MESSES SUTTON AND RUSSELL, M.H.E.S, AT NAPIER.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2187, 28 February 1881, Page 3

MESSES SUTTON AND RUSSELL, M.H.E.S, AT NAPIER.

[PBKaa ASSOCIATION TBIiBGBAU. J NAPIER, February 26. Messrs Sutton and Russell addressed their constituents last night. There was a moderate attendance and a quiet meeting. The speeches were chiefly a resume of the Brents of last session. Both members disapproved of the principle of the beer tax, but_ uphold the property tax, preferring it to either an income or land tax. Mr Sutton spoke at length on the Patatere question, quoting from papers laid before the House to show that by far the greater part of the £14,000 charged against Patetere was wrongfully charged. He said that Rewi’s Auckland spree, costing £IOOO, was charged against Patetere, though he had no interest in it, and this was a fair sample of the greater part of the Government claims. He threw out a challenge to Sir George Grey to fulfil his threat to stump tbe country on this question. The fact was that the moneys had been spent all over the country, the vouchers for which would not pass the audit office, and were charged to the Patetere block. He might bo wrong, but he really believed that it was Patetere and other like matters that drove Mr Bryce to resign. Ho said he was doing a gross injustice, and rather than continue doing it he preferred to resign. He (Mr Sutton) regretted tkat the Premier or some other Minister had not thought fit to take the public into his confidence, and tell them why Mr Bryce resigned. Ho would not believe that the cause was that which had been assigned—namely, that Mr Bryce desired to march upon Parihaka and arrest Hiroki or Te Whiti. It was more than probable that there was another cause. They had of course ail heard about the visit of the Governor’s aide-de-camp to Parihaka, and that seemed to him very likely to have had something to do with Mr Bryce’s resignation. If it were so—if the course that was pursued was in reality forced upon the Ministry by the Governor, their proper course would hove been to resign, and the country would very soon have put them back into office again, Mr Russell devoted great attention to the subject of education, speaking warmly in favor of the continuance of the present system. Both members expressed regret at Mr Bryce’s retirement, though Mr Russell took exception to his policy as contained in the Native Lands Sale Bill, introduced last session. Mr Sutton, referring to the rumor that Mr Stout would come forward to lead the Opposition, expressed great admiration of the late Attorney-General, and hoped that the rumor was well founded. Ho considered Mr Stout one of the ablest men who had ever sat in the House, and the country suffered a misfortune when it lost his services. Votes of thanks and confidence were carried by a largo majority.