The Mooting at the Theatre Royal.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3551, 13 May 1880, Page 2

The Mooting at the Theatre Royal.

At the conclusion of Sir George Grey'a speech at the Theatre Royal Auckland on Tuesday—

Dr Wallis took occasion to disagree with Sir George Grey as to the desirability of having an elective Governor. Being interrupted by load hissing and groaning, he suddenly turned his attention to the compact. After that he had found fault with Sir George Grey for failing to state his future line of policy in which connection he advocated the female franchise, and an original system of land purchase under which the natives would be obliged to sell land at half value in order that the other half might go to the public revenues as a return for the enhanced value that the Public Works expenditure had given the land. He also took exception to Sir George Grey's statement of the financial deficiency. Mr Moss (M.H.B. for Parnell) said that the Liberal party had been broken, but it was not defeated.' He alluded to Mr McCaughan's speech aa the prompting of someone behind—that the member for Birerton had, in fact, been put forward as a feeler. He urgrd his bearers to register their names on the electoral roll—to be the strong men armed—and concluded, . • " Nausht will make you rue, If to yourselves you be but true." Mr Hamlin (M.H.B. for Franklin) approved of Sir George Grey's silence as to his future policy, saying as he did, so that | the proper time to unfold it would be. i during the ensuing session of Parliament. I

Major Harris (M.H.B. for Franklin) declared hia resolve to support Sir George Grey even if every other Auckiaud member deserted. IJe complained of the members being deceived by some of the representatives which the city elected, as their.'coadjutors—^representatives who had taken the first opportunity to desert. (Loud cries of '* Swanson, Swanson.") Mr W. Swanson (M.H.B. for Newton) then made his way through the crowd in the body of the hall, and mounted the platform, but he was recoived with a storm of hisses and groans. Throwing his hat carelessly to one side, he sat down upon a' chair- and calmly awaited the subsidence of the uproar. He made several ineffectual efforts to speak before silence was restored. At length He was heard to say—Mr Chairman and gentlemen —I did not volunteer to come here and I was not invited, but I have heard a great deal about the iniquity of making compacts. JNow I am going to tell you about a compact. (Hisses and groans.) The Chairman: You have called Mr Swanson before you, and you ought to hear him.

Mr Swanson: If you will be quiet I will promise to be brief. When we went down to Wellington, immediately after the Governor had delivered his speech, there was a caucus of the Liberal party, at which I was present, and the convesation which I am going to relate to you, took place between Sir George Grey and myself. Every gentleman who has spoken to-night was present, /md heard it. I shall repeat the conversation without a syllable of addition or omission, It has been kept very secret—nothing said about it. It has not been tzotted out before the world, and this is the first time that it has been spoken of. A programme was r?ad by Sir George Grey, who wesidedi ana I said, " Gentlemen, this is the programme I |jad better go." (Interruption, and cries of " Order.") Sir George Grey said to me, " What is your objection, Mr' Swanson ?" I said, " I object distinctly to any interference with the property vota. If any party introduce such a measure, I will not only oppose the measure, but the party introducing it. A Voice: " Give us the Bill' of Sale that you sold the province on." (Cheers and laughter). Mr Swanson: If you want that, my friend, you are going the wrong way about it, because the House of Assembly with all their power was not able to bounce me and I doubt whether you or any other man in this room is able to do it.

The Voice: We ought to have it, Mr Swanson.—You may think so, b«t you'll not get it. The Voice : " You'll have to give it/

Mr Swanson: " Silence, you hound. If the people want to hear me, what right have yon'to interrupt me P (Uproar.) Thoso who know me know this-*-! never turned my back on friend or enemy in my life, and it is not likely that I am going to be afraid of such a cur as you.'' A Voice: " Shove him down."

Mr Swanson : " If you mean to speak like that, just come outside after I kave dose, and X w^il talk to you. (Renewed

uproar.) Sir George Grey, said to me, after a pause, /' Mr Swanson, if that is your objection, the party may drop it." A voice: •• You may drop it." Mr Swanson: •" I won't ""drop it. I waited for a considerable time, while there was a long pause, in order to see whether anyone would apeak, and I said—' Gen* tlemen, on the understanding that it ii to be dropped, I shall remain.' What was the result p I discovered, though not ai soon as I would hare wished-—that this solemn, pledge—and as we are talking about solemn compacts, it may have been considered a comic one—was broken. The very men who made that pledge to me attempted to destroy the property vole, succeeded in destroying the leasehold vote, and carried in the Lower House in spite of me, a measure that all the elections should take place in one day. I pointed out that the power of the town people would be • destroyed by the system of election which they proposed, and that the Central Com* mittee would be rendered powerless and unable longer to exist. My liberalism consists in this: in giving votes to men i who have not got them, and not in depriving them ot those rights which they possess. My liberalism obnsists in endeavouring to secure for every man in the town as well as in the country employ* ment, and a house and ground of his ownIt may be all wrong, but that is my view, and I apphehend that I have a perfect right to express it. As near as possible to the place where I am now stg^iog when I was asked about the matter of following Sir George Grey, I answered that I was entirely different from any of the other members—that I was re-elected without opposition—that no man had asked me for a* promise (and if anyone had it would not have been given), but that then I would make this promise—that I would support manhood suffrage, triennial parliaments, and an income tax. I said that I had often voted against Sir George Grey, and that I might do so again, giving him, however, the benefit of the doubt. .So long as he was leader I gave him my general support.

Mr Swanson: That is possible, but let me tell you this—that it takes two parties to bring that about. I have been told that before and yet have cone, down, although I have never asked for a vote. I .have been a representative man for the , greater part of 20 years, and I appeal to you now if I have ever asked any of you for a vote for myself. I may here repeat what I told the people of Newton at my election:—"Do not think I am going down to do what you think right, but to do what I think right, and if you don't think I am doing right, you can easily get rid of me. Two things will then happeD, you will be better 1 Berved, and I will have more time." A voice from the stalls:—l'll pulljou out of that. Mr Swanson:—You know a trick worth two of that. Come up here and I'll send you down like a shot. Mr Swanson then deoended to the stalls. —Star. <■ -