THE PROPRIETORS OF THE ELECTORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5791, 21 October 1879, Page 3

THE PROPRIETORS OF THE ELECTORS.

BED CAP’S THAMES LBTTEB. (From the Auckland Free Lance?) Dear Jokers, —I told you how it would be. Between two stools your bogus member, the Premier, has come to grief, and you have been deprived of half your Parliamentary rights and privileges ; how long it is intended you shall remain so, heaven only knows. You will see from the following documents that if Sheehan is a man of honor (concerning which I have my doubts) you wilt have the privilege and the fun of electing a local man to represent you, even if Grey does not resign. It seems probable that either Gray or Sheehan will shortly be left without a seat for anywhera. MEMORANDUM RE THAMES ELECTION. Provincial Hotel, Auckland, August 26, 1879. I. —To the event of Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan being returned unopposed 11. It is agreed that Government will not interfere by nominating any particular candidate at the election for any vacancy which may arise from the return of either of the persons above-named for any other seat in the present elections. Hl,— lt will be left to tbe people of tbe Thames to select their own candidates, and Government will not ask the party to vote for any other than local men. IV.—But it will be open to the supporters of Sir George Grey to vote for such of the candidates as they think proper. (Signed) J. SHEEHAN. Witness—(Signed) JOHN King 26 | 8 1 79. This is in substance the terms as settled by Fraser, Rowe, Brodie, and Ehren fried, in the presence of Mr. Aitkin and Mr. MoTlUone. (Signed) H. Mollhone. Add— Both Sir G. Grey and Mr. Sheehan are to go to the poll and contest against all-comers, the retiring candidates undertaking to aid them in the election. (Signed) J. Sheehan, August 28, 1379. Witness —(Signed) John Kino. 26 | 8 | 79. Grahamstown, August 27, 1879.

Mr. Sheehan undertakes that if Sir G. Grey elects to sit for the Thames (having been returned for Christchurch) that he (Mr. Sheehan) will resign, and thereby create a vacancy for a local man in terms of the arrangement come to with the retiring candidates this day.

(Signed) John Sheehan, August 27, 1879. If Grey loses Christchurch and sits for the Thames, then Sheehan will, according to this agreement, have to give up the Thames and' go without a seat ; or, perhaps, if Macandrew and Sheehan succeed in ousting the Hall Government, they will call Sir George Grey to the Upper House, and allow Sheehan to retain the Thames seat. It would be great fun to see Grey in the Upper House among the men he has so much maligned. Ha could then test the comfort of the old arm chair and enjoy the pleasure of seeing the Lower House standing at the Bar.

Sir George Grey lately delighted large audiences of his special worshippers, by crying down the infamy, the injustice, the enormity of allowing capitalists to acquire blocks of native land. He was going to stop it, crush it out once and for ever. But what was being done under his wing during the time he was stumping the country on this favorite hobbyhorse his’n ? An arrangement was being concocted whereby two or more large capitalists could acquire a 90,000 block of first class land at the head of the Thames Valley. The Government are reported to have expended sums of money over portions of this block. Private speculators have been prevented from dealing with the lands, and the Government have had it gazetted as laud which the Government alone were to buy ; and now, forsooth, with the permission and sanction of the Grey Ministry, a score of surveyors have been put on to rush the block through, so that these favored capitalists can acquire, without any delay, this splendid block of country. I thought at the time of the Eden election, when Mr. Dilworth supported Tole «o strongly, that he expected to regain Mount Hobson, of which he was robbed by Sir George Grey in days gone by ; but it seems he is going in for a big slice of compound interest in addition. The insincerity of Grey is simply unfathomable, and Sheehan is just ns bad ; if you consult your own best interests you will elect, always providing you get the chance, a thoroughly straightforward independent representative, one who will be of some assistance to the good government of the colony ; but as you have never yet consulted your own interest, it is, perhaps, too much to expect you will do so now.