MEETING OF WAIKATO ELECTORS AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1876, 15 July 1884, Page 2

MEETING OF WAIKATO ELECTORS AT HAMILTON.

An adveitisement calling a meeting of the electors of Wtiikiito at Hamilton was inserted in our Satui day's issue. There was no nametothenotice, andtheadvertisement, in consequence, created not a little mystery .nid conjecture. Some eagerly enquired the object of the meeting, and sought in vain its origin. During the day it began to be whispeied about that certain paities weie endeavouring to bnug out a candidate to oppose Mr J. B. Whyte, in the Giey interest, and this seems "to have given rise at unco to indignation and enthusiasm. A few jof the representative electois of the Hamilton district communicated with the electors of Cambridge, nnd apprised them of their .suspicion in the matter of a second candidate. The same feelings of indignation prevailed at Cambridge on receipt of the intelligence, and in the evening nearly twenty influential lesidents started off for Hamilton in one of Mr Kirkwoods coaches and several private convey. in ces, determined to show the futility of any opposition to Mr Whyte. Seven o'clock was the hour appointed for the meeting, but that hour found the Oddfellows' Hall, the hall named in the adveitisement, in total darkness. About eight o'clock, however, the electors who had come together on business intent, seveial of whom had come long distances to bs present, detei mined not to dispeise befoie doing something to show to the woild the feeling of the Waikato electois on the question < f opposition. Mr T. G. Sandes at once seciuod the hall on his o\\ n responsibility, and befoie many minutes it was occupied bv about 150 people. Mr S-iddon was voted to the chair. The Chairman read the advertisement in The Waikato Times convening the meeting. He noticed theie was no name to it, and it did not state the subject to be discussed. It wa<; manifest, howe\ er, that it affected the electoit. of the dislnct, and they had come togethei whether widely or not, to see tii what extent, and in what way it did affect them. There was one tiling their presence indicated, and that was that theie was some political life in the distuct, and that the electois of Waikato were keenly alive to their interests. PJe would conclude by calling upon the gentleman who had caused this advei tisoment to be inserted to oinc fonvaid and state his views to the meeting. Capt. Steele thought it might not possibly be a "gentleman" — it might be some old woman, and they bad a few such moitals.lll Waikato at the picseut tune Mr Vereker Bindon thought Capt. Steele was light. The "gentleman" lefened to was a midwife, .and therefore could not be a man. The Chairman then called upon the gentlemen whom, he presumed, weie woikmg with the convener, if they weie present in the hall. Mr Sandes ascended the platform and said that Dr. Bealo was the peison who had caused the advoitisement to be inserted. He would therefore call upon Dr. Beale. Dr. Beale wa« not foithcoming. Mr F. A. Whitaker suggested, as no gentleman seemed inclined to take the lesponsibihty of the adveitisement, that any other gentleman who had a lesolution piepared to submit, should bring it foruaul. Capt. Steele said as no one seemed disposed to fatliei the adveitisement, ho thought it proper that they should know who had called them together, who had caused the mysteiious admtisement to be inscitod . ; If the managei of The Waikato Tunes was present he would ask him to state who had ciuserl the ad\eiHsement to bi nisei ted. A laige number of those present had come long distinces, and it was only light they should know who cilled them together. Mr Whitaker thought that the business which they had principally assembled to do was to expiess their confidence in Mr Whyte, whatever the object of the author of the advei tisement may have had in view. He did not think it proper that the manager of a newspaper should afford the inclination asked for by Captain Steele, so l"ng a-> the adveitisement did not contain anything peisonalor scurrilous. Mr Hay thought that an exception should be made in such a case as that befoie them. An advertisement of this kind was entnely different fioin a communication on some public matter to the editor. Mr Sandes said he had been told by a gentleman who knew, that Di. Beale had convened the meeting. Mr Kiikwood consideied that the person, whoever he might be, was deserving of the strongest censure foi bringing togcthci Mr Whyte's suppoiters fiom all paits of the district on such a purposeless mission. He was peifcctly satisfied that the electois of the (Jambudge district weie quite contented with Mr Why to as their lepresentative. Mr Kno\ thought that if the poison who comened the meeting was unable to be pie-•-eijt lie should have appointed some peison to take his place. The Chairman thought the person who convened the meeting had placed himself in a most ridiculous position, and it was for those present to expiess themselves as they thought pioper. Mr McEwen (of Te Aroha), said he had come all the way from Te Aioha to addiess that meeting. He thought, from what he had learned, that some person was about to oppose Mr Whyte for Waikato. He considered, however, that the rumour was a