The Lyttelton Times. May 21, 1853. PUBLIC MEETING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 124, 21 May 1853, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. May 21, 1853. PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting of the Electors of Lytlelton was held at the Mitre Hotel, on Thursday evening, to hear Mr. Fitz Gerald, who is a Candidate for the Town in the General Assembly, express his views on

public affairs. Soon after 6 o'clock the large room of the Mitre was thronged with Electors, when, on the proposition of Mr. Bayfield, seconded by Mr. White, Mr. Birch was called to the Chair. After a few remarks from the Chairman explanative of the objects of the Meeting, he called upon Mr. Fitz Gerald, who rose and entered into an expose of his opinions. We are not able to give any lengthened report of Mr. Fitz Gerald's speech, a special reporter not being one of the luxuries as yet attached to our establishment.

Mr. Fitz Gerald commenced by stating that he should not have appeared before the Electors had he not been specially requested, in a requisition signed by a large number of their body, to allow himself to be put in nomination for their town. He alluded to the fact that amongst those who had signed the requisition, was a gentleman who had announced himself as a Candidate also for the Town, and he expressed his surprise that Mr. Davis was not present to explain why he now refused to support him. Mr. Davis had not even had the courtesy to write to him, and it was not till Mr. Davis's address to the Electors appeared in the public print, that he was aware that he was to be his opponent. Even then, for some time, he laboured under the impression that Mr. Davis's object was to obtain a seat in the Legislative Council, and it caused him no slight surprise that one who had taken so active a part in New Zealand politics on the liberal side, should be desirous of being one of Sir George Grey's nominees in the Upper House. (Laughter). Passing on to the more immediate purposes of the meeting, Mr. Fitz Gerald remarked that there was an expression well known in England, " Free and Independent Electors ;" but there was also another, equally significant but not so generally employed, " Free and Independent Candidate." It was in that capacity he stood before them, and he told them fairly and frankly that he would not consent to be their Representative if he was to be fettered and hampered with pledges. He would either go to Wellington free, in the strongest sense of that word, or he would not seek their suffrages at all. He would proceed to explain his views, and if they were in consonance with their own they would elect him; if not, as free and independent Electors it was their privilege to select another. In the present infant state of the Colony, when parties were as yet not clearly denned from the absence of any strong political motives, it would be impossible to enunciate any general views at length; but still there was one subject which, owing to the recent proclamation of the Governor, was creating considerable interest, he meant the price of Land ; on this subject he would make some observations. It was a mistake to suppose that the General Assembly, when called together, would fix the price of land. He had reasons for knowing from a correspondence he carried on with the leaders of the (so-called) popular party at Wellington and elsewhere,, that there was a general desire that the controul over the Waste Lands in the different Settlements should be transferred from the General to the Provincial Assemblies. It was true that by the Constitution Act this power was vested in the General Assembly, but he conceived that nothing could be easiei than for that body to pass a Bill requesting the Crown to make the transfer. It would be useless, therefore, for him to say that he would go in for land either at ss. 10s. or 60s. per acre. His own private opinions were'strongly in favour of a high price; and if he was returned as their Representative, he should go to Wellington, not to debate about the price of land, but to cooperate with those who were anxious that the Provinces should have this power. He

was convinced that the people in each Settlement desired to have this power in their hands. (Hear, hear, and cheers). It was natural that they should, aod it would, rest with their Representatives in the Provincial Council to decide upon the price, and of course they would take care to return to that body men who would advocate their views. ■ (Hear, hear.) Mr Fitz Gerald proceeded at considerable length to argue about the price of land; he showed that a low price would not be for the benefit of the people ; that it would hold out inducements to speculators to step in and buy up whole tracts of country; men who had no interest in its welfare—who would wait till the labour of the working classes had rendered it of value—and who would then sell it at their own price. He instanced numerous cases where this had occurred in Canada, Tasmania, and elsewhere; he ridiculed the idea that any tax imposed on absentees would prevent their purchasing,as in no instance had it been found to answer, for the means of evasure were so many as to render its imposition impossible. He would not be a party to any measure which could not be effectually carried out. It was to this point that he wished the minds of the Electors to be directed, so to fix the price of land that it might be easily attainable by every Colonist, but sufficiently high to prevent aliens and speculators monopolising their territory and robbing them of the fruits of their industry and labour. It was their industry and' labour which speculators looked forward to for rendering their purchases ultimately profitable.

