THE ELECTION FOR THE CITY.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1172, 18 December 1868, Page 3

THE ELECTION FOR THE CITY.

MR. SHEPHARD AND THE ELECTORS.

Otf Tuesday evening a meeting of the- electors of the City called by the candidate, Mr. Shephard, of Feinhiil, was hold in the Provincial Hall, to hear an expression of his opinions on the political affairs. Tlih audience was tolerably large. On the motion of Mr. M. Lightdand, seconded by Mr. J. G. Miles, Dr. Irvine was culled to the chair. The Chairman said the electors within the nest few days would be called upon to exercise one of their most important functions, the choice of a gentleman to represent them in the House of Representatives. The present meeting was held for the purpose of one of the candidates, Mr. Shephard, giving an explanation of his views, and nlso for affording the electors an opportunity of putting any questions on which they might be desirous of obtaining Mr. Shepherd's opinions before they decided on the side on which they would record their vote when the election took place. He wns quite sure the meeting would give Mr. Shepherd a fair heuring. (Applause.) Mr. Sukpitaed, who was applauded on rising, then addressed the electors. He said:— The last occasion on which lie had addressed them was at a time when a very full meeting of the electors had assembled for the purpose of discussing the financial policy of the General Government, and which policy that meeting had all but unanimously condemned. The resignation of Mr. Stafford had followed the resolutions arrived at by that meeting, and they were now met for the purpose of hearing one of the candidates desirous of filling the vacancy thus caused. Not being an elector of the city he (Mr. Shephard) did not think that on the occasion'to which ho had referred, it would have been a gracious act on his p:irt to express an opinion as to the particular actions of the city representative. Much, however, as he (Mi1. Shephard) condeinnned certain portions of Mr. Stafford's policy, it must be admitted by all that Mr. Stafford was a man of distinguished ability, an orator, and a statesman of extraordinary knowledge and industry. It was, therefore, no easy task for anyone to fill the vacancy caused by that gentleman's retirement, —[A Voice: We want honest men]—and this view he felt sure would be held by all, however much they might differ with him. His ability must be admitted. The diffidence which lie (Mr. Shephard) naturally felt whilst seeking to succeed such a man had led him fully to express his views to the electors upon the more important political subjects ; this he had already done in a series of letters which had been published in the Nelson Examiner, and also in the views he had expressed at their former meeting with regard to the financial policy pursued or sought to be pursued by Mr. Stafford's Government. Having thus fully placed his views on record, he had not summoned them to meet him for the purpose of having any further explanation until, when last in town, he had been told by many electors that it would be very desirable for him. to call a meeting and again set his views fully before them. The electors of course knew the views they entertained on political questions, and when they had heard him they would at once be enabled to see whether ho (Mr. Shephard) would be a fit and proper person to represent, them. [Hear, hear.] Ho would deal with more prominent questions in tho order in which they had appeared in his address. First, then, as to'economy in the administration of the State. It might, to use a phrase current of late, be looked upon as a truism, that they ought to be always economical. At, present there wns extraordinary need for it. There was depression everywhere. Wool had never been known at so low a price since sheep had been introduced to the colony. With less money to be spent, therefore, everyone suffered and then arose a serious call for retrenchment. [Hear, hear.] The production of gold, also, had fallen off, and there was less employment, less export;. But greatest of all their difliculties wns the Native war, to the expenditure for which there seemed no certain end. It therefore seemed to him necessary, as an aid in supplying the money now requisite without too much increasing the public burdens, to effect a determined reduction of all the public establishments. [Cheers.] Every source of their revenue was now falling off, and there must be a corresponding reduction in departmental expenditure. [Hear, hear.] For every pound of public money that was spent, it should be seen that, as was paid some time since in The Colonist, there really was a pound's worth of value received. The Estimates should be strictly watched. Much, very much, depended on having a wcll-6rganized Ministry, for the greatest of reforms must come from the inside, not from the outside ; from the Government, not from the House. He had especially referred to tho question of accounts, because it was one which greatly concerned Nelson. It was not many months sincn the Provin* oial Government of Nelson had been informed of a defioiency of some £18,000 in flio sum supposed to b« $w to it ftw tho Qenevd Qommmt, Tb,is

