PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2055, 5 June 1890, Page 2

PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

MR S. BUXTON AT GERALDINE. Mr S. Buxton, M.H.E. for Eangitata, addressed his constituents in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Geraldine, on Monday evening last. Mr W. S. Maslin, chairman of the Geraldine Town Board, occupied the chair. At the time appointed for the meeting, 7 30., there were not a great many personspresent, but duringthe evening the hall was well filled.

Mr Buxton, who on rising to speak was greeted with applause; said he was pleased to have the opportunity of: addressing them once mors, and he l was glad to say he had some good news to tell them. He wished to tell them of a few of the most important events of last session, in. which they were most interested. When he had finished, if there was anything he had! omitted he would be happy to givethem any information in his power on the subject. One of their first duties when they went up last session was to appoint a leader for the Opposition. As they were aware, the Opposition: had no recognised leader: they managed their business by a committee of gentlemen appointed. 1 his was, however, not so successful as haying one appointed leader, so after a good deal of persuasion Mr John Ballance consented to take the leadership, and during the whole of the session he (the speaker) was well satisfied with the way in which he had conducted the business of the party. To his mind he was the best man they had there at present, One of the first Bills they had to deal with was the TRIENNIAL LICENSING BILL, This Bill had been before the House on various occasion. He was strongly opposed to it the session before last, but not so strongly opposed to it last session. He was in hopes that when the Bill came before the committee of the whole House he would be successful in getting in a clause enabling women to vote as well as men for the election of members of the licensing benches. They were not successful, however, but he thought the Bill would be an improvement, and would not be detrimental to the cause of temperance and the public generally. Another Bill was the

EIGHT HOTJES BILL, To his mind this Bill was not of much importance to Canterbury, It appeared to him it was a useless measure, and although he had been censured by some for the stand ho took when this Bill was before the House oa its second reading, he was against it because he thought it unnecessary. There were some provisions in it he objected to. One was that 8 hours should constitute a day’s work, and 48 hours a week’s work; that a man should be bound only 8 hours per day, and 48 hours per week. He thought this unnecessary, because the farmers in Canterbury, as well as the employers, considered 8 hours sufficient for men to work and a fair day’s work. One of his greatest objections to the Bill was because the member for Sydenham would not admit of any amendment to it in any shape or form. The speaker pointed out how impossible it would be to apply the Bill to, say, farm laborers working horses, who would of course have to attend to their feeding. Then there were engineers in charge of saw mills, shepherds at mustering time, ordinary farm laborers at harvest time, domestic servants who had to prepare food, and many others to whom it would be next to impossible to apply the Bill. He considered it would work against the interests of the working classes, and considered the Bill was more of an attempt to to catch the vote of the working man rather than an expression of real honest opinion. If his constituents thought it was necessary to legislate in that way he hoped they would let him know their views upon it. He did not see why if a man took a contract and agreed with his man to work nine or ten hours a day they should not be allowed to do so.

THE Hi.EE SYSTEM. They had most of them heard a deal about the Hare System of representation, Ihe House had it before them for several days, and it was debated at great length. His opinion was that it was a heavy blow at democracy, that it was aimed at the overthrow of the rank and file of the House. He knew a great deal more about it now than he did when he was before them last, but he did not know so much about it as to be any more in favor of it at all. It appeared to him it would be the means of causing men to vote for men they knew nothing at all about. He Asked what would they, for instance, know about men living in Dunedin or any other part of the colony who came forward as candidates for the House. They would simpljr know them only by name, and his opinion was that when they sent a man to Parliament to represent them they should know something about bis private life, for there were many with a very high name who were not by any means fit to be trusted with the interests of the artisan class. He did not think the Hare System should ever become law. THE REPRESENTATION BILL. The Representation Bill proper came down very soon after the Hare system bill had been dropped. That was discussed at very great length indeed. The principal objection was the quota. The country members united by a large majority in agreeing upon 83£ as a quota against the towns. It was,

