NOMINATION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 104, 4 December 1861, Page 2

NOMINATION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

The nomination of candidates, to serve as Superintendent of this province for the ensuing four years, took place at the Provincial Hall on Saturday last at noon. Though the large Hall was well nigh filled there being about 400 persons present, on the show of hands only 109 voted. [t was about one of the quietest nominations we remember to have seen, not one question having been put to the various candidates though they were the avowed advocates of three distinct lines of policy.

The Returning Officer, in opening the proceedings said : Electors of the Proviuce of Nelson, the period of office of your late Superintendent having expired, by the eflluxion of time, you are now called upon, in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution Act, to elect either the late holder of that office or some other person to be your Superintendent for the ensuing four years. Now is the proper time for proposing candidates for that effice, and I hope that the electors present will afford to every person who may address them, a calm, patient, uninterrupted hearing as has always been our wont in Nelson. I will now read the writ under the authority of which I have this day summoned your attendance, and then, any elector who desires to noini'i >'c n candidate can do so .

Mi\Saunders, whowns moved with some applause, said lie had not been accustomed to lind himself «o highup above the rest as he then was. He felt it a great honour to appear before the electors for the third time, to propose Mr. Robinson as a lit and proper candidate for the office which he had already held for the last live years, lie was the most zealous man yet known to them v a candidate, and was one who had undoubtedly shown that he possessed sufficient ability to conduct the ati'airs of this province ; and he was one of whom impartial persons in other provinces spoke as the only Superintendent wlio had incurred for his province no ruinous debt. He was one whp showed no favour to any race or class j and he (Mr. Saunders) felt it a great honour to again propose Mr. Robinson for re-election, because, from his past career, he had proved that, even in Nelson, a man might be honest ; because, after Jive years as Superintendent, Mr. Robinson's most bitter opponents could not say that he was not possessed of clean hands ; because the would-be lords of the province could not point to one single instance ii> which he had been unfaithful to the province, or had made dishonest use of the powers offico had conferred upon him. There was no honour in proposing a king, duke, or prince "An honest man was the noblest work of God " (cheers], He had uot much to say on Una occasion and did not like having to speak first. This, however, he would say, that lie by no means ngreed with those whoso motives made them conceal their candidate until tho latest moment. On the last occasion of an election for Superintendent, tlie opposing candidate was not Known until after Mr. Robinson had been proposed and seconded. Such proceedings were not likely to win the confidence of a body of electois. And now, at almost the last hour, the Governors of Nelson College had brought forward one qf their own body and, if they could only manage fo elect him as Superintendent aa snugly as they did each other to the College Board, the affairs of the province would be managed with about agmuch regard to their own personal interests a» those gentlemen bad

