ELECTION OF A MEMBER FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 2, 11 July 1861, Page 3

ELECTION OF A MEMBER FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DECLARATION OF THE POLL

On Friday last, after the declaration of the poll, the numbers being as given in our last, by the Returning Officer, Mr. CoiiENSO came forward and spoke to the following effect. He thanked them for the honor they had done him in electing him as their member for the House of Representatives, and thanked them doubly on this occasion, as he had not issued any address, or circular, or placard ; neither hail he solicited the influence of his friends (if ho had any such in Napier), nor used any earwigging. He had been entirely passive. The voters had been the active party. His return as their member was therefore something unique and perfectly new in New Zealand. His election had proved that he was the man of their free and unfettered choice ; chosen by the working men and tradesmen of Napier—men who daily worked with head and hands. This had restored confidence between them. When he stood forward as candidate for the first and second elections of the Provincial Council, he had come forward as the “ Tribune of the People,” and this had been more than once used against him. His late opponent, Mr. Stark, had stated that he (Mr. C.) was the government candidate. In reply to this, he begged to state that none of the government officials had voted for him, notwithstanding which, he had now been returned by a large majority ; and he had no doubt that had the new roll of registration been in force, the majority in liis favor would have been nearer 100 than 17. This he was assured of from the number of congratulations he had received since liis election from the working classes. He would call their attention for a little time to a sentence in a short letter of his where ho stated that, “ if elected, he would go in and work A 1 with all liis might for the good of Hawke’s Bay.” This he was now prepared and resolved to do; but he would hint that the electors must not look for or expect too much from him. He would do what he could, but certainly one was a very small minority to stand opposed to the united phalanx of about a dozen Wellington members. David was not equal to Goliath in strength, but what he lacked in one way he made up in another. And in saying he would do his best, and in doing it, he trusted to the sympathy and generous old British feeling of the crowd, wliich in a contest was always ready to cry, " Well done little un.” All that he had ever asked was a fair hearing—fair play and no favor. The opinions of the people were generally expressed and swayed by a little knot here and there ; not by the body of the electors themselves, many of whom did not think much for themselves, but were led by others. Now, at the meeting of Saturday,'a question had been put to Mr. Sealy how he would dispose of his Government offices if elected, which Mr. Sealy had answered. Now he (Mr. C.) thought that many of the electors might have wished to put the same question to him. Ho (Mr. C.) would therefore answer such question aa if put to himself. He therefore begged to state that he considered that Mr. Sealy and himself occupied different positions, as he (Mr. C.) was under a bond of £2OOO as security for the proper discharge of his duties in his office of treasurer. But the public need not fear him, for liis sureties would look out for thenown sakes. Ho again begged to say that he would iioia no office, elective Or xiOu-eloctiTe, without tlio good will ox" the people. He was opposed io all sinecures in Church or State ; and, if ,iust complaints of inability, inattention to or neglect of duty were brought against him, he would even give up his ouico of treasurer. In reading the reP^ r ' r of Saturday’s meeting in the Hawke's Bay j.ini£s oi yesterday, he noticed one or two tilings winch, till he saw them there, he was entirely ignorant of; for it was stated that he (Mr. C.)"was

