Hostile Demonstration Against Mr Bunny.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2709, 24 September 1887, Page 2

Hostile Demonstration Against Mr Bunny.

• Mr. Buniiy's meeting 'at .Greytown last night was characterised by - extrerne liveliness and by the markedly hostile attitude' towards Mr Bunny of the very large majority of his hearers. The gentleman in question had arranged to hold meetings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday' nights; at Featherston, Greytown, and Carterton respectively, with the desire and intention of having the last word in the present election contest, indeed he had'freely boasted that he had outgeneraled liis opponent, Mr Buchanan, by those tactics. Mr Buchanan, having received a hint, and knowing by past experience that his words and anions would be misrepresented by Mr Buuny. who has a very unamiable reputation for such lawyer-like tricks, attended the Featherston meeting on Thursday night. Mr Bunny thereat made a peculiarly gross personal attack upon Mr Buchanan, misrepre.senting him and supplementing his words. by very ,co'ntei|ipti|ouß. ■ gestures, direod' to.tlie quarter' in whiiob Mr Buchanan quietly sat, The •. latter, however, did not interfere either by word or, sign until Mr Bunny Had conspeqph' iind r motipn for a vota of thanks was before the meet'- ; ing. He then rose and politely asked permission of the Chairman to make: a short explanation. At a signal from their adult leader a gang of boys, from 10 to 18 years of . age, posted in the gallery .for the purpose of applauding Mr Bunny, or interrupting any hostile speaker, commenced howling and: shouting, witlitk view of drowning. Mr Buohanan's voice. When the confusion had somewhat subsided, Mr Buohanan'asked Mr consent to address a few words o|. correction to the meeting. Mr Bunny declined with extreme irritability and discourtesy of manner, and'.the ohildren agaiu received the signal for howling. Mr -Buohanan communicated to;the Press representatives present the nature of the communication .he desired to make. It was this: My Bunny, dining his speech, had accused Mr Buchanan of having last 'April settlement policy of the Government," and of having in July contra.* dieted bis previbuß by sayuig. '''The; Government have done everything in their ■ power to, prevent the settlement of :the land.''' Mrßunny,senting - Mr: Buchanan, • and with.'thf ayprse to land'. settii; • men—though he has done; all in ,Jjia power iir that direction-hai deiiboratolyoiuitted, tlia '.fc- tcoßoluding words of Mr Buchanan's sentence, viz '• Under the Freehold tenure,"' "Of course Mr Buohanan had a perfect right to speak under the circumstances. The meeting was a public meeting, and it was competent for any person present to speak to the motion before it, Mr Buchanan asked m a-

favor, that which, lie had the clearest* possible right to claim. • . . . When the. repprfciof the Featherston meetings;.reached; Greytown, great. ' indignation was felt at the unfair ■treatmenfc Mr Buchanan had received 1 at the hands of Mr Bunny, and , also that a parcel of boys should; be', ex- • ;pies%;to^glii; f to •fat tife'"'?Ci\ less Mf'Buniiy suffered •' ttiitil he [ raacyd^thjßt;'v : * ''pprtioh;6f'iiis Had at Featherston. misrepresented' the' J .'' words of ;Mr Buchanan.; ' Here Mt V, ' . Bunny—who had been. Watching Mr • ' Buchanan who'was present-became very nervous and' inadvertently, evi« dently, read out the four words-''':-, " Under the freehold tenure"—he had •' previously go carefully suppressed..' '" .Whereupon Mr.Buchanan,'•.partialljji|t' rising, said : "I thankyou Mr.Bunny™ and then askod Mr Bunny .for ah/ opportunity lot explanation aVehd of ■ meotiug. . Horoupon' Mr •.Bunny ";- 1 appeared to. beoomo almost frantjc^" 1 - and shaking his.fist at Mr Buoharian ; : -- coramenood-vehemently to abuse him. T .Then' the • audience interfered greeted' Mr Bopy with, a terrifio*..atom gvoansi and Jusses, and ■ pre* veptedijiiat jgeu tl <?man coistfea iiig "b i'a;, address.' ceiving that IHe;.auaiencft' ript ; 1 ;' - allow him' to. abuse his "opponent, ..m calmed dotfir'a little atad jiroeeeded • > with his speech. A little later, how- >