generally shown. He would admit they had picked out the best man among them, one who, though lie hold with them, had often had to kick against some of their proceedings. Mr. Barnicoat reminded him much of the good littlo boy so well portrayed by Cowper :—: — "A youngster at school, more sedate than tho rest, Had once his integrity put to the test ; His comrades had plotted an orchard to rob, Aud asked him to go and assist in the job. He was shocked, sir, like jou, and answered, * Oh, no ! What ! rob our good neighbour ! I pray you don't go ; Besides the man's poor, his orchard's his bread ; Then think of his children, for they must be fed.' ' You speak very fine, and you look very grave, But apples we want, and apples we'll have ; If you go with us yon shall have a share, If not, you shall have neither apple nor pear.' They spoke, and Tom pondered, ' I see they will go ; Poor man ! what a pity to injure him so. Poor man ! I would save him the fruit if I could, But staying behind will do him no good. * If the matter depended alone upon me, His apples might hang till they dropt from the tree ; But, since they will take them, I think I'll go too, H« will lose none by me, though I get a few.' " At the second occasion of Mr. Robinson's nomination, Dr. Monro had told them that he was afraid tho Nelson Examiner would bo far too partial, and would not criticise his actions with sufficient severity. Now, tho great partiality of the Nehon Examiner to Mr. Robinson was well known to all ; but he (Mr. Saunders) would not take notice of the numerous attempts of that newspaper to injure Mr. Bobinson's popularity during the last five years : no one who knew anything of the Nelson Examiner would blame Mr. Robinson for not having attempted to secure its interest. Ho would not now attempt to go into the various attacks made on Mr. Robinson by certain membereof the Provincial Council,as forinstance, when, with regard to the Metallurgic Company, they attempted seriously to argue that two and two did not make four. Their conduct had already received a sufficient castigntion; did he, therefore, again go into that question it would look something like kicking an enemy who was already licking tho dust. He had never thought thnt Mr. Robinson was a perfect man, nor had he ever expected to meet with a man without faults. Mr. Wrey and others said Mr. Robinson was too slow, and he (Mr. Saunders) thought the same, he had always thought him slow, and that he and his Executive, like birds of a feather, flocked too much together. But then it must alsobo remembered that slow safe men were far better than fast unsafe men. A slow driver was a safe one, whereas a fast one, as Dr. Bush would say, might " upset the coach." Let them look, as an example of this, to the proceedings of the late Stafford Ministry, who had, during their short term of office, inflicted upon tho colony mischief incalculable. For his part he had always thought that the most the best Provincial Government could do, was to see that no obstacles existed in the path of industry, no clogs allowed to lie upon the efforts of an industrious energetic people. They all knew that slow, plodding men succeeded best, and lie thought that, without distinction, every one would take caro ho did not chooro a fast character for the management of his own business. The steady jog-trot was always a sure advance to the place you sought to arrive at. What had Nelson done in tho last fivo years ? Why, made far more material advance than she had done in many a year preceding. Both their public buildings and their public education had made rapid strides ; though certainly he did not mean to say that it was nil due to Mr. Robinson's exertions. Let them look back at history, and they would find that most great characters had been slow and sure. He liked to see circumspection in command, and thought that, if Mr. Robinson's opponents could urge any other objection, they would not again raise the only one of his being too slow. He would 03k any elector if, now that Mr. Eobinson had been Superintendent for five years, he could say that his expectations of him had been disappointed ; that he had not possessed sufficient honesty to most clearly avoid that portion of the Nelson public who had fed and fattened upon the people? He quite agreed with the Baying that " Good folks are scarce ;" and, moreover, looking at the Nelson polititiciane, he thought he was quite justified in saying that honest folk are scarce. He would recommend them, if they desired to preserve the onward, steady march of their representative institutions, and to secure the prosperity and well-being of the province, to again elect Mr. Robinson as Superintendent [cheersj. Dr. Tatton seconded the nomination of Mr. Robinson.

Mr. Lovell then came forward, and proposed W. Long Wrey, Esq., as a fit and proper person to act as Superintendent.

A considerable delay then ensued, as no seconder presented himself; but, after much laughter and joking at Mr. Wrey's expense,

F. Huddlestox, Esq., seconded his nomination.

Captain Fkabon then came forward to nominate John Wallis Bamicoat, Esq., and said that, having been for a number of years in the colony, thoso present know the best and perhaps the worst of him. He had been very sorry to hear Mr. Saunders imputo dishonest motives to Mr. Barnicoat, and thought that, above all men, Mr. Saunders should have avoided charging Mr. Barnicoat with dishonesty. He would not, in return, reiterate such a charge against Mr. Bounders, although he felt sorry that any body of electors in this province had elected him as their representative. He (Captain Fearon), as they all well knew, felt considerable interest in the prosperity of the settlement, and, therefore, he stood there f hat day to nominate one whom he thought would do tho province some good. What he desired was a Superintendent who, by his activity and good management, would cause a continued circulation of success and material progress, one who really would superintend the onward march of our province. What he would like to Bee was a Superintendent who would confer on him and every othor inhabitant of the province tho greatest possible amount of good. He was anxious to see some one else elected in the stead of Mr. Robinson, one who would make a clean sweep of the Executive, and get a fresh lot [a Voice : Upset the coach]. No, he would not upset the coach, but he wanted to change the driver [a Voice : You would make a good one]. Ho had no wish to become one, although one modest elector had sv <' "You give me your sheeprun, and I will see thai, jon are elected " [laughter.] What he simply wanted was that his and his brother electors' interests should be protected. They were not, as in England, possessed of an old aristocracy impossible to pull down, because here every man was equal, and had the same interest iv the protection of property. At least that was his opinion ; those who differed with him could enjoy theirs. He hated those who continually, and upon even the slightest and most ridiculous pretext, sought to set class against class. AJI this class agitation was but a clamour raised by Jhose who knew they could not promote their own self-interest without making the working-class, as they cafled them, believe that those whom fortune had made ft little better off were always seeking their jnjury. How could any class, whether high or low, rich or poor, succeed at the cost of any other class P I); was Bimply on absurd, but interested jealousy which certain parties always indulged in. Again he would say that past events told f,Jiem most plainly that soiue one else was required ap their helm, one who whs a little bit firmer, and a little bit more industrious, and jlie best 'nian whom 1)0 considered eligible for }henx was Mr. Barnicoat [cheers].

