :old cony . stituency at.Port .Chalmers, .where in all probability;be, -.should vhaye been; returned :witb:out any.cd.ntestyo/Notdoubt; ha/i his sqlb r and ohjpctr been .merely jto acquire a seat in the General Assembly,:;h)ad h[s f^yect;;be t en. r ;tc! consult .his own jpersqnal, ieeiings,- he L w.&tjld.&ave , done well to have stuck to the constituency; which had;; stuck, .so well . to him. . fletnister^ was influenced by* farnigher' aspirtions than the. desire, of obtaining' a seat in the Colonial Parliament ,He, trusted, that the mere possession of 'a seat %as ndt.what was 'influencing 1 him to come forward on theprese.ht bccasidn. |There were grave and important occasions 1 on which; men's minds ,: must riot be influenced' 1 by feeling, but, on' the ■ contrary, 1 'raust /^e influenced by considerations of pablic: policy, and of what was advisable foi? the- pubiibi -He thought, with« the turn events were-tak-ing; that at74;his moment 7 the:-pu-blic good demanded that' the "chief/city in the colony should mark its disapprobation of> and. most emphatically condemn I the centralising policy of/ th^erpresent Government, (hearj hear). ,:■. And , that .' could only be. done by this chief city of the colony returning tliree Ancicentralist good .men -and, true— (oh !)^.men who would stand up shoulder to shoulder in defence of the public rights, and in preserving to them what was theirs (applause). Let them just fancy the moral effect which, on . Monday next he', hoped would be 'produced all over the colony when it was flashed by the wires that Dunedin— th'eP -bbief -city-in the colony— bad returned three Anticentralists in the same' bo.at. The moral effect would be like a /bombshell in the Gintralistic camp., "It- would exercise an influence on the political situation—^it would exercise an influence on the best interests of this cplpnyVr-an : influence : which it. was, very difficult now for them, to appreciatelor to conceive of. It was because it was strongly represented to him that this could hot be done unless he consented to be placed in nomination for Dunedin—^it was only for -th^t reason, and after having obtained the concurrence pf a r very .considerable number of his friends'at Pott Chalniers, that he was induced ' ultimately.' toY consent to stand. Althpugh he must say. that his j feelings were very much- averse to doing so, he felt. as one Ywhp ; had parted from aj very intimate;, relative, yet his judgment, told him, with such an object in vieWi.th.at he _ ought to come out at all hazards, ; and throw personal feelings tp : the winds. And he J veritureci 'to submit that these were motives which would ; or should commend themselves to every man who valued local self-government, and to; every truepatriot both in Dun---edin and Port Chalmers, and moreover, he mentioned they were motives which .ought to influence, every individual T elector in, the face of the coming strug- . ' gle, Hehadbeen-frequently. told—he had heard it: .said within the last two. days — " Oh, there is.Mr So-and-so, who has represented us, for, so many years, arid because of that,' although the policy jwhich he is going. to. support will be detrimental; tpius,-; and? to:Ourrinter^s,ts, , and to the interests of, those who come after us, we., will suppprt;-himrr-we,will support him, ' for, jauld .Jang syne." .(Laughter arid appiause.) iJesaid, God the country Jf We franchise had to be exercised on any- such^corisideratioh as this (applause); 'Pfb'had been— he thought he^miight.- say sV "witKbut' ego- ' tism, he had beeni', mixed up -with the ajffairs of this province-perhaps as much as anyman r and thought, .i^any-man, ■ $ad. a n c,l;aij^ to consifJeratipn probably he nadasmucb^c^ one. ! 