THE POLITICAL CRISIS. Meeting at Cambridge.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 639, 24 June 1876, Page 2

THE POLITICAL CRISIS. Meeting at Cambridge.

A public meeting to consider the portion of the Government;, was held at the National Hotel, Cambridge, on Monday last at 4 o'clock p m. The room "was crowded, over GO persons being present. P R H. D Fergusson,Edq, was voted to the chair, and in opening the proceedings stated thatit had been thought advisable to call tin's moeting-, and others throughout the district, for the purpose of strengthening the hands of the Government lie called upon Mr James ilanciman to move tho first resolution. Mr llunciman in moving -"That this meeting begs the Ministry not to resigu before the Abolition question ha 3 been made law, but to stand or fall upon the m^in' constitutional question, which Ihe present house was elected to dispose of," said he thought a large majority of tho people would like to see the present Government remain in office, until they had accomplished the. purpose for which they were there,; it would bo most unwise aud unfair to let them go out of office justnow ; no one could take their place. Their policy _CQiild._not be carried on so ably by any one else. He was not prep-rrecTto ma Ice" a long speech, therefore ho would not detain the meeting. He had great pleasuro in moving the resolution. i Mr Tuck secouded. He thought it would be a pity to let the Ministry resign until the great constitutional changes contemplated bad been settled ono way or the other. Mr Clements moved as an amendment '• That this meeting approves of the action taken by Sir George Grey in tho House relative to the Piako lands." Ho said that the Abolition of the Provinces was not the question at issue. The question upon which the present Government must stand or fall was Sir George Grey's motion r3 the Piako Swamp. The Chairman — I think you are wrong, Ihe roal question is Abolition. I hardly think that you can put your amendment, it lios no connection whatever with tho motion ! Mr Bright wished to know whether the moeting w.is a private or a public one. (A voice — public — ). If the moeting was a public one it seemed to liim that any amendment could be put. The Chairman thought that an amendment should havo some connection with tho original motion. Mr Gamp — What do the Ministry .resign upon 1 Tho motion of Sir George

Gt'o/. 'I iic; t t'jio rli« ni >li >n i*> M'Ufeooi Irocl. {Nj n ).) ]J it I si/, ye;, )c>, we wont bo dictabV.l I\j. (.Jproai). Mr FMior co.jU.vjl tlntt'n Cuiimin was right, t!w> amoii Im-Jiit h'l ro cvinePiiou with the lno'.io i. lie lluu^li t'ntif the country had bvm coir.vl to 1 , e/ei-ybody would hu\o Rppro\od of liv. sile of the JPiako S^auip. It' tic Government hid admitted t'.ieir misUk rt , .ill would have been right. It the}' held office now on the ousting vote of the Speaker they would deserve the -oeusaru of the country. Some coalition Government would no doubt go in. He owsidired the* Oppositiou quite as cjmpeto.itas the present Government. Tho Chairman then amid much hisses, cheers, and uproar ruled that Mr Cle inents was out of order, and put the motion to the meeting. The number of voicessupporting the resolution seemed so few in comparison with the noes, that the chairman decided to count hands. Messrs G E Clark and Fisher were appointed scrutineers and the following" was the result: — For the motion, 27 ; against, 27. The Chairman — Gantlernen, I will give my casting vole in favour of the resolution. (Cheers and kisses.) Mr Clements wished a ballot to be takoa. Mr Clark asked to know if it was tho intention of Mr Clements to insult the scrutiners ? if they could not ba trusted why had they not been objected to at first. (Hear hear.) There wag n considerable amount of contusion and noise at this stage of the proceedings, and wjien it had in some degree subsided, Mr Clements brought forward his amendment us a sepaiate resolution, lie considered that Sir George Grey had done a great deal of good, all must admit that he had great influence in the House. Mr McVeagh seconded. It was not their duty to tell the Government what te do. He thought that tho present Government would be very mean to stay in office. Mr Bright moved, as an amendment. " That this meeting approves of the conduct of Sir Ucorgo Grey, and, is oi opinion that a fresh appeal should be made to the country, after passing such measures as are necessary for the public service.". He said that a crisis hat arrived. There was no doubt that the present Government had done much good but, give a horse too much corn, and lie becomes restive. The Government ap. psareJ to consider they had a sort ol vested right to office, and, that no one haci any busiricss to turn them out. They wero, no doubt, clover, but, mind and brain were not everything, and the manuei iv which tliey had treated this Proving was very wrong ; they wore not worthy the. confidence of tho people If there was an iniquity anywhere where the English language was spoken, it was the Native Oifice. There existed no greatei cur.se than that Murderers are shielded by it"! It is an insult to the country. We li.iv.q heard, from titne, to time, the lvports of tho sick Maori's doctor — Sii Donald McLean — for the last six or seven yeats. How long wns this to continue? We were not safe from the murderors. Wh-it would Ovir -friends at home think if we wore treated like Pac'cer. Sir Donald McLoan had no right -to spend tho public money as he did. [Mr Bright's remarks extended to a. great length, but, we must necessarily curtail them.] He related an anecdote of a gentleman who offered double the usual prii*e per mole to an old -mdle -cifccher, with a viow to speedily rid himself of the animal. But when the price waa raised, only halt the nuiiber wero brought in, and when the inuls-calchcr was questionel, he said, ""If 1 catch them all, how will the likes of ma live?" Now, Sir Donild was Y\ki lk«j molo-catchor, if tho native dijiicalty was over.; how would he and his clasi liva ? There was uono who was more opposed la Pro\inculism than ho (the spdik-er) wn.s. Abolition would do good, bub new blood must bo infused into the Gjvch'ii merit. (Loud cheers.^ Mr 11 Kirk wood wished the representative of the Press to tako notice of the fact, th«ft most of 'the people present were either minois or pcrso.is who had no stake whatever iv -tho cjuntry, and some of them had no occupation even. Ho wished the Press, and, through it, tho country to know this. (Sons ition.) Mr Bright siidthat anyone who consumed foo.l and wore clothes, was a taxpayer, and, consequeutly, entitled to have n voice. Il> was a free country. (CJhcera — the juvenile voices predominating.) JMr Clemonla roso to soeoud Ml' JJriglit, but, was ruled out of ordoc Mr Camp seconded the anaendmonfc pro forma. Mr Forre3t moved, as a further amendment, " That we, the residents of Cambridge, do heartily endorse the action of Ministers in dealing with the Piako Swamp as they have done. We believesuch action has prove.l beneficial to Now Zealand in general, and Waikato cspocially. Much settlement and improvement has taken place beyond such lands since roads have been made. Mr R Kirkwood seconded. Mr Tuck proposed, " That Messrs Clark and Fisher be tho scrutineers. Mr McVo&gh seconded. Some discussion ensued as to tho manner of counting, and the last amendment was put to the meeting, and caraied. Avc?, 29. Noes, 2G. Mr James Hunciman proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. Taking into consideration the cass o" voters, the meeting was very unan mous, nine-tenths of the bona fide settlei p «up. porting the Government. — Own C(»»E3L'ONDEtfT.