CHRISTCHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5467, 27 August 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHRISTCHURCH.

(ntOJI 008 OWN CORBBSPONDBNT.)

The political situation ohanges every day. Each day brings out its own speoial rumour, to bo discredited by that which succeeds it. When I last wrote we were all hopeful that Mr Andrew Duncan would alio whimself to bo nominated for the representation of Christchurch; and overtures were pro'cauding to that end. He has, however, declined to come forward at this juncture. This is muoh regretted by men of b, ta s'dea. For Mr Duncan is held iv universal resptct, and would mike a good repre3jntativt>. He U Liberal, but antiGrey, indeed, this is the fashionable creed in ibis provincial dstriot. Even the socalled Liberal Association numbers many in its ranks who diaown Sir George as a leader* Bat mora of this presently. As 1 told jou'in my lsst, Mr Moorhouse telegraphed to id* friends here that he inlanded to contest tho seat against all corners; and I expressed the opinion thai ho bad not the slightest chance of ru-olection. On bis arrival, his friends, as I anticipated, put pressure upon him, . aad inducau liim to withdraw from the o*in test ior Christchurci. His'resolution to .with* dr„ vr Yfua insdu kuo ,vnat a publionmtingheld laat week in the Odd Fellows' Hall. Various -..reasons aro assigned for the etep, among whioh aro want ol fundi to tarry on the ooa- , tes!;, amngement with' the Liberal Association, advioe of friends. The flr»t and the In so aro piobab'y the re»l motives ior bis withdrawal. But it was at one timo believed that a o mpromise had baen arrived at by the Opp sitiunand the Liberal issociatiuo, to the effiot; that no oppoiilion was to be .offered to the election of Meters Stevens and . Kichardson, on the undeistanding that Sir Geo. g<i was to be allowed to go in as third memcur. Ihe withdrawal of Mr Moorhouse gives countenance to this rumour, espeot-: ally as up other person was brought fuiward to'fill the vsoant plaoe. Ido not, however, believe that there is a word of ti uth. in tde story. At best, or worst, I j thiak thero was among some of the personal I friends ofthe two Opposition candidates a ' strong desire to make sure of the election of Messrs Siovens and Biohardtou by prao- . tioally running them against auy person that might ba asjooiatel with Sir George Grey,It waa said that everybody wss going to vo c for tho two late members and Sir George Grey. If this was true, then no g.iod couid pome from the briDging forward of a third .Opposition candidate, and harm might be dune by ths splitting of votes. I tbink this provision is entirely at fault, end that Sir ■■.'George is not popular with those who will carry the election—tbat is, with tie electors 1 hive apukon to dozens of persons of different chsioi, and I hive scarcely met with an sxcepttonto the g.-.UBial opiLion, that it would - ba an eternal disgrace tj (Jarlatchutch tb eleot one who belongs to Auokland, and who has dono his utmoet to iujare Ohrisichutoh. Yesterday morning, as I was returning from on ta'ly walk, i mat the foreman.of a large w--rk,hop, os he wts on his way to his work, aud tLi-s was his opiuion ; —He was full of