had upset all provincial calculations, and was bad enough, but even that had been followed by the statement of a further deficiency of £I,7oo—thus rendering it impossible to carry our, the votes arrived at by the Provincial Council unless the province was run farther into debt. All these errors must have arisen from a complication of accounts, and such complication hud been more fully evidenced by Major Atkinson, when he made public the fact that a sum of £6,000 had for some time lain forgotten in the bank. [Shame]. It. must be an extraordinary system of accounts which admitted of mistakes like these. Instead of complication there should be greater simplicity of accounts, so that the Government might be watched, and errors like these be prevented from occurring—errors which actually put a stop to the public works of the province. [Cheers ] It must be clear that with such a system, many sinecures, many offices in which, savings could readily be effected, altogsther escaped attention. Make the public accounts plain and clear, so that every elector of moderate education should be enabled to go through the Blue Books. Economy must follow if this be done. Whilst he (Mr. Shepliard) had felt it necessary so long to dwell upon this subject, he must admit that he could not shut his eyes to the present condition of the North Island, where the best and bravest of their Volunteers had fallen— had been tortured, mangled, and eaton by the Maoris, whose atrocities exceeded even those of the horrible events at Cawnpore. Women had been frightfully treated; children, with their bodies mangled, thrown to the pigs for food; in fact an iteration of the atrocities was beyond any words of his. The impressive words spoken by Chatham most fully applied to the events now passing in the North: —" The cannibal savage torturing, murdering, roasting, and eating the mangled victims of his barbarous battles." These words were by no means too strong. It was our boast that we had here no noxious reptile, no beast of prey, yet, far worse than that, we now find the natives more subtle and deadly than the cobra, more ruthless and bloodthirsty than the tiger. The only mode of dealing with such human fiends was to entirely crush them out. [Cheers.] No peace could be made with a cannibal, no peace can exist made with men fighting like felons with a rope around their neck. One officer had been blamed for seizing some Maori messengers, and sending them away as prisoners. He (Mr. Shepliard) would also blame him, but not for the same reason ; he blamed him for not having hanged them to the nearest tree, as the emissaries of a murderer. [Cheers ] A lesson h*id been read to them in their own Parliament by a nntive, Mete Kingi, who had said : Why debate here about money, are not men fur more precious ? But how were the hostile natives to bo dealt with ? His opinion was that we must help ourselves ; we could not wait, for help from England or Australia ; before aid came from there the North Island would be a desert. It must be done by ourselves. FCheers.] Doubtless many of them had road a letter recently published by Sir I). Monro, from which he would read a passage:—" If we are to receive assistance from Imperial troops, it is unreasonable to suppose that these troops shall be under the orders of the colony. There must be no division of responsibility ascend lime. Let one party undertake the undivided management; and as it. can be none other but the Imperial Government.let the entire control be centred there." And further on:—" I should like to see it [that is, a Commission] authorized to suspend the Constitution for a time in the North Island, and to assume the position and the vigour of a dictator." There could be no doubt thnt the opinion of such a mini as Sir D. Monro was well worthy of consideration, but he (Mr. Shephard) must say that he differed with him. If New Zealand is to have a Dictator, he. must be elected by New Zealand—he must not come i'rom without. Let them not have a man sent to them from alar, who shall have power to send their young men to battle, to spend their money withoutcheck, and to govern really uncontrolled. Such would not do. Let them but reflect on the semi- i Dictatorship and conciliative policy of G-rey, of Pratt and Gould, of Cameron mid Chute ; did not bad results ensue from each ? Was not the result of their action the present hopeless, helpless condition of the North Island ? Was it not an enormous debt, heavy taxation, and heavy depression? [Cheers.] That the native rising must be put down once and for all, no one, he i hoped, would doubt. No money must be spared ; the honour of our race was concerned. It nnißt bo done, done carefully, but done it must be. [Cheers.] It would be an evil day for England should she grudge us speedy assistance. Should she be deaf to the cry for vengeance from the blood of her slaughtered children, then the loyalty so strongly shown not many months ago in 'these colonies would ap- < pear no more. The truest economy was to spend freely, in order that a speedy termination of this horrible struggle may be arrived at. Great parsi- : mony would be the greatest prodigality. Money spared now will be required fourfold at some future time. [Cheers.] It had been rumoured that in i consequence of this native war there would be an : early dissolution of Parliament, perhaps, indeed, before the member whom they were, about to elect could take his seat. Even if that dissolution did not take place, he (Mr. Shepliard) still thought that the Assembly should speedily be summoned for a short session, so that the money requisite for carrying on tho necessary measures for suppressing the native disturbance might be properly voted. The session need not be long, and every member ought to refrain from factious opposition to the Ministry, and apply themselves to getting the means for carrying on the war with vigor. There should be first a short, session and soon nfter that a dissolution. [Hear, hear.] The English Parliament had been called together for a short session in order to vote supplies for the Abyssinian expedition, and surely the native disturbance was, for New Zealand, of far greater importance than was the Abyssinian war to England. A speedy session of the Assembly seemed, therefore, not only desirable but