“THE PRICE OF A VOTE.”

Marlborough Express, Volume VII, Issue 434, 28 September 1872, Page 4

“THE PRICE OF A VOTE.”

Under this slanderous heading the letter which we print below was recently 'published in the Nelson Examiner. It is vastly amusing to notice the jealousy with whiclx the Nelsoniaus view our little railway, and how they fret and fume because there is a natural hesitancy in pushing forward their pet scheme of the Foxhill Railway. As we showed in bur last issue, they complain of their Superintendent, Mr Curtis, for Hot showing a greater amount of spirit in the matter ; but the fact is, that while the Pieton line will ultimately form a portion of a grand trunk line to the South, the line to Foxhill will be of little service beyond that named by Mr Curtis some time ago—namely, finding occupation for the people i%. the locality,

who were depending upon ifc for employment. However, here is the letter : “ The £SOO which it cost the Fox-Yogel Government to bring up Mr Tolmie from Dunedin, to give his vote in their behalf and help to retain them in office, was certainly a long price to pay, but it is insignificant compared with the price paid for some other votes recently given in their favour. Here is one illustration :—ln an Act passed last session, authorising contracts for the construction of certain lines of railway, a limit was fixed for their respective cost. The railway from Picton to Blenheim, for instance was limited to £BO,OOO, but Mr Brogdou only tendered for the line from Picton to the north bank of the Opawa river—one mile sbortof Blenheim; the whole intervening distance most unfortunately not unlikely to, become a river-bed. [Bosh] The railway thus shortened, and no communication with Blenheim established, and without rails, rolling-stock, or stations, Mr Brogden has the contract for £75,534 —so that instead of this railway costing the colony .£BO,OOO, as agreed upon by Parliament, Government made a contract which will inevitably lead to an outlay of £IOO,OOO, even if that sum will be sufficient.

Now, I shall not venture to affirm/that Mr Seymour’s vote for the Government will cost the colony £IO,OOO ; hut I think the outrageous conduct of incurring this enormovis expense beyond what they were authorised, and the support they obtained from the Superintendent of Marlborough, is not wholly without connection. I know I may he told they got security from Marlborough for the excess of cost. Security is all very well where it is capable of being realized, hut to enforce it in this instance would not benefit the colony at large.”

It will bo pretty evident that the writer of the above letter did not know much of the locality or the circumstances, or he would never have written anything so silty. The evident insinuation is that Mr Seymour sold his vote to the late Government for £IO,OOO ! We will not make and attempt to set the matter right, for the task would be useless, but this we will say : that, if Mr Seymour has done this, he at least deserves well of his constituents ; but our own belief is that he is not to be had nearly so cheaply, and we undertake to vouch for him that he will take, nothing less from any Government tlnuTthe sum necessary to bring the line into the centre of Blenheim.