DUNEDIN ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1634, 12 March 1866, Page 2

DUNEDIN ELECTION.

The following addresses of the candidates are abridged from the Otago Daily Times of March 7:—

The Honourable James Paterson said: I come before you to-day not for the first time. I am not a stranger to you; and I believe that you are not at all ignorant of my views on the great questions of the day, with regard to which you are now to elect men to take the conduct of the affairs of this rising colony. Since I last had the honour of being returned by the electors of Dunedin, to represent them in the General Assembly, many changes and may important transactions have taken place in the legislature. At that time before the last session of the Assembly, the Government of the country was in the hands of a gentleman whom all respected as an upright, honest, faithful adherent to constitutional principleswho had the good of the country at heart— and who wished to carry out the Government, I believe, for the benefit of the whole Colony, independent of any personal interest he himself had in it. During last session, many very important questions were discussed; and amongst them, that of finance occupied a very prominent position. It was found that the state of the finances was not satisfactory to the members of the House of Representatives generally ; and many measures introduced by the Government were opposed by a majority of the members, because they thought the Government were leading the country into an expenditure which could not be borne, and a position which was not otherwise satisfactory. I shall not go into a history of the session : suffice it that at the last hour, after the session had lasted nearly three months—and when the Government had been out-voted on many questions, upon which they did not consider themselves called upon to resign—the Government, upon a question regarding the administration of the finances to be raised by their own proposal of Stamp Duties, resigned voluntarily, and without any intention on the part of the House to put them out of office. The state of affairs at that time was very peculiar. The session was the last before a dissolution was imperative ; and the question was whether the new Government should dissolve the House, and call a new one under their own auspices, or whether a Government should be formed for the purpose of conducting the business until after the elections. There were many things that required attention before a dissolution. Amongst them was an amendment of the representation, by which it was desired that Otago, instead of having only nine members, should have fifteen, as she now has. Otago had never had a fair opportunity of taking that place in the House to which she was entitled as the most important province in the colony. She was under represented; and it was only with the greatest difficulty that her then members could carry through the measure for doing her the justice of increasing her representative power to the extent I have mentioned. Mr. Stafford, who had been recommended by the Weld Government to be sent for, undertook to form a Government, upon the express condition that the Assembly should be immediate y dissolved and a new Parliament called. He asked other gentlemen to join him as a temporary measure, so as to carry on the routine business of the country until the electors had had an opportunity of choosing new representatives to deal with the great questions which will be submitted so soon as the next session commences. When Mr. Stafford applied to myself to join him in this Ministry, I can safely say that there was no man in New Zealand more sur-1 prised than I was myself.—(A Voice: Hear, I hear.) I would noc undertake such a responsibility until Ihad consulted my colleagues. I immediately called together all of those! with whom I was accustomed to act. I told them of the proposal made to me by Mr. Stafford, and I asked them whether I should accept the position or not. They unanimously decided.that they saw no reason why,the proposal having been made; I should not accede to it. By their counsel and advice, therefore, I con-

