The Minister of Lands At Riccarton.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 290, 11 June 1898, Page 2

The Minister of Lands At Riccarton.

Telegraph. Press Association. Copyright <jhristchcrch, June 9. Tbe Hod. John McKenzie addressed a meeting in tbe Riccarton schoolroom this evening. There was about 250 persons present, as many as the room would bold, and tbe Minister received a very attentive bearing. The speech was one tbe same lines as tbe one delivered at Palmerstou last week, with a special reference to the criticism of his allusion to tbe Bank of New Zealand. He said bo was not surprised at the howls from Conservative newspapers as they were subsidised to suppress tbe truth in the interests of the monopolists and capitalists. He challenged Mr Rollcston to show that the Government had ever been guilty of a single act of corruption, or had departed from the Ballance policy in a single particular. If Mr Rolleston was unable to do this, aud to justify bis statemout concerning Busby Park aud the speaker's sons, and then refuse to apologise, he would do nouuee the actiug Leader of the Oppositiou in a way be would not forgut. At tbe conclusion of the Minister's address, which last for two hours and a quarter, a vote of thanks to the speaker aud confidence in the Government, was proposed and seconded. Tlie chairman declared this to be carried unanimously, but there was considerable dissent from a section of tbe meeting. Cheers for Mr Holloston and counter cheei-H for the Government concluded the inceting.