THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 782, 21 January 1871, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

MR HARRISON'S MEETING AT GREYMOUTH. A monster meeting of the electors in Greymouth was held in the Volunteer Hall on Thursday evening, on the invitation of Mr Harrison, in connection with the present contest for the representation of the Grey Valley District in the General Assembly. The hall was densely crowded by a most enthusiastic audience, who listened to the candidate's address with much attention. Mr E. Masters was called to the chair, and, in introducing the candidate, said that as he was a member of Mr Harrison's Committee, he did not feel justified in making any remarks, but would simply ask for him a quiet and impartial hearing, and also for any person who might address them. He would explain his reasons for supporting Mr Harrison to any person who wished him to do so, but he would not do it while he occupied that position. Mr Harrison said — Gentlemen : although I have on a former occasion addressed a large meeting in this town in connection with the present election, and received a vote of confidence from the electors, I have thought it right to invite you to meet me again to enable me to refute the attacks made upon my political character by my personal friend, but political opponent, Mr Buckley, and to add a last warning to the constituency not to be led astray in a political contest of this important character by feelings of mere sentiment, or by any other consideration than that of securing a proper representation of the great interests of this the largest, most populous, and most important electoral district in the whole of New Zealand. I had hoped that Mr Buckley would have been present this evening, and I deeply regret that he is not here, and still more regret the cause of his absence. Necessarily I shall be compelled to leave unsaid many things I would have giveu expression to had Mr Buckley been present, but I shall not say anything this evening that I would not have said had that gentleman been here. I shall also explain without comment, for I shall leave the meeting to draw it own inferences, what is the real character of the present contest. In doing so I shall confine myself to the bare recital of absolute facts, and I shall say nothing to give cause of offence to anyone present now, or to any elector in the district. The candidature of Mr Buckley is surrounded by circumstances of a character so exceptional as to be without parallel in any former political contest in New Zealand. I have been made fully aware of those circumstances both from Mr Buckley's own lips and from those of some of his requisitionists, and I challenge any of Mr Buckley's friends now present to deny the accuracy of the statement I am about to make. He was brought forward under the following circumstances : — Some five or six months ago there was a meeting of I delegates at Wellington representing a certain religious community on the West Coast, for the purpose of considering some matter of church discipline. Mr Buckley rendered great assistance to these gentlemen, and, I suppose, in gratitude for those exertions, he was invited to come forward to represent a West Coast constituency. Mr Buckley asked what his chances were ? and his friends assured him that they could easily ensure his election. This was before the alteration of the electoral districts, and when Mr Buckley arrived in Greymouth he told me that he thought I was going to stand again for my old constituency, * ' Westland Borough," and that he regretted finding himself opposed to me ; but, being here, he was, of course, in the hands of his friends, and must go on with the contest. These were the circumstances of Mr Buckley's candidature, but I must say that those who invited Mr Buckley to come forward had very little conception of the political importance and necessities of the district. With them it was evidently a mere matter of gratitude for services which have no relation whatever to a political contest of this kind. I shall now proceed to notice the misrepresentation with regard to myself of which Mr Buckley and his

frinds have been guilty. I have been ' much surprised to find an educated gentleman like Mr Buckley allowing himself to be so far misled, and to become the tool of a certain class of persons, as toy give expression to statements which, had he believed them to be unfounded, I do not think he would, in the first place, have uttered. But I have been still more surprised to find a gentleman of hi 3 position still persisting in imputing to a garbled extract from one of my printed speeches an interpretation which he well knows, after the complete contradiction I had given to it, my remarks did not bear. With regard to the first misstatement — that I had spoken in the House disparagingly of a gold fields constituency by saying that I considered it " a misfortune" to represent one— l can only say that I give the most unqualified denial to the imputation sought to be cast upon me, as I shall presently show by reading the exact words that I did use. Mr Buckley's misrepresentation on this matter has gone through several gradations. It began by the quotation merely of the words "misfortune of representing a mining constituency" — then it assumed the shape that 1 "considered it no honor to represent a mining constituency," and so on — and I can well understand the capital which Mr Buckley has made out of it. I hold in my pocket now letters from all parts of the district, from some of my best supporters amongst the mining community, calling upon me for an explanation of this