THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2838, 13 March 1871, Page 3

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

MB TUBTON AT THE MASONIC HALL.

Mr Tnrton addressed a meeting of the electors in the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening at 8 o'clock. There was a rather -slender attendance. Mr Callender was nroted to the chair.

Mr Turton said he appeared before .-them taking an active part in politics for the first time, and he came forward as a ■-candidate at the request of a great number of electors of different shades of politics, and of a number of personal friends.' 'Iliad it not been for this request, he did <-aot think- he should have come forward ; but having done so, he desired to state, >In answer to a rumour which had been "industriously circulated to the effect that >he had simply come forward to air his views in politics and to feel his way to Tiuture honours, that he intended to go to the poll, and to do his best to get in.— t (Cheers)) He came forward on no particular card, but as an independent can- ■ didate. A card had already been circulated by one party, and on that he did not appear ; he understood another card would be 'circulated by a different party, and on that IMs name would not appear; nevertheless, he to say, that, if the electors'felt satisfied that in returning him ■"they would get a member who would -work for the benefit of all classes, they • would; give Mm their votes. He had ialready ~ announced that he would not himself to any particular party, •Toor bind himself toanyparticularterms. lin saying that he would not come forward bound.to any particular party, he meant 'that he would not come forward bound to •-support every measure that might be laid the Council by- Mr Macandrew. He: did not come forward to represent the i squatter, or to advocate the cause of the ■ agriculturist—(cheers)—but reserved to j ''himself the right of considering each •question as it arose, and to vote accordsing,to the opinion at which he arrived. iHe should be a warm advocate, in fact a sanpporter, of the general progressive policy -advocated by Mr Macandrew. The policy •of the General Government as to the of public works would re•ceive his general support; but, of course, all the Provincial Council would have to do would simply be,to countenance the construction of the works, and to recommend to the General Assembly, from time to time, what works should be done in the province. He should particularly go in for the construction of railways ; and for the energetic carrying on of the Clutiia railway. He said energetic, because unless the works were pushed on •with something like speed, we should

have the same difficulties arising with respect to that railway as now existed with regard to the Port Chalmers railway. If the works were pushed on quickly, the contractors would be bound to take on every man unemployed, and in that way the men now hanging about the corners of the streets would obtain something like permanent employment.—(Cheers.) He also strongly advocated the expenditure of the money voted for the construction of waterworks on the goldfields. It lhad been stated that the. sum voted was insufficient, and if this proved to be the case, he would countenance Soaking up the deficiency from the

money set apart for immigration. In addition to the Clutha Railway, he should be in favour of the construction of branch railways in an economical manner, and of bridges over the whole of our rivers. The bridging of the rivers was almost as important a work as could be undertaken. The return called for by Mr Stafford showed what a number of valuable lives had been lost through the want of bridges, and one of the first things we ought to do is to bridge the dangerous I rivers.—(Cheers.) regard to the education question, he was in favour of maintaining the present system; and should it be rendered subservient to a general scheme for the colony, he should see that the endowments made in this province were kept intact for its own use. —(Cheers.) That the present land laws were not in a satisfactory state, nobody could deny. He was in favour of their consolidation and revision, and of free selection being granted, provided it resulted in the bonafide occupation of the land.—(Cheerß.) It waß of no use for candidates to come forward and make a political cry of free selection and deferred payments, unless everything were done towards securing thepermanent settlement of the land. They must take care that under the system the capitalist and speculator were kept out; otherwise this end would not be attained. They had heard a great deal from, some of the candidates, of immediately proposing the repeal of the whole of the land laws, and of enacting a new one. He might just tell them at once that such a thing was impossible. The present laws had received,'if not the support, at any rate the countenance, of our members, both in the Provincial Council and in the General Asaemb'y, and it would therefore be impossible 10 get the whole of the land laws in the statute book repealed at once. We must try and remedy defec's, as their existence was discovered, and by moderate measures and uniform pressure brought to bear on the General Government, get the revision of thelandlawsbroughtabout. He was in favour of eacouraging local manufactures and industries.' Whether it was done by means of bonuses, or by I amending the tariff, was of little ! consequence ; but it should be made a condition of any assistance given to a particular manufacture that as soon as the manufacture was fairly established, the money should be refunded to the Government. He did not see why money should be taken out of the public funds and given for the encouragement of an industry, when, after that industry was fairly established, the main profit would go to the person who started it. He also advocated a reduction of the expenses of Government. In the first place, the Provincial Council might be worked by about one-half of the present number of members;—(cheers)—and the honorarium for country members should be reduced to L2l for the whole session, which, would allow LI a day for a session of three weeks, which period of time waa, he thought, ample for the transaction of business generally brought before the Council during a session. Town members should give their services gratuitously. He thought the limit fixed for the erection of toll-bars ought to be about three miles out of the city. He had been asked on several occasions whether he was in favour of Torrens's Act. That question had nothing whatever to do with the Provincial Council, but he had no objection to say that he would give his warmest assistance to the working in the fullest measure of that Act. Generally, if he were returned to the Council, he would support every measure that might be brought forward for the benefit of the city, but would not go in for the purpose of supporting everything that might be brought forward by either party. If the electors chose him as their representative they might depend on his giving the whole of his time and attention to the sittings of the Council; if they did not elect him, there would remain no ill-feeling on his part, and he trusted there would be none on theirs.—(Cheers. V

