PUBLIC MEETING.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 224, 13 June 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was called at the Masonic Hall, on Saturday last, at 8 p.m., to hear Mes3rs Armstrong and Mervyn give an account of their stewardship. A little after eight, the room having well filled, the late members came on to the platform and were loudly cheered. Mr Ross proposed, and Mr Collett seconded, that Mr Bremner take the chair. Mr Bremner just coming in, there were loud cries of "Chair, chair," so heat once stepped on to the platform. He said: Gentlemen, —To be Chairman of this meeting is an honorable position. This is a joint meeting called to hear Messrs Armstrong and Mervyn, as late msmbers in the Provincial Council, and the latter gentleman as your hlembei* in the House of Representatives. No doubt many things they will say are at variance with many of oar ideas; but no doubt the meeting would give them that fair hearing and cordial attention usual on such occasions. Being here as your Chairman, my Own personal opinion is lost for to-night. Mr Armstrong will first address you. Mr Armstrong said: Mr Chairman and fallow electors, —I ask you again to return me as your member. lam not going to tnake a lengthened statement of anything in particular, nor to give a full account of the late crisis. When the Council was opened j we were all there. We heard his Honor's j address, and we listened to it, and came to j the conclusion it was first rate. However, Mr Reid moved an amendment, which completely upset us all—an amendment on Mr j Fish's motion in reply to the Address. Dur- i iag this time my colleague (Mr Mervyn) had j promised to support the Government, and I' agreed to it—save my objection to Mr Tolmie. j Any quantity of talk had been perpetrated. I don't believe in any secrets in politics at! all. I was asked to go to the Government ■ caucus. I told you Mr Mervyn had pro- j mised to support the Government,- and I told ■ the Government Mount Ida would act as j one. Everybody, however, had put their : motions on the Order Paper, among which , was Dr Webster's.—(Here occurred a gene-1 tal melee among the dogs.) I came to the j conclusion it would be carried, and I saw Mr i M'Lean and asked him if he supported the! amendment. He said he would do his best j to get Mr Tolmie to resign his seat in the ' Assembly for Caverskam. "Oh, oh!" says j I, "that is the little game, is it, to keep! Tolmie at head of the Province ?" I saw, too, the Superintendent usurped the powers tielonging to the Council only. Dr Webster's motion would have excluded Tolmie from tha Provincial Executive, unless he resigned for Caversham. During this caucus, I believe it was arranged that Dr Webster would move another amendment on an amendment Which was much the same, only that the Executive had taken office unlawfully; upon which Mr Mervyn came to me, and said, " You are free now."—(Loud laughter.) I said, " Well, then, as far as I can, I will turn them out."—(Great merriment.) I made & statement in the House which should clear me from the charge of offering a fractious opposition to the Government. Previously, Mr M'Dermid had said he would vote for Dr Webster's amendment, and another member of the Executive told me the same. Now, *as to his Honor's legal action.—(Mr Collett: We will take the large view of that.) Mr Mervyn had promised to support the Government, and I, as a sort of good child, always followed Mervyn.—(Laughter.) I may say that, a few days previous, I waited on his Honor, together with my colleague, and were well received. After that the House adjourned, after Mr Tolmie said he would resign—after which there was a feaful lot of talk. Mr Bastings said he should press his motion for adjournment, being convinced that the Council not being called together after their appointment was an irregularity. Gentlemen, —We all cry out for Macandrew >nd progress (A voice: Except our members. ) Now, I was supporting his Honor the Superintendent. The real object I wanted was to have the Government carried out other than through Mr Tolmie, who was on tha Waste Lands Board and the Executive, and because he was a squatter, a squatter's agent, and, in Victoria, a dummy's agent; and I will object to him if again returned for this district. It was my duty to represent you by supporting his Honor. —(Oh, oh.) A Ministry that had disagreed with his Honor in this way should be turned out. I would have stuck to them if they had stuck to their principles. (Hesitation and laughter.) Hever mind; I know my remarks will be licked into shape, and will be read. - {Hear, hear.) Mr Tolmie was to have been a sort of permanence.