THE ELECTIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1116, 19 August 1879, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

Sin, — I see that my remarks re the Political Situation and Sir George Grey have had the effect of inciting replies from two of the Premier's admirers, and I trust you will allow me to answer some of their assertions. "First, for *• A Liberal," he seems to base his thorough belief m Sir George Grey, on the facts that, m throwing the Electoral Bill iuto the waste-paper baSiCt, last Session, he did so for the sake of a principle, viz., that the Maories should be properly represented m the Councils of the Colony, and also that he is the poor man's friend, and champion of the working classes. Now, sir, the Electoral Bill had nothing m it which would increase the Maori representation m Parliament, it simply provided for giving votes to Maories on Pakeha rolls, as well as votes for their own members, and anyone who knows anything about it, must confess that this simply means that those who spend the most money with the natives, at election times, get all their votes. We had a specimen of the working of Maori votes, at our last contest m Waipa, when the Grey ( ommittcc sent a steamer, with plenty of provisions on board, together with Messrs Dufaur, Nelson, Major Te Wheoro, and Wallis, and brought all the natives from a tanyi, to Whatawhata, m a body, where they voted to a man for the Government candidate ; two, if not three „f those named, being Government servants. Is a man elected by such means, a fair representative of the people of the country ? No, Sir ! Let Maories return Maori members, and white, white men. Do you think that John Lundon put all the Maoris on the Bay Roll, Irom patriotic motives, or because ho knew that he could get them to return him to Parliament, when ho liked? I think, the latter. Fancy, 393 votes, not one of whom had a qualification, ov a roll of somo 700 or 800, and then ask for Maories to have dual votes. If a " Liberal " can find no other recommendation for Sir George, he had better have let it alone. Sir George is the poor mans friend, &c. Sir, it is not so many years ago, that, when a petition was sent home, requesting that Sir George be recalled, he wrote homo, stating that, of those who had signed it, the majority were nobodies, only eleven of them being on the Jury List, and one who had signed it had been (or was) a common, soldier. How is that for a poor man's friend? (This is a true bill.) But then, you see, he was Governor, now he is a Liberal of the first water. Sir, I defy " A Liberal " to give one single iustauce m winch Sir George has mt tared any scheme which has really benefitted us (for I, myself, am a working man). He has talked about scores of them, and they have all ended m what they began, talk. He gave the "Featherstone's (a rich family) £3,000 of public money. ( He gave Mr Larnaoh (one of the richest men about) £2,000, which paid his travelling expenses home, where he has been floating a huge land company. (This £2,000 was given to assist the raising of the loan, which was actually done by the proper agents iii London.) He gave Mr Reed £600 a year and travelling allowances, also -£500 for passage money, to undertake what really is a mere sinecure. Ho did not sell the Hinemoa, nor the Ministerial residence, nor abolish or even curtail the Land Purchase Department. He spent more on natives than has been spent for many years past, and he put the colony to the expense of some £25,000 or more for honorariums, when itis plain that had he objected, nearly half the money could have been saved. How is that for the poor man's friend ? Now about "Elector." Ho says that Sir George Grey does not war against squatters. WeU, Sir, I want " Elector " to show me any speech m which ho has declaimed against landsharlcs, and I can show him twenty m which he has run down squatocracy.' Where does he draw the line of extent of landed estates, is it at an island 5,269 acres m extent, which does not pay any rates, and which cost a few pence per acre ? I wonder if ho -««» anything under the new I^wl «!__*.' Andi why did Sir George Grey, hi former vcW endeavour tq pqi-cW a large block, m Clud}njv, the. fj^ l^kcs Ro'fcoiuahana, &c. r -> I, as w.eU as most who have the good of Oio oountry at heart, would war against large land owners who do not impvovo their holdings ; but, I fancy, it Wd he a blue look-out for men who, ww to hold say, twenty or thirty ?>oms, each, if tho big men were c\n\^ out of the country. How mafty men can make a living oft* o^e lumped acres, let alone ttwty, without help from, work, fo, ? Not many, I think. Regarding ft" "tavge plaoos mentioned by "^c^-.v^ tixfa dl - sfcrict ft very }^o. potion, of- them is swamp, and "1% WW stock company ho speaks of ns •»The Land Association," is going to out up and sell small "Mocks, and mamt others will follow, I havo"- no doubt i do noi think that these large hidings will tend to create any f^stocratic, class h<?r» and I also, ihmk th.atif they, had not bern bought as they were, they w.ould mostly bo stiU «ft m fern and rushes, and likely $p, fa remain. As it ; s ti\e country frydw by thousands than'it would,^*- boon. "Finally, I again. W support measures, not men, and I ( >L i lenge "Elector" to tell *V£k measure carried to a sWsiul Why Sir George GrevJ^ing ta da good to thsworW-^- andlbejr leave to iu*°m m fc the people have not vet to be their leactcr and perhaps >),cy will not. He was eVtccl to, ieaa on the mstiug vot, of the Sp^tou*, ami ousWa by v majority of *urt«m frraction% si xfmi) m {ho ime llau ? .e, after having had a fair trial antl making a movable Mlmo of all administration. Now ho is going to stump the. tejuutrvj wh&ji tue, bitsiu<*»s q| the colon v

fa entrusted to head clerks at Wellington. Bully for a " Liberal Autocrat " ! By the way, I see that another Contract (No. 3) is to be let at once, ou the Thames-Wai-kato Railway, at tho Thames end. — Black or White, not Grey, August lGth, 1379.