CITY ELECTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1838, 5 March 1863, Page 3

CITY ELECTION.

A meeting of the electors for the City of Wellington, was held outside the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, the 3rd March, when there w as a fair attendance. At \1 o'clock, noon, Henry St. Hill, Esq., the Returning Officer, ascended the hustings, and addressed the electors. He said that the electors would have seen by the advertisements published in the three Wellington papers, that they were called upon to-day to nominate an elector to represent the constituency in the Provincial Council. A writ had been issued, under the hand of Isaac Earl Foatherston, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, for the return of a qualified person, to servo as a member of the Provincial Council in the place of George Turnbull, Esq , who had resigned his seat. It was not necessary to read the writ. He would therefore thank any j qualified elector to propose a candidate to reprei sent them in the Provincial Council.

Mr Borlase, bogged to propose Mr J. Dransfield, as a fit and propor person to represent the Constituency in tho Provincial Council, and he would give his reasons for doing so. No candidate coming forward, until such a late period, who would fully represent radical reform principles, he felt called upon to support Mr Dransfield, and had promised to support him, on condition that he satisfactorily answered to-day tho questions that had been put to him at the mooting, on Saturday evening last. Mr Dransfield had held similar political views to himself, and he felt some gratitude for his votes, which ha gave in favour of his party on a former occasion. He thought that Mr Dransfteld would bo the best member that they could send to the Provincial Council, being thoroughly independent, and he felt convinced he should have his vote on all questions calculated to advance the interests of the Province. He did not wish to sco a weak opposition in the Provincial Council When the Radical Reform party had a large majority in the Provincial Council, they were unable to carry any measures, in consequence of the hostility of the Superintendent; and he (Mr B.) did not think that a single member could effect that, which a large majority had failed to do. Ho did not hopo_ to carry any measure in tho Provincial Council, as it was at present constituted. All that lie could do there, was to watch the conduct of the Provincial Government, and record their acts, so that at a general election, they would be enabled to shew>up their past misdeeds, and by bo doing, obtain a new Superintendent, and a majority in the Council to carry out their measures. He supported Mr Dransfield conditionally, and he had no doubt, that he would satisfactorily answer the questions put to him. Mr George Hunter begged to socond the nomination of Mr. Dransfield.

Mr Russell had much pleasure in proposing Mr William Allen.