charge. I have no dou'nt that Mr Buckley has tr>ld his hearers, with his hand upon his breast, that "although Mr Harrison might not consider it an honor to represent the miners, 1 regard it as the proudest privilege I could enjoy," and a lot of bunkum of the same sort. Now, I would ask this meeting if it is at all likely that I, who have represented this district for three years in the General Assembly, and for a similar period in the County Council, would have the hardihood to come before you and ask again for your confidence if I had been guilty of anything of the kind which Mr Buckley seeks to charge me with? If you thought that I had ever used those words in the sense that hag been imputed to them, you ought to drag me from this platform and kick me into the street. Luckily I have had the opportunity, in some instances, of following Mr Buckley at some of the places "in this district, and have been enabled to fully remove the false impression which he had created ; but in others, where I have not had that advantage, I have no doubt that the false isinuation is still believed. From the first time that I entered the General Assembly I have been distressed to see the disadvantages under which gold fields members have continually been placed, in consequence of the thorough apathy and indifference with which gold fields affairs have been treated both by the Government and by the House. I have seen gold fields members, actuated by the fullest desire to further the interests of their constituents, and earnestly workiug in their behalf, so discouraged by the unfair treatment which they received as to make it a work of very great difficulty for them to carry out any useful measure. So strongly did I feel the necessity of impressing upon the House a real sense of the importance of the gold fields, that I moved and carried a resolution in 1869 to the effect that there should be laid upon the table of the House, at the commencement of each session, full reports upon each gold field, each report to give every possible information concerning the condition and prospects of the particular gold field, and such other information as would afford to members of the Assembly a comprehensive idea of the actual condition and importance of the gold fields of the Colony. But even that resolution, although it could easily have been given effect to, was subjected to the same treatment that anything relating to gold fields had always received. The Government took no trouble in the matter : they simply put it off until the last possible moment, and then telegraphed to the Superintendents of the various Provinces, and to the County Chairman of Westland, to send up what reports they had got. The result was that only two reports of any use whatever were supplied — one from Westland and another from Auckland. From Nelsou all that was received was a volume of the Provincial Government Gazette, the only reference in which to gold fields affaire was a list of applications for mining leases ! From Otago not a line was sent ! When I saw this additional proof of the apathy of the Government, it is not to be wondered at that 1 felt disgusted. I will now read to you what I did say on the occasion of using the words referred to by Mr Buckley : — " It had all along appeared to him to be a most extrroadinavy thing that the Government of the Colony of New Zealand — he was not referring to the members who at present occupied the Treasury benches, but to all preceding Governments — unlike that of any other gold-producing colony, should have paid so little attention to matters affecting so important a branch of industry as the gold fields. Every honorable member in the House was perfectly aware that the legislation affecting the gold fields of the Colony of New Zealand had hitherto been composed of Acts which owed their origin to suggestions first from one member and then from another, and to amendments introduced at all sorts of times by private members, and that they had never received that consideration at the hands of the Government which they ought to have done. He considered that the time had arrived when the Government of the Colony and the House should recognize the gold fields as a most necessary and important portion of the Colony, and that special attention should be paid to them. It had been patent to every member who — he was going to say had the misfortune, because it had been, to a certain extent, a misfortune for honorable members to represent gold fields constituencies — that whenever they had brought forward measures affecting the particular interests of the gold fields, they had been met, he did not say by a direct opposition, but by a lukewarm sort of hardly-worth-considering feeling, honorable members at the same time forgetting the 1 extraordinary impetus that had been given to trade, and the extraordinary acquisitions to our revenue by the discovery of gold in the Colony. It had been the custom too much to deprecate the efforts made by gold fields members, and to pass over, without due consideration, measures which, although they might specially refer to the gold fields, had indirectly a very large influence upon the prosperity and general welfare of the Colony at large. He cordially agreed with the remarks of

