CAMPBELLTOWN.

Southland Times, Issue 2247, 27 December 1875, Page 2

CAMPBELLTOWN.

At a thinly-attended meeting called by Air Wood, the candidate for Mataura, held in the Eagle Hotel, Campbelltowri, on the evening of the 23rd inst , Mr Ford ham being voted to the chair, briefly introduced the candidate, and hoped the meeting would give Mr Wood a fair hearing. Mr "Wood then addressed the meeting at considerable length, and attempted to show that the General Government were more corrupt, more expensive in the working of their departments, and far more negligent than the Provincial Governmeuts. He quoted from Hansard a speech by Major Atkinson, where that gentleman said that over one million and a half had been expended as sops, that is, money expended on political railways in order to secure votes, and to keep themselves m office. He also quoted from a speech by Sir Julius Yogel, where JSir Julius says that an intermediate form of government is thoroughly necessary, and that the Government had no right to interfere with Provincial institutions any more than the Provincial Councils had a right to interfere with the General Government, Mr Wood went on to say that our interest would be better watched over by gentlemen chosen by ourselves,and who would be responsible to their constituents, than any person or persons appointed by the General Government, and only re- J sponsible to them ; knowing little aud caring less about our wantd, and only desirous of pleasing the Government of the day. There was .£41)00 voted by the Provincial Council for the Bluff wharf extension, not a penny of which had yet been received, owing to the General Government, who will not sanction the ex pending of any money for contracts exceeding ilOOo, so that although we do not receive this money, it ia not the fault of provincialism, but Generalism. A represeutative should, without doubt, be a local man, because he can know better the wants of his district than a man living a considerable distance from his constituents. After a number of questions had been asked the candidate, amongst which waa tbePiako swamp question, which has been worked threadbare by the Provincial party, Mr McDougall proposed and Mr rfpeucer seconded that Mr Wood is a fit aud proper person to represent us in the General Assembly. Mr Waddel, who had asked the candidate a number of questions, said that, holding different views from Mr Wood, he considered it his duty before allowing the motion to be put to the meeting, to propose the following amendment — This meeting thanks Mr Wood for his address and regrets bis adherence to Provincialism, which compels us to withhold our support from him at the forthcoming election. On the Chairman's putting the amendment there were 2 for and 3 against it. It was therefore lost by one. The original motion waa carried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought a very lively meeting to a close.