1 Mr (.Trcavoa seconded tlio nomination, nncl said I that Mr Allen's character was so well known to the electors, that ho considered it unnecessary to say anything in his favor, Mr Edward Bull proposed Mr John Mclntosh Mr Mclntosh had been a candidate on a former occasion, and stood at the head of the list of the rejected candidates, having been defeated by Mr Stokes, the lowest on the poll, by nine votes. Mr Mclntosh was well known to the electors ; he had colonial experience which Mr Dransfield did not possess. Mr Mclntosh had gono to Otago, and was not thcro to address the electors; but he had issuod an address previous to his departure, which he would recommend the electors to road. In that address, Mr Mclnlosh had answored the most important political questions of the day, and had not Bhirked them as Mr Dransfield had done at the public meeting on Saturday last. He apologised for the absence of Mr Mclntosh, and felt certain that ho would be returned at the head of the poll. Mr Carlyon had much pleasure in seconding the nomination of Mr John Mclntosh. Had he been aware, however, that it was intended to propose a second candidate, he would not have felt it so urgently necessary to support Mr Mclntosh. He did not think it right or proper that a candidate should go into the Council unopposed ; " more especially a new candidate, whose political principles were not known to the electors. Mr Dransfield, no doubt, was an estiraahle man in private life, but that was not the qualification they required in a member. Now there were useful and ornamental members of society. Mr Mclntosh, from his extensive colonial experience, he considered a useful one ; and as there had been something said j about salaried officers, he had no doubt if Mr Mclntosh was returned, that he would perfoim ( the duties of speaker at a less salary than the present one. Mr Dransfield had not previously solicited the suffrages of the electors, and his political principles were unknown. From what he had heard he was inclined to think that he was about to jib. Now, if they purchased a horse, they would certainly see that he was sound in wind and limb, and put him through his paces before buying him. Mr Dransfield, he thought, would be a more ornamental than useful member. He might come down the beach in hia black suit, with polished boots, whjto gloves, and a white choker, and be a sort of Dandy Joe, (laughter) ; but that was not the sort of member they required. He did not agree with the whole of the answers given to the questions at the bottom of Mr Mclntosh'a address, as some of them were more fitting to be put to candidates for the General Assembly ; but with regard to the question of what his opinion was of the past and present conduct of the Government with respect to immigrants' promissory notes? ho could only say that the Government had exhibited great remissnoss in collecting the money; and the best way for them now to do, was to abolish the charges altogether. He concluded his speech by seconding the nomination of Mr John Mclntosh. Mr St. Hill was hero about to take the show of hands for the different candidates, when Mr Hun- , ter requested permission for the candidates to ad- 1 dress the electors, previous to the show of hands being taken, which the Returning Officer at once granted. Mr Dransfield said, that he came before thorn, as his address stated, free from every party bias, and with a determination to approach the consideration of every question brought before him solely with a view to the general interests of the Province. He was bound to no party, and if elected would go into the Council free and independont. Ho did not think that extreme opponents of the Government, if they required a change, went the right way about it, to effect a change. If the Government was so corrupt and weak as they said it was, why did they not select one of its most unpopular members, and get up a memorial requesting him to rosign. They would then have an opportunity of testing their strength, and if they succeeded, it would be tantamount to a vote of want of confidence in the Government. At the meeting on Saturday lie had promised to answer any questions that might be put to him on the hustings ; and he was there to-day to do so to the best of his ability, The Advertiser, which had kindly patronised" him on the occasion, had said that it was not requisite that he should be an orator to represent them, and seeing that was the case, they would not expect an elaborate speech from him. Witli regard to the questions at the foot of Mr Mclntosh's address, he would deal with them seriatim, and begin with Question I— Shall you regard your election as. a vote of want of confidence, on the part of the Wellington constituency, in the Provincial Government, and in those City members who may continue to support the Government in the Council ? His (Mr D.'s) answer to this was that he did not solicit the suffrages of the electors as an opponent to the present Government ; if they initiated good measures, he would support them ; and if measures inimical to the interests of the Province were proposed, ho would strenously oppose them. He would not offer a factious opposition to the Government. Question 2 — Do you think that tho policy of the Provincial Executive, in locking up the public lands from settlement, and the Province from colonisation, in devpting no portion of the public revenue for immigration purposes, and in borrowing money to be expended on unproductive undertakings, ought to be supported by the members of the Provincial Council? He was not prepared to say that the Provincial Executive had done what was alleged in this question. He was in favor of putting the Land Regulations of the Province on the best footing, and of securing a constant stream of immigration. Question 3 — What is your opinion of the past and present conduct of the Government with respect to immigrants* promissory notes ? With regard to immigrants' promissory notes, he thought the Government had been very remia* in not collecting the money before. He would make all pay, who could afford to do bo ; but would be lenient to those who were struggling with difficulties, and unable to do so. He con sidered it was a just debt, and that the immigrants were perfectly aware what they were doing, when they signed the promissory notes. Ho would wish to do very little business with Mr Carlyon if he wore to advocate such a mode of payment as ho proposed, viz :— to abolish them altogether. Question 4-— What is your opinion of tho conduct of the Government with reference to the case of Mr W'lliams, recently decided in the Land Commissioner's Court ? With regard to this question, ho perfectly agreed with Mr Mclntosh. Ho know very little about tho subject, and would say, as Mr Mclntosh had said — Ask the runholders who frequent the '• New Zealander," and the settlers from the East Coaat.— (Laughter.) Question 6 — What is your opinion of tho policy of the Government in its relation to the natives, as well as to the settlers, in erecting a toll-gate at Kai-warra? I think the erection of a Toll-gato at Kai-warra a great mistake, and calculated to bo most mischievous as the natives will very quickly follow tho example set them, by erecting tolls in various parts of the province, to tho groat annoyance of the settlers. Question 7 — Do you consider that a salary of 4-850 per annum is not rather too much for the Superintendent's Clerk, seeing ho is not fully officially employed, even in office hours, and do you think a paymaster of road parties is wanted, seeing that what road parties there are could bo paid at the Treasury ? lam not aware what are tho duties of Superintendent's Clerk, or tho Paymaster of Roads, and cannot therefore say wheMier they are overpaid or not.