it dilation at air Ucoign's uomiog to Christ-chuio-j ; lie * as persuaded that* good third hue wv.ula b at him; and hb telt ih,t, pu.. iiig anile all questions of politic, ami putus, Sir Ge.rgo'o election wuulvl inflict a great financial injury upon the place; and .lu-^i'd to tho tamo ett-ct. And yoo ev^rjone • g:-yg, "I'm afroU he'll get in." H*)w ou esrtli ia hu to got in it nobody is g**iug to Vote fur him ? "Oh, he'll talk th* >vorhiag atrii over; ho'il explaia everything, and tho>'i! support him to a nun." Suoh is sot my opinion, it a good third man is form-' coining. The woiktog men are not bo ostily .talked ovar. They roud tha Parliamentary reports, i>nJ lave goodmemoties, WhurfcVjr ous is one hfars tlie question, who is to to t;-.ird man? Taere must be a thipl m;.n, «ii I am -.s-urtd th-,to o trill be Ho; .iufttyil at t'.u last moment, if no ouo presents Intra-li b.fjrf. 'Co-day the ti»niei of Mr I/O .anl Rjt-mt (ni Il.ipsr a dHarptr,. lata liamu.'r aud H.rpe.) »ud Mr Ocorgs Gould ure in nttootd as likely mon. -JJ.rt-h havo already refused to come for a aid; but ouu of -thetu' m*y yet be imiuood to under ti-ka the hououiable task of contesting the third osaii with Str G:oige. I s»y wita Sir Georgo, Uir it is admitted tbat the stftts of thi tfio ht) mambers are s;f»". MrSiiaul And.owa, brought foiward by the-Lib-Mi A'jtuoia'ivn, hii not tho rliobi of a chance, »n,J is is my opinion that he ia only keeping tlie plao-i wmm for aome other person to be no jiiii,ttoil or suggHstcd by Sir George ,himself, wlio is to begin his n;amp'ini oampaign in Chritt ;huroh on Sitarday,, Mr And'Otvs is a respectable plastr rar, and 1« a atom cU Good Templar. Tiiis faot will not, however, carry the votes of the Goud 'XWpl-ur as waist ions, for Mr Andrew-Tie generally regarded as a wonk man, and is. iio;i trusted by them. Neither will he carry .tho vottis of the working men," to which ol.as h.i belongs: they, Uo, distiusi hitn. This f-ict I have taken thi trouble to vorify. He i* ia many respects a tteaerviu-i** man. (or V/k.-iu I enti.rcsin a sinte.e irgard ; and he is b/ vo mt&an a staunoli Oeyitn. Should hu he nl ot, d, th.-ie is one tv whom he owes au mlAjiy.-tire uf longer nt.nding tln»n any of. tho nisi "o£ Hit' George, and that ponton is y*r VV. J<Vx, Andrews will certainly revolve around that sun.

-.'Ttm'lata meeting at the Odd-Fellows' Hall tended to r-ajsUre tha Opposition. The new imls, wuiah holds abouo. 1000 people, was itiU, and the meetiug Wei thoroughly With 'fhe OppwitioDi Whoa JJoorhouno chur^ecl

Sir George with insanity the oheeringwas tremeidous. I was at the bottom of the hall, in the midst of a number of men who were evidently of the working olass, anl their demonstrations were of the heartiest.

The- so-called Liberal Association has already had a split, and several of its originators have fallen away. These two faots—the quarrelling and the indifferenoe— I had from members of the Association, and generally, leather that there is ho real heartiness among its members. The Association will not play a very prominent part in tke elto'ions, The members are too muoh divided among themselves to allow of their carrying much influence. The fact is that the Aisooiation originated with persons who had a design to represent Christohuroh in their own persons, and who thought that the Grey flood would carry ,then in. Unfortunately, however, so many of the Association entertained similar aspirat'ons, that their realisation on the part cf m:ny wss physic -1 y Imposaible.t .Again, the fact that Mr Richardsn, at the request of five members of the Association, wbo waited upon him, signed the creed of the Association, shook the faith of munjr in its novelty. Tho Ministerial Press here maintain' that tho Liberal oreed ls Grey's, and that no one else is Liberal but Grey, and much more to the «a*ue effect; while the faot is that nearly every candidate, on both Opposition and Ministerial sides, announoes his acceptance of it. This faot reOaived emphasis when Mr Richardson signed his edceptanoe of that creed ; and he is, so far as I know, at this moment a mem bor of the Liberal Association; and many of them have agreed to support him. ; There is a complete co ufujion of isiucs here. The real issue, I. tike it, that is before the country is, not this or tbat pdioy, bnt hai the Ministry mismanaged the affairs of the country ? And here I may state that many of ns were disappointed with Mr Stout's speeoh. It was hoped by his friends that he wonld bave risen above the region of pwty politics at so oriticat timo as the present. As tbes-slett-.ra bear witness, Ibavea real admiration of the late Attorney-General,' and, I ex. pected from him something more than a defence of the Grey Ministry. Mr J. E. Brown has announced his intention to retire from politics—so Ashley is to be contested by Mr Fendall and Mr Moorhouse—both anti-Grey. The former is a loial man; bnt the latter having been at one time Superintendent of the Provinoe, ia probably as well known in the d strict as Mr Fendall. Mr Rolleston delivered a remarkably able, speeoh at his meeting at Papsnui on Tuesday. It is tbe speeoh of a statesman, and is strongly ami Grey. Mr E. G. Wright, tho well-known wil way oontrsot»r, is out for Coleridge,-in opposition to Mr George Hart Mr Wright is immensjly popularptrsonally, end wiil, Id oubt hot, head che i oil. ' Both candidates are e'rc&gly antiGrey. Mr Allwright is up for Lyttelton. In opposition 1o Mr Murray-Aynslie, and is, 1 hear, likely to be letumed. He' is Libera], but anti-Grey. He will "not, he says, support Sir Goorge Grey. Mr Allwright is a self-made man, and is badly educated, but be is honest and oapa bie, lay his friends. Sir Gaorge is to be here tomorrow (Frday), and is to deliver an oration at the theatre between the soenes, in tha evening. This, at least, is said to be the p'ogramme. The Mayor entertains him and a select few at d'nuer. and amom^es that it has ro po'itiool significance ; yet he has rot, to far ss I can asoerfcu'n, invited the late members for Christohuroh, nor aay pertousnot pledged Greyites, except the members of the Oity Counoil. ■" ; ARitepajeia'Aslociationhas been successfully fo mod, and I take it chat many of the present members of the Oity Council will never, again be councillors here. The low t< ne of tbe City Council-has.had the efftc1* of awakening people to takeaniuteiest in the city elections. Mr R churdeon's mieting to night was a great success. The hall was full, and 'the order was most commendable. The speaker, who is roi a good speaker, received a most sympathetic and patient hearing, and .his points were received witb demonttrations of applause. When I left he was going through his political ca echiam with appr-iva', and I doubt not that he will reoaivo a vote of condense, of wbioh the wire will have in'ormsd you be'ore you reoeive this. * . It is c id that Sir George's meeting to bo held on Saturday will be an exritibg tffurj and it is confidently taid that he will not net a bearing Mr Montgomery's manifesto iaoutv He is, as usual, Liberal, but does not aay whether he will support Sir George. lam told tint he privately deolares he will no longer follow Sir George's lead. It it a characteristic of the present election that on both sides Sir George is put elide. Whother, if tho Opposition do not return in a majority, facts'will not be too strong for the Liberals is a question whioh tbey will do well to consider carefully. Grey is still Premier, and has the reins in hia hands. Who is to turn him out if the Opposition i» not in a majority?

