OXFORD DISTRICT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2928, 28 May 1870, Page 2

OXFORD DISTRICT.

Mr M. B. Hart met the elect ton| fj* Schoolroom, Oxford, on Wednesday last. Mr White occupied the chair. Mr Hart addressed the ine<,t l D £ „tersiderable length. He commence* ring to the po'iuoal history of othe and coming to New Zealand, dw e by length on the period of its go* j ntr oNew South Wales, and the es duction of the Constitution creatmt, F and Provincial institutions. A VI . tetcs t, the more immediate questions o i; p Mr Hart str.ugly advocated tll0 h 1 eall3 of ot the country in all directions . . n ,i,e roads, tramways, and raHways. ic . it ioii, absence of easy means or « 0 “® n " , OBl d be the natural wealth of the com ■ . uj; , ua i of no avail. In his opinion, th e 0 f and labouring classes were tht * “ spc . r :ty society, and E was essential ti P ft j or dcd of all that easy means should them for bringing the prodme eg . labour to market. With regard to tion of edu aiion, be might ?■) system been in countries where a comp - ■ fc ’ ut it of education was carriei L-, lL ,ji;!i pc ;l P !e was a question whether 8 _ ‘ t ,iii)Cwere prepared for it « tb * 1 however. Without regard to sm ha cha ng, seS bethought that gmntot> f anl ''l* of education should b ive i v present *y ßte “ a H e *pj t ion‘ was on« as possible. The. „‘ n which he coo i ! those delicate subjects P gt t | ie prcse a not express a decided op w hen J 1 time, but the time wddeom; aUer the believed it would be ®e«eewy present tuneD ri C e of land, but not at the I T . ft? Provincial Council required the m

tatitmof fresh blood into it; and with re* gatd to Provincial institution* generally, be thought that they might be conducted on a leu expensive scale. The survey department, for instance, might be advantageously curtailed. Since the establishment of Road Boards, a great amount of work that was formerly done by the Provincial Government was now carried out by these Boards, and therefore a reduction might be made in the staff of Provincial Government officials. Although it was positively necessary that the Provincial Council should be maintained for the purpose, it for none other, of complying with the compact entered into in reference to the land fund, still he did not think it necessary that Provincial Government should be kept up in that expensive form which prevailed at the present time. It was necessary that public works should be carried out, so as to give employment to those whom the farmers -could not find work for in the winter months; and immigration ought to be connected with public works; that was to say, they should run concurrently. It was an admitted truism that no country could exist without population ; therefore, let them inaugurate a steady system of immigration—not such a system as would have the effect of flooding the labourmarket, but a system commensurate with their requirements and their means—in a word, such a system as would afford a suf■flciency of hands to the farmers at a season when they most required assistance ; and in the dull seasons of the year, the accumulated labour could be profitably employed in the ■prosecution of tho,-e large public works which were essential to the progress of the province, and the prosperity of all. In connection with this subject, bethought that Canterbury should be made so attractive as to induce voluntary settlement He thought the provisions of the Fencing Ordinance did not apply fairly as between the squatter and small freeholder, and be would be prepared to advocate an amendment in the Ordinance, so as to make its provisions of a more equitably nature. The Kegistration Act required amendment. He was in favour of vote by ballot, so as to prevent the exercise of an undue influence by one elector over another. At the conclusion of bis address, a vote of confidence in Mr Hart was moved and seconded. To this an amendment was proposed. A show of hands was taken, and resulted as follows : For the motion 27 For the amendment 7 The resolution was declared to be carried, and the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman. MOERAKI DOWNS. Mr Host addressed the electors at Messent’s accommodation house on Thursday evening. Mr Wm. Morrison occupied the chair. Mr Hast reiterated the views be had expressed at Oxford on the previous night. The Gon. G. L. Deb also addressed the meeting. A vote of confidence in Mr Hart was proposed and seconded. Mr Higgins proposed, as an amendment, that Mr Lee was a fit and proper person to represent the district in the Frovincial Council. A show of hands was taken, and resulted as follows; For the motion 29 For the amendment 10 The motion was declared to be carried. The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.