—(A voice: Fixture, like.) Exactly.—(Cries of '' Time."). Well, I'll come up to time. At anyrate, I will tell you you have to elect two members to a new Council. All this must be gone through again. It is my intention to stand, and if I have given confidence you will return me. My friends tell me, " Have nothing to do with Mervyn—he will spoil your chance."— (Hear, hear;) I say it would have been unmanly, after working and voting together—except once, when we agreed to differ. Are we to have Mr Tolmie left.—(Cries of " Order," "Wait a bit," and "Questions.") Well, perhaps I'd better leave myself in your hands. Mr Collett: What was the one question ? Mr Armstrong : I agreed in the last Council to support Mr Macassejr on the Education question; but Mervyn said he was not with me.—(A voice: That is the salt question.) No, it is not a sore question.—(Salt, laAid.) .Oh! yes. Mr Rowlatt: Then Mount Ida was nullified on the question. Mr George: It was a sort of tickle Toby business: Mr Armstrong: I never, tickled Toby

Ma GsoaGE : Oh, yes. MslßMiTaoya: Welhmydearboy-—(Up-roar). Mtt Collect : I have no answer yet. Ma Armstrong: I supported Macasaey he supported King Solomon. Ma Collett : I am not going to be put off. Why did you disagree ? Mr Armstrong: I told you Mervyn did not go so far. There is secular education, and a denominational education. Mr Mervyn went for the first, and I for the last. Mr Collett: Did you not agree each to take one side ? now be candid. (Order; -he's answered it). Mr Hore: Dont be misled you have heard Armstrong, let Mervyn speak for himself. In answer to Mr Simp3on, the candidate said : I am in favor of exactly what I was | before—denominational education. (Voice : lyour reason*). Because there was a- large sectio 1 of the community who would not take advantage of the present system, and I did not think they should be deprived of a part of the taxe3 collected from the whole (cheers) (Throw up the sponge). Ma Inder asked if Mr Armstrong still adhered to a statement he had made that if his co tstivuen'-s in a body asked him to do one tiling, and Mervyn told him to do he would obey Mervyn first ? Mr Armstrong: Mr Inder is in error. I deny it. (Clamor.) Mr Simpson: If you are elected, will you follow Donald Reid. Mr Armstrong: I never did. (Groanings and hootings.) If lam returned, I will act upon my own judgment, as I have done be-; fore. It is a pity to return two men who are not of one mind. Mr Rowlatt: Was your only objection to Tolmie. Mr Armstrong: Exactly! I did not consider the little ones. Mr Rowlatt: Were you of opinion that the E cecutive were capable of conducting the business of the Province. Mr Armstrong: Well, Mr Tolmie was on the Waste Lands Board and paramount. Mr Rowlatt: If they were capable, would it not have been better to support them? Mr Armstrong: This expense and bother was all hatched in Wellington. (Oh ! Oh !) Mr Rowlvtt : And you supported the egg ?. Mr Armstrong: No! I cracked it. (Inter, ruption and dog fight.) Mr Armstrong being asked what share of credit was due to our members for the public works, said: I did what I could, and gave it a shove when I could. I went to Wellington in Ewing's case, and was there in the crisis, and I met Vogel; who asked me if I had come to look after my member. He (Mr Vogel) told me that he thought by the local paper (the ' Mount Ida Chronicle ') my member wanted looking after.—(Hear, hear.) Now, 1 (Mr Armstrong) think Mr Mervyn has been shamefully used by the people and by the * Chronicle.' It is better to support him, as long as he is your representative, than to run him down. I told Mr Vogel—•which was a bit of a crammer—that I had come up to enquire about the Public Works of Naseby, because the people were in a languishing condition.—(Oh/oh.) I certainly did my best.