finally decided, however, that 28 should be the quota. But during debate and stonewall on the bill they had a very wearisome and trying time. A great many hard things were said, and he sometimes sat in his place with very hard and bitter feelings. He was sometimes considerably annoyed by the outrageous remarks made by some of the city men. They spoke very 'strongly against the farming community, and made use ot some very hard language. He thought their idea was to make some of the latter rise to answer them, and so prolong the debate, The country members!, however, made up their minds not to do so, and' in their exasperation, the city menj called them such names as clodhoppers! and country bumpkins, who knew! nothing about the requirements of the; country. He often felt exceedingly indignant to hear his constituents j spoken of in such a slighting manner,! and occasionally, told the city men he' should get up and answer them.. They! jeeringly taunted him to try it, so one evening he took the opportunity of; giving them a piece of his mind. He! was determined not to give them much! breathing time by prolonging the debate, but he told them among other; things that it was very hard for a| countryman to sit there and listen! to them abusing his constituents in the way they were doing. He told them he was proud to call himself a; farmer, and a farmer’s representative ;j that there were in his constituency many highly educated and intelligent men well able to understand the necessities of the country, and for the gentlemen on the other side, those; smoke-reeked seoty-faced towsmen, to stand up there and call his constituents 1 country bumpkins and clodhoppers was more than he could stand. He was surprised to hear gentlemen of education and ability use such language as that. Ho went on to tell them that many even of the servants of his constituents were superior to a great many of them, and that after they had finished their day’s work they took up the paper and read what was being dene, and were better able to judge as to the requirements of the country than some of those who spoke so slightingly of them. (Laughter and applause.) The house seemed to be in convulsions while he was speaking, and some of the members were rather wroth* One young man was very wroth, but he (the speaker) thought he was not very well, had got liver complaint or something, (Renewed laughter.) This young man sent a paragraph to the Lyttelton Times in which he said: “ Only fancy, the member for Geraldine becoming a follower of Sir John Hall! Oh ! where’s Rolleston ? ” He (the speaker) had to excuse the writer for some of his remarks on account of his youth. They had to excuse each other upin W ellington fora good many things. However, this Representation Bill had passed into law, and they would see the effect of it at next election. One of the best features was the one man one vote principle. This was a clause he thoroughly approved of. He i would give them one or two reasons why he approved of it. For instance, under the old bill a man might have property in seven or eight different electoral districts, and if he could manage to reach them all in one day he could rote in each of them. Supposing a man had 10,000 acres in 10 different districts, he had the opportunity of voting for ten different men, while another man who had, say, 20,000 acres in only one district could only vote for one man. A man might own several quarter acre sections purchased for the purpose of having several votes, while another person having a large amount of property in one district was only entitled to one vote. It appeared to him the one man one vote principle was much the best. Suppose a man had a targe number of men in his employ, say a farmer employing 100 men. These men were furnishing him with the funds to pay the dues and working expenses of that farm, it was from their bone and sinew he derived the means of paying his way and their wages, and making what profit he did out of it. He might be a little superior to them in intellect, but bis wealth and ability was supplied by these men who worked upon his farm, and he, (the speaker), considered the men who produced the wealth had as much right to say who should represent them m Parliament as the man who owned the property. These were some of the reasons why he approved of the one man one vote principle. Another reason was that if they asked him to come forward again for election, be would, under the new bill, have a much better chance of getting in. (Laughter and applause.) THE OTAGO CENTRAL EAILWAT BILL was another of importance which come before the House. He must give his reasons for opposing this measure, because the previous session he was strongly in favor of it. When th A me^P r , for Dunß tan had charge of the Bill he proposed that the railway should be mad© by a syndicate who should be compensated with laud something like the Midland Railway Company. He (the speaker) was still of opinion that if the Otago central railway were built from one end to the other by a landed syndicate it would be a good thing not only for Otago in particular, hut for the country as a whole m the course of time Like many another railway it might not pay at first, but no doubt it would in time and would be af vast advahtage to the colony. Last session, however, the

Premier brought in a Bill of a different character. The proposal was to build the railway by taking £15,000 from the unallotted loan that still remained in, and that £200,000 should be borrowed from the trust fund ß of the colony to carry the railway to what was termed the paying point. This did not suit the House, and many of the members, himself among the number, strongly opposed this system of borrowing behind the curtain. They did not think it right to takethe country’s funds and involve them in this way. It was simply borrowing money in a way that, .was nbtsjo. easy to be but : they’ would eventually have to go ito the London market and borrow-to refund this money. If the line were built in this way upon borrowed capital the land would afterwards he sold to sneculatorsi and these would sell it again at a very ■/ enhanced valne to bona.' fide settlers, and the men who iwere reaping the benefit of their toil and labor would perhaps be enjoying themselves on the . continent of Europe or elsewhere, while - the settlers worked to support them..' He considered if they must borrow money they should come * out openly and boldly and; propose to go upon the London money market and borrow .money aboveboard, add let. the conn* try-know what they were doing. . To borrow money for the woik in the way proposed was simply borrowing it under a curtain. He did not think, however, these railways should be gone on with to any great extent till the country was in a better position than it is, The cost;of these railways must come upon the taxpayers and I increase the liability of the country.,

