AVON ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1614, 15 February 1866, Page 2

AVON ELECTION.

Mr. Ward met the electors of this district, at the Devonshire Arms Hotel, yesterday evening, at eight p.m. Mr. Bkadwell occupied the chair, and briefly introduced Mr. Ward. Mr. Warp, who, on rising to speak, was received with considerable applause, observed that he thought it the chief duty of any one who should be returned as a representative to do all in his power to resist the lavish expenditure on the part of the Government which rendered taxation necessary. Taxation would prove a dead stop to the progress of a new country. He wondered that any Government could be formed which dared to propose such a scheme as that of imposing heavy taxation. The colony was not sufficiently advanced to bear it. In the present crisis it was our interest to compel the Government to withhold its hands, and to put a stop to all those enterprises "which would render taxation a necessity. Not only has the Middle Island lost its money by the Maori war, and by the calls made upon it by the North Island, but wc have not received that due share of attention which we have a right to expect from a G ivermnent which we pay to support. Since lie had last addressed the electors, many chang js had taken place, some of them to his advantage. He did not view the retirement of Mr. Wuld from office with such political r 'gret as some other pollticuns did. Ho deeply regretted the cause of that retirement. For Mr. Weld personally he had the highest esteem and regard. For ;i length of time, he had been intimate with him. One great advantage wh cli Mr. Weld possessed was the power of attracting persons towards him by his personal influence, and he had thus been able to form a strong party. He had won the confidence of men of very opposite opinions. But Mr. Weld and his political strength wore gone, and it now became a question of finding a really qualified statesman to act as the leader of colonial affairs. He (Mr. Ward) was in favour of Separation, which he had always idvocated, and should continue to advocate it, because he was convinced that it was the only plan tor putting a stop to the ruinous expenditure in which our connection with the North involved us. As he hid stated, he had a regard for Mr. Weld, but not for his supporters, and he be'icved that the course pursued by the Weld Government with regard to fln tuee was altogether a faulty one. If he (the speaker) was sent up to the Assembly, he would heartily support any Ministry which was determined to advance the intercuts of the Middle Inland, and to check the useless expenditure now g ting on He could see no leading man whom it would he desirable at present to put at the head of affairs. It was no use to put up Mr. FitzGerald. In Mr. Stafford, ie (Mr. Ward) had no confidence. What had he dune ? Nt satisfied with handing over the whole of the lauds

conquered by our united dlforts for the, lole benefit df .{he north, He had 1 * given the people there £100,000 to coldhMe those lands. We should derive a benefit by separation from the North; and the! NortK might be safely left alone. If they could not provide the fundi for colonizing their new acquisitions, the best plan would be for them to abandon them altogether. Mr. Ward concluded by observing that he did not think it probable that he should be called upon to take office, as only thoroughly qualified persona—statesmen, in fact —• would now be required. However this might be, he should always, if returned—and he thought that he had the best chance of being so out of the three candidates—he should, without pledging himself to any peculiar line of conduct, do all in his power to resist taxation, and to prevent the colony from being plunged headlong into debt. Mr. Wakekield then addressed the meeting at some length, stating that he was in favour of Mr. Weld's Dolicy, but was disposed to carry it out rather fuller than Mr. Weld intended. He also commented 011 several observations which had fallen from Mr. Ward, and stated that he objected to an income tax, making special allusion to the circumstances of the United States. Mr. Ward replied to the observations of Mr. Wakefield, and stated that he was opposed to Mr. Travers's land scheme. After a few words from Mr. Wakefield, a vore of thanks was returned to the chairman, and the meeting separated.