sented to take my place in the _ Government, during the period between the dissolution and the meeting of the new House. The great business of the country may be ,said to be in suspense, until the new Parliament has met and determined who shall, be the men to conduct the business of the country, and on the measures to be taken for finally disposing of the great questions which must be decided, and which will, be at once submitted for the consideration of the House. Immediately after I agreed to accept office, I was seized with severe illness. I was unable to be in the House during the last ten days of the session ; and I was so far reduced, that my medical adviser recommended my returning to Dunedin to recruit my health. The Postmaster-Generalship had been assigned to me, and I had just entered upon its duties when I was taken ill. During my absence from Wellington, it became necessary that some one should be gazetted to the office, so as officially to sign documents requiring to be so signed. I could not be gazetted in my absence, and so Mr. Stafford was gazetted. When I returned to Wellington, he offered to gazette me ; but I said that it was perhaps not worth while, then, to take such a step, until the election! were over, and it was seen who was returned. If you shall please to return me, and I consent to continue a member of the Government, I shall consider it simply right to take my proper place, to be gazetted in the usual way, and to hold the office of Postmaster-General until, if there should be a change of Ministry, our successors have been appointed. I have discharged the duties of the office since my return to Wellington. Such is the position I at present occupy in the Government of the country. (Hear, hear.) It is well known that the colony is now in a very precarious state with regard to its finances. We have incurred very large responsibilities on account of the war that has been carried on in the Northern Island. Those expenses must be met; and if the ordinary revenue will not enable them to be met, they must be met otherwise, or they must be repudiated. I am certain that no elector of this province will hesitate, if it is found necessary to raise additional funds by taxation, to bear his share of it, in order that present responsibilities may be met. The only thing the Government can do is to study economy in every department—to reduce expenditure to the lowest point consistent with the efficiency of the service. With regard to the great question of Separation, which is so much talked about, the only way in which I see that it can be done is by giving to the different provinces of the Northern Island the control of the war within their bounds,allowing them to conduct it in their own way and'at their own expense, without burdening the other parts of the colony, which are not exposed to the same difficulties. We have borne a large share of the war expenses hitherto. We have derived ! no benefit whatever from all we have paid ; and that state of things must now come to an end. (Hear, hear.J We have made ourselves responsible for the debts so far; but a line must now be drawn, the different provinces interested must manage the war, and the expense must be met out of the confiscated lands taken from the natives. (" No, no," and " Hear, hear.") There has been a great deal said, also, about Provincial Governments, and some people think it would be proper to do away with those Governments. I am not prepared to go that length. I would propose to give the provinces more extended powers, but to reduce their number. I would attach the small provinces to the large ones—(hear, hear)— thus saving expenses of Government. Supposing that we had Southland re-united to Otago, and Marlborough to Nelson, we should then have three large provinces in the Middle Island; and we should havej but three Governments instead of five. In the Northern Island, by attaching Taranaki to Wellington, and extending the boundaries of Hawke's Bay by including a portion of Auckland, we should there also have three great provinces, corresponding with those in this island. The provinces could then be governed at less expense, and be entrusted with far greater powers, inasmuch as men who could take a larger grasp and have greater influence, would be glad to take part in managing them to the satisfaction of the whole colony. (Applause.) I think there could be great improvements effected in the existing mail services. The service between Melbourne and Dunedin must be maintained at all hazards—(applause)— that we cannot dispense with. But our coastal service, I think, might be greatly curtailed, and i the expenses very greatly reduced. We have, i at present, six vessels, I think, subsidised for for a monthly service up and down our coast. Each of these vessels is under steam only ten days out of the month, the rest of the time being spent lying in port, idle and useless, ; their subsidies still going on, That can be curtailed with advantage to the service itself, and to all concerned in it. With regard to the Panama Service. I don't know when that service may be commenced. When I left Wellington, nothing ' had been done with regard to the conclusion of the contract. Capt. Vine Hall, who represents the contracting Csmpany, has been absent for some months, and has not been able to conclude the matter. He was expected in Wellington about the time I left; and he may now have arrived there, and matters may be in a progress for puttin'g the service upon a satis factory basis. As to the question which has been so often mooted respecting the termini of this service, I think that if Otago can be made the port of departure, and Auckland the port of arrival, without doing injustice to the whole service of the colony, that plan ought to be adopted. —(Hear, hear.) But much as I regard the Province of Otago, and much as I would do to serve her, I am not prepared to do injustice to the Colony with that object. The question of a terminus or termini must be decided after a thorough examination of the merits of the whole case. Viewed simply as a mail service, perhaps Wellington would be the best place for a general terminus ; as from its central position it is the best point whence to distribute the mails over the colony with the least possible delay. But we expect more from what is proposed, I think, than a mere mail service. We expect a large passenger traffic—we hope to see visitors from all parts of the world. We know well that first impressions of a country are not to be despised with respect to their influence ; and when strangers visit us, if we wish them to get a good first impression, Wellington is not the place at which they should land. (Hear, hear.), The Tariff requires to be completely overhauled. The Government are at present engaged in collecting information on the subject, from all quarters whence sound information can be obtained. Their object is to have the whole subject thoroughly and satisfactorily investigated and a new arrangement made. The question is a very important one, and will require serious deliberation. All who have been applied to for information have supplied it freely and fully; and it will be of great use when the Government come to decide on the details of the measure to be introduced. I understand that since I have been absent from Dunedin, and during the last session of the Provincial Council, new Land Resolutions have been passed by the Council. I shall be most happy to render my assistance in carrying into law the Bill embodying those reiolutions. In conclusion, let me say that I have had the honour now to represent you during three sessions of the Assembly. It has been my endeavour in all cases to act with the other members for Otago. In most cases, the majority did act together—some deserted us, but they were rather enemies than friends. During the last session, my friend Mr. Reynolds and myself voted in 56 divisions of the House; and in 49 of them our names were recorded on the same side. We have differed in many instances; but upon all important measures we have been able to pull together; and I trust that, if we are returned again, we shall be enabled to do so again. Acting with the members from the other districts, my endeavour shall be give to Otago that force and effect in the counsels of the country which her importance bo justly merits and demands. (Applause.)