CALIFOBNIAK - THISTLE^ Another measure brought before the House during last session was the Californian Thistle Bill. He had spoken to them about this the last time he addressed them. They did not condemn him then for the action he had taken, and he had followed the same course this time. He considered it would be spending the money of the public wrongly to legislate upon this question. The best way for the farmers to deal with the Californian thistle was to let each farmer take care that he kept his own farm clear of it rather than for the Government to pay inspectors to travel the whole country to see that this thistle was kept down. It would cost a great deal money, and really do no good. The thistle, however, was the same as the well-known English and Scotch thistle. He had it upon his own farm, and had watched it for the past two years, and was not at all afraid.of it. He simply cut it down when it was in bloom, and it gave him no further trouble. It could easily be kept down by tne farmers themselves, and he considered it would be a waste of public money to appoint inspectors to look after the indication of this weed and would de no good. If the Bill came up again he would take the same stand as he did in the past.

THE EEOEEETT TAX. The Property Tax Bill was debated at considerable length. Many of the North Island members—and some of the bouth—-were in favor of having in place of the property tax a land and income tax. He bad listened with great care to long arguments on this question, and he was of opinion, after giving the matter his careful consideration, that a« bad as the property tax might appear to be in its present form, and at the present time and in the present state of the colony, it was the best tax they could have. The property tax as at present formed was a land tax. It left every man free who had no more than £SOO to his name after ah his debts were paid. After the £SOO he paid property tax upon whatever he was worth, con* sequently the tax got at property and wealth. They might, perhaps, ask him why not tax the £500? Ho considered that the man who had only below the £SOO paid far more in proportion to his income to the revenue of the colony through the Customs than those that have a large amount of property. Consequently, if the poor and working classes pay more in proportion te their income it must be fair to put this tax upon those who held property. It was said it was a tax upon the industries of tne colony. He knew it was, but how to remedy it he could not at present see. It appeared to him to be as good a tax of direct character as they could have. If he c mid see that a land and income tax would be of greater benefit to the colony he would yield to it with great pleasure, but he did not see that. If they crushed the working classes they crushed the wealth-producing people of the colony, and did them an injury which they ought to be careful to guard against. One gentleman in Ashburton was in taror of trying au income tax, a land tax, and a property tax. The land tax would be upon the land, the income tax tor lawyers and doctors and civil serxants, and the property tax would reach those who had luxuries such as carnages, etc. He (ihe speaker) did not approve of this; it would form re© branches of taxation where one caught the whole. If a man received is £IOOO a year he did not by any means go free. If he spent tne £IOOO a year he contributed more to the revenue of the colony through the customs than if he saved £SOO of it. ir he saved, say £SOO a year, out of is £IOOO the property tax caught mm, and he had to pay through that, -tnere was only one class that could escape the property tax, and that wa«

those who were absent from the colony, and were receiving a large amount of money in the shape of income. In his judgment the property tax was the best they could have imposed upon -.them. EDUCATIONAL FRANCHISE. He regretted the Educational Franchise Bill did not pass. In many parts of the colony there were serious complaints made about the plural voting at the election of school committees, and it had caused a good deal of disturbance. He quite agreed with the principle of the bill, which did away ■with this cumulative voting. He believed Major Stewart, the able member for- Waimate, who had fought long and hard to; have this system of voting -done away, would persist in his efforts .till be succeeded in getting his HU . made law, and he (the speaker) would assist him. THE LAND ACTS, which had been amended again and again had still great complaints: made against them, and the land appeared appeared to be one of the most difficult things to legislate upon. He had thought the present land laws would suit the country, but it was found, that those who held large areas of land took advantage of the land laws and were acquiring large tracts of land to the exclusion of the real settlers who should be able to go upon the land. It appeared to him that the men who had got the money had got great power to purchase almost what they let them make the law as they would. For instance, as the law stood present, if a man wanted a piece of land hehad to put in his application for it, and his ticket was along with those of all other applicants, put into a box, and they were drawn the same as m a lottery. Now say Jones and Kebmson are desirous of purchasing a piece of land which lies convenient to their holding. They have ; scraped up the money and would like to purchase a small section. They put in their claiin and paid their deposit. But there is a big land holder who has got money and half a score of sons and daughters, and he puts in a claim and paf|.the deposit for each of these. He had got twelve chances to Jones and Eobiasbn’s one, and when the tickets were drawn it came out that one of his daughters had got the section and it was just transferred to “father” and the whole thing was arranged. (Loud laughter.) There were many other faults in the land laws which he hoped to see remedied by and bye, and the country would see better days in this respect. These faults came before the G-overnment every session. I hey were thoroughly well known and were all brought out a very great deal stronger than he could bring them out. 'they need not think members were not trying to remedy the faults. There were many who were earnestly and honestly striving to bring about a