requisite. [Hear, hear.] Having said perhaps enough, or more than enough, as to native matters, he (Mr. Shephard) would now proceed to consider the question of Separation. On their present union depended the only means of preserving their future prosperity. [Cheers.] An agitation for separation, begun in Auckland, and subsequently taken up by Otago, had now arisen in Canterbury. This was much to be regretted, for should the cry succeed, there could be no doubt that the Southern Island land fund must be swallowed up. Besides, who would advocate the separation of the islands whilst a native war raged in the North ? Would it be just for tho Middle Island to leave her northern sister when overrun by the brutal savage? The union of the colony had until nowbeen kept up by the vote of the southern representatives, who had plainly seen that united we could stand, divided we must fall. There should undoubtedly be uniformity of law and taxation throughout New Zealand. Another subject which had excited much interest was their Provincial Institutions. As this question was one on which it appeared that his opinion was somewhat doubted, he would read to them an extract from some remarks made by Professor Goldwin Smith: — " It seems to me desirable, both with a view of dealing with local questions, and with a view of training the people in the country and the country constituencies to political life, to which they are at present wholly unaccustomed, that some county assembly should be formed, and that tho business of the county should bo done by some sort of county representation." Now it appeared to him (Mr. Shephard) that this very system of county representation was what, New Zealand already pos'sesssed in her provincial institutions—institutions no part of which he saw any reason to surrender. [Cheers.] So-called counties were attempted to bo formed in parts of New Zealand, but they had not succeeded, for these counties, although of very large extent, really possessed no more population than a mere English parish. Ho (Mr. Shephard) saw no reason for further breaking up the system of Government they already possessed. If a road were required to be opened, a bridge to be built, a dock to be made, it was far likelier to he accomplished under their provincial system than by any other. [Hear, hear.] The administration of their waste lands was most important, and how could this be properly attended to exoept under the provincial system? If the waste lands were taken away or handed oyer to the Qenwftl Qoyerament there would, be no now

I roads, no more bridges, the money would all be ■ spent for what would be called general purposes. Did not Nelson herself plninly show the advantage of the provincial system by the ease and rapidity with which every requisite on the gold-fields had been attended to ? Every new rush on those fields was immediately known, and the requirements attended to by officers locally resident. Under the General Government, such would have been simply impossible. [Hear, hear.] He (Mr. Shephard) granted that they must reduce the cost of Provincial Government, but to reduce its cost and to abolish it altogether were two totally different questions. Do away with provincialism and substitute these Road Boards, and at once you produce that petty parochial mind so opposed to true public spirit. He had said that, if elected, he would devote especial attention to the interests of their province, and this was without any desire to cast an imputation against their former representative, whose assumed neglect of Nelson it was that caused the cry for his resignation. To saddle the debts of the provinces on the colony at large and attempt to pay off Nelson with a small amount, was not fair. Its result Avould have been that one of the institutions on which they prided themselves must have collapsed. He meant their educational system. [Hear, hear.] The clearest and safest course for settling the indebtedness of the provinces was that which had been proposed by the Superintendent of Nelson: —"He proposed to reduce taxation to the amount required by the General Government, leaving tbe provinces to provide for the payment of the interest on their debts by means of an Income and Property-tax, or some direct tax of that nature, to be passed by the House with a maximum limit, within which each province shall levy such a rate as was required to meet the interest on its debt." That, so far, was his (Mr. Shephard's) view. Let them raise money among themselves for the purposes of their Government, and let the charges on Provincial loans still continue to be an ultimate and not an immediate charge on the general revenue. [Hear, hear.] With the system proposed by Mr. Curtis he had identified himself, and it was a question that was exciting groat attention in almost every county in England. He hud traced agitation upon the subject from Kent to Northumberland, and found that the general feeling was in favour of a modified In-come-tax raised for local purposes. It appeared to be a self-evident proposition that all property receiving protection and benefit from good government should contribute to the hurdensofthedistrietin which it was situated. He thought that (his was the only system which would admit of any longer continuance of the Provincial system on a "cheap and efficient scale. He (Mr. Shephard) possessed no political party bins, and to that he should ever remain firm. If favoured by the confidence of a majority of the sleetors, he should go to the Assembly to support measures, not men. To look at the good'or evil of the proposed measures, and not, at the position of those who introduced them. [Hear, hear.] The leader of neither political party should be to him a Pope ; he would surrender to no one his right of private judgment. Having now exhausted the subjects mentioned in his address, he would say a few words on :ho changes which lie considered desirable. The first was as to the duration of Parliaments. He believed ;hat an Act which permitted a Colonial Parliament ■o be in existence for five rears, was a great evil to he colony. [Hear, hear.] It was too long for nembers to remain representatives of districts? the ■vhole features of which may in the meantime have jecome changed. In England, the duration of Parianient was seven years, though it but rarely lasted 10 long, and, if it did, it was almost invariably found ;hat members had become subservient to the existing Vlinistry. [Cheers.] But he (Mr. Shephard) thought ;hat three years in a colony were more than equal to 'even in the life of an old, Jong-settled country. 