meie hoax. Mr Gco. E. Clark, (Cambiidge), proposed the following re • ution : — That this meeting sees no reason to withdraw theconfidence that has hitheito been reposed in Mr J. B. Whvte by the Waikato constituents, and pledges itself to use every effort to support him all comers." The reading of this resolution was received with loud applause. The proposer thought that everyone present would agree with him in stating that in Mr .7. B. Whyte Waikato had got an excellent man to represent them. Mr Whyte had always looked well after their interests, and he was a thoroughly honest, reliable, and straightforward politician. He could safely state that had it been double the distance the Cambridge electors would have undertaken the journey to come there that evening to express their confidence in their late member. To say the least about it, he considered it a \ery unkind and unmanly proceeding on the part of any person to attempt to oppose Mr Whvte, considering the pieaent critical state of his health. Not that he entertained any feais as to the success of such an attempt. He was expressing the views of the influential electors of the Cambridge district when he said the Cambridge people had every confidence in their present member, and they would do everything in their power to support him. (Applause.) Captain Steele expressed his annoyance at being brought there that evening on such a wild goose chase. He considered that Dr. Beale and those who abetted him were deserving of the censure of that meeting. Mr J. B. Whyte was a credit to the Waikato constituency. He had always taken an independent stand in the House, he followed no man's tail for the mere sake of party, and always acted for the best interests of his constituents. He was a man who had the universal respect of both sides of the House. Every working man, settler, or capitalist who had an interest in the Waikato had e,very reason to be proud of their representative, apd he did not doubt that whenever occasion required they would do all ifftheir power to support him. During Mr Whyte's Parliamentary experience he had never been a party to any discreditable action in which the interests of his constituents and the colony generally were concerned. (Cries of "No! Never," &c. ) He considered >it absolutely cruel that an attempt to oppose Mr Whyte, when prostrated thrqiigh illness, should be made by gome cpawling hqunds who had, not the courage to come there thai evening 1 , and give expression to their views. He could speak for the electors of Cambridge, and say that they would travel as fay again -to support Mr Whyte through thick and .thin! •He had. much pleasure in seconding the fHej regretted , tbatjMr be' present in Hainjl4 togt' ; th^tiBvi|ning^ through - continued iridis-

there were 500 votes for Mr Whyte against any man who thought fit to oppose him. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Mr Jno. Gwynneth (Cambridge), spoko in support of the motion. The Cambridge electors felt that no person could possibly be sufficiently foolish to attempt to oppose Mr Whyte — they did not think that any person would have the impudence to attempt such a tiring. When they heard that opposition was intended, they had left their homes that evening like one man in order to stamp it out at the outlet. Mr Whitaker paid lie considered he would not be doing justice to those who had returned him for Waipa in previous years, or to himself, did he not on that occasion add a few words in testimony of the worth of Mr Whyte as the representative of Waikato. During the five years he had the honour to be associated with Mr Whyte in Parliament he had in no single instance been out of accoid with that gentleman in reference to the mteiebts of the Waikato distiict. There might have been times when they had slightly diffeied on questions of general political interest, and had accordingly taken different course, but he was there to tell them that after five year-.' continuous experience of Mr Whyte in Pailiament, a more honourable, consistent, and upright i-epresentative they could not possibly hare. It was needless for him to tell them this, it was meiely hi.s simple testimony for no ono knew better than the electois of Waikato what Mr Whyte's political career had been They would easily undtsi stand why he would like to say a few words tli.it evening. Mr Whyte and he had been elected together in 1879 under peculiar ciicumstinces, and had fought together ever bince, and he could not, therefoie, let that opportunity pass without saying what he had. But before sitting down he would like to say a few wordb respecting those who had so well succeeded in biinging thorn together that evening. Doubtless, some of them felt stiongly on the bubject, but as they were strong let them be magnanimous. He did not think it right that the name of a perbon who had put an adveitisement in the paper, as in this instance, should be gi\ en up ; and he did not think it right that the meeting should pies-, foi it. By unanimously adopting the motion befoie them they weie taking the best means of showing their disapproval of the foolish coiuse which these people had thought fit to adopt. Every man had a light to put an adveitiscment in a piper, so long as the adveitisement was not of a peisonal or