MR MOORHOUSE AT PREBBLETON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 601, 26 April 1870, Page 3

MR MOORHOUSE AT PREBBLETON.

<» Mr Moorhouse addressed the electors in tbe schoolroom at Prebbleton laat Saturday evening. There was a very large attendance, and Mr Moorhouse, upon going into the room, was received with applause. M. J. N. Tosswill was voted to the chair, but declined, stating that he held strong political opinions in opposition to Mr Moorhouse, and wished to put some questions to tbat gentleman. Mr Andrew Dawson was then proposed, and having taken the chair, introduced Mr Moorhouse to the meeting. Mr Moorhouse said he went to the nomination to see if there was any truth in tbe report that the province wanted him again, and was surprised to zee that the show of hands was in his favour. (Hear, hear.) He then determined to contest the election, as waa his right, for Mr Rolleston had no preemptive rh/ht to the office. That gentleman had been Superintendent for two years, and what had he done ? Absolutely nothing. (Applause.) Let the electors review what had been done in this province, and ask who had done it. He was not responsible for the celebrated sea wall, nor for tbe expenditure on the Southern Railway, nor for the tumbledown bridge at the Selwyn. He had not spent the public moneys npon such works as these. (Mr J. N. Tosswill : " Who did spend it ?") That is for you to find out Mr Tosswill. I am not come here to accuse any one. (Cheers.) He was not responsible for any financial difficulty in this province. The province never was embarrassed in his time. All the balance now lying in the Bank of Australasia was of his providing. (Applause.) Every time he left office there was a considerable balance of assets in the hands of his successor. (Hear, hear.) The province was now in a state of the most disgraceful stagnation ; for the past four years we bave not been making the progress we should have done. For two years out of the four during which he was in office he strove to be doing something, but the Council would not let him. When he found that the country had returned men who were for the most part determined to oppose him, he preferred to retire rather than remain in office doiog nothing. He was now before the electors again. If returned, he would use his best endeavours to carry out public works. He should like to see a trunk line of railway commen ed here and at Timaru, and a railway to the Kowai. After tin?, lateral lines might be made. This would open np the country, and be the means of selling the land. Within six months after the commencement of the tunnel there was £50,000 of land revenue in the chest. But how did he propose to carry out these works ? Well, he had nothing to conceal. It would have to be done by a loan. The profit on the present railway would this year amount to about £18,000; before long that would be £20,000. This would represent the interest on a loan of £400,000, which would go a great way towards carrying out the works he had indicated. The increase in the land sales would allow of a conaiderable sum being appropriated for immigration. He did not believe in placing immigration before public works ; the men would leave the province. If public works were commenced first it would draw men from other places, for whom we should not have to pay a single farthing. Both are necessary, but we must be able to provide work for men when they arrive, or they will leave us, or clamour for charitable aid. The unemployed are men, as we are; they are weak as we are, and wise as we are. Judging of Mr Rolleston by his past conduct, he should say he didn't mean to carry on public works. (Oh, oh.) Mr Rolleston has had the chance for some time past, and wbat has he done ? (.Load cheers.) Mr Tosswill : Wasn't there a very heavy overdraft at the bank when you left office? Mr Moorhouse : There was, because I would not sacrifice the debentures by selling them at anything below par, as my predecessors had done. Mr Gammack : But didn't Mr Crosbie Ward sell some for you at 93 ? Mr Moorhouse : Yes, in excess of my orders, as correspondence will show. All the rest that were sacrificed were sacrificed by others, and not by me. When I first left office, the Bank of New Zealand offered £500,000 for £500,000 worth. This offer Mr Bealey's Government refused to accept. I have noticed in some of^ Mr Rollestori's recent speeches that he is beginning to talk about public works, but in a very ▼ague sort of way. He doesn't cay how he proposes getting the money. Perhaps he means to call meetings of farmers and sugtest that they should raise the funds, as •witness tbe Leeston Tramway. (Laughter.) If you elect me, I will faithfully avoid acting in any way contrary to the Constitution. I am sorry, that I have transgressed it in any way. 1 will abide by law, and avoid those errors I have made in the past. (Cheers.; , With regard to the Education scheme, I am I