'Hear, hear.] A Parliament of five years opened he way to a large amount of political wrong-dome; t, to an extent, for some years, placed many memlers under the control of the Ministry, lest there hould be a dissolution and their scats be lost; and n the last year when constituents must be met, lowever rush the niwisures proposed, they were lupported in order to secure their seats afresh. Fie (Mr. Shephard)- would also advocate some lifforent system of taking votes. At present fc was nearly as bud as it could possibly w. In nil private clubs and societies members were idmitted by ballot, only because such n mode presented the occurrence of ill-feeling ; if such were ;he case among educated men, surely it needed "xtending to the ordinary voter, who was dealing .vith a much more important trust—namely, the .velfare of the State. [Cheers.] With members of he Assembly the question, of course, was different, because they were sent to Parliament for specific )bjects, and all those who sent them had a perfect •ight to see and know how they voted. The ballot, le held, would admit of cv^ry man voting strictly n accordance with his conscience. There would ;hen be no chance of pressure from employer, rejuests, almost demands, from creditors or neighbours, )r even fellow-workmen—for many quiet, intelligent, men, were now coerced by some turbulent neighbour ;o give their vote for the sake of peace, in opposition :,o their own convictions. If elected, lie (Mr. Shep■uird) would givo the ballot his most earnest support "Cheers], ie could do no injury and might work a rast deal of good. He would now consider the means of raising revenue. The Customs duties were overdone and with every increase of the duties it had been found that the revenue correspondingly fell away. Nothing had fallen off more than the duty 3n spirits, the most productive article in the tariff. What was one consequence of the high duties on spirits? Illicit distillation. Why fifty-seven stills had already been seized and there must yet be many more now in operation; smuggling had become an organized system, and therefore all honest traders were at a great disadvantage, and this smuggling was directly promoted by excessive duties. He thought, nay he felt sure, that most of these duties could be got rid of by the introduction to some extent of a system of direct taxation. [Hear, hear.] For this reason lie would vote for an Income and Property Tax, as, when in operation, every shilling sent to the absentee, every shilling lent on mortgage, and all the revenue derived from personal property that now escaped, would have to pay its share towards defraying the burdens of the State. [Cheers.] If this were in operation, every necessary of life now included in the tariff might come in free of duty, the spirit duties be lowered, and smuggling be got rid of. [Cheers.] It was only just and right that property should pay its share. Residents had to do so, and, in addition, to send their children to the war to defend the property of absentees. Ho had now, he thought, touched upon most questions, yet should be very happy to answer any question which anyone might put to him. He hoped those questions would be put clearly, in order that they might receive a clear and explicit answer. There was one more subject, however, which he wished to touch upon, and that was as to his motive in coming forward as a candidate to represent them. With too many men it was unfortunately a habit to attribute to any one seeking political honours the possession of base motives, that they were in pursuit of filthy lucre. He sought nothing save the satisfaction of discharging a public duty, and should they see fife to elect him, he would try to his utmost to achieve economy in the various branches of the Government, and to assist in laying broad and deep the foundation for a well-governed and prosperous country.

The Cha.ieman : You must all, gentlemen, have listened with much interest to the speech just delivered, but as there may have been some points which Mr. Shepha.nl did not. touch upon, on which you may desire information, and as he has expressed his willingness to answer any questions that may be put to him, I hope those who desire so to do will now come forward and ask those questions upon which they require information. There is one point upon whinh I feel a little curiosity, and that is whether Mr. Shephard thinks the colony should rely on its own resovwees or call in the assistance of the troops.

Mr. Sukpiiabd : I have no hesitation in saying thnfc J distinctly object to sending for the regulars at all. We have no time to spare for doing so if we desired it, and even if wo had the time we have no money. If the regulars were to come they would but be put to gamm the towoe, whilst ovu? own

