MOTUEKA NOMINATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 343, 24 December 1875, Page 4

MOTUEKA NOMINATION.

Tbe nomination took place at Motueka yesterday at noon, there being a far larger attendance than at any of the previous nominations either in town or country. Mr. Albert Wjlls proposed Mr. Charles Parker, who was well known to them as a public servant of many years' standing. He had always served itbem faithfully, »ud supported every measure calculated to promote the wellSieing of -(.he .district. Jo view of the [approaching, large questions that hriri ■fo be dealt with, he hopfd the electors n»6uld not ba so npgtactful of their inUerests as to reject Mr. Parker for an untried oruuv Mr. Coppins, seconded the nomination. Mr. $.-.Carti& proposed Mr. Richmond Hursthouse. Mr. Parker had represented them for 16 or 17 years, Bud he was puzzled to know what he bad 'done for the district. (Cheers and hisses) Province' 1 had not benefitted as it should have done by the public works scheme, and Motueka bad derived no advantage whatever. Although it bad been settled between thirty and forty years, it bad not even a bridge over the river. Every time a representative bud addressed them be had said that he was anxious to bring taxation to bear upon tbe absentees, but as yet no attempt had been made in thus direction. Mr Carter then proceeded to give bis own views on various matters at some length, when, on the suggestion of Mr Macmahon, the Returning Officer said that he thought Mr Carter was ratber treaapaseiog on tho good nature of the meeting, Mr Carter concluded by proposing Mr Hursthousq. . Mr J. Staples seconded tbe nomination. -Mr Mercer proposed Mr Dancker, who was a man of good education and bad a good' bead on bis shoulders. He proposed Mr Deocker in order to show that there was 00 partiality beEngliahraen and Germans. He remembered reading (be did not know whether the Returning Officer had done so also) how England had become & ' great nation from a mixture of all nations. Australia and New Zealand would also become a great nation one of these days, and would be composed of all sorts. Out of men from all lands England had become John Bull, and what we wanted was to be John Bull also. Mr Bruning seconded the nomiuatioo. No other candidates beiog nominated, Mr Parser said that he stood before them for election for the fourth time. It was not necessary for him to Itell them who his father was or where he came from. Probably such information would cot be interesting to them. He might, however, cay that he bad lived among them twenty-six years, bad sons and daughters grown up amongst them who were well known and respected, and therefore be . thought he wes justified iv saying that he c; had a stake in the country.' Ho hscl served them 18 years in ibe Provincial Qouooil, and ten years in the House of Heprfsentalives, had met them tiroe after time, and asked whether his votes had dissatisfied them, but had never beard any complaint. He haj once been defeated for the Provincial Council on a trifling question, but ihose who had opposed bim^srere eshamed of their couduct afterwards. There were mauy matters in, which he wished he had been more successful in obtaining what be could have wished, but they must remember that one roan could not slwaya secure ail be wanted. Som& charges had been brought against him, not. by Mr Hursthouse, but by his supporters, which he should take an opportunity of refuting at a meeting be proposed to cull. He bad been of service to them in many iosianoee, and never, either in the House or Council, had, docs that of which he or his constituents need be ashamed. He had consistently aupport-d the Government in their public woiks scheme, which had dragged the country out of a state of misary, Bod provided good wages for tbe working man, bat bia support bad not been a blind or unthinking one, as in minor matters be bud gona into the lobby, to voteagainst them, but even oa suce occasions bad the question been made a Ministerial one he should have voted with ihera, as be considered that it was tbe duty of members to ponder over the result of their votes, and that they should not turn out a Ministry to which they gave a general support except for some very good reason. He had voted for abolition as essential to the success of the" public works scheme, and should continue to support it, oh also a really good local self-government measure, as a substitute for tbe sham of local government they had had for years past. People bad complained that he bad not secured a bridge over the river, but he bad always supported it in the Provincial Council, and at bis suggestion a petition to the General Government had been got up, which he bad presented and supported, but it must be remembered that no bridges bad yet been erected by the Geoerat Government except io connection with tbe railways. He had however urged tbe necessity for this one, and the Committee bad recommended it, and he believed it would ba gone on with if it could be built for. a . reasonable sum. The Government, indeed* were pledged to this, and if they did not carry out their promise he should oppoia them, but be should not,