No questions being asked of the candidate, a vote of confidence in him was proposed by Mr M'Gbegob, and carried unanimously.

Mr Ttjbton subsequently addressed a meeting at the Drill Shed, Water of Leith, where he also obtained a vote of confidence, moved by Mr H. Gbegg, and seconded by Mr J. Mabshall.

MB REYNOLDS'S MEETING. Mr W. H. Reynolds also addressed a meeting of the citizens at the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening. Mr Callender presided.

Mr Reynolds referred to the advertisement which had appeared in.the evening,, paper suggesting to the citizens the advisability of electing the seven candidates whose names were specified, and said in a reply to a question submitted on the previous evening, that he had not paid anything to secure the return of himself or of the other gentlemen mentioned, and further, that he did not intend to do so. He had not, and did not intend, to canvass for votes ; the electors, he thought, should not be importuned, but should be allowed to exercise their own judgment If, however, another person took the matter out of his hands and asked the electors to vote for him, he could but feel obliged ; and when he met the electors in public meeting assembled, he felt that he was not doing too much in asking them to record their votes in his' favour. —(Applause.) He believed his views regarding.colonial and provincial matters were well known, and he might say that if elected, he should not offer any factioas opposition to the measures of the Superintendent. He did not state, as a rule, for whom he voted, but so many falsehoods had been disseminated that he felt it his duty to contradict what he knew was not correct, and he ultimately made it known that he voted for Mr Macandrew. If his greatest opponent were unjustly attacked he would correct what he knew to be false. He was not bound to support all the- measures of the Superintendent nevertheless, but he would not offer any factious opposition to any gentleman elected as Superintendent. His (Mr Reynolds's) services as a public man for nearly 18 years ought to be a guarantee of his conduct in the future.

One of the candidates at Maori Hill, after trying to rake up everything he could against him, was only able to find one fault—namely, that he voted for the Hundreds Regulation Act. Now if, after 18 years' servitude, that was the only fault which could be laid against him, he thought they could scarcely hold him blameable, because he considered that in that instance he was doing good service. He thoroughly explained the matter on previous occasions, and therefore, unless the meeting desired it, he did not think it necessary to explain it again. He claimed the Bupporfc of the electors, because he believed he had rendered good service to the city and to the province hitherto, and because he intended to endeavour to be of seirvice in future. His views on the: land question were well known. He was as anxious as anybody possibly could be to see people settled upon the land; but they should be settled on such land and in such a way that they could get a

