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The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878.

■When Mr. Sutton notified his intention of addressing hia constituents the other day at Napier, a supporter of the Ministry endeavored to draw together a hostile crowd for the purpose of depriving the speaker of a fair hearing. This admirer of “ our real Governor” advertised “ Greyites to the front,” and came to the meeting accompanied by some rowdies and by Mr. W. L. Eees, the member for Auckland City East. Amongst them they contrived to create a little disturbance at the commencement of the proceedings, by proposing an unsuitable chairman, but a great majority of those present were determined that the legitimate object of the meeting should not be sacrificed at the bidding of a few noisy persons. A respectable and energetic man was placed in the chair, and the electors were enabled to hoar what their member had to say with regard to the political situation. At the conclusion of the address Mr. Eees attempted to inflict on the audience one of his windy harangues, but retributive justice was meted out to him, and ho was, we understand, left in darkness, to speak to empty benches. As a matter of course Mr. Sutton’s speech was from first to last a heavy indictment against the Ministry, and we must give him credit for having spoken a good deal of plain truth. There is no necessity again to follow him in his remarks. They contained a history which is pretty widely disseminated already—a history which will form the subject matter of a long list of speeches before Parliamentagain meets. There is, however, something to be said about the attempt to prevent Mr. SqTTON obtaining a hearing. If Sir George Grey, for some inscrutable reasons, was content that Mr. Eees should constantly follow at his heels whilst they were in Wellington, and apparently perform the duty of personal protector and keeper, no one could reasonably object; but we should be glad to ascertain whether, when the Premier retired to the solitudes of Kawau, he gave his faithful henchman a roving commission to defend him in his absence ? Did he stipulate as a condition of their continuing friendship that Mr. Eees should make it his special business to step in between Opposition members and their constituents, and endeavor to place the miserable failures of last session in a favorable though deceptive light? Although it is probable enough that at Napier Mr. Ebbs acted on his own responsibility, and from the intense longing which at all times possesses him of hearing his own voice, we are not disposed to let a discreditable attempt made by persons calling themselves supporters of Sir George Grey, or Greyites as they were so prettily named in the advertisement, to burke the expression of public opinion in regard to the Parliamentary conduct of the member for the district. When Mr. Sutton had concluded his speech, Mr. Ebbs, a member for another district, interfered in the proceedings, and attempted to take the business into his own hands. It was a violation of good taste and good manners, but exactly one of those things which Mr. Ebbs would be likely to be guilty of when the opportunity arose. It is not very often that such scenes occur’in New Zealand. In most oases electors, however much they may be dissatisfied with a representative, are prepared to accord him all reasonable opportunities for explanation. Their patience and good humor are admirable, and they rarely go astray unless specially urged on and excited by loudlunged demagogues. In the case before us the obstructionists failed to carry their point, and an overwhelming majority declared against the Premier and the Ministry of which he is the head. The events of the last four months have raised an uneasy feeling amongst those who still put their trust in Sir George Grey, and, with Mr. Ebbs, regard him as the incarnation of all the political virtues. An impartial observer cannot fail to perceive that a change of opinion is gradually but surely making itself felt in many of the constituencies; and a second stumping tour would show very different results to the first. We may, therefore, expect that all sorts of dodges will be resorted to to keep up ' the prestige of these now in power, and that on occasions when representatives come forward to address their constituents, or constituents are called on to elect fresh representatives, there will be strenuous efforts made by Government partisans to hoodwink the people witlr regard to what really happened during last session. Sir George Grey will scarcely be willing to go over the ground he traversed last recess, but some of his colleagues may not improbably take his place. It would be a judicious move, in view of all the circumstances, for a systematic Opposition to be organised in every electoral district in the Colony. In political matters it is too much the custom, especially in country districts, to trust to the chapter of accidents. Thus, it not unfrequently happens that when an election is to take place a constituency is unprepared with suitable candidates; or when a meeting is convened to hear a Minister or a member make a speech the orator has it all his own way, because no one has taken the trouble to prepare tost questions, and many of the electors have only a vague notion of colonial as contradistinguished from local politics. There never was a time in the history of New Zealand when it was more necessary for the people to rouse themselves to a sense of their political responsibilities. Notwithstanding all that has bean said to the contrary our relations with the Maori race are not yet quite satisfactory. The days of regular warfare are gone for ever, but bad judgment or bad faith on the part of Ministers might in a short time lead to disturbances of sufficient magnitude to be felt disagreeably by the taxpayer, to suspend immigration and public works, and seriously to lower the value of New Zealand securities. That the present Ministry have succeeded in establishing a better feeling between the two races wo deny. It would bo impossible to point to one single thing of importance in which the present Ministry have been thoroughly successful, whilst in almost all their efforts they havetotally failed. Having had a fair chance, they will be required to make way for better men as 'soon as possible after the termination of the rooess. In the meanwhile somo such organisation as wo have above indicated should be at once undertaken. The facts of last session cannot bo too widely made known, or too

often insisted on. Let the constituencies once become thoroughly acquainted with them, and tho verdict will ho pronounced in unraistakeablo terms whenever the opportunity arises.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18781207.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5522, 7 December 1878, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,135

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5522, 7 December 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5522, 7 December 1878, Page 2

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