better state of things. Tney had men of wealth in the House who were real friends of the wording man, and they doing, and would do, their best get, the land laws made better. During the past two years there bad been some 9000 persons leave the fcolony each year for the sister colony they could not get land in New Zealand, and no doubt when Parliament opened this time some people would be urging that a sum of money be set apart to bring immigrants -to this colony. He should most: decidedly oppose any such thing/ It they could only offer remunerative labor to the colonists they now had, and if they Snew there was a living to be got in New Zealand, the majority of those who had left her shores would be only too glad to come

back without the Government having to spend money to flood the market and cut down wages. They could have plenty of colonists fast enough if they could only give them remuneralabor and land to settle upon. (Loud applause.) : - THE BIBLE IN ' SCHOOLS. , There were two other matters h© had to bring forward. He was sorry to see that therHon. Sir Robert Stout had said he hoped while the electors were dealing with the land and other •questions they would not be gulled by k such matters as the Bible-in-schools

t subject. He (the speaker) looked upon this, subject as a matter of great importance. Ai oralitj was a matter of vast importance, and he believed their youth were to-day suffering because the Bible had been put out ot the'schools. It appeared to him very wrong-ind*ed that the Bible should not be read in schools. He considered it a great injustice to the rising generation that it was debarred from the schools. He was always in favor of the Bible being read in schools, and , he intended to do all he could to [get it reintroduced into the schools. It should, however, bo read without comment. They had a Bill on the subject which was to be proposed at the next session- Thu principal clauses are as follows : —Clause 2: : “ The school committee of any school district already, or which may be ' hereafter, constituted under the Education Act, 1877, may sanction the daily reading of the bible, with without comment, ot the school, schools, in such district within school hours, and such reading shall be in accordance with the schedule attached to this Bill.” Clause 3: “Where comment is allowed the instruction given must be of a strictly unseetarian cnaracter.” Reconsidered tbeseleetion made of passes to be read was a good one. Many

passages, such as those they would not read in the family for instance, were not suitable to be read before children, and these were cut out. He should not, however, be in favor of the two clauses he had just read as they, now stood. He was opposed to any comment, and opposed to religious teaching in the day schools because he thought it would cause disputes that would not be profitable. He did not think the : Ministers should enter the schools to interfere with the teaching, but he thought the scriptures should be read without. ?comment.' 'Hie time when the reading should take place should be at the beginning or, end of the day, and it should be upon the time-table. Any scholar might be withdrawn by his or her parents‘or guardian during such reading without forfeiting 'any of the benefits of . the school. That was the provision : of the ! Bill to come before the House. One reason why ‘he was strongly in favor of this was because he was afraid if something in this was not done their present educational system would be greatly interfered with. Many people were becoming very anxious about this question; Manydenominations were looking upon it with great interest, and if their, legislators would not do something in r the matter the churches, he thought, would see it their duty to do someting, which he was afraid would interfere very much with our present educational system.

