The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1885. THE TAURANGA ELECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1999, 26 May 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1885. THE TAURANGA ELECTION.

Altiiodgii the result of the Tauranga election is not by any means a surprise, the return of Mr John Siibejjan is not one of those events which was very desirable. First and foremost, Mr Siikehan is an agent for landsi: arks. fie is one of those members of the Liberal party who profess to have the interests of the small capitalists at heart, while he makes his living out of those who have an almost unlimited amount of money at their disposal. Politically, lie professes to abhor what has been termed the Napier land ring, yet if anyone possessed of the necessary means were to go to him and ask him to assist in the purchase of any available quantity of Native land, he would do his very best to earnacommission. He belongs to that section of public men who practice one thing ami prs/icji another, He is not only an ordinary dealer in Native lands, but be has agents in j every portion of the North Island, and any person who is inclined to speculate in thit direction can scarcely do better than consult him, because his knowledge of Maori customs, added to the experience which he gained while NativoMinistei'uuderSirG. Grey, have give him advantages of which none of his rivals can boast. In reality we have in him a man who, whilst professing to advocate the conservation of what all Governments look upon ns a valuable estate, does his best to put that estate into the hands of speculalators, which, in other words, means nothing more nor less than its destruction. How Mr Siikehan would vote upon any Bill dealing with Native lands is, under the circumstances, a forgone conclusion, and we may rely upon this, that even were he to vote in favor of anv measure or motion that would have a tendency to benefit the colony, he would see something in it that would enalile him to continue his present practices—ihat of playing into the hands of the land-sharks. That alone is. we think, ample reason why Mr Siikehan should never be returned to Parliament. But we have also a lively recollection of his Parliamentary career. When he was first returned by an Auckland constituency, he made it a boast that he was a " colonial" born and bred, and while all colonials were duly proud of him, colonists generally were on the tip-toe of expectation. In his first speech in the House, be, however, succeeded in giving a very good i;lea of bis capacity. He described himself as a man in the wilderness—as one in the dark crying for light; while all the time, he was trying to instil into members the idea that, having been a member of the Provincial Government of Auckland, he knew at least as much as any of tbem. Under the protecting wing of Sir George Grey he became Native Minister, and, having an idea that the natives should be liberally

treated, he spent an enormous sum of money on them, without allowing any satisfactory result, An item of some £doo or £9OO for cab hire in twelve months oauaed a. somewhat warm discussion in the House of Representatives the liberality portion of his liberalism being very freely commented upon.i During the whole of his parliamentary' career he proved himself to be a" mere plugless wordspout," and, judging by his utterances whilst addressing the Tauranga electors he had assiduously Studied with a view to improve himself in that direction, There is some satisfaction to be gleaned from the consideration that Mr Sheehan's chances of again holding a portfolio are very re* mtoe, because the only one which would be agreeable to him is that of Native Minister, which is at present held by his former colleague in the Gray 'Cabinet, Mr Balmnce, and because Parliament is not at all likely to commit the absurdity of allowing his former chief, Sir George Grey, to again become Premier, Mr Sheehan owes his return entirely to the Native votes, and those of Mr VeseyStewart's Katikati settlers, and if the cause that led to his return were to bo taken into consideration in the House lie would occupy a very poor position indeed.