Respecting his candidature for the Superintendency, Mr. Fitz Gerald said that he could understand that some people might have objections to electing a man as Superintendent who was going up to the. General Assembly at Wellington, but that he could, not see any reason for not electing him as their Representative, because, he had t-een able so far to obtain the confidence of the whole people as to be entrusted with the superintendence of their affairs for three or four years to come. This was a question for the electors to decide. At the same time he gave his reasons at some length for thinking that the Superintendents ought to be members of the first General Assembly, He was far from thinking that they should go up oh other occasions. But after a careful study of the Constitutional Act, he had come to the conclusion that the Superintendent had next to nothing to do at present. His executive power was to be determined by the General Assembly. He touched upon the evils that might grow out of separate Provincial Councils: different laws might be passed for instance for the recovery of small debts, and on the subject of trespass, and such other subject as came within their jurisdiction. That this was necessary in some measure from the different circumstances of the Settlements and the want of communication; but that the more inveterate these differences grew, the more difficult it would be to assimilate such laws when the Settlements became populous and communications easy; he thought therefore that the best means .of securing such uniformity in legislation as was possible, would be by the meeting of the different Superintendents. There was nothing to hinder this now. Of course when they had got executive powers they could not leave their Provinces. He might, moreover, mention as a valid reason for the Superintendents sitting in the Legislative Assembly, that it had been proposed by men who had the interests of New Zealand at heart, that the upper chamber should not consist of Nominees of the Governor, but of the Superintendents themselves, elected by the people and responsible to the people, for their acts. — (Cheers.)

Mr. Fitz Gerald slightly touched upon his differences with the Association. He expatiated wavrrily upon the services its members had rendered to the colony, and regretted that he had been compelled to differ with them on sevei'al points. He had freely commented on what he conceived to be their errors, and was happy to state that his doing so had not alienated from him their regard. If at any time he had been drawn into expressions which might give offence, he deeply regretted it, as it was foreign to his wishes to say aught which might be deemed personal or offensive. (Cheers.)Mr. Wright asked Mr. Fitz Gerald's views with respect to the completion of the Sumner Road. Mr. Fitz Gerald had no difficulty in answering Mr. Wright. He would do his utmost to promote the completion of that work. It would vest, however, with the Members of the Provincial Council to complete that work, and he advised the Electors to return men pledged to that object. At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Davis entered the room, when Mr. Fitzgerald repeated his remarks respecting Mr. Davis's opposing him, which he considered dishonorable, without previously informing him. Were the Electors, with that fact before them, to return Mr. Davis, he considered that an indelible stigma would be cast upon the Town. Mr. Davis observed he had not attended the meeting as he had not been personally requested to do so, and because he considered it convened by Mr. Fitz Gerald's supporters. At the time he issued his Address he had quite forgotten that he had signed the requisition to Mr. Fitz Gerald. For his own part he had no wish to be their Representative, but he had been repeatedly requested to stand on the principles of cheap land. Even now he would withdraw, were Mr. Fitzgerald to declare in favour of cheap land. It would be quite impossible,.even had we space, to. give any detailed particulars of the discussion which now arose, and which was spiced with considerable acerbity. The Chairman had to appeal to the meeting for support to sustain order. Mr. Bayfield, Mr. Toomath, Mr. Taylor, and others addressed the meeting. Ultimately Mr. White moved, and Mr. R. Rhodes seconded, that this meeting considers M*. Fitz Gerald to be a fit and proper person to represent Lyttelton. It was put from the Chair and carried ; and, a vote of thanks having been extended to the Chairman, the meeting broke up.