comfortable living. He was not in favour of declaring Hundreds where it was almost impossible to keep goats. With these exceptions, he should have no objection to support free selection with certain conditions regarding improvements to secure bona fide, occupation. With regard to immigration, he stated that whilst he would like to see an increased population, he would only advocate immigration consistent with the profitable employment of those persons already here, as well as with the profitable employment of those who might, arrive.—(Applause.) To accomplish that we must have liberal land laws, facilitate settlement, and foster and encourage local industries. If proper means were taken, there would not be the least difficulty in establishing manufactures to a large extent. He believed we could manufacture cloth and sell it here at a price as low. if not lower than any imported from Great Britain. We could also manufacture woolpacks, and cornsacks from flax, so as to sell them at a lower rate than they could be imported. Paper also could be manufactured here, at such prices as would enable us to compete with the manufacturers at home. He would not advocate the bringing of people to the colony, unless there was a certainty of their doing better, or at least as well as they were doing in the old country. To shew that he was not making any claptrap election speech, he might state that he opposed the immigration scheme submitted at the last regular meeting of the Council, and those gentlemen who would take the trouble to consult the columns of the Daily Times would find that he did so because he considered it would be criminal to bring people here unless they could be profitably employed.-—(Applause.) Mr Turton had told theft, that he was in %your of securing the reserves for education purposes, and he (Mr Reynolds) stated that the safest plan to adopt was to hand them over to trustees, because if there should be any Colonial Legislative changes, and the property remained vested in the Superintendent, it would be colonially dealt with. Regarding the honorarium question, he would abolish the system of paying 203 per day, and substitute an annual fixed payment. L2O or L 25 would be sufficient. He agreed that the work of the session ought to be finished in three or four weeks. It would be better to pay each member evenLsoto L6O than to carry on the present, system, because the honorarium was not the only expense which was incurred during the time that the Council was sitting. There were the expenses connected with Select Committees, consumption of gas, clerks, printing, &c., making in all a considerable amount. During the early days of the province, when most important ordinances were passed, when there were only nineteen members, the annual sessions were terminated in fifteen or sixteen days, and there had been occasions when the session was terminated in ten days. But at that time there was no honorarium.—(Laughter). The fact ef some persons being elected who endeavoured to prolong the sittings of the Council, prevented many good men from coming forward as candidates. Good men were willing to devote & certain time to provincial matters, but they objected to unnecessarily protracted sessions. His remarks were not applicable to the majority of the members ; but he wished to point put that four or five members, so long as it suited their convenience, could, if they thought proper, place notices of motion on the paper, and thereby protract the session. He did not intend to incur any expense beyond paying for advertisements, the printing of a few cards, and for the use of the halls or rooms in which he addressed the electors. "Unless he derived any advantage, from being returned, he considered that if he incurred any additional expense he should be depriving his family of what was their right. Of course, if, on the other hand, he were going to get LIOOO by being elected, he could then afford to expend L2ooorL3oo. ;If the electors said, " You must spend several hundred pounds, and you will be at liberty to make as much as you can out lof us," he could have no objection to spend L2OO or L3OO. But he did not take up politics as a trade ; he did not want to make anything out of politics, and therefore he could not afford to spend any money for the honour and glory of representing the electors. He, however, assured them that he appreciated the honour as highly as it was possible for man to do, and it must not be supposed that he was not as anxious as any other candidate to be returned, but he objected to the system of canvassing, and hoped that by means of the Ballot Act that system would soon be abolished. It could not be said, he thought, that as a representative he was unapproachable; he always had been, and always should be, willing to aid either a supporter or an opponent ; and, if returned, he would endeavour, as he had done hitherto, to serve the electors faithfully.—(Applause.)

In answer to questions, Mr Reynolds said, in addition to what he had already stated regarding the support he would give t© native industries, that, instead of spending one million sterling on immigration, he would Bpend L 200,000 of that amount in the distribution of bonuses. He wouldf say, let persons bring out their machinery, and when they had manufactured a certain quantity of material the Government should pay them the full cost of the machinery which they had imported j as well as the cost of the plant. It was all very well to say.''x)pen the lands," but we should want consumers as well, and in order to get consumers we must encourage the establishment of industries. It was true that his gardener and his son, the former of whom had been with him for ten years, distributed his tickets on the day of polling, but his gardener acted of his own free will. Why should we say we would prevent Chinese coming into the country when we claimed for British subjects the right to enter China ? He would not assist in bringing Chinese to the colony, but if they came of their own accord he did not think we ought to try to prevent their remaining. It was a mistake to say that the Chinese were not appreciated in California. He approved of the Government providing interpreters for Chinese, or any other foreigners. As an instance of the necessity of doing so he reminded the meeting that upen the arrival here, on one occasion, of an Italian ship, he had himself to act as interpreter, otherwise certain persons could not have been tried. The fact that he had already brought forward a resolution to reduce the number of members of the Provincial Council was a guarantee that he would do so again if an opportunity offered. After several other questions had been put, a motion that " Mr Reynolds is a fit and proper person to represent the citizens in the Provincial Council" was carried against one of an opposite character. sir Walter's weexing.

