AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING.

Evening Star, Issue 4028, 25 January 1876, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING.

One of tlie strangest election meetings we ever read of was that held by Mr J. S. Macfarlane, who has since been returned for Waitemata, at Whan, on the 13th iust. The candidate appears to have been submitted to a good deal of cross-questioning, in which Mr Henderson, one of his opponents, the irrepressible W. L. Rees, and a couple of local notables figured prominently. We quote the following from the ‘ Cross’s ’ report : Mr Eyre : Did you not say to me the other day that you could poll 140 doad-heads at Hula ? Mr Macfarlane : Yes. Mr Eire : And did yon not say that, it there was any opposition by the scrutineers, you would have them thrown into the creek ? Mr Macfarlane: Yes, of course I did. What is the use of asking me foolish questions like that ? Mr Bees : I should like to ask Mr Macfarlane if he did not put 180 dummies on the roll for Waitemata, persons who never had any qualification whatever, in order that they might vote for himself ? Mr Macfarlane ; I believe there were sixty put on the roll, and everyone was properly qualified, and that Mr Bees and Mr Brookfield succeeded in getting them struck off by false means, by false representations; and false law, and that everyone will be put on again. I will stake LIOO on that. They shall be put on again. Mr Cantwell : If elected, will you vote for Sir George Grey P Mr Macfarlane : That depends upon the question. I will support Sir George Grey wherever he is right, but if his party see a better man than him, they can support him. Mr Cantwell : Do you believe the policy of the Government is colonising in its nature ? Mr Macfarlane ; I believe the Abolition Bill is the very best Bill we have had for many years, and will bo one of the greatest benefits the country ever had. But, still, I believe the present Government has done many wrong things, and Sir George Grey is right in opposing them. I think the land jobbery is wrong, and the extravagence is wrong, but the Government is composed of a number of gentlemen of different views on many questions, and they do some things wrong and some right. Mr Cantwell: Will you define abetter policy than the policy of the Government ? Mr Macfarlane : My idea is that, as soon as the House meets, a resolution will bo tabled to make the Southern Island land fund Colonial revenue, and that Sir George will vote for it, as ho must do. Then what becomes of Mr Macaudrew and those gentlemen of the South who want to keep the land? That makes a split in the camp at once. But I think they are certain to be carried; I know they will. That will put us on an equality. The next question is the railways. The land fund will be sufficient to cover the cost of the present debt. If this land fund is appropriated to the payment of the debt of both islands, we can separate perfectly easy, each island having its own Government. I am only giving yon the opinions of Mr Whitiaker and others who are more clear-headed than I am—(Mr Bees : Hear, hear) —and I think some very successful mode of Government will bo arrived at. ... I believe the honorarium system is bad altogether. Let members gne it to their constituents,—(Applause.) If a gentleman comes forward to represent a constituency let him do so without honorarium. In Sydney, when a young fellow comes forward without money they make up a subscription for him. In Wellington lost year they voted L 1,500 to give the members cheap wine. Mr Von der Heyde will be able to tell you whether that is correct or not.

Mr Von dee Heyde : I can say whatever I Lad at Bellamy’s during the two sessions I was there, I hod to pay for the same as at any other hostelry in the Colony. Mr Macfaelane : But was it voted ? Mr Von dee Heyde : Yea, it was voted, but it will be recouped from the members. Mr Macfaelape : It was given to the providoro. Mr Von dee Heyde : In the returns for next year it will appear in the Ways and Means. It will be accounted for. Mr Macfari.ane : Well, I think if it is paid away it is gone for ever. A Voice: Like the last rose of summer.—(Laughter.) Mr Macfablane ; There may be a new publican in the House next session. Mr Von Dee Heyde : I should like to ask you, if you have the fortune to be returned, would you scorn to participate in this cheap wine ? Mr Macfaelane ; I would scorn to vote for cheap wine. I would not ask to represent you if I could not go down without an honorarium. Mr Eyes ; Would you give it to a charitable institution ?

Mr Macfarlane : I would give it to the district, to libraries or any tiling. Mr W. L. Reeh now appeared on llic scene, and told the electors if they sent such a man as Mr Macfarlane to Wellington bo would be the laughingstock of the Colony. Mr Macfarlane Lad made a number of statements—well, he was not particular about his statements. Mr Macfarlane : I called this meeting to answer questions, not to be vilified by a professional slanderer and a liar. I call upon the chairman to stop this. Mr Pees : Mr Macfarlane has alluded to me as a professional slanderer and n liar. Well, 1 suppose lie is an amateur slanderer and a liar, and all L can say is that the amateur beat the professional. Mr Macfarlane ; I ask the Chairman whether we are to listen to a man who is lured to come hero and tell falsehoods ? That’s his trade. Mr Pees : I have got some more things to say yet. The Chairman : Ileally, gentlemen— Mr Macfarlane.- A liar and a slanderer. Mr Pees : Wait a minute— The Chairman : I cannot got in a word edgewise. Mr G. 3. Graham : Mr Pees is an elector, and has a right to address the meeting, Mr Macfarlane ; Is this to go on ? The Chairman.- Mr Pees is uu elector; he is moving a resolution, and I cannot stop him. Mr P EES : I can toll the meeting that Mr Macfarlane tried to get Colonel Balnenvis to stop me, but he could not do it. I am not a hired slanderer and a liar; I am hired by no one, but when I hear an old and respected citizen attacked and slandered, I will stand up and defend him. I am not afraid of

