GENERAL ELECTION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2678, 15 February 1866, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTION.

ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF THE NORTHERN • DIVISION. The nomination and election of two candidates for the representation of the electoral district of the Northern Division, in the House of Rejn-esentatives in the ensuing session of the General Assembly, took place at twelve o'clock, noon, yesterday, at the Pilot Station, North Shore. There was a respectable attendance of the principal electors of .the district, including several members of the Provincial Council, also a number of the leading merchants of Auckland. Colonel H. C. Balneavis, Returning Officer, commenced the proceedings by readingthe writ of election issued by his Excellency the Governor, and the notice of the holding of election, from the Daily Southern Cross. He then expressed bis readiness to hear any gentleman who had a candidate to nominate. Mr. Allan O'Neill came forward and said : Mr. Returning Officer and gentlemen electors of the Northern Division, it is with extreme pleasure and satisfaction that I come forward to-day to propose for re-election one of our old members — a gentleman who is possessed of a large amount of property in this division, and who has long been a resident amongst us. He lias for many years faithfully advocated our interests, and tho^e of the entire province; and proved himself to be the right man in the right place, either as a member of the House of Representatives or Provincial Council. It is unnecessary for me to advert to what he has done m the House of Representatives, for all of the Auckland members had discharged their duties well, and had worked harmoniously together. The gentleman I have the honour to nominate is one of the oldest settlers in the Northern Division, and one of the first to improve its condition and settlement of the division. He has employed more men in this division than any other gentleman, and in fact has contributed as much to the welfare of Auckland as any gentleman in the province. It is unnecessary for me to occupy more of your time by adding any words in his favour, and J, therefore, feel great pleasure in proposing for your acceptanoe, Thomas Henderson, Esq., as a fife and proper person to represent you in the House of Representatives for the Northern Division. (Cheeri.) Mr. Thomas M. Machattie said : Gentlemen, electors of the Northern Division, after the remarks that have fallen from Mr. O'Neill, it is unnecessary for me to say anything more than to observe that it gives me great pleasure to second the nomination of Mr. Thomas Henderson, as one of your representatives in the Northern Division. (Cheers.) Mr. David Sheehan then came forward and said : Mr. Returning Officer and electors of the Northern Division, I did not anticipate that I should have the honour and privilege of proposing a gentleman present for your acceptance, as a member of the House of Repiesentatives for this electoral district; but I do so the more gladly as I have always been a supporter of that gentleman, whose straightforward and manly conduct in former sessions of the General Assembly is well known to y6u. "We all know what the Auckland members have done for this province — that they have stood to their colours as one man in the House of Assembly at Wellington. (Hear.) No matter what might have been their private grievances, in their own j>rovince — when they went to Wellington they worked hand and hand for the welfare and advancement of ithis province. Every one knows the gentleman I am about to propose as well as I do myself. You are all more or less politicians, and informed through the press on public questions ; and the political career of the candidate I am about to nominate is well known throughout the colony, and duly appreciated by the people of this province especially. It was not that gentleman alone whom the people of Auckland should return; but, if possible, every one of the former members. Some of them, owing to their particular business engagements, could not attend the next session of Parliament : but we should send as many of them as we can to Wellington, to carry out what they have so well begun— to place them in the position to finish the important work begun so nobly. I have, therefore, great pleasure in proposing James O'Neill, Esq., as a fit and proper person to represent the electoral district of the Northern Division, in the House of Representatives. (Cheers.) Mr. John Holmes seconded the nomination. The Returning Officer asked if the electors had any other candidate to propose, and there being no response, he declared Thomas Henderson, Esq., and James O'Neill, Esq., duly elected members of the House of Representatives, for the electoral district of the Northern Division. (The announcement was received with loud and continued cheers. ) Mr. James O'Neill, on coming forward, was greeted with repeated cheers. He said: Gentlemen, this is the quietest election I have ever seen. I have contested seven elections, and this is the only one that I have had the pleasure of being proposed, seconded, and elected without having to go to a poll. (Heat*.) Gentlemen, I do myself the pleasure to congratulate