MARLBOROUGH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5688, 6 October 1896, Page 4

MARLBOROUGH.

— ' O ITS EARLY COLONISATION AND SETTLEMENT. Yin. PARTY POLITICS. Amidst a variety of difficulties, Mr Eyes held his party together for four years, chiefly by his overpowering will and his unceasing energy, but towards the end of his term his troubles began to thicken. Thejpolicy of establishing Road Boards to take over the main thoroughfares was viewed with disfavour by a section of the community, who preferred to lean upon the public chest rather than rely upon their own resources. In addition to this, there was a more powerful influence at work in the public love for change. Every 1 Government will in time accumulate sufficient

enemies to wreck it, and it could scarcely be supposed that a, leader so siiv.ng in' his personality as Mr Eyes could fail to make enemies. On May 4* the Council began its last session .prior to its expiry by effluxion of time. This sitting wa3 chiefly remarkable for the fact that the Superintendent, in his opening address, foreshadowed the ahplition of Provincial Governments, and the Council, on his motion, slightly amended by Mr Conolly (now Judge Conolly), actually passed a resolution recommending the General Government to abolish the system . in Marlborough. Following upon this, a general election ensued, and possibly the bold suggestion made by Mr Eyes had not been 'favourably received by the public. This, together with that mysterious want of confidence which often grows up in the public mind, but why no one, can tell,' caused the political balance to turn against him, and when the new Council met on Dec. 22, Mr Eyes and his party were in a minority. But, proinpted^by hi 3 dogmatic nature, Mr Eyes would fight so long as there was a possiblo chance of success, and he did not despair oven now. That experienced politician- and astute critic, Mr Joseph: Ward, proposed that he should ■ a^airi'be' elected Superintendent,"' but evidently this was not much to the taste of the Council, and it required a good deal of skilful engineering to save the proposal from defeat. On the second day of the session, Mr Eyes, finding that he could make no progress in the good graces of the Councillors, but yet reluctant to give up the reins of power, followed the drastic precedent set by Captain Baillie in 1862, and prorogued j I the Council in defiance of the Council's wish. In this high-handed way did he set aside public opinion and avert for a time the inevitable defeat; but his self -constituted authority could not be of long duration. He was without supplies, and without* the power to obtain them, for the system established under the New Provinces Act prevented the Superintendent paying any money without the certificate of the Provincial Auditor, but this could only be given for the payment of moneys sane- J tioned by the Appropriation Act. and as Mr Eyes had failed to get such an Act passed, no certificate authorising expenditure could bo given. In this condition the Superintendent remained for some months, ' . like a king .without a crown. He was afraid

j to call the Council, together, because he knew that would only end in defeat, and in his dilemma he turned to tho Governor, and asked for a dissolution of the ! Council. '1 his was granted to him on the | written condition that if .tho election went i against him, he. would resign and not a^ain j prorogue' ihe. Cyuncil. ' The writs wer,e ! issued and. the election > desperately coni tested. Every elector was-: canvassed, and \ neither side left a stone unturned ; but tho j fiatliad gonoforth, and the verdict was again '. against Mr Eyes. On tho meeting of the ; new Council oa March 24, IS7O, ho saw

that his own election was an impossibility, but still, he was determined that the Opposition should not carry their man in if lie could prevent it. Tho Opposition wore anxious to nominate Sir David Monroe, but as he declined, they fell back upon their old leader, Mr Seymour, who was proposed by Mr Conolly, but, as might easily bo imagined, Mr Seymour did not (at this time) meet with the approval of Mr Eyes, and he suggested Mr Goulter to his friends. He know that a large section of tho Council were favourable to Mr Goulter, and when heads were counted, he found that, with the assistance of. another vote, they could elect him. But the question was, how was that vote to be obtained ? One of Mr Eyes' party had been called to Kelson to interview his banker, and if they could only delay the election until his return, the situation was in their own hands. They accordingly devoted their attention to obstructing the progress of business by talking about every - thing under the sun except tho question at issue and by moving innumerable motions that the Council should adjourn for all 'sorts of indefinite times. They succeeded in prolonging the struggle for four days. Once the friends of Mr Seymour managed to bring the question to a vote, but as the majority was only one, and not a majority of the Council, it could not take elloct. But on the fourth day the supporters of Mr Goulter received the news that th?ir friend in Nelson had been « aable to coinpromiso with his banker, and lnd sought the protection of the bankruptcy "court, and as a consequence his vote would not bo available. Finding it useless to prolong the struggle, Mr Eyes and his friends withdrew from the Council, and allowed tho election of Mr Seymour to proceed in peace. , . But evidently. Mr Eyes was 'not disposed to permit his defeat to interfere with his prospects of holding office, and if his own party was not strong enough to elect him le saw no reason why he should not make a convenience of his enemies and get a place from them. Up to this time Mr Seymour and he had been political enemies of the purest character ; tjiere was no compromise of any sort about either of them, and their parties in the country were clearly and well defined. Every "elector had to declare himself either 1 one way or the other, and patronage and I public favours oscillated backwards and forwards with each successive Ministry. Under these circumstances, one would scarcely expect to find a rapprochement of the contending leaders within so short a period of their last great contest. Eighteen months, however, had scarcely passed away, when an event oecured which gave them an opportunity of effecting a