<io so if it were to cost a large sum. He would now be ieady to reply fco any questions Mr Mercer: Did you make an agreement with the Government that they were to give you the bridge for your vote. I understood you to s'vy so. Mr Parker had said nothing of the kind. He then repeated his former statement. Mr Mercer: Then you gave them your vote ou condition thatthay would build it if it would only co,et £8000. Mr Parker: I certainly should oot oppose them if they were to refuse to construct it on the ground that it was to cost £10,000 or £12,000. Mr Mercer: I understood you to Buy Several Voices: Put him down. Turn him out. Give another man a chance. Mr Mercer: But I want to know— A Voice: Shut up Mercer. WhatV tbe price of cheese? You know more about that. : The Returning Officer: I think there is some misunderstanding. In plain terms, Mr Parker, Mr Mercer wishes to ask, Was the bridge the price of your vote? Mr. Mebcsr: That's it. that's what I understood you to say. Mr Parker: No you didn't do anything of tho kind. Mr Carter: Did you stringently oppose tbe clause of tbe Licensing Bill which prohibited publicans brewing within 100 yards of their house? Mr Parker: No, 1 did not. Mr Carter: Are you in favor of large and small breweries alike paying a £10 license. Mr Parker: Tea, I think they can afford it. , Mr Carter: WoulJ yon support a Fencing Act making absentee owners of unoccuf.ied land pay their fair share Mr Parker: Yes. Mr Hursthouse then eaid that he would not occupy the time of those present more than two minutes and a half, as he meant to take another opportunity of addressing them. Mr Parker had said, evidently meaning a hit at him, that it wa9 not necessary for him to refer to bis ancestors, but he (Mr Hursthouse) was proud of bis forefathers, and had not hesitated to allude to them. In the absence of any political career of his own he would ask ihem to look at his private character, and cay whether there was anything in it they could fiad fault with, He was, he believed, the second colonial born candidate who had offered himself for election, and in Chat capacity he represented a cla9s of men who he thought should be encouraged to enter the Legislature. They weke tbe sons of men who had borne tbe heat and burdsn of the day, had worked, and had fought and bled for the colony! He asked no man to vole for him, pledged himself to no political creed] bufe was willing to serve them, and aeked tbem to meet him on Wednesday next when, if 4h?y approved of bis views, he trusted he should receive, their support. Mr Carter: Will you support a Fencing Act that will reach owners as well as occupiers of land. Mr HufiSTHOUSE : That is more a question to be put at the meeting I propose to hold. At the same time I can promise that, if you elect toe, no clause of any Bill that rosy be scot down will be passed without Richmond Harsthouae'a eyes looking over it carefully. I have never been found a defaulter when the muster roll was called, and I shall never be found absent from the House when any important measure is betug discussed. Mr Jamieson: You heard Mr Parker cay tbnt be b«d gone into the lobby to vote. Will you promise that, if elected, you will never sneak into the lobby, b«it will staod on the floor . of the House, and vote boldly and like a man ? Mr Pabkeh here' explained that "going ioto the lobby" was merely another phrase for voting in the House. Mr Bursthouse was, of course, not up "to tho routine of the Housa, but there were men th ra who would soon teach him. There was hig uncle, Mnjor Atkinson, and" Sir D. M'Lean' both of whom had dandjed him in their arms when he was a baby. At all events, they might depend that he would never go behind the scenes to vo c. Mr Denckbu then mounted the platform, and said that he was not there to make a clap-trap speech, but would reserve bis views until Friday week when he would ask them fco meet him! He then proceeded to relate a conversation which, he said, had taken place between himself aud the reporter of the Evening Mail, in consequence of which ba warned them to give no credit to any reports of his speeches that might appear in that journal. [Our reporter, who was present, asked the indulgence of the Returning Officer to the extent of permitting him to say that the conversation as related by Mr Dencker was purely imaginary, and that neither he nor Mr Dencker had made use of the words, or anything like tbem, attributed to them by that gentleman, from whose fertile brain alone hod they emanated."] Mr Carter wished to know whether Mr Dencker would support a doty on malt instead of the brewers' licenses, Mr Dencker : Yes. A Voice: What, on malt ? Wby, that's taxing the barley J Mr DENcsea thought that a brewers* license and a tax on maU amouotoi to I much the same thing.

Mr Jamieson: Mr Returning Officer, I should like to aek you whether a German-bora man can taka hia seat in the House without first being neutralised (sic). Amidsjv roars .ptlaaghteir,-the-Rk-tur^ing Offices ai\£ if the getftlairian, referred to Mr Dencker, and wished to know whether he could take hia seat without beiog " naturalised," he had nothing to say to that. Mi Dencker'a nntne was on the roll and that was sufficient (or him. Odo or two more questions having been put, a show of bauds was taken with the following result:— Hursthouse ... 21 ; Parker ... „... 15 Dencker ... ,'.. 2 A poll having been demanded, the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer.