THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6473, 25 November 1881, Page 6

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

MR 3. T. FISHER AT WOOLBXON.

Mr 3, T. Fisher addressed the electors of Heat beats at tho Oddfellows’ Hall, WooUton, last evening. There was a good attendance, and the chair was taken by Mr F. Jones, Chairman of tho Beethcote Road Board, who briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Fiauna said that groat changes hod taken place in the representation of the Middle Island since he last addressed them. On that occasion he was the representative ot one of the largest districts in the Colony. Since then, however, Sydenham and Stan* more hod token large slices off the district, and it was now comparatively a small one. He wished to thank the electors of the old electorate for their support, and he trusted he hid always acted conscientiously, and bad not done anything while their represent a' ire that he need to ashamed of. He hod not thought it necomry to wait for a requisition to come forward again, as he felt that, after the kind treatment he hod always received bum the electors, he would not be worths of their confidence if be showed the while feather now. So ho asked them to continue to place that confidence in him they had done hitherto. Another reason for his coming forward was that it was in their part of the district that he first entered public life, when, 18 or 10 years ago, ho was elected their member on the fi-st Bowl Board in the Colony, and he thought to would to doing wrong if ho did not offer them his senders, even if almost certain of defeat. He hod been accused of doing nothing for the district, but he would to glad if any gentleman would particularise to him wherein he had neglected it. He bad carried the Hcathcote Bridges Bill in the Lower House, and it woe not his fault that it was thrown out in the other Chamber. He con* eidt rod that a member should not to ex* peeled to manufacture wants in order to annoy Government. It was the duty of tho electors to make their wants known to the members, who would attend to them. He thanked them for never having asked him to bring forward anything bo could not conscientiously support. He had had the Sumner railway surveyed, and thought it would have been constructed, as the Government and the Railway Commissioners were apparently in favour of it. It had fallen through, however, which was a pity, as it would have paid welt, and now the tramway would no doubt take its place. It hod been arid that to tod not done his tost with regard to the removal of the Sumner tor. That was now in the Harbour I Board District, but to would be glad to do all he could for tbeir interests in the matter. He had always given the interest of tho district bis tost alter.lion. Owing to him a sum was placed on the Estimates for the Madras street footbridge, a work which Government ought to have carried out, instead of finding only half the cast. He thought there was too much Centralism now, os everything had to go to Wellington, but a change would have to to made eoon. Last cession Government had introduced a Hoads Construction Bill, which would probably to brought forward again render another name ; out it would to just at nasty as before, and would most likely to thrown out again. That Bill provided for a Board of three members, presided over by the Minister for Public Works. This would place too much power in the hands of Government; districts whose members did not support the parly in power would have bat a poor chance of getting wtot they required under it. Tho Crown and Native Lands Bating Bill merely meant the South Island paying the expenses of the North. He was in favour of the present syrtem of free, secular, and compulsory education. The Bible might be read in school after school hours. Anything more than this would he the thin end of the wedge of cenominationalitm, which bad been tried before, and had not given satisfactory remits. (Applause.) One important measure of last session wss the Representation Bill. This had been stonewalled, os they were aware. He thought the Nelson members were right in protesting against the disfranchisement of part of their Province, but they should have confined themselves to that, and not have offered factious opposition. It had been said that be was one of the stonewaffers. This was not true. The Bill did not meet with the entire approval of all who supported it, but to alter it would have been to hare lost it, and os Nelson hod nine members to Canterbury’s fourteen, it was time there was an alteration. The Licensing Bill took up a good deal of time, and should have a fair trial. He had received a letter from tho Temperance Association, containing several questions, which he would now answer, though be presumed they were meant for new men, and not for those who had helped to pw* the BiJL As to inspection of hotels,

it should be efficient. With regard to bottle lie* uses, be bad always opposed them. If the license of a properly conducted house vat taken sway by tie will of the people, the holder should receive compensation. (AppUiace.) It wad not right to compel a man who wanted a license to build bis premises before applying for it, at they were useless if it was refused. It should be sufficient for him to produce plans of the building when making hit application. (Applause.) He had not altered hit opinion on railway management since he last addressed them. I'he charges should be reduced, in order to I make people use the lines. The Canterbury railways, which returned a profit of 7 per cent, ought cot to hare to pay for unproductive lints elsewhere. At present the traffic wus being driven on to the roads, and people had to pay a double tax, to support the railstu and the roods as well, which wae unfair, (Applause.) To come te Native affairs, the Grey Government bad arrested Natives who wen* ploughing settlers’ land, and it was right that the land should be protected. Te Whiti, who bad always had the reputation of a man of peace, was a man who led the Natives completely, and the great danger was that he might change bis mind. To satisfy them that he (Mr Fuher) was not biassed by anything in the local Press, he would read a quotation from one of his speeches in Manlord. Ibis Quotation was to the effect that Mr Fisher felt himself justified in supporting the Native policy of the Grey Government, as he considered it was necessary; but he could not support the measure introduced by the present Government, av, by it, the right of trial was taken away from the Maorira in prison. He had moved the postponement of the second reading of that measure, but his motion was not carrifd. Bis future action in the matter would be decided by what further fads were laid before him. The Government interpreters bad declared that the reserves intended for the Natives bad not been shown to them. If so, this should be done, and Justice done to the Maori®#, in fulfilment of the promises made to them. Justice must be tempered with mercy. Any Government should be protected which tried to preserve the peace of the country, and an anned force could net be kept up for ever merely to keep a few Maorics in order, so the difficulty must bo ended. The Volunteers deserved the warmest thanks for their promptitude in going to the front. They did not know when they went that there would not bo fighting, and deserved great credit ai d praise. (Applause.) Hedidnotknowthalthere was much more he could say, as he had addressed them so lately as May 26 last. He was opposed to the Gaming and Lotteries Act, as it was too goody-goody. It was an tnpt to make people good by Act of Parlament. He would answer any questions i hoy wished to put to him. Mr Fisher resumed his seat amid continued applause. In answer to various questions, Mr Finnan said that ho would be in favour of the appointment of Commissioners for the investigation of complaints made by railway employees. He would oppose the Bill brought forward by the Drainage Board, as he hod opposed it when in the House last session, fie would support a capitation grant to the Volunteers if the ocontry could afford it, ae they bad shown that they were not featherbed men by any memo#. An elector asked if Mr Fisher would be in favour of " hanging old Te Whiti,” (Laughter.) Mr Fraan said that bo was not in favour , of hanging any mao unless ho bad done