Mr. John Millar said he would state his views briefly. He was in favour of an entire legislative and financial separation of the two islands, but with a federal union for the common interest of the entire colony. If that was carried out, he believed that Otago would be a most successful province. The time was

come when what responsibilities we had incurred for the native war should be ascertained and made a legal charge upon the provinces of the Middle Island, tsbe paid by ourselves or our posterity ; but henceforth we ought to have the distribution of pur own revenues, and no responsibility* for any new Maori war. The Panami, Service matter had been totally mismanaged, If it had been left in the hands of Mr. Crosbie Ward, we should probably have had steamers running now, with Port Chalmers as one of the termini. He (Mr. Millar) strongly supported the service, with Otago and Auckland as the termini. He also advocated a continuance of the Otago and Melbourne service ; and he had no doubt that the Chamber of Commerce would do justice to the question. He was opposed to Stamp Duties. Mr. Reynolds, who was received with applause, said that he had represented the city of Dunedin for twelve years. It was most important that tried men should be returned |to the new Assembly. It was a mistake to ! be continually changing representatives, for 1 it took them two or three sessions generally, | before they really understood their duties and how to perform them. The cause of the late Government being turned out was, that they wanted to impose extra taxation—and for what ? To be expended in the North Island, in subduing the natives. As to separation, he was in favour, generally, of the plan embodied in the resolutions passed by the Provincial Council—that was to say, of financial separation, with extended powers to Provincial Councils. He was in favour of limiting the expenditure of the General Government to as small a sum as was consistent with the efficiency of that Government service, and of leaving the balance to be divided and expended by the provinces as they thought best. He was no more a liker of taxes than people geaerally were; but just past debts must not he repudiated; and he would tax himself and the country to any extent necessary to meet those debts. But he would object to a single penny of extra taxation being imposed for any other purpose than that; and especially would he oppose it, if the proceeds were to be spent in fighting the Maoris. He would support the Land Resolutions as passed by the council last session.

Mr. Grant said that he had been solicited by many hundreds to come forward on the present occasion. The Auckland members had signed a league to go for no mere mock financial separation, but for separation pure and simple; and he would support them if he was returned to the Assembly. It would he as wise to talk of a " financial separation" of Otago at the line of the Octagon, as to talk of such a separation of the colony. An absolute financial, political, administrative, and legislative separation must be had before the Middle Island would he justly dealt with.

Mr. John Graham made a lengthy speech, the subject of which was an amplification of his claims on the electors as stated in his address in nominating himself. He added some particulars of his " cat venture" to Hokitika, which he declared had left him a profit. He advocated the amendment of the Registration Act, so that a man could register any day, or the substitution of manhood suffrage; he interpreted " J.P." at the end of men's names, to mean in this colony generally, "judge of pigs;" he promised, if elected, to have a committee appointed to report whether or not justice had been done to the late Sheriff; he declared his agreement, generally, with Mr. Grant, on the subject of the land resolutions of the Council, and the deferred-payment system; and he named a place at which electors, who doubted whether he possessed energy of character, could " see the development of my brains by Professor Griffin."

Mr. Birch said that those present had been served with such a variety of dishes in the way of speech - making, that he would simply speak on one or two points. He did not know until the* last moment that he was to be nominated ; and, consequently, he had no stereotyped programme to submit to the electors. He was in favour of absolute Separation, for he did not believe in half-and-half measures. He would support making Otago a port of call for the Panama boats, or making it the terminus of the service. He was very clear that the new Land Bill was not suited to the wants of the population of Otago, or to induce people to emigrate to the province. He believed that going back to the old price of 10s an acre, with a requirement that £2 an acre should be spent in improvements within four years, would be the best plan, if to do so would be legal and possible. He intended to issue an address to the elector« to-morrow ; and he was ready to answer any questions.