over, he recommenced a; • personal 1 ;' attack upon Mr Buchanan and .'the / audience emphatically declined hoar him. At last Mr ; arose and assured the ohairman that,, tho interruption was not by his desire r: and he trusted that his supporters ;: present would allow Mr Bunny to prtKi ceed, and; the Chairman : warmlythanked Mr Buohanan therefore; This restored order, .but there wero frequent; hostile interruptions throughout the' evening. At the closo of the address, the usual questions were ■ inyjtJJLand' sqnie more scenes ens®, for. which Mr Bunny has only - w thank : .hjs own impatience and want* of politeness to his questioners.' Mr Bunny, among, .other., things, ' admitted. the gross personallextravaganca, of the present , Government, ■ ani aooused one of -his questioners, .of h'emg a'teller of the "Biggest lies, "' L Mapri preset came forward- to ask. i question, aiid. ; liowed.'a-dep.vo' j|..prevent ; the being heard, Hei'however,'Buiiu? whether he .would sapjiotf'liie Native' Land Bill. \My -Bunny • «y. ' dently did. not oMprehend; the' qufef; Kativl gehtlomw'Btuck test, arid'h.ifli ■ Mr. Buany did not treat' -with' mif ' excessive courtesy; and' our colored' brother was heard, to deolare emphatically as heretirftdi." !Sou" get out of me." A ' vote ; of' proposed to, Mr Btinnyrjtnd a sho™' hands calledfor.but oiily afourtlTO tho audience : responded!" A general opinion is held in (jreytojvn that Mr Bunny has further serfpusly his chances - tachvarit ; df self iohtrolj Mb too-evident'desirei/ tt) . .elander and malign Mr Buchanan,, 2sj2HEHSSBH9j23pj9|H <

.' DUE. [to she Boiion.]' • v ; • A. R. : Bunny, when lauding" Mr R. S. Hawkinsrlast- evening, stated tb.at . tbat gentleman was the fouudpr of the Mdsterton- Agricultural and Pastoral What is ; tbo fact 1 Mr K. R. Welch waa. the "f mover at a meeting of the Farmer's Club, prior to Mr Hawkins being a member of that body. ■ ■ -. Tkutk. • Mlt BUCHANAN FjXIPLAINS. . To the Editor,;. ' Sir,—Mr Bunny statea-. la«t &K at Greytown and on the pravioiis npt at Featherston that I h'ad'iio right.to attend or speak at his'-mectings.. I think even Mr Bunny■ - himself will: admit that I do not' dsaally intriido where L havo uo right,.;: At all evetts . I do not remember attending his meetings except once 'at Greytown several years ago. Ji\..tlie same.year Mr Biinny hot only attended' two or ' more of my meetings hut', had viously : urged upon me to ; hive joint meetings at tlju Respective centres. Why then does he. object .so, to my presence at .bis present -njeetings! •The reason is obvious.. By fixing' tjieiu on the last available days before; the. election, he' bad hoped to hare the';laajA word, and ;be.tree, to'make any 'fais?T> repreßentation'apka -'ty niy; weirdy or .actions withb'ut.' apy cba'npe of. .reply on my part: before: the day d I natarally.objwoted to- this, toy presence at his At rep orts/wh icli: hoh el dinhis 8 .stated that, speaking : in .April.'jsp I had. commended for their efforts Via ' the cause pfe yberal land .settlement, • - whereas / iat<sr on .in. Jijly, I' had. flatly tontWicted myself by 'thai •"" they had ..done. evorytbiiis; they ' could to' prevent settlement' off the had." Had he completed the quotation by adding the words "mitr. os-,freehold tenure,'', he would havo done me. justice and ...left me no right to Complain. The temptation to interrupt and contradict so glaring; a misrepresentation was- obviously very ' ; ; great,'. *but I listened quietly-, to the end,.' ajs the? Mr Bunuy and the Cbairiiiau, ;iji the ioo3t upfair mannor, absolutely, refused ..niepny. opjjqrtunity.: whatever fcn| or.,, eiplanatipn. Aj the Greytown meeting I at once '%n»y(.'vbeni be supplied >. ; tb*6 words vbicb ho . omitM atlWr ' tlerston, -bat' ; .request for •- foh'at the end of the nieeting. • •.' I I regret the interrapt'ions' ?:• occurred last night, as;taujh Bunny can possibly: \ and. again -.urged jhat' .a quiet" and ■ attentive hearing is N the undoubted . right;of every • speaker, ,# ara not, however, responsible; for. the^eioite- 1 v raent oaused bj' hit unfair -refusal of my explanation jboth at Featherstott and Grey town. • : I am, bo. W. C. BCCSAHAS,