Mr Maloney: Did you follow as a child because you had no judgment. Mr Armstrong: 1 don't think I am deficient in common sense, although no speaker. Question: What about Reynolds ? Mr Armstrong: As a citizen of Dunedin, I am ashamed to be represented by Messrs Reynolds and Bathgate. I don't think 20 or 40 years would make any difference to Reynolds, because he is like the " Old Arm Chair:" " I love it, I love it," &c. Mr Bailey: I wish to put a question.— (Cries of, " Put out the bush lawyer.") I have been at St. Bathans.' —(Disorder.) I will be heard. I want to ask Mr Armstrong if he will go to St. Bathans. —("Ask him outside," "Order.") The Chairman ruled the question out of order. Mr R033 then proposed a vote of. confidence, which was seconded by Mr Bailey. Mr Rowlatt proposed, and Mr Collett seconded, an amendment that Mr Armstrong be merely thanked for his address. The amendment was put and carried, and also the proposition, amidst a great noise. The Chairman then introduced Mr Mervyn, who, stepping forward, said : Mr Chairman and gentlemen,—-Permit me to premise* my remarks this evening by expressing my regret that owing to severe illness I have been prevented from coming before you before. I bebeve it is tha duty of a representative to come among his constituents at least once a year, to learn their yaried wants and requirements. I had intended to have been present at the opening of these works, to rejoice with you in your joy, at our success. I regret that my enforced absence haß been taken advantage of by my opponents to malign me, and to weaken my influence. You are aware that during the last elections I made political enemies, and they have unceasingly f-.llowed me. I had hoped that when, the election was over, personal feeling would at once have dropped. No, pir : these men—not gentlemen—did, and have done what tney could to injure my influence. I come before you without a promise unfulfilled, or a pledge broken Indeed, we have been more successful during the last few years, than we dared to hope. lam somewhat peripatetic in my habits. On all sides I hear envy expressed of Mount Ida, and of the energy of her representatives. (Oh! and cries of Old Sludge.) Yes! and Old Sludge deserves hia share. If we hive failed in our duties to the district, what have our opponents done to help us ? In adi dressing you to-night, it is my duty to refer ito the past —to also trace the causes that have led to our success, and to refer to the

crisis which is to be deplored, because I cannot see what possible good can come out of the bickerings and snarlings of a number of Representatives. I will refer to our actions, which leads me to make a remark as to my. ! colleague. He is not so happy in expressing his thoughts as he would like to be; but on all points we consulted each other, so as not to disfranchise the district. That should not be a reproach to U3. I have given way to Mr Armstrong's judgmsnt often, and times have occurred in which Mr Armstrong wa3 kind enough to give way to me. When we last had the honor of soliciting your suffrages, we \ found the Provincial Government indebted £97,000. The alternative was offered of selling land in large blocks, or to forego the intended public works. We concluded it was our duty to agree, t: the recommendation of the G-overnment to sell the blocks, to clear the overdraft, and to proceed with the public works. In' exercise of this power, the Reid Government did wrong in selling land in the Mount Benger district, and also frustrated settlement by the sale at Moa Flat to Clark ; the whole action being to spread abroad distrust in our public men. I think this amount of land could have been sold without injuring Mount Benger. I think, in the distribution of money for Provincial works, your district has been dealt favorably with. I find that during 1871 and 1872 £4179 16s. 6d. was spent in the district. That year my colleague and myself obtained the appointment of tieturning Officer for your respected Warden. The following year 72—3 £5120 was placed in „the Estimates for the district. I may say that this is also irrespective of the subsidy to the City of Naseby for Municipal works; I may state that Mr Armstrong and myself could: do very little individually, without wo. king in accordance with a knowledge of the ropes. We, *. e. the country members, banded ourselves together to get the requirements of the districts. (Voice : Log-rolling.) That, sir, is log-rolling, and I wish I may be able to roll many logs for the district's