settlers must still do the fighting. If the Home Government will, however, without charge, send some regulars here to assist us, well and good, but not; one i shilling would I pay. [Cheers]. Mr. Lttceie, who was received with applause, said, I had not intended to speak at all, but having fsken a few notes, it struck me that Mr. Shephard's proposals were not well carried out on what he had previously stated as general principles. After having heard so much about the necessity for decided steps to put a stop to the native insurrection, I should like to hear Mr. Shephard also state where the money is to come from. He said: —" The only means of meeting the cost of the native war is to reduce our establishments already existing.'* Mr. Shephard : A fo, no, I did not say so. You are entirely.wrong. Mr. Luckie : I took a note of what Mr. Shephard said at the time, and as I read it, I think I fairly quoted him/- however as he disputes it I shall waive that point. Mr. Shephard also said, "We must help ourselves, we cannot wait for aid from England and Australia"; yet there is no doubt about an offer of assistance having already been made by Australia and refused by Mr. Stafford's Ministry. We have boasted of self-reliance, but what has it amounted to, what has been done by the Colonial troops from the time the insurrection commenced until now ? Has it not been one scene of misnißnagement and disaster from beginning to end ? [Hear, hear, and applause.] Can we longer trust to the control of a Ministry who have shown such want of management? Can wo continue this frightful waste of power, of life, and of means, without any other result except disaster ? Talk of self-reliance, —why the Colonial troops since left to themselves, whether it arises from the mismanagement of the administrative Government, or from the blunders of those in immediate command, I knownot; —butthe fact remains that they only accomplished defeat after defeat for themselves. All the successes which have occurred during the present outbreak have been effected not by the Colonial forces, but by the friendly natives. [Applause.] It has been the fashion to deride the services of the Imperial troops ; but their mistakes arose from their being 100 much restricted. That ought not to be again; they ought to be made a serviceable force; but those who have sneered at their work, and at their mistakes, should look to what the Colonial forces have effected —[hear, hear]-—-they haveliterally failed in everything they have attempted, and have been driven in before the rebels. [Hoar, hear.] It is impossible that the Colony can continue this any longer. We cannot bear the pressure of further taxation, and to xccomplish what Mr. Shephard proposes, that no money must be spared, I ask where is the money to come from? The Colonial forces cost far more than the regular troops would do, and they have done Far less service; and to go on as we are doing, wilh such an enormous expenditure and 9iich a heavy rlebt, and yet achieve only failure, is impossible, our means will not allow it, and further taxation will tend to depopulate the Colouy. I shall just notice in passing tivo remarkable assertions of Mr. Shepfiard. He said that all measures of reform [Mr. shephard : ISTo, I said of economy]. Very well, of economy ; that all measures of economy must como From the inside, from the Government, and not from the House, or from the outside. Now there neve? ivas a greater fallacy, and I am disappointed that Mr. Shephard, from whom I expected different things, should have made such an assertion. All Governments ave^essentiaUy extravagant, and all experience proves this. There never was a reform effected, ■ :hei'e never was an oppressive tax remitted, there lever was true economy introduced in Government, ' ;xeept by pressure from without, and the. forco )f public opinion. [Applause.] He said too :hat ho should support "measures, not men." This used to be a popular, but it is a hollow oass-word, and has long since exploded and been disnissed from the minds of real thinkers. A hundred rears ago, the celebrated Junius termed that doctrine ;he doctrine of fools ; and I think he whs right, for lithough it seems a fine phrase, yet I contend that kvithout tho right men, you cannot have the right noasures—[hear, heur, and applause]—unless the menaresoundin principle their measures willbo wrong. We cannot gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles. [Applause.] Mr. Shephard also spoke of an Income tnd Property Tax scheme, a sort of Local Income Tax, which is, I know, a pet. measure of his Honor the Superintendent, but which I don't any more agree with on that account. [Laughter.] A Local Income Tax would be unworkable, and would fnil in the real objects of a true general Income and Property Tax, Tor they both must be combined. Mr. Shephard ;ell9 us that he has observed a feeling arising in Knglanrl, and spreading from the coalfields of Durham io the shores of Kent, in favor of establishing a Local ■ [ncome Tax. Well, this may be so, but lam not an inattentive reader of the English papers, and I must say that this is the first time I have ever heard of such ,i thing as a Local lucome Tax. All local taxes, with hardly an exception, Poor rates, Koad rates, Police rates, and Water rates, are levied on the annual value or the rental of the property benefited. There was at one time, some fifteen years ago, a system of Income Tax for the support of the poor, levied in a few townparishes in Scotland; but tho method was so obnoxious and so inquisitorial under a petty parochial authority (very different, as Mr. Shephard knows,from the Imperial Income Tax), that it has now been: universally abolished, and the system of rating on rental adopted. But I find that Mr. Shephard 'proposes two systems of Income Tax.