S. Macfarlane or anyone else. At the last election he got up a circular about me, and if you had seen the reception he got! I hold the official roll In my hand. You heard Mr Maclarlone say only sixty names were struck oil. I say 100 were struck off. They were put on by Mr Mncforlane’a agents, and Mr Carr was one of them. Mr Cark : It is not true. Can 1 speak ? Mr Rees ; His name is hero (pointing to the roll). I got 30 guineas cost for striking off those names. Mr Hesketh wont down to Mr Macfarlane to get the coats, and Mr Macfarlane gave a cheque for 20 guineas. Mr Macfarlane: Yon struck off a great number from the roll, and got costs against them, and I paid the money myself. Mr Rees, after he got that money from Messrs Hesketh and Richmond, went and got as many ten shillings ns he could, and robbed everybody. Mr Rees : I challenge him to come before a public meeting in Auckland and say I got a single shilling after I received the money from Hesketh and Richmond. Mr Macfaulanf : It's a lie, air. Mr Rees : All his statements arc of the same character. I challenge him to come before a meeting in Auckland. Mr Macfarlane : Its a lie, sir. Mr Rees : He went to Sydney, and before he went ho said, “ I have got Waitemata all right this time;" and so away he goes. But he left me behind, and I will not allow the rights of the people to be dealt with in this way. I will find means to bring this matter before the House. I will have Mr Mocforlane before the bar of the House.—(Cheers.) Mr Rees : I challenge Mr Macfarlane to show that these people were qualified. They were alt Mr Macfarlane’s clerks, tradesmen, and persons under pecuniary obligations to him, ns many persons in the Province of Auckland are. Mr Macfarlane : Not one of those gentlemen paid 10s in the £ like you. They are all honest men. They did not swindle anyone. (Sensation.) Mr Rees : Gentlemen, this man borrowed from Machattie 7s Cd iu the £. Mochattie paid all his creditors. Machattie picked him up, fed him, and clothed him, and then we find Macfarlane prospering and Machattie iu the Bankruptcy Court. I had gone into mining speculations which were too heavy for me. I had matters pressing upon me which I could not meet; and one of Mr Macfarlane’s friends forced me into the Bankruptcy Court., and refused an offer of half cash and a promissory note. I did not have to go into Mount Eden Gaol, where some people will have to go.—(Tremendous uproar.) How ninny constituencies would elect a person who has not got two ideas into his head, and if he has cannot give expression to them ? Why it is the greatest piece of political impudence I have ever seen. This is the resolution I have to propose : “ That in the opinion of this meeting, the electors consider J. S. Macfarlane is not a fit and proper person to represent this constituency in the General Assembly." (Cheers, and hisses, and uproar.) Mr Bethell (Chairman of a Highway Board) : I second that motion. Mr Macfarlane ; I did not come here to speak against a professional slanderer. The Chairman : I really think Mr Rees : Oh, never mind; let him go on if it amuses him to pitch into me. Mr Macfarlane : He earns hia living by it. Mr Rees has left an honorable profession to try to make a living in politics. All tluit he says is perfectly false; he is not to be believed. It becomes him well to make statements about Mr Vogel—Mr Vogel bribing and carrying on by corrupt means. Why, there never was a man who carried on a more corrupt business with his clients than Mr Rees. Mr Rees : That is a lie and a calumny. They simply make these charges against me because I have taken up the cause of the poor man against the rich. Mr Macfarlane : Oh ! Mr Rees : He can say oh; that’s all his eloquence. Because I took up cases against liim, and won them, he calls me a hired slanderer. Mr Macfarlane : He has robbed his clients, but he has never won a single case against me. Mr Rees : I won one case, and he paid me LSO costa. _ Yes; and the Judge told him at the end of it that, in spite of his position, if he ever did the same thing again he would put him in Mount Eden.

Mr Macfarlane : I say that in every case against me he ruined his case and robbed his clients. Mr Rees : Wherever there was corruption of the grossest kind, Mr Macfarlane was in it. The Chairman .- Really I cannot allow this to proceed any further. Has any gentleman anything else to propose ? Mr Macfarlane: Well, I will move an amendment.—(Laughter.) Mr Eyre ; You cannot move an amendment; you are a candidate. Mi' Bees : Let him move it; it does not matter. Mr Macfarlane : Well, I will move “ That this meeting, having heard Mr Bees, has come to the conclusion that he is not worthy of belief."— (Cheers, laughter, cries of “ Oh, oh,” and uproar.) The Chairman ; I don’t think such an amendment would be in order. A show of hands was then taken, when seven hands were held up for Mr Bees’s motion, and two agaiust it. Three cheers were given for Sir George Grey, and the meeting separated.