the Colonial Treasurer, that measures of the present kind should not be brought forward without the Government having cognizance of them. He would go further, and say he considered it to be the duty of the Government at once to take the gold fields in hand as a matter of colonial interest, and devote that attention to them which, he ventured to say, had not yet been paid." Now, is there any man of intelligence present to-night who can extract from the words I have just read anything approaching to an expression of -disrespect- to miners or this constituency — (Cries of "No, no;" Hear, hear.) — Mr Buckley has also thought fit to accuse me of neglect in regard to the Annexation petition. The basis of this charge has been accepted by his friends who, with himself, appeared to be unaccquainted with parliamentary practice. lam accused of having been absent from my place in, the House at a critical stage in the progress of the Annexation petition. To that charge I give the most explicit and complete denial. I presented the petition myself, and watched its progress carefnlly throughout all its stages. I am much surprised to hear that the addition of Mr Barflfs name to the Select Committee had anything to do with the ultimate fate of the measure, indeed Mr Barff himself appeared to hold a very different opinion, for he complained bitterly of having been excluded from t'iat Committee until its last sitting, when it adopted its report. The circumstances under which Mr Barff 's name were added were as follows : — ln moving for the Select Committee, I carefully selected as its members some 6f the most eminent men of the House, and did not include the name of Mr Barff, whom I did not consider" to ; be a desirable member. Mr Barff objected to this, and Mr Yogel suggested that -I should add .the name of the member for Westland South to the Committee. I consented to this, but notice of motion .to this effect had to be given. I gave notice the following day, but it was not until a week afterwards that the motion came on, and that was at one o'clock in the morning. I had that day been on two Com-? mittees, and in the House for over twelvff hours, and I requested Mr M'lndoe to move it for me as I was too tired to remain. That is the whole story. .In the meantime the Select Committee as originally constituted had met several times, and had agreed upon its report, Mr Barff only making his appearance on the last sitting. I have now done with these back-handed attacks and insinuations, and Mr Buckley and his friends are quite welcome to make what further use they choose of them. But I am astonished that anyone here should have allowed himself to be misled without enquiring upon matters of" such importance, against one who has during the whole of his political career been actuated by singleness of purpose, and who has fought hard for the interests of his constituents on every possible occason. (Loud cheers.) I do riot mean to go through my political ■ programme. My acts in the past, and my opinions as to the future ' are well known, but I must say a few words with regard to my opponent. Mr Buckley is a gentleman of high social position, and no doubt at some future day will be a valuable acqnisition to the Legislature of New Zealand. But is it reasonable to suppose that a gentleman who, whatever may be his private qualities, is utterly, by his own confession, inexperienced in political life, and who knows nothing of the political wants of this important district, is entitled to the confidence of such a constituency as this ? If you simply want a member to represent a half-dozen people at Maori Gully or any other place, or any particular class of persons, I should like to know what would be the condition of the Parliament of New Zealand if every constituency was to be actuated by the same motives. The representation that was wanted was not the representation of individuals, of classes, or creeds, but the representation of the interests of the community as a whole. — (Loud cheers.) During my career here, both in and out of Parliament, I have earnestly devoted such abilities as I possess to the general welfare of the country in which I live, aud even if you wish for instances of immediate and direct results I can give you them. Mr Peter Purcell said a few evenings, " What had Mr Harrison done for the district?. We want some new blood." I can tell Mr Peter Purcell what I have done. One of my earliest acts was to save the County of Westland some L6OOO or L7OOO a year in interest, and by the mere fact of having fixed a definite capital sum upon the shoulders of the County have enabled it to receive LIO,OOO in the shape of accumulated sinking fund, which it could not otherwise have got. It was one of the most important functions of a member to watch the expenditure of the departments in his district, and when I first went, to the Assembly I found that although the Customs revenue of Greymouth had for several years been equally divided between Nelson and Westland, the whole cost of the Customs establishment had been paid by Westland. In the face oi great opposition, and by a bare majority of one, I succeeded in having the cost divided equally, thus saving over L7OO a year. The very body of which Mr Peter Purcell was a very brilliant ornament, and of which I hope he. may long continue to be one of its brightest ornaments, owes to my individual action one of its most -profitable sources of revenue — the tonnage dues, which bring about LSOQ a year. (Applause.) If you will tell me what I have not done, you may have a good deal to say, but you must remember that Ihavebeen the only seventy-sixth part of the Parliament, and could not well be expected to influence that body on all occasions just as I wished. Mr Buckley and his |supporters have traded a good deal on the cry that local knowledge is not necessary for a representative. If the words " local knowledge" are used in the same sense that would apply to the election of a Road Board or Borough Council, I admit that such knowledge is not absolutely necessary. But the Colony is not in the condition of England, America, or Victoria, where the more immediate wants, of the people are provided by Local Boards and Councils, and the Parliament mainly deals' with large questions affecting the population as a whole. There you may with safety: elect a member devoid of local acquaintance. But you can no more apply the same rule to a Colony like New Zealand, and more especially to a district like this, than you can apply the same remedy to one class of diseases and to others of an entirely opposite character. In this Colony there is ;no con-