little arrangement highly pleasant and profitable to both. The father of Mr J. B. Wernyss, (who had been Provincial Secretary and Commissioner of Crown Lands for six years) died, leaving his estates in Scotland to his son, who was required to go home to take possession of them. This necessitated his resignation from the offices he held, and then Mr Eyes saw his chance. He had represented the district ever since his election in December, 1860, but this position he agreed to barter with Mr Seymour, for a place in his Executive, and the Commissionorship of. Crown Lands. Mr Seymour was a member of the Legislative Council, which was more or less an honorary position, therefore, it suited him to resign his place in that chamber and contest the seat in the Lower ] [ouse, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Eyes. It is surprising that an arrangement which scorns to bear on the lace of it a sacrifice of political principle was ratified by the electors. Under it Mr lyes became Commissioner of Crown J .ands, and Mr Seymour became a member cf the House of Representatives. The former gentleman did not enjoy his position very long, fan* he soon began to develop a weakness that afterwards proved \ 1.1 be of long standing, but this forma a i ] age history that is better left unre- i corded. Mr Seymour remained in the Houso (where he had been made Chairman of Committees) until May, 1875, when ho, resigned and paid a visit to England. The ! election to fill his place was admittedly the hardest fought contest that has ever taken place in the Wairau, and that is saying a jrood deal. The contest lay between Mr Joseph Ward, a local man, and Mr Sefton Moorhouse, ex-Superintendent of Canter- . bury and then Mayor of "Wellington. Only by reading the local papers or' that date can one get an idea of the height to which party feeling ran, and doubtless niuch was said and done that has since been heartily regretted. Mr Ward was elected mainly from local considerations, and he sat in the Parliament that decided to abolish the Provinces, and voted against that measure. Captain Kenny, who at this .time was' member .for Picton,. vpted for tho abolition of. the Provinces. During his absence the duties of Superintendent wore carried out by Mr James Hodson (his deputy), with dignity and ■ despatch, and upon him devolved the duty ' of conducting the public function at tho opening of the Picton-Blenheini railway.

It will bo remembered that as early as IS6O this proposal had been first formulated byMr Adams. Since that time it had been befoi'e the Council in various forms, but it •was uot until 1875 that it became an accomplished fact. The ceremony was simple and appropriate,, and was performed by Miss Goulter and Miss Gwynorcth. O_. his return from England, Mr Seymour was again elected , Superintendent, but this time on a popular franchise, and not by a vote of the Council. This election he contested with Captain Baillie. Ho also had to contest his Parliamentary seat with Mr George Henderson, a self-made man, who by genuine ability had forced himself into a prominent position in the public life of the province, but who, ivafqrtunately, had not the knack of attracting people to him. Had the franchise been as widely extended as it i 3 now, the probability is that Mr Henderson would have been successful, but the electors were few, and belonged for the most part to the Landed proprietors, of whom Mr Seymour was a typical representative. As it was, his victory was a narrow one. His representation of the Wairau seat remained unbroken until the general election of 1881, when he was,-, defeated by Mr Henry Dodson, the erstwhile lieutenant of Mr Henderson. Prior to his resignation from Parliament in 1875, Mr Seymour had voted to abolish the provinces in the North Island, because ho believed that they were no longer able to carry on their Administrative duties without considerable assistance from the General Government. On his return he found the whole of the provinces had been abolished, and the present system of centralisation had been decided upon. As ; Superintendent, _c accordingly . set himself to put everything in order for the day when his office would pass away, but never dreaming that it would have such a sensational termination. Nov. 1 was .the date fixed for the abolition of the provincial institutions, and on the night of that day a mysterious fire occurred in the provincial offices, which spread with fearful rapidity, and demolished the whole of the business portion of the town, and thus Marlborough's system of provincial government expired amidst fire and smoke, exactly seventeen years after its institu tion. The abolition of the provinces, however, did not abolish the intensity of party feeling. Everything was still conducted on party lines, and there was little chance of rosy billets, or even casual employment, unless the applicant happened to be of the approved colour. But a great external influence Was at work to terminate all this political narrowness and bigotry. Sir George Grey had appeared as the tribune of the people, advocating the extension of the franchise, and vote by ballot, and when these Liberal reforms were accomplished, it' became impossible for any party to tyrannise over the electors as had previously been done. There was then a much, more independent spirit, and a much freer hand enjoyed when Mr Dodson entered the field against Mr Seymour in 1881. It is needless to analyse the contradictory accounts given of the quarrel between Messrs Henderson and Dodson, but we may express regret that two men who had stood side by side during the long years of political misfortune, should have been estranged on the , day of victory. Mr Dodson's election broke the spell, and cleared the ' way for a period of greater toleration, in which men are able to look upon each other's opinions with perfect good feeling, and if their differences are irreconcilable, •' agree to differ." This is the happy condition 1 in which the electors of Wairau now conduct their political campaigns, and the improvement has been most marked in the elections of 1890 and 1593. There has been no exhibition of ill-feeling, all sections of the community combining to work together in a cordial manner for the good of the district. [The End.]