Mr. Elliott »ajd he must congratulate those present on their exceedingly gpod humour. They all knew that, on such occasions, he liked to see a little fun and he felt Bure they would not disgrace themselves by refusiug to any man a fair and candid hearing [hear, hear]. He seconded the nomination of Mr. Barnicoat with very great pleasure, and, in addressing them, he would not follow that practice of Mr. Saunders who was a well known proficient in throwing plenty of mud right and left in the hope that, at least, some small portion would stick, and who had, on this Occasion, in his characteristic style, rouudly abused a)l who differed with him in politics and had imputed to them, conduct and motives which, if such charges could be sustained against them, should deprive them for ever of the confidence of tho public. He would got follow in Mr, Saunders'* style, which imputed

the lowest possible motives to an opponent, utterly regardless of truth, justice, or common fairness. He (Mr. Klliott), would imputo dishonest motives to no mnn but would criticize fairly tho public conduct of a public man and, if there were any isolated voters who would disturb their quiet, he would say tlut they were men unworthy of possessing the franchise [hear, hear]. This, in fact, was one of the great opportunities for criticism on their public men. Mr. Robinson, lie felt sure, although some of his friends did not appear to desire it, must wish to hear the opinions of those opposed to him ; must, in fact, desire that his public conduct should be criticized, that he might hear upon what subject any elector was desirous of calling him to account; yet the moment any act of his government was criticized, instead of meeting such dissent with fair argument, personal abuse and inveelivo were always the weapons resorted to. Mr. Robinson was, he believed, elected with a view thnt he would be able to promote the prosperity of Nelson. Now, he would ask, had he done so ? No, not to anything liko the extent which the means he has possessed would have warranted 0110 in expecting. They had been told that, during Mr. Robinson's term of office, the province had made a certain though admittedly slow progress. That might be, but what he wus desirous of laying before the electors was that though we had received a large land revenue (with 1 the causing of which Mr. Robinson had nothing to do), no material progress had been made. He lound fault with Mr. Robinson who, for five years, had gone on expending a land revenue which never came to us a second time ; who had tnkeu not the slightest step to secure a further supply of funds, by making other portions of the province available; who, knowing full well as he did that we had well nigh reached the end of our laud fund, with not the remotest probability of future income therefrom, had yet gone on increasing our annual expenditure. None knew better than Mr. Robinson that our land fund was fast exhausting itself yet where was o»o measure even hinted at for supplying its place as a producer of revenue ? Nowhere, nothing but increased expenses which came out of that very decreasing lanci fund. 'The Province of Nelson had once possessed a large, valuable, landed estate, of which the Provincial Government were tho trustees, and ho claimed the right to call upon those trustees to make a proper use of what remained of their important but hitherto illused trust. Had anything been done to turn to account the £2,000 spent in exploring tho \Ve3t Coast ? Had any attempt been made to colonize the West Coast ? Had even the most necessary assistance been afforded to its, at present, few Bettlers ? Had anything been done to bring population and wealth to our province? [A Voice : We don't want i immigration. Sit down.] When he had told them what he had to say he would sit down, but he intended to talk to them so long as he had anything to say [hear, hear]. He contended that Nelson was once one of the fairest of New Zealand's provinces. What was she now ? How had she been brought to her present low and miserable state? How was it that, with such fine prospects and means of developing them, tho opportunity for improvement had Leen heedlessly suffered to pass ? Had any of our many opportunities for becoming a really wealthy province been turned to account? No. What had been done in Otago? Had not the Superintendent gone personally to the gold-fields to superintend their development t)y roads and other most necessary conveniences, and had not population from oilier colonies quieklj followed such activity, until now Otago was the first of New Zealand's provinces? Would any one for a moment contend that, had we possessed a similarly active Superintendent when our gold-fields had started, Nelson would now present the miserable position in which she is ? Mr. Saunders, in now again nominating Mr. Robinson, had admitted that he was a little too slow, but he (Mr. Elliott) thought him a great deal too slow ; so slow, in fact, that