TEE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4372, 17 November 1875, Page 3

TEE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Mr. Swanson to-day boldly comes out with his address to the Newton electors, and talks like one who is not afraid to speak his mind. His first paragraph is a reference : made in justifiable pride to the fact that J ample evidence has been afforded to him that j the electors of Newton are satisfied with his conduct, and his own consciousness of having done his duty. Mr. Swanson does not go j into the "constitutional question," or. into a discussion of what may be the best possible form of Government for New Zealand, but sums his opinions up in this : "I say, let us, as far as possible, manage our affairs." Of course this leaves the whole matter still open, but we have no doubt that Mr. Swanson would be found in favour of insular separation, or the formation of the colony into four provinces. The summary of Mr. Swanson's principles of action contained in the last paragraph is simply perfect. We fully expect that Mr. Swanson will be returned unopposed. The Canterbury seats are almost all to be contested, but from that quarter we have not yet had many declarations of opinion upon the questions raised by the action of the Assembly last session. For Coleridge there are no fewer than seven candidates, while Mr. J. E. Brown is opposed for Ashley, and Mr. Bowen for Kaiapoi. Mr. Wood has accepted a requisition to contest Mataura, the district for which Sir Dillon Bell has sat for a good many years, but,for ■which he is now apparently afraid to risk a contest. Mr. Wood is most decided in his statement of opinion that all his sympathies are with the Opposition. Judging by? the declaration made by candidates up to this time, and the manner in' which'these have been received, it would seem that the elections will strengthen the Opposition. Not only in Otago, but in Canterbury, most of the candidates hare declared in favour of the proposals made by the prominent members of the Opposition. ■ The Napier papers publish the following addresses :—Sir D. McLean to the electors of the Napier district; W. Ormond,' for Clive ; Mr. R. Stuart, for Napier district; Mr. W. R. Russell, for Napier district. There is no expression of opinion in any of the addresses, except in that of Mr. Russell, who says:—"Briefly, I am strongly opposed to insular separation; I am in favour of a more careful administration of the finances and public expenditure. lam an advocate, as I stated at the last provincial elections, of a general system of education throughout the colony. No definite scheme of local self-government to take the place of Provincialism has yet been, proposed, and the question is both large and difficult. My wishes are to see a system of local self-Government adopted, which will place all matters of local interest more directly under the management of the residents than has been the case heretofore." It is anticipated, that Sir D. McLean is sure of an election, and that the contest for the second seat of the Napier district will be between Messrs. Stuart and Russell. It is rumoured that Mr. E. Tuke purposes to come forward as one of the candidates for the representation of Hawke's Bay in the new Parliament. Mr. J. W. Barnicoat does not, as _ was said, intend to offer himself as a candidate for the Suburbs. The only candidates as yet are, therefore, Messrs. Richmond and Rout. It is stated that Mr. W. S. Moorhouse intends to offer himself as a candidate for the Heathcote district. At the conclusion of Mr. Stout's address to the electors of Caversham, he received an almost unanimous vote of thanks for his conduct in the Assembly, and was requested to again stand for Caversham. He stated that at present he was not certain whether or not his business arrangements would admit of his doing so. _