MR ROCHE'S MEETING, AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1117, 21 August 1879, Page 2

MR ROCHE'S MEETING, AT HAMILTON.

The Court House was crowded last night, to hear Mr Roche's political opinions, as a candidate for Waipa. The Mayor occupied the chair, and introduced Mr Roche, who, in a very sensible speech, of full forty minutes duration, was listened to with every attention by the audience. It would do Mr Roohe injustice, at this late hour, to attempt to give' a full report of his speech, which we reserve for our Saturday's issue. Several questions were afterwards put to Mr Roohe, who, in answer to them, explained that he was a thorougher believer in the secular system of education, giving to the clergy every facility for imparting religious instruction, out of school hours. As to separation, he did not like the idea, but would, if driven to it by further spoliation of the North by the South, go in for it. He believed in the plan for the sale of native lands, sketched by Mr J. M. Clark, in Auckland, on Tuesday night. He thought the honorarium should be fixed by law, and Members not vote their annual salaries. £200 was a fair sum for a fair session, but he would not have taken it for the last one. He would not support Sir George Grey in changing the civil servants with every change of Government, nor in making the Governor elective, nor in sunderinsr this Colony from the Mother Country. On the motion of Mr K. Hill, seconded by Mr Deegan, a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Roche, by those present.