Mr Sheehan at the Academy.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4034, 2 December 1881, Page 2

Mr Sheehan at the Academy.

Last evening Mr John Sheehan opened his political campaign in this district by addressing a meeting of the electors in the Academy of Music, There was a large assemblage, and Mr John Osborne was voted to the chair, on the motion of Mr Johu Wilsou, seconded by Mr Comes. On the stage, besides others, we uoticed Messrs Ehrenfried, Wilsoo, Osborne, McCullough, Perry, HenneUy, Gelliou, Mahouey, Vaughan, Symington, Cornea, Melbose, etc.

The Chairman briefly introduced the speaker. •

Mr Sheehau (who on coming forward was cheered lustily) said that a few nights ago it bs.d baau bis duty sad pleasure i© give the Tb&ia&s eU-itovd -sn^ccsooat of

his stewardship, and he then expressed himself as a candidate for their suffrages, and promised soon to return. A gentleman at the last meeting put him a rather Irish question, as to whether he would come back to the poll iv case he died. (Laughter.) He was not dead, and was determined to go to the poll (Loud applause.) Before entering on some of the great leading questions of the day, he would just tell them why he went up to Auckland yesterday. He said that on the way up from Wellington he had been offered three or four seats—any of which be could have had. And it was ouly the other day that he received the news that be was going to be nominated for Waitemata. He went up to Auckland for the express purpose of stopping the nomination, as he was determined to run for the Thames against all comers, and it all hazards. He should think the Thames people were rery patient if they could patiently stand the numerous speeches and meetings that are at present being omdf. When he came to the Thames there were four candidates rum ing — Messrs Speight, McCullough, McGowan, and himself. Mr McCullough retired, as they know, in his favor, and he wished to say something in regard to that, because mis statements have been made which are calculated to do Mr MoCullough harm privately and himself publicly. It had been said that Mr McCullough's retirement was the i result of a financial transaction—that the sum of £150 was paid to him to retire. He (Mr Sheehan) had not £150 in the first place, and if he had it be would not give it to buy a seat. (Applause). Such rumours would fly about but there was not one particle of truth in them. As to Mr McGowan, he had come to him and said, " I feel I cannot win myself, and I have no desire to go to the poll, but before I retire I must consult my people." He (Mr Sheehan) advised McGowan by all means to consult the people who had brought him forward, before he thought of withdrawing from the contest. Mr Sheehan then read a telegram he had received from the Secretary of the Thames Liberal Association, requesting him to stand for some other seat than the Thames. (Laughter) The telegram was signed by a Mr W. Wood, a gentleman whom he had since learnt was endowed with prophetic powers. However, he hoped that on this occasion the old saying would come true—that a prophet had no hoc#r in his own country. (Laughter) He thought moreover that an association which would dictate to him as to what he should go for, was an antiLiberal Association. He had since seen Mr Carpenter, a prominent member of the Liberal Association, and that gentleman had told him the telegram had been sent without his knowledge or consent. It had been said that he withdrew from Coromandel, but such was not the case, because he never announced his intention of standing for that constituency. The truth was, that when he addressed the Coromandel people, he had told them that come what would, he would never leave the district —meaning the Thames, of which electorate Coromandel then formed a part. Mr Sheehan then spoke of his recollec tionsof Auckland some few years ago; bow despair seemed to have cast a funeral pall upon the city, and how work was entirely suspended and starvation staring the people in the face. What was it that averted a calamity which might have reduced Auckland to the size of a village P It was the outbreak of the Thames goldfield which once more caused money to circulate, and caused people to cheer up. (Cheers.) He had often heard people asking what good he had done for the place. In the first place, then, he would mention the " Auckland Waste Lands Bill, 1873," which he had drafted himself, and carried through the House. That Bill enabled people to take up land on the most liberal terms. For this service he had been entertained at a public banquet at the Thames in 1874 As for other works, they could hot mention one sum of money that had come to the Thames but what he was instrumental in getting. There was not one but he had fought for. (Cheers.) It might be said to him, and very fairly said, " Why did not you give Mr Speight a show iv his own district?" He believed Mr Speight would do his very best for the district. He had said that he has behaved as a true and staunch party man. (Loud applause.) He said furthermore, that if Mr Speight had come to him at Wellington before he came out for this seat, and said to him, " I am not going again for City East, as I have not much chance in Auckland ; cannot you make room for me at the Thames and take some other seat yourself ? " he would have at once said : " Yes; take the Thames, and I will stand for another seat! " (Load applause.) He had done so before; he gave up Kidney to Mr Seymour George, and would have done as he had stated had he been asked. He claimed as a personal friend of Mr Speight—and if he were here he would say the same—that ever since he came into the House he had found him a true and staunch friend. If he had come to him and asked him to vacate the Thames seat he would have acquiesced. But although they were side by side in the House all through the session, he did not open his mouth to him on the subject, and even after the dissolution, when it was not too late, the only request he received was put in the shape of Hobson's choice. When he was in Wanganui a telegram was thrust into his hands telling him to find some other constituency, as Mr Speight had announced himself for the Thames. But they must put it down that Mr Speight, being an Irishman, like himself, must be allowed to speak twice. Every year just before the session com menced a survey party would arrive and announce their intention to making a flying survey of the proposed railway, but that was all they ever heard of it. The Government of whioh he was a member was the first to make the rail way an accomplished fact, and they would remember perfectly well that one of the strongest charges brought against them was their action in this direction, in placing a sum on the estimates for the completion of the work. It has been said that his Government made a mistake in not pressing the work forward and completing it while they were in power. His reply was this: Whatever blamo there was in tins respoci was sole!; attributable to their local bodies. They pressed them to begin the work by expensive reclamation works on the foreshore in front of Shortland. He was opposed to this course of action, and wanted them to form some useful line, as, for instance, a railway to Kopu, but they wanted that and most have it. They got what they required, aud in the meantime a rote of want of confidence was carried, sad bis party want oat of o£oe. He Isfc

