GREAT MEETING OF THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 477, 20 May 1867, Page 2

GREAT MEETING OF THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.

( C<jnimani”a! } Ax indignation meeting has been reosn.fl/ held of Those most interested in the cultivation of the soil and its redemption fromwaste and mal-appropriation. The attendance was very good, and w$ noticed upon the platform many of our old friends, including Mr Pedigree Wheat. Messrs Whits and Brown Oat, Professor Turnip th® celebrated Bwede, Mr liye, Mr Clover, and many others.

Mr Tartarian Oat rose and proposed that Sir John Barleycorn do take the chair, which was carried with acclamation. The Chairman, on rising, said that this

meeting had beer, ca led together to express the prevalent indignation felt by all parties, except those whose interest was bound up in the perpetuation of the pres lit order of things. They were aware that himself, and those pood friends the/ saw around him, had suffer'd, and were still suffering, great ill usage from some of the elder members of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and had come together in order that some steps might bs devised to remedy the evil ; each of those present, he might say, had their grievances to complain of. and lie hoped that no diflidenc® or fear of others would prevent their expression. Bor his own part, he was ver/ greatly misunderstood, having much opposition to encounter from quarters least to be expected. There were some who saidl that he was the cause of much drunkenness and crime, and pointed to the publichouses as proof, accusing him of having an extensive interest in that trade. If such was the ease, it was his misfortune, nid not his fault. It was no doubt tru® that, if he coul d only get possession of th® large estates that were his by right, breweries would follow as a matter of course, but lie could not help that; lie had n® liking for the drownings, readings, crushir.gs, scaldings, and other ill treatment to which ho was exposed by uialsters and brewers. Still, allowing it to be true, what he produced must bo acknowledged to be infinitely superior to the poisonous -Ruff imported, which lie distinctly repuiiated ; [hear, hear, from Mr Kentish Hop] but he was not of necessity connected with that line of business—lie was in the provision line. He had provided, thousands with their daily bread, pudding, and food in a great variety of wavs, and ■' as able to do much more, to say nothing of the fattening of anima’s, —a province particularly his, —and ho hoped that th® result of that meeting would be that a large portion i f his landed property would be banded over to him : truH him for nil! i .g a good use of it, if i. should be so. At this stage of the proceedings the meeting was interrupted by Mr Scotch riTstle, who applied for admission on ths ground of the largo quantity of land ho had under crop, more, he said, than any of them, and lie was a ri-ing member of society. He could show them bow to go a head. Much of the land he held was of urst-n te qu; l.ty, and he thought he ought to be admitted.

The inteling, on the motion of Mr Pe- ; oniial Rye, voted him a nuisance, and seut him about his business.

Tho Chairman, in continuation, said, that if tho ac'vs held by that vagabond were in the possession of himself and tho friends he s nv aronnd him, it. would bo much better for society at large, for their p 'ekets, their homes, tho increase of their comforts, and the decrease of their doctor*’ bills, lie would net longer detain them, but gall upon one of the oldest of their members, — one, indeed, who by right should have fiihd the office oi president of that meeting, but to which ho had been kindly voted. —ho meant Mr Wheat, whom he knew had grievances to complain of. Mr Wheat" said he had not attended that meeting to boast of his abilities, tha meeting already knew something of what lie was capable. Millions of people depended on him, under Providence, for ■heir daily bread, and he could feed them better and cheaper too, if he had only fair play. When he ca-t his eyes around and saw poo; le in distress for want of bread, and reUeeted that but for actual injustico ho wottfd be able to supply them all, so that rot one nee \ want, his indignation became so great that it was difficult to restrain it within bounds. lair play waa what ho wanted, and all be wanted, but that lie had never been able to get here ; no had almost, in fact, been banished from tho province, and for no fault of hi* own, but the ill usage he receivid would drive him away. In fact, he thrught that but for the presect meeting, which acted as a safety-valve for his pent-up indignation, he should have left already, lie reckoned Mr Short Horn, and Messrs Leicester, i .incoln, and Merino, as amongst his personal friends, and he did not grudge them land enough fir all grazing and pastoral requirements, hut it was well known that they had possession of much that belonged to him and the friends present. Beside*, there was a black sheep in tho province, with several years’ growth of wool upon his skin—a great enemy of his and all proSCllt, I’llftt tllOCp WfiS WO I ill blit iIDOUt D 3. a ive, and -id. 'per lb dead, and be believed that there was that worth of wool on every pound of his carcase. They must combine, for it was their common interest to get tee animal shorn, lie protested against, tho injustice he suffered in the fact that grain was imported, and home produce kept down. While this state of tilings existed, this sheep, and those who upheld it, wera jthe deadly enemies oi tiio agricultural mIlercst, and, of course, the interest of tho |public. Why should legislators be to (short-sighted as to sacrifice in© iater!eiis of tho whole pubdo for the sako I of mutton. Some time eiace a friend

of his (Mr \\ heat's) erected a miliar h : e especial use, but having neglected to e'eir «~*uv ins enemies fir.-t, ha J faii.'d, of course; such fo! y had met its reward and it would not surprise the meeting to learn that that mill had been closed to this day. (Sensation.) Now he was informed that there were 30,000 acres of good flat land in the district before him, and it would be readily admitted that fully Ono. third of that was his in justice, "if he ■was only placed in posses ion, there should be no valid reason' 1 why Hie mill should remain idle,, and lie would induce folk? to ■hnild granaries for his use as well, but he believed th.it there was no such word as that he had just used in the dictionary of Hawke's Bay as yet. Ho could assure the meeting that in other colonies he held large estaes, and the result to the public that 4 lbs. of bread could be obtained for 6i. He begqed them to contrast that with the little bit they get hero for the eame money, and was sure his claims to their attention and his rights would not ba disregarded. Mr Wheat's speech was received with a loud burst of applause

Mr Poa Pratensis wished to know whether the meeting could not take steps for the ejection of Mr Thistle from the land he was in occupation of, and confiscating it to a better purpose. The Chairman thought not. It was quite true t'iat Mr Thistle held possession of some of their estates, which they were met to regain, if possible, but while they were unable to get them, Mr Thistle might as well hold them as any one else. Land was at vresent used only for speculating, and, as far as he could see, it would do for that whether covered with thistles or not. (A. voice.—“ Thirties destroy its value.”) Yes! tut speculators do not regard the intrinsic value of the land. Several other members spoke to the purpose, but our limits forbid a fuller report. On the motion of Mr live, the meeting resolved by acclamation : That the black •heep is an enemy to the true interests ot the province, and should be immediately •horn. The only dissentients being two. Mr Canterbury Oats, and Mr Auckland Potato. (Thess gentlemen were strangers, and had obtained admittance to the meeting owing to their striking resemblance to two of the members of the society. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings of the meeting.