Mr Allen said that if Mr Dranafiold had been equally candid nt tho mooting held at tho Olympic on Saturday evening last, there would havo been no opposition. On that occasion, Mr Dransfiold had evaded tho question put to him by Mr Borlaso; and when he (Mr A ) requested an explicit answer t<s thequestion, instead of answering itinastraightforward way, Mr Dransfield attacked him in a grossly personal manner, and told him to make tho question his own. He then put the question to Mr Dransfield, which he would now do in Mr Borlase's own words, viz : — 'Whether he (MrD.,) was prepared to support a measure for granting leases of land say, for 14 years, on a system of deferred payments. Mr Dransfteld had answered the

questions attached to Mr Mclnlosh's address ; but he had not answered that question. Ho (Mr D.) promised at the meeting on Saturday last, that he would do so at the hustings to day; but he had not done so. There wore also several questions asked by Mr Toomath, which were also to be answered, but had not been so as yet. He felt obliged to his proposer and seconder foxproposing him as a candidate to-day , but ho did not think that any Radical member could do any good as the Provincial Council was at present constituted. When they had had a large majority in tho Council, they failed to carry their measures, in consequence of their not receiving tho sanction of the Superintendent. Undor theso circumstances ho would beg to retire, if they would allow him, and on another occasion when there was a better prospect of his furthering their interests, he would again become a candidate. He regretted to have to allude to tho system adopted by tho press of this Province, of misstating what speakers said at public meetings. He alluded more particularly to the Independent of this morning, which stated in its report of the meeting held at the Olympic Theatre on Saturday evening last, that he (Mr A.) had moved a resolution that Mr Dransfield was not a fit and proper person to represent the constituency of, Wellington ; whereas it should have been, " that in the event of Mr Dransfield not giving a satisfactory explanation of his political principles he was prepared to move that he was not a fit and proper person for a representative." By leaving out the word prepared they had made it appear that he had actually moved a resolution, whereas ho had only said that he was prepared to do so. Thanking tho electors for the attention they had paid him he begged to retire. Mr Dransfield said in reply to Mr Allen, that tho public meeting had been called at a very short notice, (the placard convening it having only been issued the evening previous), that tho gentlemen who called tho meeting had not intimated to him their intention of doing so ; and that if he had not accidentally seen a placard, he would not have been aware that a meeting had been convened at all. Under these circumstances he must acknowledge that he had not been prepared then, to answer all the questions that had been put to him ; but he was prepared to do so now, to tho best of his ability. With regard to Mr Allen's question, he might say, that ho was prepared to support a measure that would give increased facilities to tho small farmer to obtain land; but would not pledge himself to any particular measure.

The Returning Officer then requested a show of hands, which ho declared to bo in favour of Mr Dransfield.

Mr E. Bull and Mr Carlyon demanded a poll on behalf of Mr Mclntosh.

The Returning Officer intimated that as a poll had been demanded on behalf of Mr Mclntosh, the polling would take place on Thursday, (this day), commencing at 9 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m., the polling places being tho Resident Magistrates Court, and Messrs Bethune and Hunter's public market placo. The meeting then separated.