you upon this the first time of being allowed by Government to nominate and elect your own members in your own division without having to go to the hustings in Auckland. (Hear and cheers.) I think it is a judicious and wise step for the Government to take in the direction. I feel very thankful for being one of your representatives formerly, and I have to the best of my ability carried out your views on public questions. (Hear.) The views carried out by the Auckland members at Wellington were but the reflex of your own views ; and if the bulk of them but reflect your opinions, and stand shoulder to shoulder, and do all they can, they will thereby have what they ask granted to them. (Cheers.) Although I feel grateful for being elected before, I feel deeply sensible of the honour of being again elected, and I will endeavour to do my duty, so far as health will permit, and feel zealous and anxious to carry out your views. (Cheers.) We ought to carry in our minds the fact that it is not a light thing to send down representatives to the South at the present crisis. It may be productive of great good, or it may not. We must bear in mind that although we have driven Mr. Weld from office, and although he was too polite, and had too much good taste to show any kind of feeling towards Auckland, we must recollect that he has left one man, the organised leader of the opposition, and who had never disguised his feelings of hostility to Auckland — one of the fiercest opponents of this province. I mean James Edward EitzGerald. (Hear.) I knew him twelve years ago when he sat in the first House of Representatives, and when he was exposed to ridicule for his statements. On one occasion he lifted his arm, and with a loud voice said he would make Colonel Wynyard one of the greatest Governers that ever lived if he would onlybeguidedbyhim. (Laughter.) Eehasever been a fierce opponent of the interests of Auckland. Last session, shortly before the adjournment, he made an effort to divide this province into four distinct provinces. He is still in opposition to us, and we must make an effort to counteract his influence. His views are looked upon as extravagant and wild ; he believes they are wise, although the public believe them to be impracticable and foolish. If there are other men imbued with the same spirit as PitzGerald to take the place of Mr. Weld, we shall have a great deal to do when we go to Wellington. As to the present Premier in office, you will find, on reflection, that he cannot do for this province that amount of good that some of us believe he can, because he' has gone into office to do an equal amount of good to all the provinces. If we can judge from recent acts of the Wellington press and people, it would appear that they have gone round to him ; and if we are to bear in mind or believe that the interests of Auckland and Wellington are not identical, there is some undercurrent operating to carry that people and press with him. At all events, we cannot forget that when he went into office he was not to disturb existing arrangements. He would still retain the seat of Government there, in opposition to the view* of the Auckland people, and Auckland members, and he would not disturb the Panama service. We also know from his own speeches that he is an opponent of the Separation movement. Therefore, what can we expect to get even from the present Premier ? All we can get is the ordinary course of justice, as he will be anxious, no doubt, to deal with all the provinces alike. Therefore, it will be for us, if we find gentlemen imbued with Separation .principles from Canterbury, to support them. It would answer our purpose better to see Mr. Ward in office, much as we respect Mr. Stafford. (Hear.) There is another subject which you should consider, and which your representatives should have a definite opinion upon before going to Wellington, namely, howtheSuperintendentandother members are to deal with the quarter-million of money which is to be spent in a different direction from* that of your own? In approaching a subject like this at all, you ought to bear in mind the large amount of debt that still exists — none of which was expended for your benefit, .but in the Waikato district. You are called npon year after year to pay the sinking fund for that of which not one shilling wm spent for your advantage. You will have to pay part of tbat ; and, if a sum of £100,000 more is borrowed to employ labour in the Waikato district, that money will be spent there and on the

