ELECTORS OF CANTERBURY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 604, 29 April 1870, Page 2

ELECTORS OF CANTERBURY.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE STAB. Sir, — As we have two candidates for the office of Superintendent, viz., Mr Moorhouse and Mr Rolleston, it is our duty to consult our conscience, and give the subject due and | careful consideration. I would therefore urge electors to waive all selfish motives and to dispense entirely with clique feeling,, studying that which will be for the benefit of the province at large, and not for a few favourite misplaced or so-called aristocrats. It seems to me, as a casual observer, that the I (would-be) upper clique, by their recent actions, are rapidly falling Into their proper position, and will shortly appear as — I leava you to judge. At nearly every meeting held by Mr Moorhouse, it has been observed by a very large number of electors of both sides, that the supporters of Mr Rolleston have conducted themselves in the most unwarrantable mannec towards the former gentleman, no doubt feeling in their own mind that he (Mr Moorhouse) is the most fitting man to fill the important office of Superintendent, at the same time they have been obliged to do that which the upper clique have felt inclined to direct. Such a course of proceeding I hope the general public will not countenance. Those that promised to vote for Mr Rolleston before they knew of Mr Moorhouee coming forward, may surely vote for the latter, if they consider him the best man, without any breach of faith on their part. ■ Tour obedient servant, MECHANIC. Christohurch, April 27, 1870.

The following letters appeared in the "Lyttelton Times" of this morning:-— Sir, — By your favour, allow me to nail my colours to the mast, and sink or swim with the craft I hail for. I am sorry to sea so many faint hearts, who, like worthless rats, forsake as they suppose a doomed ship, and help by their craven conduct to kick the friend they think is sinking. Not so with this child, who will stick to his ship as long a plank remains. I am led to thus publicly declaring myself by seeing attached to Mr Bolleston'a list of supporters a name so like my own that many of my friends have been led to beliere that I was amongst the turn-coats. I ami not that I Simon Pure, and I must request your most positive contradiction. . .... " - We hear a good deal about rolling-stock and Rolling-stone, and it strikes me we should have been very short of the former if the latter had been depended. upon at a piach for the necessary supply, and the: public : may look back with some degree of satisfaction that they had then a man in office with sufficient foresight as to the requirements, and sufficient firmness to know how and when to do his duty. Facts speak for themselves. - - The man who goss in for vote by ballot, separation from the North Island, federal union of the Australasian colonies, protection to native industry, and- a fair day's wage for a day's work, must ever be a friend to the people, and deserving of their utmost support, i hat man I believe to be W. S. Moorhouse, and as'such is deserving of more than praise for the past. , Brother electors, prove yourselves men ; be firm of purpose, stand faithfully to your colours ; give them another and another broadside, and honourably let us conquer or die. Red, White, and Blue, and steel to the heel ! Your obedient servant, JAMES WOOD.

Sib, — I heard one of the candidates for the Superintendency, on the nomination day, say he would " stand or fall by the Land Regulations." Now, Sir, I think he was wrong , to utter such words, for however good these Regulations may be, they are capable of improvement, and what was good at the time they were made may not be bo good for us now. For instance, what benefit does the country derive from the waste .lands,; on. the. Port Hills,, that we see from our own doors, let alone the unsold waste lands farther from Chrißtchurch ? Now if those hills were worth as much as the land on the level ground adjacent, there is no doubt they would have been sold ; as they are not, why should we hesitate to put a price on them, so that-, they would sell? Then they could be rated^ like dther lands adjoining, and insteao^df having heavy rates put upon the land already sold, we could do with a lighter one, because, of the increased quantity of freehold land. I consider it the height o£ folly and absurdity for a person whose desire and ambition it is to be at the head of affairs to make assertions such as I quote above, for as circumstances' alter cases, so I consider we should always be prepared and willing to remedy an evil if it arises, and alter a regulation that may interfere with our progress and welfare. And that these regulations, which Mr Rolleston boasts of, require alteration, there can be no

doubt. I notice that the address of a candidate for the City shows that others think the same as I do on this question. Your obedient servant, ELECTOR.

Sir, — Allow me a space in the.columns of your valuable : paper, in order to make a few remarks concerning the relative fitness of the two candidates now contending for the office of Superintendent. First, with regard to Mr Moorhouse. With all bis faults, be is still the working-man's friend, and, being myself one of the sons of toil, I would be in favour of seeing him elected, and wi'l certainly vote for him, although the fact cannot be concealed that he, while in office before, did things that could not be approved of, and acts that were inimical to the interests of the province, which caused some of bis friends to view him with distrust, and, finally, to forsake him. Still, we are willing to give him credit for all the good he ha 9 done ; and, as he has had some time in his retreat for reflection , he will be able to act with more caution, in the event of bis being elected. I would prefer him to Mr Kolleston, as he has not sought to gather sound him the interest of the squatting 'element, who stand in the way of progress, and bar the road to civilisation. It is a subject worthy the thought of thinkingminded working-men that, to please the squatters, Mr Kolleston will by no mean 9 allow the laws of Waste Lands to be altered, but will keep them locked up at £2 per acre; and he holds out no prospect to men of limited means. He also persists in bringing out more immigrants, especially free female immigrants, who, it is to be regretted, have in many cases, become a curse, a trouble, and burden to the province. Mr Eolleston can ace no harm in this, and, when spoken to about it, he says that the present system of immigration works very -well, and bis Provincial Secretary — Mr Jollie — backs him out in it. They must have a very contracted vision, for I think, and the public also think, the system of immigration is very defective, aud that it is time to modify it, or abolish it altogether. Your obedient servant, AN ELECTOR.