EASTERN DISTRICT ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 310, 7 November 1857, Page 4

EASTERN DISTRICT ELECTION.

NOMINATION. A Meeting of the Electors of the Eastern District to nominate one person to serve in the Provincial Council, in room of P. Proudfoot, Esq., deceased, took place at Mr. M'Gibbon's, Caversham, on Saturday, the 31st ult. The Returning Officer having taken the chair, and made a few preliminary remarks, called upon the Electors to nominate a candidate. Mr. Seaton proposed, and Mr. Howden seconded, the nomination of Mr. W. Lambert. Dr. Williams proposed Mr. James Howarth, and stated that he believed Mr. Howarth well qualified to represent them in Council; he was a person also that was highly respected amongst his neighbours, and his interest was co-equal with their own, he (Mr. Howarth) having a large stake in the district, which the other candidate had not. Mr. Powley seconded Mr. Howarth's nomination. No other candidate having been proposed, the first-proposed candidate proceeded to address the electors. Mr. LA.MBBR.T then said he had been requested to come forward on the present occasion by several of the electors, and under the circumstances he had no hesitation in placing his services at their disposal. He had been spoken of as a stranger to them, but Mr. Howarth had kindly introduced him to the electors as " part and parcel of the late Executive.*' He (Mr. L.) was not aware that he had held so dig-\ nified a position; at any rate it was not one in which he had had any opportunity of " paying himself for his services. He thought they had arrived at a serious crisis in the affairs of the Province, and that it behoved every man carefully to exercise the privilege conferred upon him. by the Constitution. Responsible Government was the subject of much discussion, and great practical difficulties had attended

its initiation here and elsewhere. Butßesponsibility in its entirety could not be carried out with an elective Superintendent. He must come before the constituency with a declaration of political principles, and to those principles he was bound to adhere. This he could not do with an Executive also responsible, and which might be composed at various times of men of widely different opinions. The circumstances of the Province did not demand, and could not afford a large staff of paid officials, and a Superintendent whose duty would be only of a mere formal nature. < The latter should do the chief working business of the Executive Government, and with the Provincial Solicitor and Treasurer, who should be liberally paid, would be able to do all that was required. The present Executive, however, appeared to patronise only that element which enabled them to pocket the public money, and Mr. Howarth . came forward as their supporter. Let them look at the history of its formation, and subsequent proceedings. A short time since the public were startled by the announcement that a new Executive had been formed, consisting of elements hitherto supposed as likely to amalgamate as fire and water. For Mr. Cutten, one of its members, a new salaried office was created, which was said to be indispensably necessary, and at the subsequent re-election of that gentleman he jus tified himself for taking office by asserting that the Superintendent had professed himself willing to act only by the advice of his Executive. Mr. J. Cargill, however, who had been gazetted a member of the Executive, stated publicly and emphatically that his name had been used unwarrantably, without his sanction or knowledge, and that he neither had nor would have anything to do with the Executive. The Commissionership of Crown Lands, however became vacant, and no little excitement was created by the rumour that the vacancy had been filled up by the appointment of the Provincial Secretary. The extraordinary "irresponsible" speech of his Honor at the opening of the Council threw little light on the matter, for it at the same time left the appointment in the hands of the Council, and expressed his determination to act on the recommendation of the Executive that it should be conferred upon Mr. Cutten. From answers to questions given in the Council, however, the previous evening, but which, doubtless, for good and sufficient reasons, had not appeared in the paper that morning, it appeared that the appointment had been given to Mr. Uutten, that Mr. M'Glasban was the only dissentient, and that Mr. J. Cargill, in defiance of his previous declaration, had attended for that occasion only the meeting of the Executive. Thus. Mr. M'Glashan and Mr. Young being oppos-. Ed to each other, the appointment of Mr. Cutten to this important office virtually rested with Mr. Cutten and his brother-in-law, Mr. J. Cargill. This was a most monstrous piece of jobbery ; and if this was the working of " Responsible Government,'' he had no hesitation in saying it was the greatest curse that could have been inflicted on the community. Mr. Howarth said he believed the Government would forward some good measures. Perhapfc he would tell the electors what those measures were, for those which they had already initiated, and which had been printed, were little better than waste paper with the exception, perhaps of the Local Municipal Estate Bill, which proposed to hand over the administration of a most valuable and expensive property to. the immaculate Town Board of Dunedin. Mr. Lambert concluded by calling upon the electors to exercise their unbiassed judgment, and to vote accordingly. Mr. Howabtii said — Gentlemen and" Brother Electors, before I proceed to notice what has been said by my opponent, I will premise that I am proud to have been born in Great Britain, and to acknowledge all similarly privileged, whatever may have been the latitude of their birth-place, to be my countrymen. I am happy to testify, that since my arrival in New Zealand, I have received the kindest and most generous attention from every one I have met with. Like yourselves, I have quitted ray native country to take up my abode amongst the British race in this distant and promising land; and from duty as well as interest, we cannot regard with indifference anything that relates to our adopted country. lam surprised, on this occasion, to hear the constitutional privileges wo enjoy found so much fault with by my opponent ; he would fain persuade you that it is a grievance that you should be obliged to elect a Superintendent, as well as a Legislative Council, and that he did not see why we should pay a Superintendent if he could not trans- ' act the Government business without the aid of an Executive Council. To this I answer that the Constitution granted to New Zealand gives to its Province's greater and more democratic privileges than have been granted to any colony belonging to Great Britain ; and this character it obtained chiefly because it gives to the people the right of electing their Superintendent, instead of foisting upon them a Lieutenant-Governor, appointed by the Governor, and most probably unconnected with the Province. For my part, I consider the right of electing the Superintendent the most valuable privilege we enjoy, and I am quite sure that the electors of the Province will always be found equal to the task of selecting an individual capable of filling this post with dignity and honour, in a manner creditable to himself and beneficial to the public. It rests with you to choose competent persons to make and execute laws for the government of the Province ; and if we are not well governed, the fault rests with ourselves. The recent change in the Government effected by the Superintendent, in deference '( a s it appears to me) to public opinion, shews that our Constitution does not deserve that impracticable character which Mr. Lambert gives it, and that his Honor is not to be classed with those perverse and impracticable men likely to be chosen hereafter for the sole purpose of obstructing the Government. The effect of what I have stated in my address respecting the present Government and its measures, is, that a new Government having lately been formed, because the late one had declined in public estimation, a fair opportunity, ought to be given it for .establish.-'