he hoped he should not see him saddled on the province for another four years. Events might occur, almost immediately, which would require the supervision of an energetic Government. Could Mr. Robinson or his friends pretend that he would ever form a portion of an active Government ? Our gold-fields, spite of every impediment plueed in their way, would one day be developed, would speedily take their proper place among the most important of this province's important mineral resources. Yes, he would again repeat it, something stirring may take place within the next few months, and what will be its inevitable result with the present Superintendent and his Executive f A miserable failure. Yes, without the display of more energy by its Superintendent, this province would undoubtedly linger on in a miserably backward state, at the same time possessing a falling revenue. His complaint against Mr. Robinson was, not that he had made a liad use of his powers in the small way in which he had exercised them, but that, as his friends all well knew, he had no energy [cheers]. Mr. Robinson's puddling policy, and his (Mr. Elliott's) ideas of what this province required were entirely at issue. There was one subject of the most vital importance, and which, this year as last year, would be severely felt at harvest time. Agricultural labour was not possessed by this province to the extent which its actual necessities desired. He had brought the question before the Pnn incial Council had obtained from that body a resolution in its favour; yes he had obtained even the support of Mr. Saunders on that question, yet what had the Superintendent done? Mr. Robinson, in his speech at the close of the session, had commented upon it in a way which gave general dissatisfaction in every agricultural portion of the province, and, were it simply for this alone, he Bhould feel himself called upon to seek a change iv the Government [cheers]. He desired it to be distinctly understood that he spoke in no way disrespectfully of Mr. Robinson, or his Executive, but he did not think that they had administered the affairs of the province wisely or to the best advantage, and if the electors did not at this moment think so they had thought so, and had said so many a time before. In now seconding Mr, Barnicoat's nomination he had no intention of suggesting that he was a model man ; nor would he say he was just such a man as he would carve out to act as Superintendent, but he was, beyond oil manner of doubt, the best man who, on the present occasion, had presented hi>i 6elf, He was one who would look well and closely after publio interests, ho would surround himself with better advisers, and, should ho be elected, he felt sure that Nelson would from that day leave its present dull, lingering, neglected state [cheers].

Mr. Robinson, who was received with some applause, then addressed the electors. He said he now appeared before them for the third time as a candidate for the office of Superintendent. It would be remembered £hat, on each of the former occasions, he had not presented himself for their suffrages until he had received numerously sigued requisitions j on this occasion he had, however, induced his friends to depart from that rule as he thought that, having been Superintendent for five years, and having been elected to that important office on two consecutive occasions, he could not be charged with vanity or presumption in now saying that he would again become a candidate for their suffrages without a requisition. He had not done this because he even affected to entertain the 6amo opinion of a requisition as Mr. Wrey did, for, on the contrary, he highly valued every requisition he had received; it was simply that his friends might not be put to what he considered needless trouble. He did not doubt Mr. Wrey's assertion with regard to a requisition though he could not help thinking that he would feel some considerable degree of satisfaction if he held in his pocket a requisition signed by a majority of the electors. At one time it had appeared thnt he was to h'avq no opponent, those who usually opposed him having canvassed among theinselyes^for a candidate without success ; at length Mr.' Wrey had determined that he should not have a smooth sail. This encouraged Mr. Elliott and his friends to take another look round and at length they fixed upon Mr. Barnicoat. So far as ho (Mr. Robinson) was concerned he was rather pleased at this opposition ; it convinced him that, regardless of what people might say, provincial institutions had not yet sunk so low in the public mind for it to be a matter of indifference who was elected as Superintendent. One great charge brought against him was that our province had not made that amount of progress which it ought to have done. He would answer this charge, but first would premise that he considered the gentleman who proposed him to have most fully proved that the province bad made considerable progress.

