ADJOURNED HUTT MEETING.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume X, Issue 977, 13 December 1854, Page 3

ADJOURNED HUTT MEETING.

The adjourned meeting of the Hutt e'ectors took place on Thursday evening. Mr. Scott having taken the chair, Mr. Ludlam made a long and tedious repetition of his previous stnteraents. On the subject of responsible government he read Mr. Fitzgerald's speech in the House of Representatives, and said Mr. Fitzgerald was incapable of suppressing the correspondence that had taken place. Mr. Sewell had said the office of .Solicitor- General should be filled by a man of higher standing than himself, but that he would not embarrass the Government by leaving them until it was filled properly. Mr. "Weld was influenced by the same motives, and the " spoils of office" were the last things that they considered. He referred to the debate on the 2nd reading of the Executive Bill, and read a portion of Mr. Wakefield's speech, and on being desired by Mr. Wakefield, read the remainder amid shouts of laughter, the speech having precisely the opposite meaning he had inferred from it. He entered at length into the arrangement made with the old officials, who he contended had agreed to retire from office whenever the public service required it. He then referred to the Waste Lands, and contended that the largest powers should be given to the Provinces, subject to certain organic laws to be made by the General Assembly. Mr. Wakefield had objected that the Bill would have thrown the whole power into the hands of the Fitzgerald ministry, and said the Auckland people were opposed to the Waste Lands Bill, but he (Mr. L.) had never heard any objections to it. He (Mr. L.) was prepared to vote for reserves of land in the Provincial Council. Two years ago he had advocated the plan of reserved blocks with a right of commonage, and if such a plan were pursued he thought it would work well. If credit were to be allowed for these lands to occupying settlers, there would be no money for making roads, and if roads were made the plaa would be tea times mare successful. Mr. Travers, he said, bad changed his opinions when he had a commissionership in view. He charged Mr. W. with selling his land in the Hutt at £25 an acre, and said if he (Mr. L.) had made arrangements with his tenants he would have abided b\ them. With regard to the prorogation he said if that was legal the previous message was illegal, that the Governor had committed an illegality one way or the other. Witn" reference fb the policy of the ■minority he said Mr. Wakefield had laid ijreat stress on the expence of the Lieutenant Governor being borne by Auckland, that suggestion was to be found in the Governor's speech, and he (Mr. L.) thought it would increase the expence of the General Government. He agreed thai a bribery bill was necessary, at the north it was a question of grog, the man with the largest purse succeeded. Mr. W. asked why the majority did noi support the policy recommended by ihe Governor in opeuing the second session, the majority admitted that policy contained a great deal of good, bat it was impossible in so short a time to carry it out, and they preferred as the least evil to go back to the old officials. If the policy had been carried out of representing' the Province in the Executive Council they would have had to pay those men, they had three to pay now, but they would then have had to pay nine members. .He (Mr. L.) had supported Mr. Fitzgerald's ministry because he believed if it had failed the cause of Responsible Government would have been wrecked. He had opposed Mr. jFitzgerald on the question of surplus revenue, as for hie (Mr. L.'s) head being in a bag Mr, L. said he would never be bagged, (laughter) he was independent enough to stand alone. Mr, L. referred at length to Major Greenwood's Electoral Bill, and to the removal of the seat of Government to a more central situation, and contended Mr. Wakefield, by not voting on the latter question, had betrayed their interests. He then dwelt on the subject of the appropriation of the revenue and concluded by referring the questions raised to the decision of the electors. If they disapproved of his conduct he \was ready to resign his seat (cheers). Mr. Rush reminded Mr. Ludlara that he had been elected mainly from the respect which the electors had for Sir George Grey. He (Mr. Rush) thought Mr. Ludlam had brought forward these charges at the instigation of others, . that he had been soft soaped by the Independent i and the party it belonged to. He was of opinion that that party would give five hundred pounds to see Mr. Ludlam turned out -of the Hutt, and five hundred thousand pounds to see Mr. Wakefield out . Mr. Renall rose to order. He thought Mr. Wakefield should now reply to Mr. Ludfem if he thought proper, and the meeting would then be in the hands of the electors. Mr. Wakefield declined following Mr.Ludlatn through his second speech of three hours, which wasypothing but the old dish warmed up, and was too stale and flat for a second review. To show, however, Mr. Ludlam's carelessness in making statements, he read from a speech of the Officer Administering the Government His Excellency's suggestion with regard to arrangements for Auckland, in case the Assembly should be called at some other place, which Mr. Ludlam had positively as&ured the meeting was not in the speech. At that late hour, after two meetings at which the subject had been exhausted, he would not detain them, but would only remind them, that he had abstained from retorting on Mr. Ludlam, as he should still do. He (Mr. Ludlam) had not come there to explain the proceedings of the Assembly, but as a mouthpiece of Mr. Fox and his friends at "Weilington, in bringing the very severe charges against him (Mr. W.) which Mr. Fox had brought, and which he (Mr. Ludlam) had ham-