9 \ " P } — : - jfeoidllitioa. . VA\

; [To the Editor]

" • StK.—llr A. 11. llmmy last night: in a speech iu Mb usual well-known eloquent <«iid forcibll' stjli! gave some reasons why Mi' Hawking should bo returned at this election and Mrjiuetham vcleyiited. ty private life,.-,U isi quite, refreshingtofbjd;' a mail', rathe thai ita- aMjw' lo(»r m at tfeiff' ly of vabj the fait ijle Mastfcton shj)^^.|ts.s9^uad{^!^m ; What-.a- vast. ih,tefl|o|r;.-is liete, v'wjiat toeadgrof 'of' wipiiijil poliUcay'lf Mr.Bunii||b]iinb w^M'^cle • the «}?stoM'tliiit oii fSdtlolr v?aa ; 0 witi i? % hostility k .'MwAeitotfl* .J^£ v.-. tax tb'4ir credulity,-' 'AHyond'caußeitiitii V stance-thirt ive'iu'O.most intimately\c(m-, , 7'cenUidand interested 111 the 'future prosperity of Miisterton, .and I ask' tlio general-, public it we have "not always beon to the fore in- supporting local majors, A meeting wife called some at which all interested in the MBwete' invited to' attend. 1 It was de* cicfed'at that'meeting, bva majority, to boldthe show at Carterton, andonthedistinct, understanding that the show, for the • whole of tho-Wairarapa was to be held tliero our firm incurred liabilities to' a' • considerable'. extent. Suddenly Mr • * Hawkifis; who, hs an exhibitor at auy • other previous show' hia boeu conspicuous by his absence,. conceives the "'idea" of makiug political capital by exerting himself to start a .rival hVqw ' in .Mastorfcu, We being to thep.tljdyhow.over'af oncu, all money. • iuveiW; 83 \fell, arid come up to Master* tori'at the biddingof Mr .Hawkins. NowSir,- always contended that .Mas-, torton is p tho proper place for the show foi'-the Wairarapa, and J say niprever but. that for thoill-advisocl action and overJ bearing manner d Mr Hawkins the show for the whole valley would have been held nt Mastorton rioxt November.' The only other argument Mr' Bunny could ftdvaWco in 'Mr Hawkins favor was. that' Mr ?eethaui had been (number for the. district for .ton years.- It may be Mr. Bunny's idea that, because.a man has enjoyed tlio confidence of. a majority of electors, forX Jong a period, they • oyglit to throw him over and go for-an • untried man, a Man who, by his glaring inc. nsisteneies, has made hilnself a byvwi throughout the whole valley. Mr - Hgkins a 5 a Democrat, Does Mr tlaw-the-.moaning of the word l}(miop>'at ? limagine not, judgingfrom' ecma,of his actions. " Democracy "—the Government of tliopeoplo by themselves, of " one man's as good as another. Yet- Mr'' Hawkins, the advacate cf'a pure democracy;, Some time ago ago.at the eloction of a County Chair, mau .in the County Office, Mastorton", (laid that Mr Thomas MaoUay. .was' unfit for the positioti of; County Chairman,' be> &usp'Jie was likely to' bccoifle 'a Com;, ihisaiou acsent. -This our sreat demoewt; t .