solidation of population. The legislation^^ has to keep pace with, and be accommodated to its varying circumstances. There is not a single measure that comes before the General Assembly which may not affect the special interests of particular districts. And in a district such as this, that requires exceptional treatment, it is absolutely necessary that it should be represented by one who will be able to watch the progress of all measures, to "detect -r where they affect the interests of his constituents, and to take care that-they are f; / not sacrificed. (Applause.) 1 should be sorry— sorry for myself, for I should^regret to have thrown away three years of ~% ray life and then lose my seat— but lAj should doubly regret on your account that you should, ; by returning my opponent, be guilty of an act of political suicide^ !; <■'"- which I fervently hope you will not commit. (Immense cheers, which lasted, for several minutes.) Mr Buckley has told you that he is " in favor" of water supply upon the gold fields ; but if he knew any^-'-" thing whatever of the subject, he must ;>;;„•, know that that portion of the Public J Works Act that relates to this eubject-is .?•• so incomplete and vague as to make it if , absolutely necessary that fresh legislation should be resorted to. That Act also m akes it a condition 1 that every- worki t6: j V, ■:. be constructed out of.the money proposed to be borrowed slmll first be approved of by tlie General Assembly. Now, will any one tell me that any person ' living in Wellington, and having no knowledge of the subject, can" possibly watch ; the : ihte-f I resits of his constituents herein matters of - ■ ■*• this kind? In such cases as -thisi and -'in"'" innumerable others, local knowledge and personal . acquaintance with the^districj; r . r are absolutely essential. I have' little " more to say to you. My opinions are well known ; but I may again express my cons viction, that unless a sweeping and radical reform is made ! in the administration o% $&■ the gold fields — especially those of thai?! West Coast — the discovery of any promising gold field ;in -any < neighboring country, tolerably easy of reach, would almost depopulate the West Coast. The dissatisfaction amongst '■ the - mining .population is universal — and -no won- _ Vder, for if $he intention of .the author / rities a^d, governing bodies, provincial f or otherwise, 'had been to drive the faioeraU''/ out of the Colony they could 'not have done more towards that object than they have done. I am satisfied that the 1 miners, instead of working to remain, in the country, are striving to get away 7 from it. You will never have, a better state of thing 3 until you find the Government of the Colony really recognising the v importance of the gold fields, and the. J necessity of encouraging the mining population, and until the miners themselves shall nave a greater voice in the expenclf- '■'•'" ture of the special taxation which they contribute, I would remove the gold fields altogether, from Provincial control, and place : their administration in thehands of a responsible Minister, leaving! the expenditure >;of. the special .taxation and the construction of necessary works to be dealt with by local Boards, who should also frame the mining regulations for the particular district in which they are situated. (Hear, hear.) By these means you would- secure'greater responsibility in the administration, greater attention to gold fields legislation 1 , and. you?" would give the miners an interest in theirj. own affairs which would be productive, J am sure, of the best results. I admit that the miners are specially taxed, but that taxation, was intended tp v be applied to special purposes. Unfortunately the Provincial and County Go /ernments have, persisted in reading the law upside down ' — taking the special taxation for ordinary • purposes, and neglecting to supply .the! special requirements. If jou give the v mining (population greater power of ex- ' pending their taxation they would not grumble 30 much at that taxation. I atn very sorry that there have not been other local candidates to contest this seat.pn legitimate grounds. There . ha^ beentpa much sentiment imported into this elec4 tion. I ask Mr Buckley's friends, some of whom I see in this room, ; and who were formerly my warmest supported Mr D. Sheedy for one : What are they fighting for? What do they want? Will they tell' me or tell this meetings that I do not possess a thorough knowledge of the wants of the district, that I have not served the constituency well, or that I have not the capacity to carry out the views I express? They cannot ' do" if. They are Bghtingfor a mere; idea, and for some unknown purpose. I say that in a serious question , of- this kind — the choice of a representative in parliament — it is a mistake that in a community like this, where every man, v of whatever race, color or kindred, can worship God according to his conscience and belief, without let or hindrance, where we: all enjoy^the fullest equality of civil rights — I say it & a mistake to introduce iyour miserable religious differences or National dissensions into a contest of this kind.