Election School Committee.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1734, 15 June 1886, Page 4

Election School Committee.

MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS,

(Continuation of Report,) After the declaration of the poll Mr Bush, m the course of his address, stated fiat hia priest had denounced all Catholics taking part m the election, and thereby caused a number to stay away who -would otherwise have voted for him. He thought i* an outrage on the liberty of the subject that a minister of religion should use his influence to such an extent as to actually lay down a law for their guidance m secular matters, and to further inform them that by not complying with his orders they should be acting against the interests of the Catholic Church. He also said that if lie had been returned he should not have advocated a penal statute" for illegal voters. If a Presbyterian Were to appeal lie believed the election would be upset. He would bet anyone a bottle of gin on this. Wanganui was the hotbed of Presbyterianism. He remembered the time when the proper name of Wanganui was Petretown, called af tert he Catholic nobleman of that name, who fetched the '• burgoo-eaters" out from Scotland. He considered it ingratitude on their part to refuse to call the town after the Catholic; nobleman who had brought them there. Lord Peter was one of the principle directors m the New Zealand Company. Mr "Walton, addressing the meeting, said that they had been cautioned not to take a retrospective view of this school question. Perhaps that were best, as lie considered it was a very dark one at best. He stood there as the would be cr.lprit, by a man who'had not 10-t one effort to try and prevent his entering the committee" of the Pulmer^ton North School, both m the pulpit and out of it. He was m a position to give him the lie to his teelh. He had misrepresented the householders of PalmerBton. Ha had defamed the characters, of individuals. He was not m his (the speaker's) opinion possessed of one ounce of principle. lie thanked them for placing him at the head of the poll. Groans were then given for Mr Wright. Mr Hawkins said although one of the defeated candidates, he was not about to follow m his late colleagues footsteps Mr Walton. He was not going to refer to individuals. It was, however, "freely stated that he was one of the Freelhought gentlemen. He might say ho was not a freethinker. He considered the election, however, had been carried out on a false issue entirely. He had not been desirous to continue on the Committee, but he did stand to see if past services wore to be aDpreciated. He might say,, that at present a question was before the House as to' the foundation of Bible reading m schools and if carried he would like to see how all these candidates who were now returned would act. after stating that they were m favor < of free, . secular education established m New Zealand. They wonld see how those gentlemen who were returned by the Church party would act if this law were .passed . He thanked those who tbuupht proper to vote for him. and thanked tho.se who had not voted for him, he was glad m one sense to get rid of the business. He might state that he had been requested to act as chairman m the lost committee but had declined m favor of Mr Stewart. He was glad to see Mr Leary returned this time, there was no man who took such an interest m school matters and was always impartial He had always been glad to sit under him as chairman. He thanked them for their support m the past.