silent when a question was put to him by the chairman and still remained seated, and that the chairman had said lie could not force an answer. Now, it all that really took place (as no doubt it did), all that lie (Mr. C.) could say was, that ho was quite ignorant of it. As to the leasing of Maori lauds to settlers he was always against it and should be so still, or at least until the native titles had been individualised, as shewn in the late Superintendent’s (Mr. Fitzgerald’s) able letter when dispute? between settlers and Maories miarht be brought into a British court of law. lie would ask what was it but this that had embroiled him (Mr. C.) with the members of the Provincial Council, many of them run-holders, and through them with the natives themselves ? which had only ended by his resigning his office of Maori Interpreter. One of the run-holders living on native land (Mr. Hargreaves) had told him so himself in the doorway of that building, when he said that it was because he (Mr. C.) had interfered with the run-holders and the natives that therefore they had united against him. He (Mr. 0.) had deeply considered the matter, and could foresee trouble and quarrels ahead for those who chose to squat on Maori lauds in defiance of law ; for, as soon as comfortably settled, if a Maori chose to demand £SO or il60 ; . tenant refused to pay that demand, what was to prevent him (the Maori)' from turning the leaseholder otf? No law, no magistrate, not even the Judge of the Supreme Court could. But then, again, there were those who said “ Alter this present law, that what is now illegal may become legal.” But lie doubted whether even the General Assembly had power to do so ! He believed such law to he part and parcel of the Treaty of Waitaugi, and could not he materially altered unless that treaty were to be abrogated. Such at least was the opinion of the Crown lawyers of Great Britain. He had, however read what Mr. Weld had said on the subject in the House of Representatives on Mr. Ormond’s presenting the petition of the Provincial Council of Hawke’s Bay, and he knew further that that question would have the serious consideration of the Government. Some even, where the Maories were few in number, disputed their right to such vast territories lying waste. One thing, however, was certain, that no British court of justice could ever undertake to xmravel and decide upon their many conflicting and intricate claims to land. He would, however, assure the electors that he would give his best attention to the matter, and had no doubt Ids brother member, Mr. Ormond, would do the same. He was sure to work harmoniously with Sir. Ormond. Mr. Tucker had similarly expressed himself when he called on him (Mr. C.) to congratulate him two days ago, previous to Ins (Mr. TVs) return home to his station. He had had no falling out with Mr. Ormond except when ho (Mr. C.) interposed his shield, whether small or great, in defence of a third person.—(Cries of “ Name, name. What have you got by it ?) There were now two questions to bo asked—How was he to get to Auckland P All ho required was four days. But the brig Ulontezuma was advertised to sail that day at noon. Some said the bettor plan was to go with the Lord Worsley to Wellington, thence to Taranaki, and then by coaster to Manukau. But there were to bo considered the season of the year, the uncertainty of getting a vessel, and the three different sea sicknesses ; so he could not think of it. The Hawke's Bay Times advertised the Lord Worsley to leave Napier on the 25th instant for Auckland, and he thought this the quickest and surest road. He fully perceived the necessity of being at his post as quickly as possible, which reminded him of reading in Plutarch a saying of Pompcy the Great, when engaged in collecting corn for Rome, in’ Sicily and Sardinia—“ It is necessary for me to go ; it is not necessary for me to live.” And here he would remark that political adversaries often used microscopes, which were small of themselves, but magnified everything to a great size, so that a molehill might bo often mistaken for a mountain. There were also political telescopes, wliich brought things that were far off and at a distance close to us, but often all distorted and discolored, which resembled the telescopes of former days, wliich gave not out a true image mving to the glasses giving out a variety of colors. But since optical science had become better known, that hindrance was overcome, and we now had achromatic telescopes, free from discoloration and distortion ; but as yet no political achromatic telescope had been discovered. He thought that Sir. Sealy had looked through one of the political telescopes when he presented to view the old affair of 1858, and had thought to use it against him (Mr. C.) In reading over the report of the meeting in the Times, he found that he had spoken against Mr. Sealy too strongly ; he was excited thereto by Mr. Sealy’s attack on him. He would now beg publicly to apologise for the same, and was sorry if it had hurt Mr. Sealy’s feelings. And, speaking of apologies, he saw by a printed placard stuck up in the streets, an apology from Mr. Pitfall to Mr. Sealy, from which he inferred that such apology had been accepted, and that legal proceedings had been abandoned. Of this he was glad, although he did not believe that, if brought to court, any jury would have given damages for a more electioneering placard, a thing of a day.—(Cheers.) He had said ho believed that he would hare supported Mr. Sealy if fhe seat had been for the Provincial Council; and as Mr. Sealy may again stand before us and come out, be would give him a word of advice for the future. He would advise Mr Scaly, in lieu of his coat of alpaca or broad-cloth, to wear a rhinoceros hide, and not to be so very sensitive or thin-skinned. Ho (Mr. C.) himself had long been vilified and abused. He confessed he had felt it, and deeply too. They were like barbs in bis liver, or like fish-hooks dragged over his skin. He had not done anything to his abusers, but had determined to live it down. There, the other day was ilmt sung “Billy Kleuso,” “a ram un to look at, bat a good un to go.” Ho hoped the latter part of that would bo fulfilled and verified. Well, he had laughed as heartily as any one, and could he have found the author he would have given him a guinea for his wit. Mr. Scaly’s attention to cases at home in popular elcci ions might probably put him right. Take, for instance, Mm-ylo-hone, and the woidd-be member some young scion of the nobility—the youngest son of a duke coming down well and elegantly dressed nnd perfumed like a musk-plant, with a bouquet of choice flowers

his bosom ; and on his appearance, some ugly tale of his father’s doings salutes his ear, or a call of—“ Go home to juur -.vile,” and lo! a dead cat (kept two or three weeks for the purpose) coined, full force, bang into his bosom, and there bursts ; and, endeavouring to speak, a rotten egg finds its way into lus rnoutli 1 w ould such a one bawl out “I’U prosecute?” ]S T o; he knows better.— (Cheers.) He (Mr. C.), in conclusion, would again and again thank all the electors and others for their attention, and the honor they had done him.—(Cheers.) i klr. Scaly and Mr. Ferguson also thanked the electors, and the proceedings terminated.