MR SPEIGHT.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4846, 22 July 1884, Page 2

MR SPEIGHT.

Mr Speight addressed a large meeting at the Academy, of Music last night. Mr W. Carpenter occupied the Chair.

.The speaker stated that he would but briefly touch on .political matters, as it was quite unnecessary to go over his previous speech, but he would chiefly confine his remarks to matters which bad arisen out of the election. His speech on Monday night had not pleased all; this he did not expect to do, but he claimed to have convictions and to act up to them, I (Applause,) and his enemies, not being [able to find fault with his policy, had had to launch out against his longwindedness, attacks on public men, &c. He also laboured under the disadvantage of having to provide a policy for both himself and his opponent. He was not too old to take a hint in election matters, but in this contest the opposing side had been as barren as the desert from Dan to Beersheba. He defended himself from the accusation that he had no party, by saying that at present there were no parties, but when the House met he would follow the one whose policy came nearest to what was best for the whole colony. He sketched the history, of the present Government party, saying that they got into power by purchasing the votes of the four Auckland " rats," kept there by buying votes, defeated a no-confidence motion by reducing the grain tariff, and lost the votes which cast them out of office by increasing the grain tariff and introducing the pre-emptive right measure, the latter losing them the support of the land sharks, Mr Whitaker, jun.j being a fair sample of the class of men lost. He hoped to see the bickerings between the two sides of the House cease, and. the honest men of both coalesce, such a party being the one he would support when returned. He expressed great confidence in^New Zealand's future, as by developing her -wonderful resources, and stopping land sharking, she could pay-a, much larger debt than we had at present, and carry on all the public departments without increasing the taxation one shilling. The charge of "no influence " had been levelled against him, but it' should also be laid against his opponent. , The secret of influence in the House lay in a man showing that his word oould be trusted, that he would' hold fast to his friends, and do the part allotted to him well and thoroughly. He took credit for preventing the £16,000 allocated for our' railway being spent at Waikato to improve private land, and oited the fact that thirteen members came back from the steamer on the strength of his asser* tion%s a proof that his word was trusted. The account of the whole affair, and the public reception given him for the part he took, would be found in the local journals of September .1879. When speaking of influence, this, and the fact that every Thames matter referred to him when. s member for City East received attention* should he remembered. Ho could have got a seat in Parliament with tylf the trouble he was now takjmg, but he wanted to represent the Thameß. He declared positively [ho had not a single axe of his own to grind, and asked them in voting to choose wisely, and if they returned i

him'.:.to.--trust..him' largely. He fully believed they were going to return him. (Applause.) Much was said about the corruption of Parliament, but the Houso was on a level with the people who elected the representatives, and any improvement must be from their sending honest men to represent them. A rumor was in circulation that as a governor of the High School he had been bribed to vote in favor of a certain agreement by which the school and land were leased for 21..years, with a purchasing clause for £1200. Did they think he was the man to be bribed. (No, no.) The answer he made was that he was not a governor at the time the agreement w»b come to. He denied that he had -written"'anything-for the Thames Advertiser during this election except advertisements. He again expressed his confidence of election, and promised to work his hardest for the district, and resumed his seat amid loud applause. In answer to. questions he said:— Major Atkinson's national insurance scheme might be practicable 100 years I hence, but at present its tendency would i be to make>theVwhole of the people paupers.—ln answer to an elector who wished to know whether he would assist Messrs McGpwan and Eenshaw to purchase the freehold of Irishtown, as he understood they had some 3s tea and a few rusty saws advanced on it, Mr Speight replied that he would'strenuously oppose anyone purchasing portions of the goldfield.—He was in favor of Grey's Law Practitioner's, Bill, considering that in this, as in the' case of the monkey tribe, the fittest would survive.—The Parihaka grievance should not be let rest till the money was paid. ' Mr E. N. Smith proposed a vote of thanks and confidence, which Mr G. W. Bull seconded. '■„•-.;• Mr Danby here asked whether Mr Speight thought, with Col. Fraser, that Sir Vogel would hare so much power in the J. House that his consent would have to be gained before anything could be got from Government, and Mr Speight replied he thought a strong Government would be formed within a month of Parliament meetings in which Sir J. Vogel would not figure at all. The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously, three cheers were given for Mr Speight, and one for Sir G. Grey, and a vote ot thanks to the chair concluded the proceedings,