THE HON. MR. WATERHOUSE AND THE WANGANUI ELECTORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4770, 6 July 1876, Page 2

THE HON. MR. WATERHOUSE AND THE WANGANUI ELECTORS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sin, —Will you permit me to make a few remarks upon the speech made by the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse in the Legislative Council on Thursday last, with a view to clear some of the very “ corrupt” ideas which that gentleman entertains of the whole constituency of Wanganui. The awful impeachment made by the hon. gentleman against the Wanganui folk at the late election, certainly calls upon him to display his utmost zeal, vigilance, and activity in arraigning before a select committee of the House some of the ringleaders in the (as he terms it) disgraceful bribery and corrupt business at the Wanganui elections. It does frequently happen that one or two black sheep will be found amongst a constituency numbering eight or nine hundred, but for the whole to be corrupt seldom occurs, yet such is his sweeping accusation, for ho says ; the political conscience of Wanganui was essentially corrupt, and that there was a state of corruption in that borough that called much for legislative action.” Ho told the House also, “that at a very early stage of the proceedings the constituency was in the market, and open for purchase.” And he refers to a letter written by Mr. Einnimore, and to a speech made by Major Atkinson, to support this most outrageous statement. Now, sir, in Wellington you have, or had residing, a Mr. Bones ; in Dunedin they have a Mr. Grant; in Wanganui we had (he is off to England now), a Mr, Einnimore, and the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse considers himself perfectly justified in casting a slur upon the whole of the community for the erratic effusions of this class of genus homo. It so happens that the letter referred to was published in a newspaper most strongly opposed to the return of Sir Julius Vogel and Mr. Bryce, and may have been published to damage their

interests—anyway, it was the laughing-stock of the whole district, and itis now wonderful to find a gentleman in the position of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse giving it his most serious consideration. - Mr. Finnimore took no part in the Wanganui elections ; he did not even record his vote, so that he could not himself have been much impressed with the subject on which he wrote in such dashing style. A nd hon. gentleman’s reference to Major Atkinson’s speech is equally 'unfortunate, absurd, and ridiculous. Major Atkinson never addressed the constituency of Wanganui in the way Mr. Waterhouse desires to make out. a banquet given to Mr. Bryce, a private fi lend of the Major’s sent him a very pressing invitation, which he, the IVTajor, responded to, and whilst travelling between Hawera and Wanganui, a distance of sixty miles, it came under his observation that the “ popular question of the day ’ was the electors’ firm determination to return Sir Julius Vogel and Bryce as their members. At the banquet, again, he perceived the perfect organisation of the committee, their enthusiasm and earnestness, and he therefore came to the very reasonable conclusion that the three other candidates in the field had not the shadow of a chance, and therefore in his speech|he was talking, not to the constituency, but at the other candidates (two of whom were present) when he said that it would be wise of them to return Sir Julius Vogel and Mr. Bryce unopposed ; an d X feel sure that the other candidates now wish they had only taken his advice. Perhaps we ought not to expect a member of the Legislative Council to be altogether a Chesterfield, but it is certainly not unreasonable to ask that he should control his tongue, and not take advantage of his position in that honorable House to cast the slur of bribery and corruption against a most respectable constituency.—l am, &c., Thos. Farrah, Hon. Sec. to Bryce-Vogel Committee. Wanganui, July 1.