'the T saW time/ he/ ''should be ivery sprry /indeed; to claimnany:; f.voMf onlany bthe^ igxound& ; ,than ";that j. his* .opinions, and,., perhaps, i: liis r; actipn^j cprn.mended 'themselves tb, r tfie judgment^ ancl to ! theHnattfre ji^ JcitizfenslY_(A^j^ .not^ithetbe'qaasfr^ to deal in future, and^th^yffeniight „put all these considerations as to past jer.vices,^ &[, . , onjone^Jß^ J]je^|inliscalj "siruffgle 1 in Ivliicjh taey.'.wjßre'jVoiwvin--: , gaged 'was a struggle {in -whicn Ythir °^rovirtce -ia Troryf^rrtsrjly. interested^:^lts^as a^s^^^ r the CityHaß4he*.capitai2bf the most imfr ; tr^taut^lm^^PiCthe^- <D^ ■ the^ernPlfc^^ ! regarded^ bommeree,; as i

suaded^that \th0 Abtfliti&n fiil^M carried into effect-- he fel# perfectly persuadrlf tiat r if ; "tne centralis^ ing;^policy o w^s^ carried a pjLttfetJhCat knother capital ,>76^d";lie;biiiltt!pVwith- £ heir mon^y '' arid 'a^ :; ttielr'-ek^ense— a capital tootwhich would* iiaW W play second fiddle.^(-flearphLearii):>'i?here could be n9;do 4 ubt, : ,whatey^r ; .that the Capital that he Had^Mn^jto^^k all, the influence of Centralism at its"' back |— with^all the enormous r of the General Government behind it — there could jbe ? np doubt; whatever that itja just -as .suje ( as -th ; e h sua v shines, in. ihej^leav^ns ;& , would take to itself those -industries, , such 'asshiprbuildih'gi.^and/6ofof th;-that : were ; no\v j takifig' root-in this r clty-^he'. believed -that- the capital— which was " beihg!ibuilt(.up witbT th'eir^the'Dunediiv electors') money, at their, own. expense, would draw away la" very large amount of what would otherwise remain to therrise r ives: :^ 33-e 1 neveY -'had r ßeeri : arid ' never should be a party to aggrandising Dunedin; at., the. expense . of an# other rpart of the Colony. .._a_t„ the expense-of Dunedin r To, his . mihd^ \/hat Dunedin.. wanted VasTafair field srio'wfavoi'i to i >hold its' 'bvvn. *H'd : believed that if it gdt- that it' would-becdrrie a great - coin- ■ mercialr manufacturing,: and- martitne •cityi.. It had :bejen the habit of.Central--ism for long years to sneer at the Pi;o-. vince of Otago in- general, colonial statesman had -despised—as : a : rule at least — had despised the source , from which they had derived the elements of .their power. .He was. struck, reading the other day a speech from the Hon. Mr, Bowen to his i constituents at Kaiapoi, who took occasion then to have, a fling ; at otagp,,,0 tagp,, , and, strange, to. say, I the f only "argument he : "(^r Bowbn) 'could iiftd against 7th^ ; proposal, of his - (Mr Macandrew) to have tiwoiProvinces for. the Middle* Island, really the.-only. argument: be could, adduce, s was ; .the assertion ihat..Otagb wanted . to get a' slice 'oi ,J 'Catiterour3i'. , He (Mr Mac-' andrew) had L riot seen that ; proposal ; anywhere propounded, a It was no- partof his (Mr >,Ma(Sindrew's:): policy* or; of. anybody-else's. --He; had np objection, to Canterbury^ .possessing the rest. of r New Zealand,' provided they only left : them ' Otagti:—^ ( Applausei) No doubt-Canterbury -and Otago:would ultimately come together^ they would .do so if. they were left, alone, but he was no believer in forced . matrimon3 T r- r let them alone and they. Wbuld come'together. 'And,-'lWt the-^boundary be where it would j: Otago would have the trade and commerce of a large portion of Can tertiary* : ~ ■ He found that Mi* Bowen, in : his : Speech, > made a .very great point of askingj "VvTas ;New Zealand made .for , ? Superintendents ; and Provincial t Councils-? ,., an:) meant to' insinuate that thkt7w>s the idea he (Mr Macandrew 1 ) ahcj. : those with him ha d. H e should only ask Mr 7B o wen one ; questi(m: Was New Zealand made for Ministers of.J-ustice, PostmastersGeneral, Premiers, Colonial Treasurers, "Native. , Mims^er's,,' Defence Ministers, Commissibheite of Btamps,8 tamps, et had genus omne? — (Laughter.) He would tell the Tfloriorable . tfieMinistepJ for.