The following lines from tbis evening's Globe express the sentiments of ma ay cleotors here:—

PROMISING GEORGE.

Come workmen listen unto m", A story I'll relate, About a blarneying gentleman, Who has a large estate. . Who came into power with promises many To dock Ministers' screws to the "uttermosl

penny, But when oace in office refused to yield any ? Promising Georg*. (Chorus.) Thsn workmen, squatters, and farmers are we, But all of ua one in our distrust vf thee, Promising George. Wbo talked of corruption in other', my men, And said, what he'd do when in office, and thsn . , . Gave thousands a year for Anauia's pen t Promising George. _ ' (Chorus) Tben workmen, squatters, aud farmers are we, But all of us one fn our din trust of: thee, Promising George. Who denounces the rich, and butters the poor, (Though he himself has a pretty good store), Then gave to Jlm Larnach two thousand and * more?.. . Promising George, „ - . (Chorus.) .Then workmen, squatters, and farmers are we, But all of us one in our distrust of thee, Promiiiog George. Who talks, end who talks of the poor working

man, And when winter was cold and children were

wan, ; Refused us a shilling for the breaking of itone?

Promising George, (Chorus.) Tren workmen, squatters, and farmers are we, But all of us ono in our din'ruat of thee, ' Promising Goorge. Who says he's the'working man's friend, and then say, When the workmen is siok, who knocks bff his

-pay, Chough be can earn at hia beat only eight bob adayP»

Promising George. (Chorus.) Then workmen, squatters, and farmers are we, But all of us one in our dlairuat of thee, ! Promising George. Who says that the rich ought to pay taxes »r<at (The wily old mau, tbe canny old pate), i'hea pay* lut four notes for his own snug estate? ,

Promising George, t (Chorus.) Then corkixxn, squatters, and farmers are we, But all of us one in our distrust of ttep, Promising George.; The poor working man I The poor working man! . . ',*,*- We can are through it all—you'll find that we

can On the day of the poll, all such rubbiah, aud— Promiak-g George. ' • {Chorus.) Thea workmen, squatters, acd farmers are wr, Bat all st us one in our distrust of thoe, Promising George.

* " The pay of all employes Win if Stopped during «lol<n»sa and holidavt" (Circular to <Jonlll;laIol",' of Railways, Ho. JS. Msy S. 1-W9) , ■- v