Mr H. J. Walter addressed a rather thinly attended meeting at the Mission House, Russell street, on Saturday evening. Mr Robertson, who was in the chair, aaid, in introducing Mr Walter, that he was the best City CoanciUorthoy

had had for their ward, and he believed that if he were returned he would do equally as well in the Provincial Council.

Mr Walter said it had been industriously circulated thab he intended to resign in favour of some one else. He would give this statement a flat denial. He meant to contest the election fairly and honestly. In legislating on the land laws, past legislation, and three distinct and powerful interests—the mining, the squatting, and the agricultural—had each to be considered. He congratulated the early politicians of the Province on their excellent land laws, with which, were they still in existence, Otago, with its .resources, would be something like a Paradise. It would be presumption on his part to say that all previous legislation on the land question was bad, without being able to introduce a measure which would rectify wrongs perpetrated, and which would repeal and take the place of existing legislation. He was not prepared to introduce resolutions which would be the basis of recommendations of the Provincial Council. He thought that the members in the Council who opposed the squatters were too hotheaded. The squatters, who were shrewd, cunning men, had done more in their quiet way than the agriculturists in their blustering way. The squatters' opponents would not succeed by being bombastic, and arrogating to themselves powers which they could not suddenly lay hold of. _ If elected, he would make the suggestion that they devise outside the Council the best course of action to pursue therein. He was an advocate of the old land law by which the settler had to expend at the rate of L 2 per acre uponhis land, thereby becoming a substantial settler, not a migratory bird. Were he elected, he certainly should recommend the repeal of the Hundreds Act. The squatters were bound to give way to settlement. A large amount of money would have to be paid them, under the compensation clause, to obtain the lands from them. The very large number of farmers within the province was entitled to great consideration, and very great care should be taken that the squatters did not injure their interests in any way. He was a thorough advocate of the system of deferred payments. Farmers might object to this principle on the ground of their having had to pay cash for their land; but sometimes a little evil would have to be done in the fartherance of a ereat good. The circumlocution to be followed in making application for land was such as to tire out intending settlers. The mode of making applica-tion-was a matter which required to be simplified. He approved of a steady stream of immigration, not the throwing of thousands at onee5 upon our shores. Immigration was indispensable to the settlement of the land. The 'labour office, through which immigrants were distributed over the country two or three days after landing, was an admirable institution. But, apart from immigration, it was gratifying to know that there was a steady increase of population, going on in the province. Public works would prove a greaf source of employment. If railways could be constructed at LSOOO par mile, they would, although they would have to be looked upon as a tax for the first few years, prove eventually reproductive. But apart from them as a matter of revenue, there were the. immense advantages which would indirectly result to the province. The goldfields interest, taking into consideration the number of miners employed, the number of mercantile establishments and traders kept up by their custom, and other interests dependent, or partly dependent, oa the miners, was an interest which needed to be attended to. If it were considered desirable, he was in favour of as much again as was placed on the schedule for the purpose being expended in providing a water supply for the goldfields. He waSjin favourof oflferiogrewardstoprospectorSj but decidedly objected to giving grants of money to assist them in prospecting. He had seen in Victoria, on the goldfields of which colony he had lived for a considerable time, good talking men persuade the Government that they could discover gold in places, and bamboozle its members into giving them money. rHe shoulcLoffer as good a reward, as L3OOO or li^OOO for the discovery of a goldfield, as prospectors after all their trouble had not always the best claim. The general loan would, he believed, be one of the best things for the colony generally, and more esppcially for Otago. But our members, when the scheme was brought- forward, should have claimed a third of the loan—the province, to have the.disbursing of it. He was in favour of the Provincial Council passing a recommendation to the General Government to this effect. He was a thorough Provincialist, but was not for abusing provincial institutions. Reductions in salaries, where reductions ought not to be made, were certainly wrong, but he was for doing away with those members of the Government who held no portfolios. The Provincial Council was too expensive. It was composed of too many members, some of whom spoke on every conceivable subject, including matters on which they showed themselves lamentably ignorant. The number of members should be reduced. Those who lived in Dunedin, who had to attend to their business, should receive the honorarium as well as those who, for instance, took a cottage two miles from town, whilst the Council was in session. He was in favour of the payment of a lump sum to each member who chose to claim it. himself, if elected, he would not' claim if; He was for the Council recommending a measure by which a candidate who did not poll.a specified per-centag? of votes forfeited a deposit made on nomination. Recently, a candidate objected to eending prisoners through the sreets and keeping them at work outside the gaol. But they were employed at works which, though needed, might not have been done by free labour for twenty years to come. So long as the province had to maintain prisoners, so long should it make the most of them. There were too many toll-bars in the neighbourhood of the city. The City Council was possessed of powers to put up toll-bars, so that did it choose to do so, double tolls would be claimed at the different bars on the boundaries of the city. The City Council was endeavouring to get the bars removed two or three miles further into the country. If returned, he should, in addition, to his efforts in. the matter in the City Council, strenuously endeavour to have it attended to in the Provincial Council. He was in favour of the Provincial Government, provided the sanction of the General Government was given, issuing Treasury notes, which he himself would prefer holding to notes of questionable banks. They could te exchanged at the Treasury on stated days, and always received in payment of taxes. He was an advocate of a general protective tariff. A gentleman who had spoken on the previous night in favour of protection, mentioned, soon after touching on that su> jecfc, that a mining company, of which he was a member, had sent to Melbourne for stampers, which of course could be manufactured here. That was protection only so far as it did not con-