mefed at for so many hours. Though unconsciously, he was a tool in their hands, as might be seen by Captain Daniells cheers at every point which wafe urged against him (Mr. W.) The object was to induce the electors to do something which would carry a division amongst them ; and advantage was taken of the cloudy and perverse state of Mr. Ludlam's mind, to make use of him for that purpose. The Spitefulness of Mr. Ludlam was much to be regretted, since it placed the electors in a difficult poI sition. For his own part, he did not see how they could escape from that difficulty; and he could not interfere. It was for them to shape a course for themselves, after hearing him say again, that if they at all agreed with Mr. Ludlam, he should immediately resign, and that, though he was really proud and happy to represent that constituency on account of their independence, and of his long connection with so many of them who were'araongst the first body of New Zealand colonists* yet he should have to consider whether any couree they might adopt, short of agreeing with Mr. Ludlam, would bear the character of a censure upon him, and should have to act accordingly. Mr. Ludlam said his opposition to Mr. Wakefield was political not personal, and that he should pursue the same course in the Provincial Council he had formerly done. lie should always maintain an independent position. Mr. Renall wished with permission of the chairman to ask their members, if either would resign if a vote of confidence were passed to the other member* .■ Mr. Ludlam answered in the Affirmative. Mr. Wakbfield, in consequence of what had passed, repeated the previous expressions of his regret at the difficulty in which tb^ey had been ptaced by the character of assault defence which Mr. I udlam had given to their meetings. That difficulty appeared to .he increased by the distinct proposal that they shoujjl agree with both their members who had differed so much j and Mr. Renall's notion of their inviting both to a public dinner of compliment appeared to him absurd. They must decide for themselves. If they chose to say there was not a pin to choose between their members, he should not com-.; plain ; but unless, either then by a resolution, ! or by any other means at another time, he was led to feel that he enjoyed their confidence, he would not remain their member. There were many topics of real public importance on which he wished to communicate with them, but had been prevented by the course which Mr. Lud lam had given to these meetings. By such communications, he and they should be able, before another meeting of the Assembly, to as certain whether or not he truly represented their opinions and wishes. For the present occasion, as he had begun, so he would end, by declaring that Mr. Ludlam's animosity had caused in him no ill-will towards that gentleman, but that he was ready to shake hands with him, and cordially co-operate with him for the good of the Province ; and that even with respect to the | pains which Mr. Ludlam had taken to blacken him in his absence, he was ready to forgive and forget ; but, at the same time, he could not be a party to any thing 'that would lower him in his own self-respect, or be inconsistent with his pledge to the electors. Mr. Ludlam set him a bad example, by threatening to resign in a pet, if they expressed any approval of him ( Mr. W.) ; but he should not follow that bad example by saying the same thing with regard to Mr. Ludlam. Whatever course they might adopt that night, he should reflect upon it, and, in his own decision thereupon, should be guided by his opinion as to whether or not he continued to enjoy their confidence, Mr. Renall, after regretting the dilemma in which the electors were placed, and the split which it threatened to produce in the constituency moved the following resolution which was seconded by MAuley : — ! We, the Electors of the Hurt, in public meeting assembled, most cordially approve of the great and laudable endeavours made by oar Representatives for the in trodnction of Ministerial Responsibility into the General Government of New Zealand. j And notwithstanding the differences that arose between our Members during the latter part of the first Session, and which continued throughout the whole of the second, still we do not feel ourselves justified in passing any vote, the certain effect of which would be ] to cause the resignation of either Mr. Wakefie.d or Mr. ; Ludlam. j A discussion ensued in which Messrs. Bell, Renall, Milne, and Lansdell, took part. A suggestion was made by the Chairman (Mr. Scott) that a committee should be appointed to consider the whole subject and the proceedings of both sessions, and report to the electors at a future day the course which in their opinion it was best to adopt, but the suggestion was rejected as being more likely to lead to other and greater difficulties. Ultimately the resolution was put to the meeting and carried, and after a unanimous vote of thanks to the Chairman for his conduct during these long and protracted meetings the meeting broke up.