Mr. SnEPHABD: No, I did not; you mistake. Mr. Luckie : Well, I have no interest irt the present election, except that of one of yourselves, and a desire to see a member who shall best represent the opinions and advance the requirements oftheconsituents and the Colony. [A Voice : Why clon'ts you stand yourself? Cries of " Hear, hear," and upplause.] This Income Tax is a very important; point, though not, m yet, very popular; but I ■want to know, tlio oleetors want to know, what Mr, Shephard means by his Local Income Tax, in addition to that other Tncome Tax, which, I imagine-, must be a general tax, under which absentees and mortgagees of runs, are to be reached in England. A local tax of this kind would be diversified and irregular in its operations; and, to meet the absentee fairly and justly, it ought to bo general, for- the Local or Provincial Income Tax cannot produce equal rating of snoh absentee. But there is more than this, Mr. Sli&phard argues that we should assess the absent mortgagee of private property, but would allow the public mortgagee, tho holder of our Government debentures: .(General and Provincial, for they are all one now) to escape imtaxed. This would be a great mistake, and a gross injustice, [hear, hear,] fop if anyone should be taxed they should. [Applause-..] Take the Nelson. Provincial Waterworks debentures as an instance" These are now, under the operation ot the Pubfto Debts Act, offered for conversion into General! Government six per cent stock. Our dehoaturea were originally sold at about £98 for £100, —there orthereabouts,-*-! don't know the exact &om, but ib does not affect the principle. This boie interest aft 8 per oent. The General Government now offev to exchange this 8 per cent Provincial stock by giving £126 of six per cent General Government debentures for every £100 of the Waterworks debentures. That means that the fortunate holders of that stock after receiving for two years 8 per cent, interest, lire now offered a bonus of 26 per cent.; and, as theGeneral Government stock stands at a premium of some 9 or 10 per cent, above par, there is a presenfe of over 35 per oent. made to the Provincial bondholder by the conversion. Is not this a complete verification of what I said on tlm platform some twelve months ago, when condemning Mr. Stafford's policy in connection with the Public Debts Act, and whon I said that the Colony would lose £30 per cent, on their converted debentures? [Applause.] Wei1, what follows ? This stook, holders will convert ana sell out at the existing premium, clearing, besides their paid-up interest, some £30 per cent., and then they can lend their money out again at from £8 to £10 per cent. It is a large profit taken from the Colony under this iniquitous act? [Applause.] And yet it is these very people, these stockholders, who have it in their power to make so much, that Mr, Sliephard is prepared to allow to escape the operation of tho Income Tax, for that is the very olass which a Provincial tax would not reaoh 5 and'yet that ia just the class who specially ought not to escape, and who. can only be reached by means of a general a«3 nofc » lowllucQiaeTftx, [Keftv,h^r» and applause.] j^

]\IY. SiiiMiliarJ said lie was favorable to I.h<?ro being a short session of Parliament, in which Mk; House of Pf'iiivsfiiUitivps should content itself with voting the i.it'fV^tirv supplies for ciim-infr on the war, and tliat no opposition should bo offered to the Ministry. T.-fr. S". :-;i'H.\iU>: 1' '-aid no factious opposition. LI :\ Lrnak :It depends on what meaning you nit null io the word factions. The Ministry has confessedly mismanaged the war, and is the House to vote supplies- for still further mismanagement, without opnosifion ? r(To.mi', hear.] These are some points on which Mr Shephard's ideas seem at fault, and w'iif'i 1 think require explanation. [Applause, and " On on."] Mr. .SirnpjT.uiT): I have listened with some pleasure 1o i.'.!■:■ very animated remark-- of Mr. Luekie. But niiiv: I r-aid I would answer questions I did not 'lioi'.ljy inU'iid to answer speeches. If I were to do so \.-'.% miftliL :i- well turn this meeting into a species of dobntin^ fo;-vt.y. [Hem1, hear. ]If Mr. Luekie will V'lit his (•;■■■■ io'.w separately I-lipH endenvor to answer fh>--!i; but I cannot undertake to answer a sriVfli. i! hiir, hear.l Mr. Li.'• ■■>■:':■:: I .'"lioulcl not have spoken, nor did I juv-enc! to spo:il; at :>,ny lnnplh, but Mr. She]ihavd iuvitcd discussion on his speech, and I took advantage of his invitation. I\» ; U put tlie questions categorically. On whai- ground do you urge that wo should help ourselves V Where is the money to conic from? Ar:: wo to borrow again, and again further tax ourselves ? Mr. Sll i^ir.Vßii: lam not the Colonial Chancellor of the E/ichequor. If it be necessary to borrow io put a stop to the war, borrow we must. In an emergency Jiko this as much money as would bo requisite to crush the rebellion could be raised, and I believe not at an extravagant rate of interest. [Ilcav, hear.] Mr. Lvckte : You say you suppose the money can be raised and placed in proper hands. Are we then to trust, the present, Ministry to expend it? Arc they, iudgir.?1 them by their acts, the proper parties to have ih..' disposal of this money. [Hear, hear, and applause.] Mr. SriKriiAnD: I think I said I oppose the present Ministry on many questions to the utmost of my power. I ennnol, have the full confidence in them which you would impute. Mr. M. Lic-rteand asknd Mr. Shepherd what was 3iis opinion of the Colonial Crovernirieiii.'s management of the native war. [A Yoio:: That's a poser.] Mr. SiniPHAKT) said lie thought, the war had been highly disastrous. The mismanagement had been of :; most serious ohfu'iicter, and it. might, bo said had led to ilie.