TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1113, 12 August 1879, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

THE \TAIPA ELECTION. MR CUNNINGHAM'S MEETING. Te -A wamutu, August llth, 1879. Mk James Cunningham, of Kangiaohia, who has been requested to stand for the Waipa, met the electors of Te Awamufcu iu the Public Hall, as advertised, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday last. On the motion of Mr A. Ramsay, seconded by Mr Moncrieff, Mr W. Sloano was elected to the chair, and in a few appropriate words, the Uhairman introdiW Mr Cunningham ; remarking', at thdT&une time, that the House had not yet dissolved, but, nevertheless, he though it desirable to mention this now, as they were near, exciting and troublesome times. Mr Cunningham, on coming forward, said :— He was sorry to see such a scant meeting, the short notice given was, no doubt, the cause of it. He knew the people here generally took a lively interest in political matters. He met thsm on this occasion, to give his views on the leading questions of the clay. They were all awaro the Government had been defeated. The charges put forward against them by the Opposition were immorality, maladministration of native affairs, and the Thames- Waikato railway. These charges, he could tell them, were fallacious, but . brought out with a view of drawing a red herring across the scent. They were defeated by landsharks, because 'the Grey Ministry was the only Ministry ych, that had made the land in the South Island the common property of all. He would, if returned, support" Sir Ueorge Grey in resisting private parties from speculating in native lands. For his own part, ho thought the natives were fairly dealt with in the matter of their lands by the Treaty of Waitangi, by which the soverignity of the country was ceded to the Queen, and by which the natives themselves were raised to the rights, freedom, and privileges of natural born British subjects. Previous to that treaty, large tracts of native land could be bought for a few blankets, or some tobacco. But when that pre-emptive right was thrown up, a very serious inj usticc was done to the natives. It was, unhappily, brought about by the Europeans who wished to purchase land, as private speculators. He would be in favor of progressive taxation, as it is in England. Jl o believed such a measure would be popular, and carried into law, if introduced. As regards the electoral law, he was in favour of Manhood Suffrage. He thought every man in the colony should have u vote, so long as he was not criminated, or otherwise legally disqualified. Education, he so id, should he free, secular, and compulsory. Denominationalism, he thought, created bitterness and illfeoling, and raised party against party. No Government money should go to support any religious system whatever. He continued, a bill was introduced lately, to have triennial Parliaments. It fell through. He would support it, as he considered five years too long. Many things might occur, during that time, to alter the political situation. If there wore any other questions interesting to the country, not yet touched by him, he would, he said, be happy to answer them. Mr Moncrieff • " Proceed, and go into the native policy, a little more." Mr Cunningham: Well, he thought the Government had been remarkably successful in their native pplicv. The Waimatc Plains was not their doings ; it was a legacy, loft them by the late Government. The natives, in our immediate neighbourhood, is a notable instance of the success of the Government. Kewi has been brought round, and made our friend. He lias recognised our law, admired our institution.' and was pleased with the equity and justice of the .Land Courts, and had, Mr Cunningham believed, made arrangements to sell land to Europeans. He, himself, was at the Kopua meeting, and' he saw nothing of the "extravagance and irregularities imputed to the Government, He should, if returned to the House, always work with the liberal party. He looked upon it, that the best of the land went into the hands of private parties. Mr Earasay said : II c did not beliovo iu the land going iu that manner. It should be put up to competition. Mr Cunningham : The great Treaty of Waitangi was, that it gave the natives large advantages, but it was upset by land speculators, who wanted to purchase direct, themselves. Mr Moncrieff : If you arc returned, would you bo in favor of getting a fair share of the Government moiu^, for public works and immigration, and to open up the country ? Mr Cunningham : I would see that tlic North Island was done justice to, and that the South should not have it all their own way. As for immigration, his thought it "rank injustice to spend money importing immigrants." It was, he said, " entirely unjust to import labour to compote against the working man." All the more so, "as the working man, who contributes iu taxes to the revenue of the country, may, through not being a property holder, be disqualified from having a vote." If the people of the Colony were prosperous and happy, hi: had no doubt that immigrants would come out without the aid of Government. He considered the railway ought to be continued from Hamilton to Cambridge. Mr Moucrieff: I think if it got "to Cambridge, it would bo at a standstill, as the ■country is no good behind it. I will put a strong question to you : In case you are returned, will you do all in your power to improve the district or county that returned you. Take care, don't make any promise, except you can keep it. We have had promises enough from Mr McMinn, but they were of 'no use. You must have the principle of a man. Mr Cunningham appealed to every one at the meeting who knew for tho List fifteen years, as to his principle. The meeting, at this stage, was pretty large, aud all, to a man, accorded to Mr Cunningham tho first place as an honorable and straightforward gentleman, and one who shared with them the dangers and troubles of the early settlement. Mr Wcstney: Are you in favour of Manhood Snffrage being obtained for good character at twenty- one years of age? Would you approve of putting navvies, who had just arrived, on the same footing as others of standing aud property ? Mr Cunningham: Certainly? Chinamen oxecpted. He would not be in favor of letting them all have a vote Mr Moncricft' : Sujipo.se \ \v. ov two hundred navvies came here- v on -what grounds would you allow ihein tho suffrage ? Is it because they drink a ]ot of beor, and spend money, that you would put them on the same footing as people who have boon hero for years ? Mr Cunningham : There could be restrictions. Kosidonoe in a district for a vote 1 " 1 tlmo ou Sht to qualify a nmu to Mr Moncrieff: Then you think that a man that came here to-day, should be put in the same class as the man who Iris property, and who has been in the district tor years. Say he comes into To Awarmitu, gets on the spree and goes back to oacnt 1 ? 0 ' S '° tS tW ° mouths ' impi'isonMr Cunningham : Of course then ] K! r°i!l c \ bo but still he would iold_to Manhood Suffrage. As for lavvies, they were as good, men as any others, and it would be wrong to disqualify them all for the faults of. «, f uw~,

* sentiment which met with the cordial approval of the meeting. i Mr Gresham : If yon were asked 'if you came forward jis an independent member, how would you answer ?■ Mr Cunningham : "I am not bound to support any clique or party." I would support Sir George Grey, whom I look on as the leader of tho Liberal side. Mr MonoriefE : You had better take care,|and explain yourself. If, in case Sir George Grey is going against tho interests of the country, would you withdraw ; if he was doing good, would you support him? Mr Cunningham: Certainiy; but he would follow no man blindly. So far as Sir George Grey has gone, he approved of every measure by his Government. Mr Moncrieff: Would you use your influence to reduce the native vote ? Mr Cunningham; Most certainly. 1 would oppose all extravagance in that or any other vote. Mr Moncrieff : You would not be for giving natives two or three tons of potatoes at a time, and the same quantity of flour snd sugar, and then leave them idle while using it. You would, of course, make them work for the general good ? Mr Cunningham thought some money should be spent on them. He believed a good deal of money is spent uselessly on native oflicials; but would like to give them schooling, not too much reading and writing, but trades as well. On the motion of Mr Moncrieff, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr Cunningham, who, he said, he was well pleased with. Seconded by Mr Poster, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the meeting.