cern the breeches pocket. He was not a nominee of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, which to the contrary had passed a vote of censure upon him for his action in preventincr its being made a political association. There were many objectionable points in the Licensing Ordinance, but he did not seek election specially on that question. He had been placed at great disadvantage by coming out last, and not being able to get rooms to address first, meetings whose patience he would not weary by addressing after another candidate. If they honoured him by returning him to the Provincial Council, for the duties as a member of which he could spare the necessary time, he would do his utmost to act according to the promises he had made.

Mr Dods moved, and Mr Barnes seconded, a vote of confidence in Mr Walter. It was carried unanimously.

MR EEBVES'S MEETING. Mr Reeves addressed a numerously attended meeting of electors at the North DunedinDrill Shed, on Saturday evenine: Mr T. Birch in the chair.

Mr Beeves spoke for about an hour, and explained pretty fully his views on the leading questions of interest to the province. Be advocated, amongst other requirements, an amended Land Act, providing for the settlement of the people on the lands, based on free selection and deferred payments, guarded by occupation and improvement clauses. He also advocated the immediate carrying out of public works in the province under the General Government scheme, a Workman's Lien Bill, encouragement to Volunteers by a money vote instead of the present land scrip system, and reduction of the expenses of the Provincial Government. He also stated that he was opposed to the introduction of immigrants until public works were fully started, and employment found for those already in the province.

After several questions had been put, and answered to the satisfaction of the meeting,, it was unanimously resolved, on the motion of Mr 3 ohn Marshall, seconded by Mr Georgje Folks, "That Mr Reeves is a fit and proper person to represent Dunedin in the Provincial Council."

A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.

MR CUTTEN'S MEETING. Mr W. H. Cutten addressed a meeting of electors in the lower room of the Athenaeum, on Saturday evening. Mr A. Sligo occupied the. chair. The candidate having afterwards to address a meeting at the Mission House, confined his remarks principally to the Land question, and the Public Works and Immigration Scheme In reply to a question, Mr Cutten said he did not seek a seat in the Provincial Council for the purpose of opposing His Honour the Superintendent. Oa the contrary, he would support that gentleman's views on all occasions when they appeared to him to be calculated to advance the interests of the province. A number of other questions were satisfactorily answered, and. a proposition affirming Mr Cutlen to be a fit and proper person to represent Dunediriin the Provincial Council, was carried unanimously.

Mr Isaac's meeting-. Mr B. Isaac addressed a meeting of electors at the Drill Shed, Water of Leith, on Saturday evening. Mr Marshall occupied the chair, and about 60 persons were in attendance;

Mr Isaac dwelt at some length on the political topics of the day, explaining his views with reference to the land question, education, and public works, to the satisfaction of the audience. On the motion of Mr Stewart, seconded by MrFoiKS, it was unanimously agreed that Mr Isaac was a fit and proper person to be a representative of the city in the Provincial Council.