- .fcSip- tho 'man'-' whd-"Bays let us Eve a ; jlwpfe colonist' at the hwl of affiairs; inu iu. What does Mr Ha Skins' Kjy.to Abraham/- Lincoln, a leg splitter rjsjng to the.positioii.of President-of 'the Pjiited .States? If Mr Hawkins'ever Bcain r wo63.fhe" electors .of- this- district tfoughl fancy he will get such - a lesson flf-Monday as will etfeutually deter Mm, l advia him to obtain gentlemeuto. pro; ■peso him on tho hustinga and second his vote ol thanks, who can do so without jmulting/tbe electors of Maatefton by ' ialing them their votes can be purchased X-siipe&uy nips. • lam, &c., vHccn G. WILLUMS. ■ (P.S.—Siuco writing the above I ' rharo.. ascertained that Mr Hawkins -did: v pofc start the Masterton Show,-.only-.made himself conspicuous by his exertions 'after it was started' by Mr Bichard Welch. His reason being what • i have already mentioned, Mr Hawkins ..haii.tried to point but* that: a .candidate endorses and irresponsible for'iheWtio'n and tvords of his friends in an eloction contest. If bo wo may take it that Mr •^llaffkins'own opinion i'b that' can /Re purchased in the Masterton electorate : :-for pixpenny. drinks.—H.G,\V.] . MASTERTON ELECTION. . I' 1 jIR HAWKINS AT- THE THEATRE ■ ROYAL, Mr 11.8. Hawkins addressed a crowded ineoting at the Mastorton Theatre Royal last evening, Mr T, Parsons in tho chair. The speaker dwelt at length up<>n the jTial-adminibtraiion of -the' Stout-Vogel Ainiitrv. which had landed the Colony, greatextent, into'its present' diffi- • • culties. and advocated the: return of men . to' Parliament who would pledge -thorneelvtfa to.'take' an independent stand, • arguing that if this class, of men. were'' returned, a party would'bo formed in New Zealand who would raise tho credit of thO Colony to a high '• position' among the Australasias. He advocated opening • : up the-Crown knd3 for Bottlement on a IeBS 'expensivo system, and contenv: ded that =■tho of the Land Board should be administered from Mas- . - .-tertpn as ..being moi'e beneficial to tho . "... district. . ''Give me sole' '.charge' for 'one year,' Baid Mr Hawkins, "'and' I/will . * - havo 40.000 acr(is oMand-open-in Mastor ' ' • ton,' and in five years 1-will have all • the-. "Jund frorn the Rangitum'au : .to the fiirthest " : : Putetoi ■.intersected with, roads,, . and, gt; •.' settled upon."•. The axe,.he continued, .bo .heard v rlftgin? 'everywhere' ..7 in tHe, WaTrarapa,' the • tushfelle rB would be "at work' 611 "every hil!Bidqs,and'a tide ' "v'<}f p'rospßiity won-ld setjii for the Work.-:: •-'■ : '-'itis''''cla6Be's. ; . : vAfter' -'-dealing'- with.' Mr , &.past;ten.;,y(ars. 's'cryice-in tho' ;4 floqM ; in^hicfctheßpeaker;Averred Mr, Beetham.v Had •' blindly' 'followed "'.lilajor. ■ if ;elec*, •'..he.'Tead Mtraitslrctoi tlreDiitv to-' ,;,,?wow lotto Sneged'ihCoiißißteuciei-of {hat! " •' • "and hleipoJioy. viThe Bpecch. which- .occuhburan.delivery-, '.was. frequently : Bppl?u4ed,v. and a- wto ofthanliswas .... accorped-Mr'Hawkins on- tho' motion of' jlr'i/R.' Bnbiiy;;! mm 11 whmii 111 rj ■ ■