~ Justics 'that New Zealand.- ; -was \made' for, aye); and to.argreatf extent/maide by .Supers intenddnts i} ldng before- the dffice ; of Minister v pf , justice... was„- heard . of;—; (Applause.) /Superintehden-ts and Pro":; vincial Councils derived > their being from theTlmperfaF Parliament, and that was more than . . the office of Minister of Justice, or any of those he had ...named. coulS ; 6oast ; df. :> Well'/ as he (JfrM^ andrew) had said,.-these~so, called C6Y ldnial Statesmen had been as a rule in the A habit- ; of -despising- Yf he > ; prih6i'paT source, from .which .they, had derived their powers. And the last and crowning act of that power,, -the -last and .crowning Sfdtcof tfrfit naughty, superb bilious power, of that Centralism to. which their late representatives had , been .so >suddenly '-converted^ :w-as - witE-; but warning an 4; without, any good" cause, and without their constituents' consent— i^h'eaf.l.hear^i-^-tovb'ldt out of existence in the, priine.,of manhood, a., !pbliticai : entity, which; with all its faults, and many-rfaults.; it?.; had—their .last act was to, blpfc out of existence this political entity, whic_h_he. believed had produced greater. ,.r^ults„ in a .given \ period of: time.4lien s; had produced"in any-other parj; of theißritish Empire. -r( Applause.) Well, it had been de jS creed; ivrth'thefad vise"aTrd"consent; with" the advice and r support of Dunedin's rspres.entative, it T had|beenr decreed with out "consulting:^ tlie Dunedin electorsy thafeatheiridpca^Pkrliamfen't shoulcl A bej knocked in^t^e-^heajd? dbne not.only, f withdu;t > consultingihem, but directly in the teeth of the electors' declareddesire-that— they- should have;tiire,to consider theimaJttei^ directly in the teeth of their^desire-^^t^ hay to Reflect over^what was lb ta%.its ?] place,) most monstrous rtnin^ever.^witnessed^ or Wat 1 b'o^Vd^e^bW^f 6d r> of> : "was"ihte' ' vbfe of these two represeu^Jves^fonei of wlida r AWa§l,seiected^^ fiv^7y ears ago, the vote of these two ripr esin^tfirfsj Without the electors' : sanction, jjtaking^ ujporn^n^ Mother- representa?ivesY, every one of tneJintefests^bfllalr^^ ,tie^olin#^ilS|#o^>n^^^ iMirM|lhli€tiy^^ sentanvßS^snouiffiaMlQi^ ■MKeMpon^emselvestoaeflM^a Y>':'. A"'' ■-.'.. 7' ; Y:;TY7;7"*^pj^^»3B'S^^l

pifßat!tHelßi^^SiJS^S^^ lvea " branny* ; as a -piece of 7tnb,^in,QSfc:;-^uß^ |entativl^institutibhs^he did ndt;%iibw; if th% je^ same description in' the, whble annals/ bf ■■$jjf& wlf ie^ pected sno w»f > t tha%4he' 4 -to' that smote themi.Y^e did trust , that ihe result of the boll%box on Monday 5 n ext '^piuldc bel jto / sh'6 wi|thp?< *e ven^thV tjrpddenliwormo could T -turii:^and reseat such.acj&t^ias^ » Q d he trusted' /that T Ota^ in the van, wouM'/nse in its might gainst the spoiler. fAppJause.,)., Hetrusted'that this province, during; the; present "blectibnsi with ;- ; D uriedin ,: inVffie" front;- -would i'rise ?up -and-' declare %orJ and demand in a voice of thunder, japfc dnly7financial%"b.ut :^pplft?cal/j3ep.aratio^ between" the Tit wo Islan^,* (jipplauseT) ©f course, he""should7iP^i I';^y1 ' ;^y prefer -political separation^butyn at^t-be same time, better a small4oafthan.no bread, If^hVy^duld^ndfcget^ pontent with?the- i bthb v 'r i j i an'd if jthey" got either, he belipy'e.d7that f the Government of the Middle' lsland would soon 'get into the right,, groove. -.(l!heyg'need.riot.Vpuble. themselves' m ( ucn 7nQ^v how. many, 7,provinces7 provided 'oniyt :th r ey; could get this.