MR BUNNY AT FEATHERSTON.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 45, 11 November 1867, Page 3

MR BUNNY AT FEATHERSTON.

-A meeting of electors was held in the schoolhouse at Featherston on Monday last, Mr R. Lucas, in the chair, when Mr Bunny delivered a speech exactly similar to the one delivered in Greytown and reported by us in our last, at its conclusion Mr Nicolls proposed the following resolution whinh was seconded by Mr W. 11. Hastwell, and : carried. “ That the electors present at this meeting thank Mr Bunny for his speech, and assures him that he possesses their confidence and that they appro ve of the Course he pursued during the late session. ° ■ After a vote of thanks tb the Chairman, the meeting separated, MR BUNNY AT MASTERTON. Mr Bunny met the electors in the schoolhouse, Masterton, on Tuesday evening, the sth inst. Mr Bunny addressed the electors at some considerable length.

After several questions had been put and answered by Mr Bunny. The following resolution was moved by Oapt. Hare, seconded by Mr Cole, and ‘carried unanimously“ That the electors present this evening approve of the course pursued by Mr Bunny as their representative in the General -Assembly, and 1 thank him for his speech, and for his attendance here this evening.” After a vote of thanks 'tb the Chairman the meering separated.

MR BUNNY AT CARTERTON. The meeting held at Carterton On Wednesday evening, was well attended, and enthusiastic ill Mr Butlny's favor, Mr. Carrington was voted in the chair. . Mr Bunny made a long speech in defence of his conduct in the Assembly the purport of which was similar to that reported in our last. He concluded it by referring to the /appointment of Mr Carrington to the Post Office, and stated that whether a Post Officcwasestablished at Mr Wiltons or Mr'Carrington's was a matter which personally did not matter to him. He than read the following Tetters t'o show that as soon as he learnt the desires of the settlers he had 1 done his utmost to carry them out. “ Post-office, Wellington, . . November 2nd. 18(17. “Dear Sir.—Tu compliance with yonr request, I send you a copy of yonr letter to me of’ the 25th ultimo. The said letter lam about to forward to the Postmaster-General, with a recommendation that Carrington be appointed Postmaster, and that Wilton's appointment be Cancelled. . “ Wilton was no doubt Gazetted, from tbc fact of his having been appointed Postmaster in accordance with the original wishes of a large number of the settlers, backed by your recommendation ; but as he subsequently 'refused to act for the salary fixed by Mr Hall—namely, £5 per annum, no further steps have vet been taken. I have no doubt, therefore, that the present wishes of the settlers will be complied with.

“ Yours, tridj - , Jot£s F. Hog g Abb.” •‘Henry iliinny, Esq., “ Featherstbn.” “Featherston, October 25, ISC7. “ Dear Sir, —lleferring to yonr letter of the 15th inst. to Mr Kemble, I write to say that the majority of the settlers on the Taratahi Plain are if opinion that the Post-office about to be established in that neighborhood" should beat Mr Carrington’s and not at Mr Wilton’s. ■ “I should be obliged* therefore, if you will take the necessary steps tb obtain the appointment of Mr Carrington as Postmaster. Any further information yon may require Mr Kemble will be glad to furnish you with. “ I remain, dear Sir, “ Yonr obedient, “HenWy Buxny," “ John F. Hoggard, Esq., “ Chief Postmaster, Wellington.” After Mr Bunny had sat down Mr Kemble asked Mr Bunny:—Why he did not convene a meeting at the several townships in 1866, in accordance with the promise he made at the time of his election ? . Mr Bunny:—To the best of ifiy belief I 'did Mr Kemble denied that he had.

Mr Kemble: —How was it that you voted against the Stamp Act when brought in hy the Weld Ministry and voted for it when introduced b\ r Mr .Stafford ? Mr Bunny:—He did not oppose the Weld Ministry, hut ho did vote for Mr Vogels motion that if the duty by the .Stamp Act realized more than the amount tile government estimated it at, the surplus was to he dealt with as in the customs revenue viz;— ■|ths to the Provinces. Mr Kemble: —You state that you were instrumental in reducing the defence estimates hy £6000,. and yet in your address you state that the total reduction in the estimates only amounted to £1.500. Will you explain? ~ 1 hinny: —The principal reductions, 'although small at the present, was in the steam subsidies, and hy the reduction we have made the way has been paved to make further reductions in the next session, and lie felt confident that next session would see a great alteration in the large expenditure that is going on in that direction.

Mr Kemble ; —Why did you support the public debts bill ? Mr Bunny:-—Because I believe it to be a righteous transaction—that it will raise our credit in the Stock Exchange at home for it could not be doubted that legally, if not morally the cblony was responsible for the debts of the several provinces. Mr Burton Boys:—Will you give your support to a lull "to give Local Self-govern-ment to the Wairarapa ? Mr BUnny;—l will provided it is in my opinion suitable to the district, he trusted that the settlers would sign a petition, which he should feel pleasure in presenting, asking for shch , a hill and provided shell a bill was brought forward, he would send copies of it to the several townships so that meetings might he held, ahd the people express their opinion thereon.

Mr Boys said he would support, Mr Bunny but differing with him as lie did on many points, he considered it fair "and just . to express them. He believed that. the district was drifting bn a lee shore, and if soon wc had not file management of our own local affairs it would become a total wreck. If a bill was brought forward, simple in nature, and suited to the district, he and all the settlers would hail it as a boon. lie had no faith in Mr Stafford, a man who had taken office with a false.cry—who had promised to reduce the expenditure of the country by £240,000 and failed to do so, but instead increased its ■'burdens, "and when he found the representative of this district had given a thick ahd thin support to such a government—such a minister—he felt no confidence in him. At home when members had given such a support they were rewarded with a bit of ribbon, made knights of. etc., hut in the colonies, if not with good billets, with a . J.P. ship at the end cf their names. He thought that hetbre they made such beggarly reductions as had been made that they would have first reduced the amounts that was to be paid to themselves —• but this Mr Butluy thought would be a.dis ■ grace. He considered that the Loan Consolidation Bill, which was sb warmly opposed by Dr Featherston to he a loss to 'this colony of a large sum, Mr Boys concluded a very fluent and able speech in supporting a tramway or railway in, the district and in. the support of Local Self-government in the Wairarapa. ■ , Mr Bunny replied to Mr Boys, and defended the course he had taken. 'Mr Fairbrother differed with Mr Bunny with regard to the tariff and believed as in

the case of tea and tobacco it did press heavily upon the working classes and although he differed with him on many points, he believed he had worked hard on the whole for the benefit of the district and therefore he felt that it was a dutjTo express confidence in him, add concluded by moving the following resolution which was seconded by M; Cadwaller, , , . That this meeting haviftg heard Mr Bnnny and taking his condlict as a whole is satisfied and express their confidence in him.”

Mr Kemble had always been a consistent opponent of Mr Bunny's, and still holding opinions adverse to him, moved the following amendment:— : ,

“ That this meeting has lost all confidence in Mr Bunny as the representative 6f the Wairarapa,” On a show bf h'ahcls being taken there appeared 4 for the amendment and 27 against it. The resolution was then put when 27 Voted for it and 4 against it. *Mr Bfinny thanked the electors for'the vote given After which a vote of thanks was given to the chairman and the meeting separated.