East Coast; and, gentlemen in the Noi them Division, that will have to he paid by you alike with others. It is for you to considei and to say whether you are called upon to pledge and mortgage your own land to pay money .spent at so great; a distance from you. That is a question for every elector to consider before they send men down to represent them in the South. (Heir.) Now, as to Separation, we know that no member here dare hhow his face on the hustings without 'promising to carry out that principle. (Cheers ) But I greatly fear that Separation is a long distance from us if we borrow any further sums of mone} 7 , ami I will give you my reasons for it. During the last session of the General Assembly our strongest argument in favour of Separation was, that we could manage our owu affairs — that we could stand alone, able to walk at least, and of age to govern ourselves. Now, if w.e go to the Government for the purpose of borrowing money to carry out works, how can we say that we can btand alone? If they endorse our bill they will say that we are unable to manage our own affairs, and they will keep you in their clutches for the next forty years, and until that bill is paid. We cannot hope for Separation unless we are determined to borrow less money than £230,000. If we gnarantee the payment of that sum, the Government will have its own way for many years to come, and ib will do away with the hope of Separation. (Hear.) I will not weaiy you, gentlemen, by discussing any of the other topics that are cropping ui> tit the present time. I beg to tender you thanks not only tor myself, but 'for tny colleague, Air, Henderson, who I regret has no!; been able to be here to-day. At great inconvenience to himself he went down to Wellington to attend the last session ; and although suffering from illness he was always found in his place, when he ought to have been in his bed, advocating your interests and those of the province at large. (Cheers.) On behalf or" Mr. Henderson and myself, I thank you for the renewal of your confidence iv re-electing us as your representatives. (Loud cheers.) On the motion of Mr. Allan O'Neill, seconded by Mr. James O'Neill, a cordial vote of thanks was given to the Eeturniug Officer for his courteous and dignified conduct. Colonel Ealneavis briefly acknowledged the compliment, and the proceedings, which occupied but a few minutes, then terminated. LUNCHEON. At the close of the election, a number of the electors, together with the Returning Officer, at the invitation of the newly-elected member, Mr. Jas. O'Neill, repaired to Mes3rs. Holmes'* Hotel, where a sumptuous •luncheon was provided for their regalement. Mr. Hammond, ore of the oldest settlers in the Northern Division, was called upon to preside. After partaking of the excellent repast and the usual preliminary toasts disposed of, Mr. Cadman asked the company to fill their glasses. H e said: Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I think it is a matter of congratulation to the electors of the Northern Division that they have been spared the trouble and the inconvenience and all those concomitants which arise out of a contested election — (hear) --that we have re-elected to-day two of our old servants, who have always been firm and true to the interests oE the province of Auckland. (Cheers ) lam sure there is no gentleman present but must admit that our late membeis have upon every occasion been at their post, have done their work, and studied the interests of this place in the most unselfish way to themselves that can possibly be imagined. (Hear.) I think it would, under existing circumstances, be a matter of sincere regret if the old members had not been, or should not be, returned. It would have been a mistake, for the gentlemen in the South would have said that those members who had gone dowu to Wellington did not represent the views of the people of this province. (Hear.) With these few observations I. beg leave to propose, "The health of the newly-elected members of the Northern Division." The toast was enthusiastically received. Mr. J. O'Netll, in returning thanks, said : Gentlemen, I did not think that 1 should have been put in a position to make a, second speech, however short it might be. I quite agree with Mr. Cadman in believing that you have done right for your own district, as well as for the province, in agreeing to send down as many of the old members as you can induce to go down to Wellington. If I had merely consulted my own wishes, I should have preferred remaining here, after having already spent three months at Wellington ; but it is a duty which we have to perform, and more especially those having leisure time ; and we should not shrink from discharging it. As you have thought proper to afford ms a renewal of confidence, it is only fright that I should give way, and do the best I can to .serve you. (Cheers.) The duties to be performed in the House of Representatives are arduous and wearisome ; but I believe the men whom you are about to send down from the whole province will perform that duty to your satisfaction. (Hear.) The reason 1 think so is that but one spirit seems to animate the people of the entire province at the present time — that they are bent on managing their own affairs, and gettiug rid of the Middle Island ; and your members must be imbued with the same feeling to carry out your opinions and wishes in the General Assembly. (Cheers.) If you were not even so desirous to press for Separation at the present time, it wonld be for the interest of the Middle Island to make you a present of the debt and let yon go. They would be in no worse position but our honour is at stake, and we must do what is best for our own interest. At present, in Otago and Canterbury, the land is selling at £2 an acre, and it would be worth their while to pay the whole debt, and get rid of the Northern Island. We are bound iv honour to pull hard together until we are allowed to govern ourselves. I thank you for the cordial manner in which you received the toast, not only for myself, but on behalf of Mr. £Teaderson, who would have been present to-day, were he not suffering from bronchitis, to have addressed you. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Sheehan addressed the company. He said : I congratulate the people of the Northern District on the privilege now afforded them by the Government of nominating their representatives and electing them in their own division. Formerly the electors had to come to Auckland from a considerable distance, and at great inconvenience to themselves, to nominate and elect the men whom they wished to represent them. This place will become something similar to a borough town athome ; every member will have to come to his own district from the present time. Lt was not our two present members who would have to come here ; we knew that we would have to follow them. (Cheers.) We have got as one member a gentleman connected with the largest mercantile establishment iv Auckland, and who has rendered this province valuable assistance in all its difficulties. (Hear.) The other member, Mr. O'Neill, baa also rendered valuable assistance to the province. I think you will all agree with me that we could not get two other gentlemen better able to represent us than our present memberp. (Hear and cheers.) They have fought our battle nobly before, and are prepared to fight it again until victory shall crown their efforts. (Cheers. ) When our members went down South they discarded all minor differences and opinions, and banded themselves together ; they said, "We are going into the Assembly together; we will forget all private grievances, and delibel ate and act solely for the advancement of the best interests of the province, and those constituencies whom we represent.'' (Hear, hear.) During the session every one of us was most anxious to read the able and telling speeches they delivered on questions of vital impoitauce to Auckland, as printed in the newspapers here ; and we all knew how they stood in the House. They acquitted themselves like men, and deserve our lasting gratitude. (Cheers.) Under a different Ministry, the Auckland members, by continuing united as before, may induce, if not compel, the Southern people to do justice and give fair play to the Northern Island. It behoves every man at the present time to study those questions that affect our interests, and to take care that they return men to represent them who will see that justice is done to this province, and that we obtaiu those rights to which we are justly entitled. We know it is not a trivial matter for a private and independent membe: to go down to Wellington to represent his constituents, and sacrifice his own personal interests, lt is a great tax upon those representatives, and we should deeply respect them for so doing — (hear) — for sacrificing their private interests to satisfy their constituents, and to do justice to those who placed confidence in them. (Cheers.) lam proud to see the Flagstaff people taking their right position to-day, and electing their representatives in the district they are to represent ; and lam convinced they will not have reason to regret having re-elected their former members. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Cadslln, in proposing another toast, said : I have been engaged for a number of years in electioneering matters, and during that time I must have observed the manner in which elections have been conducted by Returning Officers. I believe that never have any elections been conducted in a more impartial and satisfactory manner than those conducted by the present Returning Officer. (Hear.) It ifl the firatjiime that we have had the pleasure of

meeting him under such circumstances as the prebent, and. it is only right that we should express our admiration of him. (Hear.) Never on any previous occasion have elections heen conducted with more fairness, more order, and with more satisfaction to candidates and electors than under the direction of the present Sheriff. I have, therefore, much pleasure in proposing " The health of the Returning Officer." (The toaat was warmly received.) Colonel H. C. Balneavis, in returning thauks, said, I am extremely obliged to you for the manner in which you have received the proposition to drink my health. lam quite gratified to find that any exertion on my part .should have met the approbation of the electors or candidates. I hope I have performed my duty to their satisfaction, and if so 1 shall continue to act in a similar manner. (Cheers.) It is a matter of congratulation, as Mr. Sheehan has already observed, that the election of members is to take place in those divisions they represent. It was only fair that such should be the case. Ido not take any credit to myself for the change, as I merely carried out the instructions received from Government. I have to thank the members and electois for the support I received from them, and the orderly and decorous manner in which they conducted the elections throughout. I have again to thank you for the marked expression of your kind approval. (Loud cheers.) The Bteamer being now in readiness to return to Auokland, the company separated after having enjoyed a. pleasant social reunion.