good. We found this necessary to protect ourselves against Dunedin and the inlying districts, j Consequently, we immediately got the Press ' of Dunedin down upon us, and this is the j reason why I have been picked up by these miserable rags. Will take advantage of this. They wer'nt chivalrous enough. The consequence is the action of the ' Mount Ida Chronicle.' (Oh! what about Auckland and Wellington papers.) This is a fair statement. We did look for the support of the district paper. Whether we were right or not, the poll will tell. Now as to Teviot. Owing to circumstances, I was unable to get returned ! for the Dunstan, and you returned me here ! instead, and I come before you as having! fought your battles. I will refer to one state- j ment made by the ' Chronicle,' that I pre- j ferred the Mount Benger interest, Now,! when that was under discussion, I left the • House. I should not have done this. (Voice; then you'are not to be trusted.) These are too nice scruples for Mr George to understand ; that I can quite believe. I am aware that in Bome of the districts, a feeling has '• hag grown up between the O-oldfields and the j Agricultural interest. Notwithstanding Mr ! de Lautour's opinion to the contrary, I think ! it is to be regretted that there is not, at any ! rate, some cause for antagonism here. But in : other p-irts, this feeling has grown up owing to the apathy of the Government. I believe that both interests ought to be encouraged, ! and that the mining interest is paramount, and therefore I have endeavored to support a motion that where land is withdrawn for agricultural purposes, it should be reserved for a time. Now, sir, if that were done, there ] would be no conflict. But, sir, another thing to be looked after is the alienation of your auriferous lands. Your attention has been drawn to the little swindle which has been perpetrated of a sale of fifty acres at Switzers. But there is a law of libel, and I see " a chiel taking notes." The fact was simply this : A member of the Government was able to procure a valuable property. (Name, name.) Horace Bastings of Tuapeka. I wish to refer to the matter of the public works. I intimated to you in 1871, thai in my opinion the neces-! sary public works would not be constructed by the Provincial Government, and it was my duty to have a share of the public works loan. My colleague and myself waited on the Superintendent, and directed his attention to the Act of 1870. Being a party to it, I knew its contents, and recommended him to take advantage of the 26th clause, by a message through the Council. This was done, and presented to the Colonial Government. Mr Vogel agreed to my proposal, and instructed Mr Whittaker to draft a bill giving £20,000 for a sludge channel. I was jubilant, but unfortunately the jealousy of other Goldfields my effort for the time. During the following session, Mr Simpson's report came under consideration. The inhabitants here were very impatient naturally. They I were continually writing their members, telegraphing to MrMacandrew, Capt. Fraser, and others by the score. Mr Simpson's report was insufficient, and I got Mr Simpson to report on the Manuherikia race. We were urged very strongly by the Trade Association, who deserve credit. Mr Armstrong too battled in Wellington, hence his name Old Sludge. May I only be called Young Sludge. The full data to hand, and the Pro- i vincial Government had the administration ' ] handed over to them. They deserve credit I for coming to tell you you were very nice people. I give his Honor every oredit, but I say there was no action taken by him he was not urged to take. (Mr Armstrong: Hear, hear; and that's a fact.) (Laughter.) Indeed Mr Shepherd credited me with bringing this forward in the House sixteen times. [Mr Mervyn here went into the illegality of the present public works, which, on account of our limited space, and our haziness of vi-

