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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume I, Issue 8, 14 November 1857, Page 3

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Herald. Sir, — In your issue of Saturday Nov. 7, I observe the following on the subject of elections : — "The great topic of the day is the forthcoming election for the Provincial Council, which promises to result in a sharp contest. The result, however, will form, what, indeed, we have greatly felt the want of, an approximate guide to the state of public opinion throughout the District." If the result, numerically 'should favour the runholder, it would be no guide to the state of public opinion throughout the District. These gentlemen hold large tracts of land, upon which they employ from two to six men. In looking after their interest, they have taken care to have the names of all their workmen inserted on the electoral roll. These men can no more vote against their employer than they can fly. Then there is the Government clique at Napier, whose salaries are at stake if they do not vote for the nominee, — some of w&om are using their influence in a not very creditable manner to endeavour to bias private individuals. So that if the runholder should obtain a small majority, that will not form an approximate guide to public opinion | throughout the District. The "two opposing parties in this infant settlement" have been created entirely by the Provincial Government. .....

About January, 1855, there was considerable grumbling going on in this District, by "Old Colonist" and others, which caused his Honor to pay a visit to Napier. He, when here, expressed himself delighted with the place, and satisfied with its capabilities. His Honor acknowledged that the harbour required improving, roads required making, swamps filling up ; and he promised to put money on the estimates to execute the required work. The Engineer of Roads, the Provincial Treasurer tells us, is a man who has to keep many petty accounts, but he keeps them in an accurate manner, which proves he has an orderly mind. This orderly minded gentleman was to have been sent to Napier, immediately on his Honor's return to Wellington. But six months passed over before Mr. Roy made his appearance, and then his principal business was to select a run. On his return to the "Empire City" however, he made a favorable report, and £500 was put on the estimates for the purpose of making a road, but it turnen out a farce. 1856 came, and £1000 was put on the estimates — £240 only of which was spent. On the 31st December a large meeting of settlers took place at Napier, and the "Ahuriri Settlers' Association" was formed to watch over the interest of the District. On the 16th Feb. 1857, R. J. Duncan Esq., M.P.C., presented a petition from the Ahuriri Settlers' Association to the Provincial Council, praying the honourable Council to take into consideration the requirements of the District. Then came the " tug of war." Instead of being in a deliberate Assembly the honorable member found himself in a hornet's nest. But he defended himself nobly. The only means he had of influencing the honorable Council was by a threat. He shook Auckland at them — a shock from which they have never srecovered. But in this struggle, where was his colleague, Mr. P. Russell, who' is now canvassing for a seat in the Provincial Council, with the intention of supporting the Feahterston ministry in the m-iin — to fleece Ahuriri ? As far as the electors of Ahuriri were concerned, he was a nonentity — a mere thing, stuck upon his " own run," studying the growth of wool, and sacrificing the interest of the electors ; for which the Provincial Council, at the close of the session, very properly branded him as a traitor to the cause he professed to represent, by passing on him a vote of censure. The agitation by the A'luriri Settlers' Association caused his Honor again to make his appearance at Napier, when an address was presented to him on the 22nd April, 1857, the reply to which has become notorious by the erroneous statements made by his Honor in his endeavour to bring this District into deht. The election dodge of putting £5000 on the estimates for 1857, £1000 only of which will be spent ; the refusing to pay resident workmen 6s. & day ; the sending 40 men @ £60 year and rations — from which after all his Honor only obtained a miserable sprinkling of 70 votes — is too well known and glaring to require comment. The promises made by the head of the Provincial Executive to the people of this District were certainly profuse ; but his insincerity was unbounded. Witness his after-dinner speech at Wanganui, when his lavished promises were still on his tongue, I branding the people of Ahuriri as croakers. "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." "The two opposing parties in this infant settlement" are composed of the avaricious runholder on the one side — the liberal runholder, agriculturist, mechanic, and tradesman on the other. The former, who support the three Fs in the main, are men who have no wish for direct immigration, require roads made only to give them an opportunity of sending their wool to port at as little expense as possible' — in short, who will sacrifice every other interest for the next four years, so they may have ari opportunity of purchasing their own runs. The latter are men determined that the loans of £120,000, from which this District will not derive one shilling benefit, shall not be saddled on Ahuriri ; that the District shall not be fleeced of £20,000 annually, and not £1000 be spent on useful works in it ; men who consider they have just and perfect right to all the powers of Local Self Government that have been accorded to oihet iarge Districts of the Colony — Sbpaeaxists. Russell and Pharazyn represent the fprmer — Gollan and FitzGerald the latter. I am, &c, Youne CoLOßxsi.