*- He>boped Otagp/would demand that" the '■ 'fin nncifil rr par tnersMp ~b'e .at last dissolved, that .the affairs,^ of ■the'riirn..WignVbe' $u't into" iiquidation^ Fle.repeated -his ,most. earnest, hope tbat Otago should determine to. getVher *osrn purser . and; manage - , her ■: ownidisbursements. All he had to sayjurther -was - that if he had-the hohor/df Being bleated on, this that JtKat was ]//the policy he-mean H said at the outset Tthatjhe' had, no', .intention of giving /them' in detail his political views, ..as v it, ; would r ,be7,pnly ., aelaying them* ;IJe,.had written! and-:spokenH.so much -. lately 'on/oth.e/ subject that |he 'thought itv would be 1 quite ; uhiteeessary . He had a great many mem f orahda7v7|th ;him of the sayings and doings, pf spjjne other candidates,' but : upo^ c the 'Sv^ble he thought it better to make .way Mji Stout." " But lie hoped he had "satisfied them as to the purity , of motive-? patriotic motive, he might say — that h§d4nl> duced him" to place himself in;,this<ppss-: tion. (Applause.) It had been 'suggested that he should - talse up Weir sustention a short, time and descant pn Li the 'land ques t tibn, ; but really Hhat had been discussed e^d nauseam. \ . They^alL,knp.w his views on the land, question. ' TE^ad it not been that hs was stolen a mar^h on when elected Superintendent in 1.867 they would never have, heard- since jof the land difficulty. His idea was -not to have granted -renewals 'Of leases in/dipcriminjately, but to retain, them ;Hn 'their hands' arid .let\tbei^ Had that been" done., nothing .would have been heard of the i. land '"' difficully. 1 When the leases would. i-ujn7 out-r-most of them indfour years—and should it.be his lot to have to d&'with the adminisj tratibn • bf affairs, "he shdutd dS'hiS^bes^ ' to cut them into ._|inatler' ruris; a and make themfthe.aibode; oflarge^nunibers rof thriving families.^JThere was a point i to which hevmight refer* and that_T^asr Hhe'extradfdinary"fl6undering4utP which- ! thb^prn'mlssipner of CiistonSs'hSd v j»'oi himself- .abojut', ,thp . , f&iWdy.AMW^S ! -They were ail aware htha^faccordingjtbi tlie provisions of the iJAct of -^-70, ail*/ r way s'Wbre riid hia" j /pVpvincially .-' : chafged]f and . ; he ,recpllected;.. i pnej -.of.^ihiAmoaC (difficult things he h'acl to do at -ihe time" to indhce the people of Otago to agree;, r 'tb that pplicy7w^s T^yppnyiMeT^n^^: triat rail \Vaiys 1 were nof s be* ' made- ' J-irJ-the r Nprth ; at the expanse" of the T people of Otago. " He^spent any * amount' of ■ i time- to'bonvince-them that^that »couo-. bb by no means done within the terms of the Act. But now they 'found ll 'iW ..Commissioner- of * Cttsfbms??gofl up^' r in? presence of his colleague?, and, , with) " the, approval r of, thesp .colleagues, said that the pronfs frpm~o?ago* lines i"must devoted to making^up r l;he* deficiencibs'dfliri^S'i'n 1 MarlbdrbnghV -Wellingtdn,.:; or - ; Auckland;? y The ihonorable gentleman did: -not denyvit o b«* he admitted it the^.pther ..day, and- made it. wjorse.. (Applause, and great laughter.) Thbu*hi:he^ Act" 'saitl^bne 'thing, yet the Hon; ;Mr - Bey nolds :i was/ : nb w saying another ttiingr-~^e;se^he r, (^Mr Macan- , drew/) sdid^wei^jW6|rlaw|f dfi the/Medes ; andf ; Per|ianSi/ -&Kds%esmpjfi&?, find the i sdrae, v „with , r the. > Abblitidn7 Act. Let -them mind that /the Abolition Act, as passed, was not the Bilt that came, down .originally from* 'tne^^Gofetiinient. 7 It; jWasValtbtallyfdifKren^'^ ?no|ariy]tnings Iwere? fo^cedJintp^it; against s^ovbrnrnpnt's r ; grarn> ? wliich wpulpl^ render it; less^/obiectipn^ble.-^-But, even' u as it was, he had not the slightest hesir; (tation in expressing his belief ,'4hatthiß; Afci^oul^ awkJ^. Minister^ wdlSld^talkfabOTLf #Be &ng eng |cijesKpf the; colony a»:^ u/p'//d|i : hrevenußsi4et { a^ pOtago became) an :indbpendenfc; colony