bCiunlous character. Mr Bmdon ascended the platfoim and attempted to make a few remarks upon something, but the ineetnig lefubed to heai him. lie pewsted, evidently mistaking the noise for applause, but was giected with the usual lequests to '' sit down,"' to " diy up," and %< go home," all of which he politely ignoied, until the persistency of In-, hearers o\ercame his unappreciated eftoits. Mi S. Blight (Cambridge) said at the last election lie was one of Mr Whyte's strongest opponents. Mi Whyte was then an untiied man, and had he known as much as he did now lie would have been one of hi« most staunch suppoitois. He had \eiy great pleasiue in supporting the pioposition. He was very glad that the opportunity had offered to come down theio that evening to say what he had. No pei^on who sought to oppose Mr Whyte might come to Cambridge for suppoit. The pioposition was then put to the meeting and earned unanimously, amidst loud applause. Mr Gwynneth said, with all defeience to Mi Win taker's remaiks, he thought the meeting should give some formal expression of its feelings on the matter of the advertisement and its cowardly author. Before bitting down he would piopose a vote of censure on the paity or paities who had caused the adveitisoment to be. inserted without coining there that evening to state foi what object they woie called together. The peisoiib lefuired to had not even taken the hall. Mi T. G. Sandes seconded the proposition. It was mean enough to put an adveitisement in the papei, but having gone .so fai he thought the party who had done tin's would have at loa'-t paid for the hall. (Laughter and applause.) He belie\ed thoio were some gentlemen present who had something to do in this mattei. (Cues of " name. ') One of the gentlemen was Mi Sum buck, who wa 3 now piesont. He would ask Mi Swai buck to come forwaid and st.sic who had asked him to come out for Waikato. Mr Swaibiick ascended the platfoim amid loud applause. Ho had to thank Mi S Hides for avoiding him tho oppoitunity to explain his position. Mr Sandos had slightly misled the meeting as to the position lie (Mi SwaibncK.) hold About 3 o'clock the pievious Jay two gentleman en mo to him and invited him to oppose Mr Why to for Wnik.ito at the foithcommg election. He told thc->o gentlemen m veiy few woids that ho had not the slightest intenti m of doing anything of tho kind, and he begged to repeat the same theie that evening. That was the beginning and end of his connection with the whole matter. Mi Bacli explained that he had not gone to ill Swaibiick as .a member of a deputa tion asking him to contest Waikato. He had merely diiven Dr. Beale to Mr ywarbrick's place, that gentleman being desuou-> of intei viewing Mr Swai brick on the matter. Dr. Beale had spoken to him about insetting the adveitisement calling the meeting and he had tried to dissuade him from any such foolish coui&c. Dr. Beale had told him that he would get up at the meeting and pioposo a vote of noconfidence in Mr Whyte, whereat he (Mi Bach) leplied that if he did he would got up and piopose a vote cf cojifidencc. He had leceived a communication from Dr Beale saying he was unable to attend the meeting that evening owing to having to attend to a midwifery case, and lequestmg that this paper should be put into the hands of one of the electors. None of those piesent, however, would have anything to do with it. (Laughter.) Mr Sandes thought he had succeeded in placing the blame on the right culput, and that culput was Dr. Beale. That per.son had unconsciously done a great amount of good. After the meeting of that evening the man who would oppose Mr Whyte for Waikato would have a heait as big as the hall itself. Mr Johnson said Dr. Beale was always ready to piomote discord where good feeling prevailed, and to disturb harmony where contentment leigned. He consideied Dr. Beale had behaved in a cruel and impolitic manner in the present crisis. Mr Gwynneth thought the meeting would be satisfied with a mere expiession of opinion, and he would therefoie beg leave to withdraw his vote of censure motion. Mr Sandes agreed. He did not wish to implicate in any way Mr Swarbiick, who had acted in a most straightforward manner throughout. Mr Knox- proposed a vote of thanks to the Cambridge electors and those from Richmond and Te Aroha who attended there that evening at such personal inconvenience. Capt. Steele, in seconding the proposition, said he was proud to /be associated with such men as the Cambridge electors in anything they might undertake. Mr Bindon again tried to get a hearing, but the meeting refused to hear him at any price. Capt. Steele proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman. Mr W. M. Hay, in seconding, said Mr Whyte had fully intended to be in Waikato that day, although far from well, but he had been detained in Auckland by the sudden illness of Mrs Whyte. He could inform those present that Mr Whyte's medical adviser had told him he would be quite well enough to attend the forthcoming session, if elected. (Loud applause.) The motion was carried by acclamation. The meeting was brought to a close by three cheers fs-r Mr J. B. Whyte, and one more for Mrs Whyte, The proceedings were very orderly throughout.

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