—(lmmense cheering.) — We are here for a very different purpose: We are here to endeavor to consolidate the prosperity we have already achieved, we want to' ensure labor to those who will work, and to extend the sphere, of .their labor. We ha£e to wrest from her willing bosom, the treasures with which Nature has bountifully supplied bur earth, and We wahtf t«> -have the sylvan shades and leafy solitudes of our primeval forests turned into ithe busy haunts of men. . And'if^ gentlemen, any poor efforts or abilities of' mine shall have conduced ever so little to these iresuits, I shall have earned no mean a I reward to carry with me through llifte t |nd to hand down as a proud heirloom to nay descendants. — (Mr Harrisons sat down amidst defening applause "that was prolonged for several minutes.) -! " ""• Mr Simmons : Did you present the Annexation petition yourself $' : ;>- ,y. ■ ; Mr Harrison: TdidV I placed' the Sergeant-at-Arms at .the: one end of the petition, and- unrolled the other. It extended the whole length of theroom/ Mr Woolcock: : As there appears to be some misunderstanding on the matter, were you absent from the" first meeting of the Select Committee to which the petition was referred ?' : •■•'■■" : - ■■■■::■'- Mr Harrison: I was not absent frbia a single meeting of the Committee. „. « MrJoYCB: WUlyouteUuswhonrs^mlroduced a sectarian feeling into this election? Mr Harrison : You. know well that I did not. No man looks upon the introduction of such a feeling with greater de » testation than I do, and you know it by my past conduct: (Applause.) '> •<•'■ ■' ' < Mr Joyce : I know that, but some of your supporters went round totiri and did it. (Cries of "Name.") Morris Jjeyy, for one.' ".' "' . '" ' ' '','v " : '■' : >' :i (A very amusing seen? hiip-tciok place

between Mr Levy and Mr Joyce, which was much appreciated by the audience, and loudly applauded.) The Chairman said that at every meeting of Mr Harrison's committee the introduction of a sectarian ieelixig had been carefully avoided. (Applause.) Mr D. Sheedy : Mr Harrison has complimented me upon the manner in which 1 worked for him at bis last election. I did work hard for him ; and he asks nic now what are my reasons for working against him. I will tell him. I had a petition, signed by 800 respectable persons, for a certain purpose, and I gave it to MiHarrison, and asked hioi to forward it to the Governor, or bring it before the Assembly. He said he would do so, but since then I have never heard what became of it. He may have burned it for ought I know. (Oh, oh !) Mr Harrison came back from Wellington, but never, had the courtesy to tell me what he had done with the petition. I wish it to be understood that I am not actuated by religious motives in supporting Mr Buckley. (Applause.) It did not matter to me whether the candidate believed in nothing, for I see a good number of men who went neither to church or chapel who were a good deal better than those who did. (Cheers.) My reason for opposing Mr Harrison is not through any religious feeling, but simply because he has treated me very badly indeed with regard to the petition I have mentioned. Mr Harbison : This is only another

instance of how far a slight misunderstanding may be carried. I drew up that petition myself — it was for commutation of sentence on a person in gaol— l forwarded it through the proper channel to the Governor, as it had no business before the General Assembly, and Would not have been received there. I afterwards endeavored to ascertain what its fate was, but could not, and I have told many persons so who were interested in it, and if I did not tell Mr Sheedy, it was a Bimple overlook, for we have frequently met since. If there was any doubt on the point he would refer Mr Sheedy to the hon. Mr Sewell, the Minister of Justice. (Applause.) Mr Joyce said he wished to leave the impression on the meeting that he was entirely fr^e from religious prejudices in this ekqtion. (Hear, hear.) Mr Woolcock : Would you support a movement for the establishment of free trade between the Australian Colonies. Mr Harrison : Certainly, if it is for the free interchange of colonial products, and I blame the Government for not sending a commissioner to the conference on this subject which was recently held. Mr Woolcock : Are you in favor of the whole colony being placed under one Central Government. Mr Harrison : lam more in favor of the financial separation of the two islands. Mr Woolcock : Supposing that cannot he brought about, and an inflnentiaUiy signed petition were sent up, asking that this district should be placed under the control of the General Government, would you support it ? Mr Harrison : I am afraid the district cannot "be dealt with in this exceptional manner. I hope to see the whole of the gold fields of the Colony taken from the I Provincial and County Governments, and placed under the control of an officer of the General Government. Mr J. Kilgour said it was right to move a vote of confidence in Mr Harrison as a fit and proper peraon to represent tne district in the Assembly. Mr J. S. M. Thompson seconded the motion. The motion was put and carried unanimously, amidst great enthusiasm. Mr Harrison thanked the meeting for the unanimous expression of their confidence. It proved to him that Mr Buckley's supporters were in the position described by the old song,— " How happy could I be with either, Were t'other dear charmer away. " (Laughter.) The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.