THE WAIKARI NOKFINAanDON. The nomination of candidates from whom one member is-to be elected to represent the Waikari district in the Provincial Council took place at the Kaikorai Drill Shed on Saturday at noon.

The following candidates were nominated :—

G-. Hepburn, proposed by Mr Charles Robertson, seconded by Mr Angus M'Millan.

Henry Driver, proposed by Mr A. n, son, seconded by Mr Andrew Hogg.

David Millar, proposed by Mr Richard Sandilands, seconded by Mr William Sheddon.

Mr Hepburn said that he had had previous experience in the Provincial Council, and having resided in the district for 20 years, the electors' interest was his interest. He had no place to seek, no parly to serve, but the general good of the district in particular, and of the province generally. Any thing that could be done in the Council for the district would, if he were elected, have his best support. Having received a requisition, and ihe electors' views not being in unison with their last elected representative's, he had determined to contest the election, though had he been consulting his own comfort only, he would not have done so. He should be glad to aid in the drawing up of resolutions to be the basis of a revision of the land laws. He should like to see free selection if it were possible. But there was the difficulty, that with free selection no land outside that purchased by the settlerb could be used as commonage. He was in favour of the Hundreds Bystem. Endeavours should be made to have the runs thrown open for settlement. He would support a system of deferred payments. Settlers ought to have time to pay for their land, so that they in the first few years could lay out the little capital they began with in improving it. He would support reproductive works. The Southern Trunk Railway would no doubt provide work for many of the unemployed, but he did not approve of the parties who were to carry it on. L 250,000 only was voted for its construction ; yet their engineer, after providing for having everything done in the cheapest way, estimated that it cannot be constructed at less than L 358,000. Besides, there was no provision for the purchase of land. This particular matter he held to be a delusion. The soheme itself under which it was constructed he did not approve of, it being extravagantly large. The circumstances connected with the introduction of the Norwegian immigrants was a foretaste of the way in which immigration would be conducted under it. He had grave doubts if the money would be ever raised, and if it was not raised it would perhaps be so much the better. If the province was allowed to borrow money we could manage much better ourselves. The carrying on of public works was absolutely necessary. As things were he was opposed to indiscriminate immigration, but no sooner would public works be I started than people would come here without Government assistance. He was for settlers sending home for friends whom they could better by bringing here, and for female servants being brought as required. Immigrants would not increase the prosperity and revenue of the colony if they found no work on landing. He should endeavour to. have the electoral

boundaries of the district reclined, and would always strive to do the best he could for the welfare of the district.

Mr Driver's proposer explained that that gentleman could not be present, as he was detained in town on very important business.

Mr David Mielah began by an attack on Mr Hepburn's action in the Provincial Council and General Assembly, to show the electors what they might expect if they returned Mr Hepburn, whom he aaid he respected as a private gentleman. He was in favour of retrenchment, and would begin with the members of the Executive. He was for reducing the number of officials, paying well, however, those whom it was necessary to employ. He looked uponthePublic Works Actas oneof the teat schemes for the good of the colony. (Here Mr Millar narrated to the meeting what he said were the comments which Mr Cargill made on the scheme at a meeting at the Water of Leith.) He had not himself examined the Act, but would accept Mr Cargill's opinions on it. He should like to see the Education Reserves permanently secured to the province. He was for a scheme by which land could be secured for all classes, for the Provincial Council recommending the ballot, pure and simple, and for a workman's lien Bill._ He was opposed to assisted immigration under present circumstances. He was an advocate for protecting the mechanic as well as the agriculturist. The industries of a young colony required fostering. He was for granting bottle licenses, on condition that the house for which the license wag taken out be under the surveillance of the police. Members of the Council should receive as honorarium an amount equal to a mechanic's wages, 10s per day. He understood the honorarium to be given in order to allow of members who were working men being able to attend. He had necer given much, consideration to the Hundreds Regulation Act, but if it came before the Council he would do his best for the general good of the country. A show of hands having been taken, there was—for Hepburn, 8 ; for Driver, 4 ; for Millar, 4. Mr Millar demanded a poll, which Mr Burnside, the Returning Officer, said would be taken on Monday, the 20th inst., at the Drillshed, Kaikorai. A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer concluded the proceedings.