Well, he wouM go no farther than the building in which they were then assembled and would ask Was it anything like the bu'lding in which they uwl to meet for those purposes ? Various had been tho work performed throughout the whole prounco during the five jelrs he hud boon Superintendent; moiv, he could confidently say, than had been done in the preceding fifteen years. Yes ho firmly believed that the money expended on public works in the last five years had far exceeded that of the preceding fifteen years. Mr. Elliott hud accused him of acting in a wrong manner by selling land and expending the proceeds but surely he would not desire that the community should be taxed while it possessed so good a landed estate. With regard to the provincial revenue lie would just take a glance at their annual income since he had been Superintendent. In 1855, including the refund by the General Government of £1,000, the revenue was £16,397; in 1856 it was £15,279 ; in 1857, it was £17,316 ; in 1858, £27,026; in 1859, an alteration was made in the financial year yet the first quarter yielded at the rare of £25,709 ; in 1860, it was £59,385 ; and in 1861, it was £33,638. This continued success had been a source of grief to Mr. Elliott and his friends because they had prophecied that, with him (Mr. Robinson) as Superintendent, it never could toke place. That largely increased revenue had enabled his Government to execute considerable public works, so much bo that he felt perfectly satisfied though he would admit he had not proceeded with the railway rapidity offered by Mr. Wrey. He would now speak of what was intended for the future. Mr. Elliott said they had spent all their money, and had no land. Now the cry of no land had been made ever since he had been in Now Zealand. When the New Zealand Company surrendered their charter, they had found themselves still possessed with land, and even now, instead of having sold all their land, they had not disposed of one-tenth of it. At any rate, he knew of plenty of land, and when people who wanted it, applied to him lie would put them in the way of obtaining it. He confessed he saw no chance of progressing to any vapid extent until their population should increase. But, upon the mode of increasing it, he differed much with Mr. Elliott who was much mistaken, if he (supposed that he (Mr. Robin3on) would endeavour to get men to come here for employment at one short season of the year, and remain the rest without employment. He would never consent to that. If Mr. Elliott would show him that he was prepared to give employment for twelve months or two years to any number of men, he would at once obtain them for him. There were ways, he believed, of increising the population so that those who were here, and the new comers might be very greatly benefited ; and any plan, having that object in view, would meet with his ready and hearty co-operation. The electors, no doubt, were aware that he had proposed a system of selling land on deferred payments. An Act for that purpose had passed the Provincial Council, but, apparently, good care had been taken to make it inoperative, and, in addition, the General Assembly had disallowed it. Had that system been allowed to come into operation, this province would, doubtless, have received a large accession to its population. If their object were simply to get population, regardless of everything else, they had but at once to try the free grant system of the Province of Auckland, but he had already expressed his opinion as being unfavourable to that mode. What lie would prefer would be tho introduction of suitable persona by means of paying their passages for them, and who, after they had been located here a short time, and had repaid the advance for their passagemoney, should have a free grant of land made to them, to tlie amount of such passage-money. That would allow them to obtain land without injurious competition. There was al-o another course he had suggested for enabling people to settle upon land. It was well known that the province had but little land available for agricultural purposes, and he had proposed to the Council to adopt certain resolutions which, if allowed by the General Assembly, would place land within the reach of persons without money who might be willing to perform a certain portion of labour in making roads through the out-districts. If