could have made a considerable amount of money for himself. He bad many oppor tunities of enriching himself at the public expense, but never once allowed himself to be overcome by the tempting offers made to him by persons who wished to secure his assistance in purchasing for merely nominal figures valuable blocks of the public estate. Here is an instance of how he was tempted. A prominent member of the Liberal party—a gentleman who was well known to him, and who wrote yards upon yards of articles deprecating in unmeasured terms the pnrcliase of native land by speculators, came into his office in Wellington one day Hnd offered him £10.000, or a one fourth interest, if he would take the proclamation oft' a certain block of land wuic'i he wished to get hold of. He looked at the man for a few moments, and opening the said, " Depart." (Mr Harcourt : You should have taken the money before you turned him out.— Laughter). That would not do- He preferred honesty above anything else. Many of them would remember that he had given up a business? worth £2000 a year to Mr lie's. He had d ne it once but was not quite so certain that lie would do it again. As regards (he Patetere block bis name had been mentioned as having acted in a discreditable and dishonest manner in connection therewith. Before going to Cambridge, he saw Mr Bryce, his successor, and had a conversation with him regarding the intention of Government in respect to the purchase of native lands, but more especially in refer* ence to the completion of Patetere negotiations. He told him of his intention to resume business, and offered to complete the purchase of the Patetere block for the Government. The Native Minister replied that the Government did not wish to go on with the transaction, and would be satisfied if the money expended by their _ predecessors were refunded. The same thing has been done by Mr Rees, and nothing is said to him for land-sharking. Mr Bees was a shareholder in several blocks, but he (Mr Sheeban) bad not one single pennyworth of interest in Patetere.' It had been said that the land in the Patetere block cost 6s .per acre, but he was sure that 15s or a £1 would be nearer the mark when all the negotiations were completed. The new railway being constructed to Rotorua from Morrinsville would be a, certain forecast of the Thames- line being completed to that spot, and he might assure (he meeting that bat for him, the railway, whistle would not be heard in the wild country of the Kotorna for many a day, whereas it was probable that three or four years would see it completed. One of the objections raised against him was because he had been absent from the house for nearly half the session. He would explain that while on the way down to Wellington, he and his friend, the late lamented Mr Moorhouse, stayed at Taupo, and there his friend was attacked with quinsy. It was in the middle of winter, and was fearfully cold. There was no medical man to be found, so he determined to stay by hit friend and see him through it. This he did, and the constant strain of nursing caused him (Mr Sheehan) to knock up. That was the reason he was absent from the House. (Applause.) But they would remember that there was no real business done in the House for the first fifteen or sixteen days. These were occupied in twigging the moves. It was no use talking. If a member got nothing by his talk, he might as well stay at home and save his breath. Over the .Representation Bill he could see that it would inflict an injustice on the North Island. As an instance, what on earth caused the Ministers to put Block 27 into Coromandel, and a large portion of country from the Xauaeranga into Tauranga'P He was in charge of the stonewall party, and fought hard against the Bill. Another thiug urged against him was his vote on the Education question. He did not care two straws if he lost every vote on this question, but he would not go back on his word. He was in favour of secular education. It might be right to have denominationalism in big centres of population, but he could uot think that in a country place where there were perhaps half a doz-u children of each denomination under heaven that such a system could be permitted. It had also been urged that he had spoken in an offensive strain, and in a manner insulting to the ministers of religion, nhen debating the question in the House. But not only this, the catholics of Auckland permitted Mr Tole to vote for secular education, and why p Because they knew that he would not be returned if he did not vote for the present education system. As regards the finances of the colony the debt was £30,000,000, and £1,500,000 was necessary every year to pay the interest. This pressed where it should not—on the shoulders of the bard working people. He was in favor of a Progressive Land Tax, taxing all holders of large tracts of country, according to the amount of land they opcupied. As for large portions of land held for speculative purposes he would tax the speculators more than anyone else. (Loud cheers) Mr Sheehan after speaking to the question of roads and bridges, &c, and the log rolling capacities of the present Government, sat down amidst prolonged cheering. * In answer to a question, Mr Sheehan said. he was not in favor of starting a commonwealth in New Zealand just yet. They were jogging, along very well. If, however, they could do it, he thought they might make the Governor elective.

Question: Are you in favor of taxing all lands through which lines of railway have already been constructed at the public cost? ' Mr Sheohan: Yes.

Several other questions were satisfactorily answered. Mr McDonald Scott proposed a vote of confidence in Mr Sheehan. He was proceeding to rate Mr Speight for attempting to run against his own member, when considerable noise was made by parties in the back part of the hall. Mr Comes seconded the motion, and on a show of hands being taken the Chairman declared it carried.

A vote of thanks to the Chair concluded the proceedings.