PARNELL ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1972, 13 May 1870, Page 5

PARNELL ELECTION.

RKTURX OF R. G. WOOD, ESQ. the nomination and election of a duly qualified person to represeut the Kleetoral lMstrict of Parnell in the House of Representatives, took pluee at the Parnell Hall. Punctually at twelve o'clock, the Ri;ti;kxi.v<; Oi i (IT. C. Balncavi-, I'sq.) read the writ of eh-ctlon, iind the advertisement referring to the election, and then ea'lcd upon the electors to nominate a candidate for the vacant seat. Mr. RuskitLGK proposed Reader Gilsou \Vo;hl, Ksq., as a lit and proper person to represent the Kleetoral District of Parnell in the House of Representative?. Mr. Aijbott in a lengthy speech seconded the nomination of Mr. Wood, lie said lie should be considerably remi-s if he were not to revert to the salirni points of Mr. Wood's speech, a few evenings ago, when he addressed the electors of Parnell. It was alnn ot like'* waiting his sweetness on the desert air," addressing so tew people a< were there present. But he niihl not, in consequence of the smallnes> of his audience, omit to make some general

statement of his own views. All of them wore iloul>tles- aware that some private feelings ot animosity 1 i:td existed between MY. Wood and himself, and in order to show I hat (hat feeling has en ireiy evaporated lie h:ifl taken the position lie now held, as Mr. Wo-► l\- ler, audthev would find him now a- staunch iu bi< support of Mr. Woo I. as lie has previously been in opposition to him, when he solicited from the electors of Paruell, a seal in the Provincial Council. They had doubtless as well as he had listened with pleasure t«> t}u v manly, at raight forward, and exhaustive remarks of Mr. Wood a fc-v evenings ago. If, however, thee was one tiling more than auolher whi-h would make him support Mr. Wood, it was the requisition wlueh had been got 11 j>, and which was signed hv more than people of all classes and shades of feeling. Two months ago Mr. Wood had told them that he had been ollcivd a. seat ill the Government, and had ret used it. Although this might hare been an einv way of getting into a political position, he preferred to come before Ihe ('lectors in a straightforward, manly way, and ask their sutirages. Mr. Wood had assured them that, he would accept no Civil situation, and thev all knew that many persons got elected solely for that and no other purpose. Again, Mr. "Wood had distinctly stated in his speech that he was not a Centralist, but a Pmvineialist to the back bone There certainly were things in provincial iusi it nt ion* which required immediate, prompt, i and adequate reform; but, as a whole, provincial institutions wore good. Mr. Wood also stated that lie would be a thorough sup porter of tiie present Government, and he felt sure that there wen? none of them but would prefer the round sense notion* of Mr. Fox in preference to the chimerical ideas propo-ed by Mr. Stafford. Mr. \\ ojd also stated tint. lie was u free trader, and that he thought that free trade in land would tend to set lie tlie native difficulty, ;;nd Mr. Abbott aUo believed so himself. lie agreed with Mr. Wood ihut the best method of settling the Maori dillieulty v-ould he to pacify the natives, and then to populate the out districts. Free trade in laud would very far towards , pacifying the natives, and he thoroughly believed I Mat the Government were to blame for all i In w ati'oeious murders which had been committed by the natives, in consequence of their :Jt>urd vaeidatiug policy. They mu-t ; treat the Maoris firmly and kindly, and rej cognise nothing but. t lie eternal principle- of ! right and wrong. As kindness begets kind" j and c>n-id ration beget - consideration, ' he had do doubt that by these m.aus the i great eiuspsof the'present dist urbauces would he set at rest. lie was miiv that on th:* sub* ice! Mr Wo «d'.- plan w.-uM meet with the •approbation of all the eh et of Parnell. M r Wo , 1 ••i' ! 1-..0 t!*.:•?i»11, iu th« t ; an I v*.:-* •. .... vb.-n liny w..:.'.c 1 energy wa-\ - i:,d - hrougV Jo bar .-n all P:•,! :: ia' t Mr. Wool in his )i r,\>ve •, . >:n mi; 11 ed one or 'wo important net* -r i;;-t ail v, i lie tar: if, th.> ba lot, and ih* education question. lie liim-eli th • that h w.-v.-r much the ballot might, lie a iuvi sit\ in Knglan 1, thi< country had •'.•••jv •- •! ;i:- r ell a! t;;e neee--uy ol reqn'ng \o ehv ballot. As t > cd,.eat; »;i, in' bin's i 1 i; »\a« lie di.t v ol' the State to compel p -o. 1• t » edu -ate their children. Tin* I'arul' wanted revi-lug \ery much; -amongst oiher tiling «\ eild like to s.v Au-tra'i:m wines ;; buil'iM tV» v e of duty into New Zealand, a-* he b,*lj,•'.'i• i lhe imporl at ion of e!n ;p wines wo .1 i i:.. f.;r to el: *ek tiie gr iwth of many eviW whieli exi>ted on all -i les. 11 ihe e were .Mr. WmTs \iews, he wa- certain to g « into •th'' i!on-e of I'epiN-vnt at i ve> the ! >e.» t wi- fofl h" eleet oi*> wit )i liiui. He had Ureal ;>!« a>nre m sei'ondiiu the nominali«.ui il. G . Wn-id. il-q . a* a lit and proper person to rep vs.-nt the electoral district of I'arneil ill the it. <u-r .if bepiv-eutativc-. re h-ing u > «>tl:er eand-dat e , lb'- .el n riii :ig i >'!irer drelared K. ii. \\\< )d, l'l-.j., I i be duly elee'e.l a member of the 11 on -e of Kepr ■sentative.-' for the Kleetoral j Di-trict of i'arneil. ((.'beers.) Mr. Wool! siid: .Mr. Keturnirrg Otlleer, and gentlemen.— 1 have to thank you <h eply ]or the givut hon«>r you have don? me in so unanimously electing me your representative for I'arn- 11. Gentlemen, these words are often said -imply as a matter of course and without meaning, but I beg to assure you that. I do so lumeMly, and earnestly feel that you have eonferr. d a very great honor upon me, and in October next 1* shall again present myself for election, and hope that whatever I do in the meantime will give >atisfact ion. It had not been my intention to say anything further than this, because 1 thought I had touched on all topics of general interest that were worth while, lint as Mr. Abbott has touched on the education question, I will shortly Male my views on that sulrj 'et. So far u* the necessity for education is concerned, no one can feel it more than I do. I look to that as one of the great remedies for the suppression of many of those eviU we set* around us every day. Jjut I look upon it as a matter of local concern, and not as a matter with whieli the General Assembly should ileal. It is a. matter tor each Provincial Council to legislate on, and 1 shall be delighted to see in the next session of the Provincial Council an Act passed, placing that matter on a better footing. 1 will not nirther occupy vour time, gentlemen. (Cheers.) After a vote of thanks to the Returning Otlicer the proceedings terminated.