that system were carried out it would prove highly beneficial. And now for the railroad so prominently promised by Mr. Wrey. Whenever it shall appear that Wangapeka has a sufficient population he would not hesitate to join in promoting a scheme for a railway to it, but to make one now would bo little better than an übsolute waste of money, for they could not surely think of having anything else to convey than pigs and rats. He did not believe there was a resident in tho place ; there certainly were a lew persons who were gold seeking, but a railway could hardly be claimed as requisite for a iew gold diggers. They had heard a great deal said about the prompt action of the Superintendent of Otugo with regard to the gold-fields of that province, and, comparing it with his own un • obtrusive action, an accusation had been made to the effect that he was uumindful of the welfare of the gold-fields. Yet he would tell them that he came to Nelson with, he thought, the first piece of gold brought from Massacre Bay. Could any one truthfnlly charge him with neglecting the gold-fields, when it was shown that he had rapidly spent at Collingwood and its neighbourhood the whole of the money voted for the purpose by the Provincial Council. Nay, he had done more } he had spent more money there than the Council had voted, and he must do the Council the justice of saying that they had sanctioned that increase of expenditure. After much money had been expended at the Aorere, an application was niadt; for the lease of a very large portion of the land composing the gold-field, and he could not bring himself to believe that the Act, under which that application was made, had ever been intended to apply to a goldfield. No one person had received more abuse than he had for so thinking j abuse, in fact, because he had refused to violate the law. Ho had no doubt that Mr. Gibbs was a very respectable man, but he was no more to him (Mr. Robinson) than any one else, and he had refused to grant him the now celebrated application for twice two square miles. After Dr. Hochstetter's lecture arrived in England, an attempt was made there to get up a Coin pa. Ny for the purpose of gold-mining here, but, to this day, he had not heard that the Company, for whom the application for twice two square miles was made, was ever actually formed. Complaints having been made about the local management of the gold-fields, the General Government assumed their management, and with what result P When their management was taken from the province, there were several diggers then employed on them. Well, the General Government held but a short sway, and then the management of the gold-fields again reverted to the province, but how many diggers were there then at the Aorere ? Not 100. Another grave charge made against him was, that he did not accept the service of soldiers when they were offered by tlic General Government. They would all remember that, when first developed, there was a rush from, this and neighbouring provinces to the gold-fields, and, from what he had heard of other gold-fields, ho thought the time might possibly come when the service of soldiers would be required. Accordingly, he applied to the General Government, and they replied that 200 men could be supplied upon certain conditions. These conditions were, that the province should spend about £9,000 in providing barrack accommodation. Let them view the matter simply in a commercial light, and what advantage' would have accrued ? Some one had urged that these soldiers would have spent something like £1,000 annually, but he thought £10'J would be more likely ; well, the £9,0Q0 to be spent in buildings would, at ten per cei^t., have cost Us a,baut £900 a-year.' He must say he thought it disgraceful for any man to call on the Home Government to send troops out here at n large expense in order that the province might have the advantage of those soldiers' pay. Ho thought he need hardly tell them he had no new principle to promulgate. The principles for which he had been first elected he had endeavoured to carry out ; what he had believed to be right he had, determined td accomplish, and had pursued' to the best of his judgment and ability. He would do so again if they again elected him, but, whether elected or not, he should ever feel grateful for the honour they had already conferred upon him [cheers].