ing a title to public'confidence and support; and as the electors of the Eastern District were instrumental in bringing about the change, and acted, I doubt not, on the occasion, to which I refer, < with dne deliberation, and. not from caprice, it is not to be expected that they will now seek to reinstate that which has passed away under their condemnation. In the recent appointment of Mr. Cutten, I see nothing objectionable, much less " atrocious.'' The post requires only administrative ability and integrity of character; and if Mr. Cutten possesses these, he is better qualified for it than a man without stake or standing in the Province, though never so well qualified to act .as a surveyor in the field. In England a naval man is never appointed First Lord of the Admiralty; and if the naval affairs of England can be properly superintended by a man not qualified to manoeuvre a fleet, I do not think ability to make a trigonometrical survey an essential qualification for a Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board: and as Mr. Cutten undertakes to perform the duties of Provincial Secretary and Chief Commissioner for one and the same salary, as is donein the Province of Nelson, I think the arrangement must be regarded as beneficial to the public. I have now only to add, that if honoured with your confidence, I shall consider it my duty to give effect to yowr views and wishes in all public matters; and if at any time I cannot do so conscientiously, but which I do not think possible, I shall be ready to resign my trust into your hands. Several questions were put to Mr. Howarth but he was unacquainted with the details of some of the Ordinances referred to. He, however, was strongly opposed to a poll-tax. The Returning Officer then called for a show of hands, the result of which was—For Mr. Howarth, 11: for Mr. Lambert, 10. The latter thereupon demanded a poll, and a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer closed the proceedings. The polling took place on Monday, and closed as follows: — For Mr. Lambert 39 For Mr. Howarth 22 Majority —If Mr. Seaton, on behalf of Mr. Lambert, (who was unavoidably absent,), thanked the electors, and Mr. Howarth having also briefly addressed them, the meeting separated.