ELECTION OF A MEMBER FOR THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 38, 12 May 1869, Page 3

ELECTION OF A MEMBER FOR THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Saturday, April 24, was appointed for the election of a member to represent the City of Nelson in tho Provincial Council, for the 6eat vacant by the resignation of Mr. Kingdon. At noon precisely, the Returning Officer, T. Brunner, Esq., attended in the Provincial Hall, and proceeded to read the writ. Mr. M. Lightband proposed Mr. D. M. Luekie, who he thought would make a useful and practical member. He was very desirous of seeing a little increased energy exhibited in the development of the resources of the province, more particularly its coalfields, and as a representative of the City, he had no doubt but Mr. Luckie would do his best in that direction. Seconded by Mr. Henry. There being no other candidate, the ReturningOfficer declared Mr. Luckie duly elected. Mr. Luckie, in returning thanks, said he was not going to make a speech, as his opinions on public affairs were well known, and had for some years been placed before them twice every week. As their representative he would promise to make it his study to promote tho interests of the province to the utmost of liis power. In his address to the electors he had announced himself as the friend of economy, and as he understood that it was the intention of the Superintendent to make large reductions in the expenditure, he would support the Government in their reductions as far as was consistent with the efficiency of the public service. [Hear, hear.] The time had arrived when it behoved the G-overnment to curtail all unnecessary expenses, and, as the phrase wont, keep no cats but such as caught mice. He also referred to the opposition ho had given to wild and extravagant schemes of public expenditure, reversing the good old Scottish proverb which tells a child it must creep before ifc can walk. The province had always been going in for large schemes, instead of beginning in a humble fashion, and increasing them from time to time as necessity arose. Take the Dock question as an example. Had the province been content to have seen constructed, several years ago, an inexpensive Floating Dock as was proposed, the benefit to the port by this time would have beon great, but by insisting on an expensive Dry Dock nothing had been done or was likely to be done. He fully approved of tho proposed reduction in tho number of members of the Provincial Council, which, although not likely to effect any great saving of money, was an act of justice to the south-west district of the province, and by conceding to the gold-fields all they were fairly entitled to ask, he hoped to see the agitation for separating that portion of the province from Nelson allayed. [Hear, hear.] The only other subject to which he would refer was the Education

Act, which he thought required some amendment. He would like to see power given to teachers to appeal to the Central Board from local committees. He had nothing further to say but to thank the electors for the honour they had done him, and to express his readiness to answer any questions the electors might think proper to ask. No questions being put, a vote of thanks was given to the Returning Officer, and the meeting separated.