-e disitc-lers. 7f the Assembly were called to^e.tiier !ho subject, of the future management wouhl no (loiibi. fail [o be considered. Mr. LiGimjANß asked wl-,elher Mr. Sh.ephard would be pro;;aivd to alioJish the printing of the <!elm't!s in Jfanrrtnt, which caused a great expense. Mr. Siu:;'irAk!> t'lought that that nrinting waa 3ifci's?arv, for without it the proceedings of the House would coos-1 to have any public, life. r.lr. I.tgjiti;a>'d : Would you support the paymo!it of tht? honorarium to members ? Mr. ShkT'jIAKD : Yes, because if that were done | away with it would be only men of larsie means who fou'd p;o up ; and the country wovM then be j'i the hands oi'ssich men. with probablva, few plsce-hnnteTS a.:ul adveiitr^ers, who wou'd go to sen what they could get. The man who sacrificed his time in the pull!.:' service- ouslii. not to be a lo«ei*, or have to do an injiivticLl Io liini'e^f or h'.s inmily. His expensjes oii'.'ht to be paicl. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Lkvkstaif : You have spoken of the conduct of th» war ; if you were elected would you support I'll-? .Staiibrd ministry who Lao so conducted the v.ar ? Mr. SiH'PirvTJD : That i-- a qne-tion which requ'res to be considered. All we know of the war has been ]<-ar:;cd fr^ai incor.iiik'te nawspp.pei* accounts, and iH iiic-'c v.'oro not alway.? to be relied on, I should, if r i' nv;ii d. wait un'il the llou-^e liad taken evidence, aid h.id iili tlm docinneiifs iaid before it., so that a- (! ■(•i.-^)-! could be arrived at, and I should then do evae'jy ii accordance v-th the cvidenc:; produced, (i'p-r, i.e.:r. "oh, oli,:! an;! a laugh.) 11 rc-ily to Mr. Cr.EJtBVT:', who complained of the stringent, nature of an act-of last session respect ing lawyers'fees, which wore a great tax on the people, c-jvxvally in tiie. transfer of land, .7>Lr. f-'n'EPi: ak;> saul the greatest cause of complaint vp.i t i I*s fact, of '!u fees bci'ig defined by Act of As-cnibiy, w.liv: which it had pnved pii-sil)lc to levy a ffe of ,(:dUO for o:ie deed. He should give the r-iio|.".'i- liis best a! tent'on, and shon'd mlso like to (l.'voio Pome consi'ieratioji to the working oi' Torreus' 11. g;--it vn t :.<m A ct. (i: car. hear.) Ah*. Cji.vte asked whether Mr. Shephn.nl would, if rr-tiiined, advocate a reiluction oi'seats in the Ho;ise of Kepresentatives, and the reduction hi the number of ni'.'mbei'.s by one-third. ?.!r. Siuci-RAUTi: Yes. I think t/'at would be a. useful measure of reform, and would tend to exjv.iih; the progress of business. }.:»•. i^xncsTA'M ■ Would you retain the Maori ]n--Mi'). !■«: .\- :•. :■•'': I'j'iiAi!^ : Tliat. is a difficult question. Had 1 '■> . ■■!) ;:i tl;e Jlouso I should have opposed their .•!i!nM--i'-ii. I must s'iy tint the measure was so litrivi ■■.■• :. u■■..-"■■'atc-riianlikc, that 1 cloubt the judg■jiici!. 'T : :!-• man who introduced if. .Hut we now h:iv:- JWi'.ori meml'H'r-., and considering that wo are 3v--.'i;viiig giVMi' sei'v.iccs from some of the tribes, I ihini; it ■inn:-.', take time, before the-c members are };■'-.!. ri'l of. I -w.-iuM rathe;* do liii:: Take awnv 1l:i-ii" MMtr; in ill." J/twi-r llou-c. ri'''fing on the sugg'-5' lio.'iof Air. T^il/Miierald to in'ro.lacc liiemb-rs of (lie :Mao:-i nobility, put, I'iPi;; in the Upper House, put Ihem wi;ii our ov.'i ari-:-o."racy [a laugh] where they would ccr! 'inly do quite as much good with little ]»"■•"" of doing luirir.. Mr. rifiM-s moved that Mr. Shcpbard is a fit. and proper nerson to represent this city in the Parlia2)ic:!t of Xew Zealand. Mr. .r. W. Y'nri-rc seconded the motion. ~Sh: B. Jackson* moved as an amendment " That IhU meeting is greatly obliged to Mr. Sliephard for liaving calh-d them together and giving them the in'orm&tion ho has." This (uiicndmeiit was seconded, and on being put to I In? vole was negatived. Toe original motion was then carried. A. vo'e of thanks to the Chairman terminated the pi't'feeding?.

Cur.isT-u.'.s Holidays.—lt has boon suggested by fioma tradesmen that .Boxing Day, which (his season .fsi'ls on «. .Saturday, should be hold on Iho Monday following, as it would be inconvenient, both for i ra/iespeopln iind storekeepers, as well as the public, .for two holidays (Christmas and Boxing Day), to immrdiiiiT-ly precede Sunday. The matter is, wo pivsumo. in the hands of shopkeepers and business pooplo themselves, and, no doubt, an aii'ang.miont coidd be made and carried out, if properly notified to the public, for holding TSoxing Day oa Monday, ?(' that wore generally deemed advisable.

iSoMMTiifsr; tom Tin: Nr.T,soN Government to .Look to.—"A Minor," writing to (lie Grni River „•/;y//?.<?, says :—" I forward these i'aw linos to you" journal io see, if you can devise any moans by which i!i<; minors and residents of IS'elson Creek can pot protection from a bund of ruffians who carry on the most brutal oonduot imaginable in this district, d>sgrar'ng then- country, and brooding animosity iiiuo!i£-'t a community whoso aim ought to be unity. Sunday up here is a day never heard of but. in the almanac. True, wo have a sergeant of police, but of what, use is be to the population. It is a living den of riot. It on cannot for a, night go out expecting to (.•onif homo again sound in J'nib. Stones are flyiiijj m all d'rret'ons; pinoes of business are stoned nightly, more like a civil war being carried on than anything else T could compare it to." The editor r.-marks: —" We have frequently called the attention of the Nelson Government to the want of po':cc protection for this creel;, but apparently without eifoet. If they will not give sufficient protection, the wc'.l-d'sposcd diggers, who must Ijh in the majority ought to take the matter into then1 own hands, arid by organisation forcibly put down the rowdies, who have now ' ruled the roast' there long enough."