satisfied to let it alone, because the province appears to be satisfied. My private opinion is that education should be mide compulsory, the State paying for those who are too poor to pay for themselves. It is a great safeguard to the country, for it enables men to reason out the impolicy of committing crime. Mr Moorhouse touched upon many other subjects, strongly urging that the Superintendent should have the power to dismiss his Executive, &c, and concluded his address amidst loud applause. Mr J. N. Tosswill : There are two important questions with regard to this electionWhy is Mr Moorhouse brought forward ? and what are his reasons for coming forward ? Mr Moorhouse says Mr Rolleston is too slow. He leaves office with £90,000 in the Bank Mr Moorhouse : It was there when he I came. It was the proceeds of the loan raised by me. Mr Rolleston had nothing to do with '- it. (Cheers.) Mr J. N. Tosswill : Mr Rolleston has put the railway in splendid working order, as all the farmers here know. (Hear, hear.) Mr Moorhouse allowed the tunnel to be opened for traffic long before it was ready, and out of tbis have arisen claims for compensation on the part of Messrs Holmes and Co., which have not yet, I believe, beeu settled. Mr Moorhouse: Tbe merchants who are now supporting Mr Rolleston raised the clamour that caused the tunnel to be opened. I consulted the engineer. He said it might be opened without danger. Any injury that Messra Holmes and Co. may have sustained might have been settled long ago by arbitration, but the present Government persisted in referring the whole matter to law. Mr J. N. Tosswill: When you were in office before, you gradually lost the confidence of tho people, the climax arriving when you spent £30,000 upon rolling stock without consulting the Council. Mr Moorhouse: I admit at once that this was contrary to law, and I am sorry for having done it. (Cheers.) Mr J. N. Tosswill: You said, previous to the last election, that yoa would sell the debentures at par. I asked you, how? You said that was an Executive secret. I wonder what you meant by that ? Again, what was the motive your friends had in bringing you forward ? Mr N. B. Marshall: Because they thought him the best man, to be sure. (Loud cheers.) Mr Knight: I think I can answer Mr Tosswill's question. If Mr Rolleston had gone into office unopposed, we should never have had another election for Superintendent, for tbat gentleman is a very strong advocate for nominated Superintendents and doing away with the provinces, as his speech with reference to Mr Stevens' resolutions in the General Assembly will prove ; and how could a man work well as the head of an institution which he was striving to destroy and publicly avowed his disbelief in ? (Loud l cheers.) With regard to the railway plant, Mr Moorhouse should doubtless have consulted the Council, but the plant came just at the time it was wanted, and it was a very good thing after all that it had been sent for. It was a proof of Mr Moorhouee's forethought and ability. (Hear, hear.) Mr Hatdon: What is your opinion with I regard to "The Canterbury Rivers Act"? | Mr Moorhouse: As a general rule, where any large powers of taxation are vested in Boards they should be elected by the taxpayers. Mr Haydon: Are you in favour of the Permissive Bill ? Mr Moorhouse: It is the work of good men. I should be at all times happy to assist in any legislation that would be the means of preventing drunkenness without seriously interfering with the liberty of the subject. I have not thought about tbis Permissive Bill sufficiently to be able to give an answer. Mr Gammack : You said you found the province embarassed the first time you came into office. I think you are mistaken. If my j memory serves me right, there was £30,000 in the Bank ; and before you had been in office nine months you had an overdraft of £26,000. (Laughter and cries of " Oh, oh.") I don't believe that either you or Mr Rolleston can make a railway to Timaru in ten yeara. Mr Moorhouse : With regard to the £30,000, 1 believe you to be in error. 1 have not had much time to look these things up, but will do so. I don't think my memoiy would mislead me. If you will give me the opportunity, I will strive to make your railway in less than ten years. (Cheers.) Questions were asked as to the commission paid for tbe rolling stock and other things in connection therewith — some gentlemen asserting that it was 20 per cent. Mr Bell: This is the finest province in New Zealand. We only want a pushing Government to open up the country. We are getting farther behind every day. (Cheers.) Mr John Murray: If Mr Moorhouse had not done anything else but make the tunnel, he has been the saviour of the province. What he has done before he can do again. What has Mr Rolleston done ? If we were to lose him to-morrow, he would not have left a single thing behind him to be remembered by. Gentlemen, I propose three cheers for Mr Moorhouse. (Loud cheers ) Mr W. B. Tosswill: It has been said that Mr Rolleston used Mr Knight badly when he was endeavouring to form a ministry, but the fact was that Mr Knight proposed a Provincial Treasurer at a very heavy salary, and also a Commissioner of Railways. Mr Rolleston said he could not appoint any fresh paid officers without the consent of the Council. Mr Knight must first lay the matter before the Council. Mr Knight: If you would stick to facts, it would be fairer. The Provincial Treasurer was to receive no pay whatever. (Cheers.) Mr W. B. Tosswill explained Mr Rolleston's conduct in the General Assembly, and commenced to state his reasons for having always voted against Mr Moorhouse, when that gentleman said he should be most happy to answer any questions Mr Tosswill might

choose to put to him, but he thought that at that late hour it would be unfair of Mr Tosswill to take up their time by introducing a lot of fresh matter, to which he (Mr Moorhouse) would have no opportunity of replying, aa it would soon be Suuday morning, and Mr Tosswill had ample opportunity of speaking before. A vote of confidence in Mr' Moorhouse was proposed by Mr J.Mubray, seconded by Mr Laurence, and declared to be carried, amidst loud cheers. Some of Mr Rolleston's supporters disputed the fairness of the chairman's ruling, stating that they had not heard the purport of the resolution. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.