Mr. W. L. Wrey said it was now his turn to address them. Ho would first say that a great deal of what Mr. Saunders and Mr. Elliott had told them in favour of Mr. Eobinson and Mr. Barnicoat applied to him (Mr, Wrey). Then* meeting that day was but

the preliminary of the election which was to take place on the 23rd of December, and he hoped that tho after play would not. prove a tragedy. It might be a farce, but the present had certainly been made a Harlequinade, the part of Harlequin being performed by Air. Saundcrs. Before lie proceeded nny further, he would ask Mr. Saunders, who now spoke so favourably of Mr. Robinson, if ho had not endeavoured to find another candidate to oppose Mr. Robinson at this election ? Mr. Sattndeus : No. Mr. Wkey : Then I have been very much misinformed [laughter].

In continuation, Mr. Wrey said the address he had issued, he thought, would disabuse tho public mind upon the only one point urged against him, namely, that he would, if elected, go too fast. Would Mr. Saunders explain what going too fast meant? He could not waste the revenue, as that was, or ought to bo, under the sole control of the Provincial Council. In what respect, then, was it possible for the head of a young community to be too fast? He confessed he did not know, but supposed that tho friends of his opponents felt compelled to suggest something to his disadvantage. Another subject ho would mention, one which he could not but think highly improper, and that was, the keeping back a candidate for public trust until the eleventh hour. All such things should be fair and open ; the electors should be allowed plenty of time in which to make their choice ; but that choice should also be unfettered, unbiassed by requisitions, committees, and all the usual paraphernalia of elections. He thought, in fact, that all these addenda to an election of persons to a public trust were but an improper interference with the right of tho voter. If it were ever placed in his power, ho would carry his views for the purity of election to an extreme ; he would disqualify any one who, by canvassing or other means, used any undue influence for obtaining a vote. What had elections shown in this very town ? Why, that one man actually walked about, requesting the electors to sign a requisition to himself to stand for the Provincial Council. If it were tho will of the electors that he should be their Superintendent, he would do exactly what he had promised to do, and hoped that thereby a larger amount of success would attend the province than had hitherto been the case. Mr. Robinson had said " people complain there is no land, and if he were applied to he could point out plenty." Now he would relate one fact about a very large area of good land situate in the Upper Motueka valley. It had been put up once and again to auction, no bidders presented themselves, but, subsequently, several people took large portions of that land at the upset price; Mr. Robinson and his executive became alarmed at seeing the public money come in so fast, and what did they do ? They declared it a portion of a gold-field, and thus shut it out from further sale. After the Wangapeka, as a gold-field, had become partially known, and after he (Mr. Wrey) had visited and prospected the whole district, he had waited upon Mr. Robinson with the true and honest intention of imparting to him such information a3 would lead him to do the best that was possible for that district. He might just as well have talked to the moon. Mr. Robinson did not understand him. Seeing, therefore, that the province had such a slow-coach at its head, he had determined to offer himself as a candidate, so that Nelson might at least have a chance of getting some one else who would be a little more active in attending to the vital wants of a province which required but some encouraging attention to make it a well-to-do portion of New Zealand. If the electors desired to keep Mr. Robinson let them do so, but, after they had elected him, they must no longer grumble that they "stuck in the mud." There was another subject he would mention ; the Colonist newspaper had said that he (Mr. Wrey) was supported by a pai ty who were afraid of Representative institutions. All he could say was that he was perfectly ignorant of what party he was supported by. He did not want any party as a party. He wanted free, independent, unbiassed votes. He had been accused of being the nominee of Mr. Elliott's friends. Mr. Elliott had sufficiently contradicted that by nominating some one else. He would say no more. He looked with confidence to the day set apart for the polling ; and if that day should see him elected, they might rest assured that he would leave nothing, within his ability, undone to promote the prosperity of Nelson, and the welfare of its settlers.

