MESSRS ARKLE AND M'KENZIE AT PALMERSTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1449, 30 August 1879, Page 10

MESSRS ARKLE AND M'KENZIE AT PALMERSTON.

Palmkrston, August 21.«t. At tbe Town Hall to-night Messrs James Arkle a> d J> hn M'Jfenzie addr^assd a meetiug of the electors aa candidates for the rapresealafcion cf the Waikouaiti district in the House ot lttjprt^entalives. Mr Ohas Htyneß, the mayor of PJmerston-^ occupied the ou&ir, and th.-re were about 25(fc I ier><>i)B proxtuit. I Mr Smith opered the meeticg by explaining, that bot» candidate were in tho -Lioeral iHr teres*. I' both j^e i sUted in Ro:n^ to tha poll ' there Wwuld be a tp'ifc, and the Libera l odvocftt'iS would bs defiwted iv thf jr aims. It was. for tbe prf-Fent m-Jtti >% to decide which candi--data to supprrt. He would call on Mr M'Kenzie to state what course he was gjing: tff- | adoot. ! Mr M'Kenzie, who was warralv received,. ' said Le was quit* pt-e ..tared to give way iv ! favour of Li * i ri«-nd M<■ Aik'e if tho meeting ho f'e-ired ; but if fie d>,otnr* wished him to g-» , to thep«ll, he was r^flfly and willing to dosu.. j —(Applause.) Be to k iraS a^ause as » sign tha*; theme3<iug wishedhim t^-tiod, &<*lie would pi *ea hut viewo be f ort> them, and them they could cfto which candidate to give their; sunrort t". The speaker then announced himsetf as * Liberal, and ttpoke with reference- ta th« variouK qu 6ti'»»'B oom^oiing the platform put forward »>y thai par.y suca ao uiachi'ict (■uffrsffe tri-imml \ arba-nei ts, and the recistrilmiion of veati. Hd>-aid tDafc one of t'leproBtnt ac usafciona brought a.pin»t Sir (Jeors;© Gr<jy was that he ad>i"ed Ma fjll>*ers nott\> a-'fiflirt t > th-* L*nd Bill. H« ci n-idered that SirG*> rg^i Grty wa-i perf-c iv c-irr»ct ia ta« I course h- had adopted, and the people would ye' come to aclciitwl ''git- Thtn Sir (jrenrg* had »1* > b«en acc-sei of g gging tbe Prest. TJxjH". was iibmrd. If they t.-ok nn tbe papers ot Otag't, f r in«tsi<ico, they would fi&d ttafe nearly the wuol« of them uer^ dnad a§aiasf> the present Government. Tho junior morning; city paper, in pnrtii-uW, had writ'e'i d >wn the G >vf rnment over th« special wire bu^iiwss ail nauseam —so much »>, inde<-d, that he ('h» speaker) hai l'^n^ i.g<> ri>a«ed t-> lead what, tiie pa •erf-aid coEo^rninsr ih t 6U 1 ject, a pur-jecfc which it hari. no donbfc, unusual int>reft iixHecmtended that the char^o of mali^-'mtnisi-tjati«n ugain-t th- Govmmuet.t wan untvtiabl-.; and as f>r the Oppo^ti-u, be couH not res what policy they h>vd to put forward* H«* trusted that the contwt would be frea from {•ersonal fe^liDgs, th-tt i* would be one between tho principles of Liberalism aTvd CJonservatism^, and that the district wmili gupiort a local man who would faithfully l»r>k after i's particular interests.- -( Loud a^i'l-us'). Mr Jamejj Arkle «h n came forward to a<ldr^B the «iue«Hn?, and was recced with ea~ thnsi^aoi. He gave hi* ivasouM for enntoatiug: the election, snit'gr that when conmlted as to» whether he would stand f'U* the distu: f , he was promised cons-i larablo suptiorr, and pledged bimvlf to^o to the [mil. This i-10/gt he was houno io carry ou% and therefore lo lh«px>Jl Fie Tnf j fded to go. conto what nusht.— (f^eera.J As Cue his p litical opinionn, ihry wete no-t,

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formed only that day, but were the result of much thought. He was of opinion that every man not tainted with crime was entitled to a ▼ote in the representation of the country he lived in. The question of the incidence of taxation was one ot the utmost importance. He thought that the necessaries of life should be exempted from taxation as far as possible.— (Hear, hear.) Regarding the question of triennial parliaments, he considered that the representative of a district could not be brought too often before his constituents. It was for the benefit of the district, and he did not believe in that representative who only showed hia face when he wished to secure the votes of the electors. Ab the present was only a preliminary meeting, he had contented himself with giving the slightest sketch of his views on one or two subject*. He would enter more fully into detailß ab a future time— (Continued applause.) There t/ere here loud calls for Dr Brown, but that gentleman refused to come forward as a candidate. Mr T. M. Smith proposed, and Mr Matthew Todd seconded — " That Mr Arkle is the most fitting and proper person to represent the district in the General Assembly." _ There being no amendment, the motion was declared carried amid much acclamation. Mr SMITH moved — " That the thanks of the meeting are due to Mr M'Kenzie for hiß address." He was glad that someone had got the courage to prevent an obstructive Tory member from having a complete walk-over— for he could designate Mr McLean as nothing elae. He considered that if they put Mr M'Lean in again, it would be greatly to the detriment of the district, and tbat ha would be tho only member of the late Opposition in the new Pariament. The motion was earned with cheers. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.