Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Otago Daily Times, Issue 364, 19 February 1863, Page 2

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE PUO'Vltftftt Ol' OTAGO. Ci ENTLKMEN,—Tho timo lias now arrived for \JT mo to declde.oither to eoiuc unrosorvedly before yon as a candidate for tho Suporintenilenuy of tho Piwinoo, or to dooidetlly dodijio tho honor of being placed In nomination lor tho olUcc, . .. " Aftor having boon at fiomo-pains to ascertain my duty, I have deci'lcd to plnoo nvysolf tit your disposal. In doing so, it in duo, both to yourselves and to mo, that I should explain tlio cironnmlaiicos which havo )c' to the adoption of tho stqm I now take For raoro than a year past and especially during tho short time that I filled tno position of Deputy Snperlntomlont intho utownco of Mnjnr llichnrdson, many Bttlidtations wow hJiliokhoil to mo from ropvenontiitivos of ovary elawi in tho 1 rovlnco (o ombraon tho first opportunity of becoming a candidate for tho Suporintondoncy. My reply to one and nil was that 1 had no deslro lor offleo, and thai possibly Minor Richardson might lutnln hecomo a candidate, in which casu I had no intention to oppose him. Subsequently, it was unonulvoenlly announced that Mnjor ltieliartkon intondud to rotiro. 'ilia itcmirul impression on tho public mind (produced In a great isoasnro by stiitomoiilß nuulo by Mnjor Riohnrdson hiuwll on vnvious occasions) seems to havo boon flint ho would not nguiu consent to ho plnoed in nomination. This inipmsion roceivcil confirmation by Major Riohardnon'B public nnnounconiont at tho Duimtnn of his ilotorminatloii to retire lor n tlmo nt least from public life. Such a declaration might well bo considered conclusive and, noting upon tho «<><kl faith ol Its author, n number of my inomls sent nio n rotinldition exprosfcly founded upon that tleolariition. Having tho fullest confidence lv Mnjor Richardson m wnctritv, I at onco »lgnilled my compliance with tho wishes *of tlio rcqnisltlonists. Shortly nlter.wnrds n report of a deputation to Major Hiohardson apjicnwd, from which I gathoroil that that penllcman hud nssumoil a position with regard to tho election of his nucccssoi-, wlnoli prnoticnlly tvinonnlod to a right of nomination, ns well ns of a eonselous power of dictation to tlio olootors. 1 also gnthorod that bolero Major Richardson would dcoklo finally whether ho would present himsolf for re-election, bo oxpeoted oandidat.oß to submit their claims to him, nml thus scok election nndor tho shadow of his pntvonngo. Noithor on public nor on private grounds could 1 cbnsont to such an implied dictatorship on tho part of an elected Superintendent; nnd fearing that I might bo supposed to bo deferring to such authority, I purposely postponed the publication of an address to tho electors, which in my reply to their requisition, 1 hail promised at an onrly date. On many grounds it is well that I did so, ns a tew days only elapsed boforo tho apponrnnoo of an nililrcss from Major Richardson to tho electors, which if not remarkable for its general clearness, left no doubt on tho minds of thoso who lvnd it, that tho writer, j instead of being desirous of retiring from olh'co, was both willing nnd anxious to retain it. Suoh being undoubtedly tho case, one course only was loft to me, viz., that of giving my xequisitionists the opportunity of withdrawing from their invitation In reply, they decline to do so, and to their promises of support ndditionnl names nre added. I therefore feel that the time for decision on my port has come, and I 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 whioh Major 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 id*s 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, lie cease 3to hold proper relations towards the Provincial Council and Jn's Executive advisers. It is for him, asa rule, to give effect to the wishes of tjie 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 iniiiate Legislation, and as undoubtedly his actions are colored by his political views, it is right that yoa 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 j and I think it would be mischievous to forget that there are other questions besjdas polijjionj 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, Rnd the freedom from the prejudices of partisanship in every oapse, aro ajj ngeefif'ar^ qualifications ia the Superintendent who would uistribufp gyen justice to all, irrespective of whether they supported or opposed him, as are the assertions of any pi/rsly political views. It is not my purpose to disguise my political yjeTys or opinions from you. On the contrary,! wish to be as open anil pancl|d as ppgsible, and if, as almost unavoidably must be the case, {n addressing you at tbe shortest possible notice, I Leave any point unsatisfied, I solicit farther enquiry. As I have spoken of equal jastjoo to ajl." J nin reminded that during the last' 18 months there have been va^t accessions to the population of the Provinse. At first there were possibly some ; little jealousies between those ivlw had permanently fixed their residence in the qountry, ,and the new arrivals. It is gratifying to think that these jealousies scarcely now exist. The old and the new are mingling together, and I believe a feeling of cordiality is growing between them. If elected, it will be my objeot tp enyefully prompt* a kimlly feeling between allclasses, and to deal impartially and without prejudice with, the interests of each and all. I need scarcely say that to the Gold Fields is due tbe immense increase of population to which I have ftUiidet).' Spejng, as J. do, the results whigh, h.ave already sprung from these sonrces,—the population trebled, new industries called into existence, the producing wealth of the country vastly augmented, eojonifatjon promoted, and'tlie inferior of tJieProyince becoming graduallyprepareaforpermanentsettlement, —I cannot be blinu'^o the benefits which have sprung from the gold fields,, nor to the wjse policy of still further developing them.; What otlier qonntrles are bidding large sums to obtain has come to us as a gift. It is not too much to say that the Province of Otago is the most visibly ; remunerative gold country qonsidering the extent'oflabor expended on it, of any in the world, and I smbei'ely congratulate my old fellow settlers on so valuable' an accessory to their early efforts at colonisation. What could bo done to fully develope 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 improvemeni of river and lake navigation. Tho facility of telegraphic communication 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 the development of the country to the mining districts. It would be an object with me to open it up bjf roads in every direction in which gpy q^anti|y o.; available agricuj^raj }and wm, be found, thus prepare way as the gdjld b'epoines extracted, or as populatiqn increases, for other pursuits than miningThese considerations lead me io the. Land Question, about which so much I)da lately been said and written. .'. .Before. Jay|rig before you my yiews on this question, I niust candkUy tell you that I sljall not be prepared to cpme forward evejy session with 8 jjmaher of new ideas ari4 suggestions \y}t}i jiegard to it. It appears to me to be a matter of too. much importance to be trifled with by the continual application of experiments unsanotioned by previous experience. I have on a previous qcpasjon stated- that my Land belief is the same in all its main features, as it was when our present Land Regulations were framed. I now repeat that statement, but in doing bo I pray thflt you will not, misunderstand me. I here speak of principles, not qf those details of administration of Crown lands whioh 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 L,an(l Regulations, and those wMcU I held, and still hold, are simply these :'— Ist That the Waste Lands of the Crown within the ProTince are a trust estate. The Provincial Government, under the General Government qf 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 manlier as to ensure beneficial results to the greatest possible number of human families. Although I hold that our present Land Regulations were intended to enable everyone who required land for cultivation to obtain it, and at the same time to ch««k the rapacity of tlte pur« speculator