sion as to the desirability of the point to be proved, we omit.] With regard to the Miners' Association, they have done good, work, and I regret their Chairman, Mr Ross, is leaving the district. Mr Mervyn spoke also pertinently on the county question, and decentralising of the Governments. He said also, your Chairman thinks I am wearying you—perhaps I had better let you question me, and leave the matter of what I am going ito do for you till next Saturday. With regard to Judson's dye, I may say that the whole thing is a fiction, and i 3 in the hands of my solicitors. In answer to questions Mr Mervyn said: He voted against the sale to Cargill and Anderson. It does not matter what the * peka Times' says. That gentleman questioning me, I think, is wanted in the Mount Benger district. Voice: His questions touch you up anyhow. Mr Macdonald: Mervyn should not equivocate—it speaks very little for him. Mr Mervyn in answer said: He did not say there was not an acre on the block fit for settlement. Some personal questions as to the candidate's household property were put, but the Chairman very properly ruled them out of order. The assertions in the Wellington papers, the candidate said, were written by Mr M'G-lashan to the ' Morning Star.' I was ate opponent of Mr Vogel's G-overnment, but I now support it. I might have absented myself from the House during the debate on the? gold export duty, but I always took care to secure a pair. I opposed enquiry into Cargill and Anderson's sale. Mr Roberts said in page sixty-eight of ' Hansard,' your remarks were entirely opposed to the requirements of the Miuera. Mr Mervyn; I gave no evidence at all. Mr Roberts: I distinctly read it. Mr Mervyn : I stated nothing in Commit-' tee, but in the House. Mr Roberts: Did no such emanation come from you ? Mr Mervyn: JSTo! certainly not. Indeed, so false were those idea 3, that they all wanted at Mount Benger for me to contest that elec--tion now. (Voice: They wanted to drag hint in the river.) I claim the protection of thechair. Mr Inder: Did MeteKingi, or some other' Maori, offer to carry you from the House ? Mr Mervvn: No! it is not true. Allow me to explain. I did apologise, I took ad-' vantage of the forms of the House. If yon don't do this , I said, for Mount Ida—(Oh)— and the only action taken was-to divide the House too far. There was nothing derogatory in this. My apology was—if I had exceeded the forms of the house, I regretted it, Mr Wilson : As the Vogel Government were the first to recognise our interests, why was our member found voting with Doaald Reid and Stafford ? Mb Mebyyn r I considered the G-orerte-tnent were mis-managing" the country. li* the first place, they insulted the inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland. We all know that the English are the backbone of the people—• (voice t I hope the answer is satisfactory to 1 the.-meeting/. Immediately Mr Vogel went? into other associations, I went for him, Mb WliiSOisr: If so why oppose Macandrew and progress ? Mr Meryyn : I was favorable to the Tol" mie and Bastings Government if they had acted as men instead of as cowards and sneaks.

Mb Collstt ; Why did ycm not cotne herer ao you promised ? Mb MBEvrK : I was unwell—it was a matter of life or death. Mb Colhett : Could you not have called onyour way down ? Mfl Mervyn ; I had intended to call corn*ing up, and I thought the electors would concede me that much ; and I am happy to say my colleague had been up and found out your ■wants. With regard to supporting Macart' drew, Mr Mervyn said : He would be glad tor see two of the best of the G-overninentin office. He himself had no desiro for office- or the £1 a-day. All I have got for honorarium is £96 all the time I have been in the Council. I cannot say whether I would support Donald Keid as Provincial Secretary. Me Collett : If two local men are proposed will you withdraw ? Mb Mervyn : If two local men are supported that have the confidence of miners, I will withdraw. I don't recognise the present lo* cal candidate as a representative. Mr Mervyn here read an extract from the 'Chronicle' which he said was written by Mr de Lautour. Is Mr Mervyn in favor of secular or denominational education ? Mr Meevyn: Failing a secular Bystem, which I supported, I will go in for denominational education. Mr Indeb proposed—" That, seeing that a. public meeting had expressed their intentionto support Macandrew, we don't recognise Messrs Armstrong and Mervyn." Me B. T. G-eorge seconded. Me P Mo bony proposed, as an amendment—- " That we, as the body of the miners, approveof the action of Messrs Armstrong and Mervyn as our representatives ; and that themeeting presided over by the Mayor waa not a public meeting." Me 8033 moved an amendment—"That Mr Mervyn be thanked for Ha address." Mr Collett proposed, to test the meeting (simply) a full vote of confidence. These resolutions were by the chairman's request narrowed down to simply a vote of want of confidence and one of confidence, the latter being carried by 3 —48 for, 45 against,, the majority of those present refusing ta vote. i Mb Mervyn thanked the meeting, whie& I then broke up.