PBIYATE'SCHOOLS BILL! He had been, and was before he spoke upon this Bill , in the House, threatened that if he did take the stand he intended to do he would lose his seat at the next election. Well' supposing he had felt doing, his duty more imperative than regaining his seat. W bile he was there he wanted to do his duty, and consequently he took his stand aad voted for the Bill people had told him he had done this to catch the Roman Catholic vote. He .could assure them he had not. He believed ' the Roman Catholics would scorn the idea of subh a thing. He would never do such a thing. What he did was what he thought to be right. He would- read them the bill. ;It was as follows:—“Every private school which is or may hereafter be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1877, and the Acts amending the same, and the regulations framed thereunder in respect of the qualifications of teachers, the course of instruction, attendance at schools, and inspectioniby an Inspector bf the Board of Education shall be entitled,to receive a capitation allowance equal to - of the allowance granted to public schools, established under the said Acts, provided that no such school shall be entitled to such allowance unless the average number of pupils attending the,same be or more,” This was the purport of the bill, and he would tell them at once his reasons for speaking on behalf of it. It was not on account of the Protestants, but on account of the Roman Catholics. . The b.ill used to be called the Roman Catholic Schools Bill. He was one of the committee that met when the title ef the bill was altered to the Private Schools Bill. One reason for altering the title was because they would not then be selecting one denomination from another to be favored. They also considered they would have more chance of gaining their object under their altered name. He thought it would be only just and right to give a certain amount of assistance to the Roman Catholic schools. He did not think the Catholics were fairly treated. Bup-

pose the Protestants of New Zealand were living in a Roman Catholic country where they formed one-seventh of the population; suppose in that country there was none but a Roman Catholic system of education, or a secular one with no religion at all, they would not like their children educated in the Protestant faith, and would feel very anxious about it, and they would certainly not think it doing wrong to ask the Government to allow them something to assist in the education of their children, seeing they took from them year by year, through the ordinary taxation, to educate the Roman Catholic children.

Be had put it before a friend of his in this way, and he had said “ Ah, but you don’t understand these people, i£ you lived among them you would find you would never get it.” He (Mr Buxton) said “That is not my point. Would it be right of me to ask it and wish it.” The answer had to be that perhaps it would. That was the ground he, (Mr Buxton), took his stand upon. What was right for them to ask of the Roman Catholic it

was right for the Roman Catholic to ask of them, and if they wanted to send him to Parliament to do an injustice to a Roman Catholic, or a Jew, or anybody else, he would not do so. He solemly believed they were doing the Roman Catholics an injustice, and he thought it would be far better to give them towards educating their children half of what it costs the country to educate the Protestant children. Whether he went to Parliament or n«t he should always think they had a right to something towards educating their children, seeing the Protestants were taking from them year by year to educate their children and leaving the Roman Catholips to educate theirs. (Loud applause.) The present state of things was not right, and come what might he would not do wrong to Catholics or to anybody else, if he .could avoid it.

THE GERALDINE SCHOOL. They were aware I hat during last session a; Bill was sent to Parliament, with a request to him to endeavor to get it passed into law, ecab’ing the Board of Education to sell the echo 1 buildings and site, and have the money put into buildings upon another site. With this Bill before him he whs placed in a' very‘,diffiouli position. Some of them wanted the site where the school was now being erected sold as well as the other sites, and to .purchase a new .site elsewhere. Some argued very strongly that the present site was the right place, fand that it would be yery wrong to build the school anywhere else than upon it. When he received the information that if the 4th clause of this Bill was struck out it would be going against a large majority of the people of Geraldine ha forwarded the Bill to a number of the townspeople, and they said the 4’h clause should be struck out. The Board »f Education wrote to him strongly urging that it should not be struck out. Several of the townspeople wrote to him to abide by the 4 h clause, and not have it struck out. He thought about and studied the matter long and earnestly, and then be thought be would feel bis way, and obtained a djjktl* advice from some ofrthe other mem‘bbrW He did-ao, and finally came ito tlie conclusion that it he could gat the Bill passed and made law with all the clauses intact he would do so. He considered it did not force the board to sell the site even then. He sought advice of several members, and ,was assured that if he did not gat the 4th clause struck out his Bill would neverJpass, and even if he could get it through the Lower House it would be thrown out by the Upper House. He went to the Educational Department and to.the Lands iL-partment, and investigated the matter thoroughly to sea if the thing could could be done without a Bill at all. In bis investigations he found that if the 4th clause were struck then, if the householdeis were agreed and the Board of Education were agreed, they coaid sell the site the school is now being built upon without any further legislation in the matter. However, when seeking information on the matter he wrote to the (Jhairman ot the Geraldine School Committee asking him to send the fullest information in addition to what he had already received—first as to the situation of the new site they proposed to purchase, the area, and the price of it, He should want to know these three things before he could manage the Bill. He got no reply, and consequently he knew nothing about if, and they (the householders of Geraldine) neyer sent him a petition asking him to move in this matter and keep this 4'h clause in. Consequently he took this position : he got it passed into law, and then if they wished they could sell the site, or do as they liked. (Loud applause.) He went to work and got the Bill passed into law, the Hon. Mr Acland assisting him in the Dpper House. He hoped they weie satisfied. He had visited the site that day where the new building was being erected, and he thought they had a very pretty and healthy school site, and he wished their children every success, (Applause.)

