Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Otago Daily Times, Issue 363, 18 February 1863, Page 2

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAQO. /"I ENTLEMEN,—The "time has now arrived for VJT me to decide, either to como unreservedly before you as a candidate for the Superintendency of the Province, or to decidedly decline the honor of being placed in nomination for the office. After having been at some pains to ascertain my duty, I have decided to place myself nt your disposal. In doing so, it is due, both to yourselves and to irie, that I should explain the circumstances which have led to the adoption of the steps I now take. For more than a year past and especially during the short time that I filled the position of Deputy Superintendent in the absence of Major Richardson, many solicitations were addressed to me from representatives of every class in the Province to embrace the first opportunity of becoming a candidate for the Superintendence. My reply to one and all was that I had no desire for office, and that possibly Major Richardson might again become a candidate, in which case I had no intention to oppose him. Subsequently, it was unequivocally announced that Major Richardson intended to retire. The general impression on the public mind (produced in a great measure by _ statements made by Mpjor Richardson himself on various occasions) seems to have been that he would not again consent to be placed in nomination. This impression received confirmation by Major Richardson's public announcement at the Duustan of his determination to retire for a time at least from public life. Such a declaration might well be considered conclusive, and, acting upon the good faith of its author, a number of my friends sent me a requisition expressly founded upon that declaration. Having the fullest confidence in Major Richardson's sincerity, I at once signified my compliance with the wishes of the requisitionists. Shortly afterwards a report of a deputation to Major Richardson appeared, from which I gathered that that gentleman had assumed a position with regard to the election of his successor, which practically amounted to a right of nomination, as well as of a conscious power of dictation to the electors. I also gathered that before Major Richardson would decide finally whether he would present himself for re-election, he expected candidates to submit their claims to him, • and thus seek election under the shadow of his patronage. Neither on public nor on private grounds could I consent to such an implied dictatorship on the part of an elected Superintendent; and fearing that, I might be supposed to be deferring to such authority, I purposely postponed the publication of an address to the electors, which in nry reply to their requisition, 1 had promised at an early date. On many grounds it is well that I did so, as a tew days only elapsed before the appearance of an address from Major Richardson to the electors, which if not remarkable for its general clearness, left no doubt on the minds of those who read it, that the writer, instead of being desirous of retiring from office, was both willing and anxious to retain it. Such being undoubtedly the case, one course only was left; to me, viz., that of giving my requisitionists the opportunity of withdrawing from their invitation to me. ■ In reply, they decline to do so, and to their promises of support additional names are added. I therefore feel that- the time for decision on my part has come, and 1 have no hesitation in expressing my determination to abide the issue of the election, leaving it to you to do what you consider right and best, calculated to promote the interests of the Province. I have not sought a contest with Major Richardson—on the contrary, I have endeavored to avoid it; but both on my own account, and on that of the electors, I cannot submit to be a sanctioning party to the capricious influences whicLMajor Richardson has endeavored to assert in the appointment of his successor. Before proceeding to detail to you ray views on some of the important public questions which are naturally enough uppermost in men's minds, I should define to you .my ideas of the nature of the office to which you have led me to aspire. A Superintendent's duties, I conceive, are of an administrative and executive, rather than of a legislative character. If a Superintendent permits himself to be governed by extreme political views, he ceases to hold E roper relations towards the Provincial Council and is Executive advisers. It is for him, as a rule, to give effect to the wishes of the people as expressed through their representatives in the Provincial Council, not to control or render nugatory the proceedings of that Council. At the same time, as it is often necessary for him to initiate _ Legislation, and as undoubtedly his actions are colored by his political views, it is right that you should be made acquainted with the political tenets of him you may elect for your Superintendent. As far as lam concerned, it is right that I should tell you, I am not a partisan of the extreme political views supposed to be held 'by any party or class; and I think it would be mischievous to forget that there are other questions besides political ones that should be taken into consideration in the selection of a Superintendent. For example, I hold that the power to exercise a calm and unbiassed judgment, and the freedom from the prejudices of partisanship in every cause, are as necessary qualifications in the Superintendent who would distribute even justice to Jill, irrespective of whether they supported or opposed him, as are the assertions of any purely political views. It is not my purpose to disguise my political views or opinions from you. On the contrary, I wish to be as open and candid as possible, and if, as almost unavoidably must be the case, in addressing you at the shortest possible notice, I leave any point unsatisfied, I solicit further enquiry. As I have spoken of equal justice to all. I urn reminded that during the last 18 months there have been va^t accessions to the population of the Province. At first there were possibly some little jealousies between those who had permanently fixed their residence in the country, iand the new arrivals. It is gratifying to', think that these jealousies scarcely now exist. The old and the liew ara mingling together, and I believe a feeling of cordiality is growing between them. If elected/it will be my object to carefully promote a kindly feeling between all classes, and to deal impartially and without prejudice with the interests of each I need scarcely say that to the Gold Fields is due the immense increase of population to which I have alluded. Seeing, as I do, the results which have already sprung from these sources, —the population trebled, asw industries called into existence, the producing wealth of the country yastly augmented, colonization promoted, and theinterior of the Province becoming graduallypreparedforpermanentsettlement, I cannot be blind to the benefits which have sprung from the gold fields, nor to the wise policy of still further developing them. What other countries are bidding large sums to obtain has come to us as a gitt. It is not too much to say that the Province of Otago is the most visibly remunerative gold country considering the extent of labor expended on it, of any in the world, and I sincerely congratulate my old fellow settlers on so valuable an accessory to their early efforts at colonization. What could be done to fully derelope the mineral wealth of the Province, I would do. -—I would lose-no time in making the gold fields as easy of access as the physical features of the country would .permit, by the formation of efficient roads, and the improvement of river and lake navigation. The facility ot telegKlphio cpmmun}catjon ought also to be placed within their reach. In short I would leave nothing undone to aid the miners in profitably exercising the spirit of enterprize which has brought them amongst us. I have already referred to roads, rivers, and telegraphs, in connection with the gold fields, but I wish it to be understood that I do not propose to limit th» development of the country to the mining districts. It would be an object with me to bpen it up by roads in every direction in which any quantity oavailable agricultural land can be found, and thus prepare the way ac the gold becomes extracted, or as population increases, fop other, pursuits than mining. These considerations lead me'to the Lend (Question, about which £0 much, has lately been said and written. Before laying before you my views on this question, I must candidly tell you that I shall not be prepared to come forward every session with a number "of new ideas and suggestions with regard to it. It appears to me to be a matter of too much importance to be trifled with by the continual application of experiments unsanctioned by previous experience. I iave on a previous occasion stated that my Land belief is the same In all ita main features, as it was when our present Land Regulations were framed. I now repeat that statement, but in doing so I pray that you will not misunderstand me. I here speak of principles, not of those details of administration of Crown lnnds which must unavoidably vary with changing circumstances. I trust you will not give me. credit for being the man to ignore the palpable fact, that material changes have occurred during the last five years, and must occur again, and that as intelligent and responsible men our procedure must be regulated in a great degree by those changes. The principles which/ I believe, guided those who framed and passed our present Land Regulations, and those which I held, and still hold, are simply these :— Ist That the Waste Lands of the Crown within the Province are a trust estate. The Provincial Government, under the General Government of the country, being the trustees. ' 2nd. That the objects of the trust are to promote the occupation and settlement of the land, in such a manner as to ensure beneficial results to the greatest possible number of human families. Although I hold that our present Land Regulations we're intended to enable everyone who required land for cultivation to obtain it, and at the same tUoe to chfcfc tbe rapacity of the pur« speculator