Mr. Baknicoat eaid he had been frequently requested, as the day of this election drew near, to allow himself to bo put in nomination for the Supevintendency. His reply had always been to the elfect that he had no objection to this step if it were made clear to him that tfyere was a general wish in that direction, and it was in accordance with that promise that he ihen stood before them, for that request had been so frequently repealed that he could no longer, consistently with his sense of public duty, hold back. It was evident that the well-working of a political institution such as our osvn largely depends on a general willingness on the part of the community to assume any office which the public will should impose. He had always acted on that principle in lesser things, never having shrunk from any of those offices, although numerous, that had been thrust on him, and was now ready to carry the same principle into greater. And no one oould claim for himself the character of a good citizen who, under similar circumstances, was not similarly prepared. Of his qualifications for the office they would hardly expect him to speak. Self-luudation and self-depreciation were both equally unbecoming, useless, and perhaps unmeaning. They would, doubtless, know how to form an estimate of edch candidate independently of any estimate he might appear to have formed of himself. Being, however, a new candidate for office, he (Mr. Barnicoat.) would have to go somewhat into Ms opinions on a few of the more prominent questions over which the Superintendent exercised influence or control. Amongst the foremost in point of importance was education. When representative institutions were first granted to them, when the will of the people first became law, this grand principle was immediately recognised, that the education of the people was the concern of the people. This principle was embodied in the Education Act, an Act. from which they had derived, aud he trusted would long continue to derive, the highest benefits. By its meuns a good education was placed within general reach. It appeared to him that in its results there was a great deal of which they might bo justly proud, as Nelson had thereby solved, with considerable success, a problem at the solution of which nearly the whole of the civilised world had been uiming. On the subject of the Waste Lands he had not much to say. Legislation on that question was now beyond their control, and it was only in an Executive capacity that the Superintendent was concerned in it. He would merely observe that the present law appeared to admit, when well worked, of some of the advantages of the auction system and the fixed-price system, as well as, to some extent, of the benefit sought by those who contended for the selling laud upon credit, the enabling of a man to obtain land in exchange for his labour. If they were not doomed to etei-nal littleness, if Nelson was ever to, regain its place among the provinces of New Zealand, it was to its minerals and metals they must look. Every fitting facility 'should therefore be givon to these, the only possible, sources of their future greatness, l^e wished to say a word or two on the subject of compensation to the working classes. He had always felt and always maintained that the emigrants of the New Zoalaud Company had a, most strong and undeniable claim agqinbt that Company on account of foe very cruel injuries sustained by thorn in consequence of the non-fulfilment of its promises. Indeed the sufferings endured were sucli as no compensation could make amends for. The only bar to its reception is the appointment of a commission by the Governor, on the report of which, when approved by the Superintendent and 'provincial Council, the compensation Uro^ii "Grants would bo issued, lie could only say'that nothing wouldafford him greater pleasure than in any way furthering claims so just and to long del >yed. One of the most difficult duties of the Superintendent was in connection -with emigration, so to adjust the supply of labour that on the one hand the settlement should not languish for want of a due supply, and on the other that it shall not become that scene Of suffering which overemigration ineA itably entailed. To pour in emigrants into a colony regardless of the distress that might ensue, or possibly w^th a view of trafficking on that distress by bringing aboi\t a, reduction in/ the price of

labour, was indeed a detestable policy. But there was a certain line within which all parties might be benefltted, the community nt large, the employer and the employed, tho new immigrants themselves as well as j those already here. He thought that latterly this line had scarcely been reached. It was usual with those first becoming candidates for an office of trust, to launch out into tho most magnificent promises as to the givnt things they would accomplish when in power. This was a precedent which he did not intend to , follow. He had seen so much of great promise and minute performance as to become wary in that respect. He had seen so many tuthful men made to appear false, honest men made toappear tricky, wise men made to appear foolish, as to induce great caution a3 regards j promising. Even on that most alluring subject of promise, the reduction of expenditure, he would not go beyond a general promise to confine the expenditure of the province within the limits of strict and true economy. He was willing to promisi- this much however that, should they do him the honour to elect him, he would become the Superintendent of the people, of the whole people, not of one particular class or section. He had never, whatever Mr. Saunders might say, identified himself with any party ; he had never studied class interests ; he had always done ever) thing in his power to eradicate those detestable, senseless class jealousies, that had been so carefully planted and sedulously cultivated by some among us lie was further willing to promise that, should he find hini3elf elected, he would become the Superintendent of tho province, of the whole province, not ol the town or of any particular part of the province ; he would make himself acquuinted with every part of the province, with the wants and capabilities of each locality, and study how to supply tho one and give scope.to the other. He had not come here to-day to cast aspersions on others, uor did he come here to repel aspersions cast by others on him. Least of all did he come to repel, or even expect to hear accusations from Mr. Saunders, who had so long lived near to him and who knew perfectly well how throughly untrue were his aspersions. It was false to say that he had robbed any man or body of men [cheers]. He was confident that no one in Nelson but Mr. Saunders would dare to accuso him as he had that day most groundlessly done. He had only to say that should they elect him, he would endeavour, with the best and ablest assistance procurable, so to conduct the business of the province that they should not repent their choice [applause]. Tho Returning Officer having called for a show of hands, it resulted as follows :—: — Robinson 89 Wrey 3 Barnicoat 26 He then declared Mr. Robinson to have been duly elected, unless a poll was demanded. Mr. Barnicoat : I demand a poll. The Returning Officer then fixed Monday, the 23rd of December, as the day for taking the poll. He also said that the School-house, Riwaka, had been appointed as an additional polling place. After a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, the meeting separated.