something to deserve it. He did not think To Whili had done anything to deserve hanging, (Applause.) He would be In favour of doing away with Hey wood and Oo.’a monopoly at the termination of their present agreement, it it could be done without inter* faring with the traffic. He woe in favour of local industries, and would be pleased to support any measure to encourage them, whether by taxing imported goods, or by taking taxes off material. Ho was not in favour of the Property tai, but believed in a Land and Income tax. (Hear, hear.) He was in favour of grants in support of free schools of art and science, but not for denominational schools. (Applause.) He thought that prison labour should be made to cay for the maintenance of the connote, but It should not be allowed to injure free labour.. If (Government had the money it would bo best for them to construct the West Coast Bailway, but if not, they ought to encourage a Company to do it. Under (he last Government arrangements had been mode by which the lino might have been constructed, but they had fallen through, and the tost thing was to encourage a Company. It would to a very good thing to have an elective Upper House, which might very woll be chosen accord* iug to Hare’s system. He would op* po«e the leasehold qualification far the same reason as he opposed tho property qualification. He believed in a man having only one vote. Ho saw no objection to a man who possessed qualifications in different district®, exercising his vote in which district ho liked. As he had been a member of tho Grey Government, he was not prepared to say ho would not follow Sir George Grey, who had initiated all the litoral measures that had been pasted, though he could not carry them out. (Loud applause.) He (Mr Fisher) had voted for the liberal measures of last session, though he did not egree with tho present Go* ▼eminent, os he would support litoral measures, no matter by whom they wore brought down. Sir George Grey hod not toon able to cany them 'into effect, as he had been perpetually badgered by votes of want of confidence. He (Mr Fisher), was not in favour of female suffrage. (Hear, hoar.) Women had plenty to do in minding their own affaire, without going round to polling* booths. When the leases of tho runs were expired the land should to out up into blocks and disposed of by public auction. Some farther questions of an unimportant nature were also answered.

Mr Bamio&d had ten much pleasure in moving a rote of thanks for his address, and also of confidence in him as the representative of the district. Mr Dtobah seconded the motion. Mr Mosqah moved, as an amendment, a vote of thanks alone.

This was duly seconded. The amendment was put and declared carried.

Mr Flshbb moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was carried, and tho proceedings terminated.

MB W. F. PEABSON AT OHOKA.

On Wednesday evening Mr Pearson met about eighty electors at the district schoolroom, Ohoka. Mr W. Taylor was voted to the chair, and briefly introduced the candidate.

Mr PBAS3OH explained why he had sot met the electors at Okoka before, and also took the opportunity of disolaiming the statements that had been made by some of his rivalo that he (Mr Pearson) was a Socialist and Communist, or, as Mr Guild had re* marked, that ho was a squatter’s nominee. [Mr Guild : “ No, no.”} Ho acknowledged that he might hold Socialistic views, but bo deprecated the idea of Communistic principles as held in France. After stating the extent of his experience and making some remarks on his candidature, he said his views on the land question had been considerably distorted, and when he spoke of the necessity of causing blocks of land to be opened up for settlement he only referred to the larger ones. These he contended the State had a perfect right to interfere with, ae it was absurd to think that a man coming out with two or three millions of money could buy up the whole of, say the Ashley and any large district, and force the popumnon out of that district. Property doubtless had its privileges and rights, and he could only say that he aid not hope to see New Zealand reduced to the position that some parts of England and Ireland had been brought to, with some wealthy men holding all the country in large estates, and the people driven to seek shelter and possibly starve around the large centres of population. True Liberalism meant that every man’s industry should be protected, and that there should bo no monopoly. No one that bad travelled north of the Waipara could say that there was not undue monopoly there, and what he said was that when the time should come— and it might not be for a long time—pressure should be brought to bear on tbe owner of snob properties as Glenmark and such estates that bad a large area of good agricultural land. If a progressive tax would not reach them, then he would be in favour of the Government stepping in. Besoming possession, however, was the lost remedy, but pressure should bo brought to bear on them to prevent the land being used as a sheep run. Two great mistakes had been made in New Zealand ; the one was that there had been too much land purchased by private parties from the Natives, and the second that there had not been sufficient land reserved to meet the interest on tho cost of the public works. Referring to the Native question, ho said that be was glad to eee that aeoisiva measures had at length been taken with the Natives, though it was not clear that justice bens don® to conao ol thorn. It was very significant that the Government should have delayed taking them till the eve of a general election, and there was no doubt it would have the effect of returning Messrs Bryce and Atkinson to Parliament unopposed ; but he hoped that when their objeo had been attained they would calmly take the subject into consideration and deal justly with tho Natives, Mr Pearson reiterated bis views on the various questions before the country, as previously published, and at the conclusion a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded him. Messrs M. Dixotr and J. Guild briefly addressed tbe meeting, and at the conclusion a vote of thanks was passed to tho Chairmar