COAL AND GAS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3988, 10 June 1881, Page 3

who were the judges— not Mr Weston or auybody else. The pell would show who was the man. It had been said that be came there as a squatter's man. Well, he i had been on the Coast 3ince 1865, and he ventured to say that from one end of the Nelson Province to the other no one that knew him could say anything of the kind. It had also been said he appealed to the Catholics, was a nominee of the Government, and looked to the Good Templars. He denied that he was a nominee of anyone, or that he looked to the Good Templars ; but he could not forget that he had some 62,000 countrymen who belonged to the oldest church in the world. Still he came forward without reference to country or creed, and he would say that the man who wrote about an " Irish hint," be he Englishman, Irishman, or Scotchman, is a blackguard, that the "hint" was blackguardly, and that it was a blackguard thing to say, He had no doubt, however, that it would be well taken at the hustings. He had been accused of talking about the general affairs of the Colony ; but he could not believe that this community was so lost to the higher interests of the Colony as to talk in that way of a man because he spoke of a question that concerned not only everyone here, but also everyone in the Colony. He bad too lengthened a knowledge of this constituency to believe anything of the kind. He might safely say that he never met with a more intelligent lot of men in the whole course of his life. (Loud laughter). He had never said that the Colony was not in a good position, but that it was necessary for any Government in power to be an economical Government; and if he went to Parliament it would be his business to see that Government economised. All illegitimate and unnecessary expenditure should be kept down to the lowest, because the more money there was saved the more there was to be expended. He believed he could do as much for them in Parliament as anyone. He believed ha bad the ability to influence in their interests, the men in power as well as the men oat of power. It had been said also that he was not a man of the people. Well, he had worked for his living since he was 17 years of age ; ho was for 7 years a miner ; and at the heel of thehunt, whenhis head wasgetting grey, he was told he was not one of the people. If sent to Parliament he would do as he had always done ; he would do his duty and never desert them. As to the Chinese, be saw barm in them from the first day that he saw them land at Sandridge, and would Equeeze them with an accumulative poll tax until they were prevented coming to the country . As to being a equalter's man he never received L 5 from them in his life. As to the land question, there was a cry goDe up to heaven from all parts of the world on that. He thought land was given by the Almighty God for people to ltve on ; and he was in favor of subdividing the land so as to enable every man to live upon a piece of it. He admitted having said that he did not think the time had arrived for taking severe measures to compel the large owners to give up some of it, but thought the time might come when it would be advisable to resort to measures to accomplish that purpose, Some one asking — What about the wool ? Mr FitzGerald said that the reason he had spoken as he did in regard to that subject was that where he came from there wore very mar" small landowners, who possessed f> n 100 > 300 and 400 acres, and if tLey were axed they would ba done a great irjjry; though the t»x might not injure the large squatter. He was strongly in favor of eqalising taxation according to the power of people to bear it. These were his view 3, and he believed he would be able to maintain them wherever he might be. On the question of education there 3ould no longer be any doubt aa to hia views. He was not like the last candidete who, while he would refuse any support to his 62,C00 fellow countrymen, was prepared to cut down the education vote and thus possibly injure the whole system. Which was the more dangerous man, he who would bind up the wounds and bring about peace, or the man who would cut down the vote and starve the system ? [Wr Weston : I didn't say that.] Mr FitzGerald referred to the poorly paid teachers, who practically had their toes sticking out of their boots. Mr FilzGerald considered he had done as much to promote the construction of the East and West Coast Railway by his pen as Mr Weston or Mr Wickes had. In his concluding remarks he said he could not forget general politics in local politics. Still he thought he had shown them that he was not lukewarm at all over their affairs. He would, if returned, Berve them faithfully while he had health ; and if that failed, or they ceased to have confidence in him, he would resign. He hoped they would not take their views from any newspaper or any candidate. They Bhould judge from what they heard that day, as to which was the worthier man to represent them. Let them sweep on one Bide all distinctions of creed or class, and act as sensible men. A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer closed the proceedings.

COAL AND GAS.