FENIANISM AT THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 376, 2 July 1869, Page 3

FENIANISM AT THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

(PROM “ HANSARD.I,’)

In the House of Representatives, on the 16th ult., Mr. Creighton moved, —“For copies of all reports or other documents in the possession of the Government proving the existence of a branch of the Fenian organization at the The Thames Goldfield, as stated by the hon Mr. Richmond in his memorandum of 12 th March, 1869.”

Mr. Stafford might say that the papers on the subject were very meagre; in fact they were confined to the report of Mr. Mackay, to which thehonorablememberhad alluded. Although he had received information, officially and un officially, at diffe- ent times, to the effect that there did exist a Fenian organization in New Zealand, he had never been able to convince himself that there was such an organization; he had never been able to see anything that would at all lead him to believe that there was any Fenian conspiracy for evil. That there were Irishmen who sympathized strongly with Irishmen at home could not be denied; it was only natural that stick should be the ease. He sympathized with them in some matters very strongly indeed; and although he might not entertain the same view of the manner in which any grievances felt by Irishmen should be redressed, he was not prepared to support the opinion that those persons had not a right to express what they felt on the subject. He had never been able to convince himself that there existed anything like an organized branch of any Fenian conspiracy for evil in New Zealand. He had no objection to lay on the table of the House any information of an official character which the Government possessed. He did not believe that doing so would result in miscarriage of justice, for the simple reason that the Government had not in contemplation any action in which miscarriage of justice could possibly be brought about by publication of those papers. They hat never contemplated taking any such action, as the case had never been brought before the Government in such a manner as to render it necessary that they should institute legal proceedings in the matter. He had not recently looked over the report transmitted, and it might possibly bo that there were names mentioned which it would not conduce to any public interest to make known. He would therefore ask the hon. member for Newton whether any good object could be attained by the publication of such papers, which might possibly raise a feeling of personal animosity betivcen individuals.

Mr. Gallagher felt it to be his duty, in his place in that House, not to lot the motion pass without saying a word or two. He thought he wa- in duty bound to do so in justice to himself and in justice to his country, inasmuch as the despatch of the Native Minister did, to a certain extent, east a stigma upon every Irishman in the colony of Now Zealand. He had no hesitation in saying that there was not an Irishman in the Colony who would not be ashamed to say that there existed a Fenian organization for the purpose of overthrowing the authority of Her Majesty in New Zealand. If the Native Minister was in possession of documents to that effect he should lay them before the House. It was no doubt a cock-and-bull story. He thought that no individual, from private motives of his own or perhaps from spite to others, had a right to inform the Government that such an organization existed, unless he had full authority for making such a statement. The Native Minister had written home saying that one of the principal reasons why the 18th Regiment had been retained in New Zealand was to suppress the Fenian organization, especially in the Auckland Goldfields. He thought that Was very strong language indeed: and the Native Minister must surely have strong documents to prove that there was some danger of an organization rising; and at a time when there was a Native war, the honorable gentleman must have considered that there was as much danger arising from the organization as from the Natives. It would be but right to let the House know what were the documents which had justified such a despatch. Mr. Swan did not know why the honorable member for Newton should have felt it to be bis duty to bring the subject of Fenianism before the House. As the representative of the Goldfields Mr. Creighton.—Oh !

Mr. Swan. The honorable member might say “oh!” but he was as much the representative of the Goldfields as that honorable member -was the repesentative of Newton, and perhaps a little more so. He was prepared to stand up and say that he repudiated, on beha'f of the Thames Goldfields, all imputations of disloyalty. He did not say but that there 'were a few reckless individuals there, as there were always to be found a few reckless persons in such a community; but it was an unfair imputation on the part of the Government to cast on the community of the Thames Goldfields. It was very indiscreet of the hon. the Native Minister to conveysuchan idea to the Home Government, and he considered it not less indiscreet for the honorable member for Newton to have introduced the subject in that House.

Mr. O'Neill desired to express the satisfaction ’he felt at the remarks of the hon. the Colonial Secretary in reference to the memorandum, and for having stated that he did not believe that any Fenian organization existed. He thought it was very proper of the honorable member for Newton to introduce the subject, and regretted that such a memorandum as that written by the hon. the Native Minister should appear as an official document of the Colony. They all knew that the diggers were a hard-work-ing, honest, generous class of men who

never turned their backs upon poor comrades, or passed [by suffering unheeded. They must have looked upon the memorandum in question as a very groat slur upon their character. As he had already said ho was glad the honorable the Colonial Secretary had spoken in the way he had done, and ho hoped his statement would be satisfactory to the whole country. Mr. Creighton did not desire to press for the production of papers after the remarks which had fallen from the honorable member at the head of the Government. He was quite aware that there was no document in the possession of the Government which could, in the most remote degree, justify the language made use of by the honorable the Native Minister in his memorandum to which reference had been made, and he was in a position to go into the case and prove it to the satisfaction of every member in the House. The honorable member at the head of the Government having stated his conviction that he did not believe in the existence of any such treasonable organization, it was useless for him to pursue the subject further, as his object had been entirely gained in the matter. He was sure that the honorable gentleman at the head of the Government had no knowledge of the memorandum or it would not have seen the light. If it were within the bounds of possibility, the honorable gentleman might avoid many objections against his administration if he could revise all the memoranda written by his colleagues in office during the year ; but as his duties were rather arduous, it was not within the bounds of possibility that he could exercise such close revision as to produce results which would he satisfactory to the country and to the House. He did not think that he need do more than allude in passing to what had fallen from the honorable member for Franklin, or rather the honorable member or the goldfields ; for lie apprehended that in tbs new Bill for the distribution of the representation, the Thames goldfields would have, at all events one, if not two, representatives, and he ; should be exceedingly surprised if the honorable member should be again returned by the Thames constituency. Of course that was his own opinion, and time would tell whether the honorable member did command the respect and confidence of that constituency, which he (Mr. Creighton) utterly denied. Whether it was indiscreet in him to bring forward that motion or not, was a matter which gave him little concern, seeing that the reprimand bad come from the honorable member. He had reason to congratulate himself, as the representative of another district of Auckland, in having been the means of relieving the constituency which the honorable member represented in that House from the stigma which would have attached to it if that motion, or some similar motion, had not been placed on the Order Paper. If the honorable member could reconcile his want of attention to the interests and fair fame of his constituents, he, (Mr. Creighton) was quite prepared to reconcile his indiscretion to the constituency of Newton. He would ask leave to withdraw the motion.

Leave given and motion withdrawn.