TUE FUTURE. He had not such good faith in the future of the colony as some people had. He did not thick they were moving very fast in the right direction. He believed they were moving in the, right direction, but very slowly. The £2,000,000 of loan money they had at the commencement of the present parliament appeared to be about gone, and the present Ministry were looking about them right and left to see where they could borrow more. He hoped the coun'ry would set its face firmly against borrowing any more money, and strive to move on slowly until they were in a better financial position than they were at present. Mr Buxton resumed his aeat amid loud applause. Questions.

The chairman having announced Mr Buxton's willingness lo answer questions the latter, in reply to Mr G. Tayier, said from what he knew of the matter at present he ahould.oppose the granting of increased rating powers to County Councils, as suggested at the meeting’of Chairman of County Councils held in Christchurch lately. He hoped to be at the meeting to be held in Geraldine the following day to consider the mutter, but at present he thought the local bodies had borrowed a great deal too freely, and it was likely to be a burden that they would have to be very careful about incurring. Mr Tayier snid Mr Buxton had expressed himself in favor of giving aid to public schoq's, would ha bs in fayor of doing the same to any denomination that might apply for it f If the followers of Confucius dad Mahomet, if Buddists, or any other denomination, were to apply for the same privilege, would he be in favor of granting it 1 - Mr Buxtoa said there ware bo njany if's and so many in Mr Tayler’s question that he did not think there was the slightest likelihood of any such thing happening. He said it reminded him of a woman he heard of, whose husband noticed her one day crying very bitterly. He asked her what wag the matter, and she said, “ J was just thinking if we had a little Willie, and ho was silting here, and we had a hitch of bacon hanging up there, and the flilch of bacon should fall on our little Willie, and kill him, how sorry we should be," and, added Mr Buxton, “they had neither a little Willie nor a flitch of bacon.” This sally of the speaker’s, delivered »s it was with an inimitable drawl, fairly convulsed the audience, and if was some minutes before Mp Buxton could proceed,

Mr Tayler said he had only asked a simple question, and would like a straiohtforward answer; was Mr Buxton in Hvor of assisting all the private schools that applied, or only one denomination I—Mr Buxtou said be had read therp the clauses of the bill. Ho was in favor of giving assistance to anyone complying with the bill. (Applause.) To reply to Mr Helena he said the pro, petty tax affected (he large companies by taxing only the property in New Zealand, but any profit or proceeds they derived’ which were sent out of the country, escaped the tax, lu reply to Mr F. Wilson Smith he said he should be guided by circumstances as to whether he should stand again or not. If they wantpd him to stand he would do so, but if not ha did not want to hold the position of their representative for one day longer than he could do some goad for them and the country. If they wanted him, to stand no doubt he shquld do so. Mr Taller pointed out some apparent hardship's ip the property and aspect

Mr Buxton if he. was in favor of that tax.—Mr Buxton said he certainly was until they could fiod something belter to replace it. Mr W. King thought the parents were the right people to teach the reading of the Bible,—Mr Buxton said the children bad to learn to read, and they might just as well learn to read from the Bible as from Dickens’ works or anything else. VOTES OF THANKS. No more questions being forthcoming, Mr Mas lin moved a vote of thanks to Mr: Buxton for his address. He was most agreeably; surprised rati the way ;in which' Mr Buxtooi bad acquired political information under . very great disadvantages.; Mr Buxton had surprised not only; bis supporters but also his opponents that evening (hear, hear) by the way : ; 'ifa ’ which be had addressed them; ■ (Applause). As an! elector, and not as chairman of the: meeting, he moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr Buxton for his address. When a man could come before them and address then* on the work of the past as Mr Buxton had done he was fully entitled to their vote ®f thanks, (Applause). ; Mr Belem seconded the vote, which was carried by acclamation. Mr Buxton, in acknowledging the vote, said be bad simply tried to do his best and to do right to. all, whi ! e acting as their representative. He thanked them for the courtesy they had shown him, and if at any time they knew of anything that would be for the good of the district or the benefit of the colony as a whole, be would be most happy to do,his best ini striving to attain it. ; Mr Buxton, who created a most favorable impression, both by the subject matter of his address and his delivery of the same, received an excellent hearing. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.