Robuehy by an Ex-Detective at Westi'Okt. —A fen' days ago, at the Westport Police Covvi, .Tamos Rowley, well-known at one tune as a membor of the detective force in Otago, and. on the West Coast Gpldfields, vraa charged with entering the

premises of Samuel Hughston. hotel-keeper, and of Moulin" therefrom a pocket-book containing a £l-no(e and a cheque for £2. Rowley was cleverly captured. The police got a suspicion of an intention on the part, of Rowley to possess himself of some of liughston's property ; nnd two oilicers —Sergeant Williams find Constable Invin —placed themselves, on Sunday evening, in concealment behind Hnghston's house. While" there, Rowley passed in at the back-door; there was a noi?e of the cutting of calico ; and in a few minutes Kowley came out. The oilicers emerged from their concealment, and poized him. He wtv literally "(rapped," for in his pocket wore found Hughston's pocket-book, which had, half an hour before, been left under Hughston's pillow, all the money in it being a £1 note and a cheque for £2 from Detective Lambert! At the lock-up Rowley seemed to have exercised less caution than his experience in apprehensions must have taught him was necessary, for he uttered a maxim which was duly " used against him." He said —"It is as well for a man to be in jail as to be at large without money." For quite a different reason the Magistrate sent him to gaol for six months with hard labor. — Westport Times. A Child Poisoned by Matches.—At Auckland, on Dee. 11th, an inquest was held on the body of Sarah Butterworth, a child, who died from eating lueifor matches. The juvy returned a verdict of il Accidental Death" ; and added a rider, cautioning persons who have the charge of children against allowing them to play with matches. Shocking Death. —The body of a man, which had been mutilated by w;ld dogs, was found a week or two ago near a native settlement on the road from Taupo to Jfapier, and is believed to be that of Mr. George Firth, formerly of the 65th Regiment, and lately a native instructor at Maketu aid Ohihemutu, Auckland Province. Takanaki and the Ministry.—Condemnation or Ministers and their Policy.—On Saturday last a largo public meeting was hold in Taranaki to consider the policy of the Ministry. The followinc resolution was proposed by Mr. Hulke, and seconded by Mr. Lethbridge':—" That the settlers of NW Plymouth have no confidence in the Stafford and Richmond Ministry as at present constructed, because of (11. The retention of Colonel Haultain in office as War Minister against the wishes of the people ab large. (2). The omission of any allusion to native disturbances in the Governor's speech, as read to the General Assembly. (3). The withholding of (lie most important part of Bishop Williams' telegraphic message to the Colonial Secretary, relating to the insecurity of the Poverty Bay district. (■%). The utter want of direct n:ilive policy, combined with gro»s mismanagement in native affairs, and culpable neglect in providing for the safety of European settlers in the out-districts." Major Brown, ex Superintendent of Taranaki. moved, a^ an amendment, " Tlvit Mr.' If ulkc's resolution be read that day six months." This amendment was supporter! by Messrs. Cutfield, Kin<r, and Kelly, but when put to the meeting on y fifteen hands were held up for it. On 'he original resolution being put, the Chairman said Ihe could not. count tho number of hands that were shown in its favor. The resolution was therefore carried by an immense majority. Rise is the Pkice ov Mai-tut, rs Pttcmii.— Latest advices from tho Mauritius, via Adelaide, state that the supply of sugar wits very deficient, and prices had advanced 2^. per ewt. Several vessels had left the port in ballast, being unable to obtain cargoes. Tlie deficiency is estimated at as 8 to 3 on last year's stock. Latest from the Furs.—Latest adv"cen, via Sydney, state that there is some talk about the discovery of gold on the I\ ravua river. The cotton crop was by no menus a fii'lure. On one plantation over 61 tons had already been picked, in first-rate condition. It was reported that coal had been discovered nt lv:id:ivu. Zsativo matters in tho Rewa district continue in a very unsatisfactory state. IFoT;r,o\VAY's Ointment and Pills. —A certain reinedv for diseases of the skin. Ringworm, scurvy, scrofula., or king's evil, sore heads, and tho most inveterate skin diseases to which the human race is subject, cannot be treated with a more safe and speedy remedy than TTolloway's Ointment and PP'.s, which act so peculiarly on tho constitution, and so pvir'fv the blood that those diseases are eradicated from the system, and a lasting cure is obtained. They are efficacious in the cure of tumors, burns, scalds, glandular swellings, uVerous womuK rheumatism, contracted and stiff joints. These medicines operate mildly and surely. The cure effected by them is not temporary or apparent only, but complete and permanent. — Advt.