The Pioneers Weren't Always Polite

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 220, 10 September 1943, Page 8

The Pioneers Weren't Always Polite

Elections As They Were [ IIL |

| [_AST week we printed an article by Leo Fanning on the amusing side of election campaigns and candidates’ meetings in New Zealand as he remembered them or had been told about them. This week we reproduce contemporary’ accounts from various sources in the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, from unpublished manuscripts, posters, etc.

IRST-HAND accounts. of Auckland elections for the Provincial Council in the fifties are to be found in the writings of James George, of which the manuscript is in the Auckland Public Library and a typed copy is in the Turnbull Library, Wellington. George was a Provincial Councillor for an Auckland electorate for a time, and he called his book A Few Odds and Ends of Remembrances. Under the date on the title page (1875-76) he has this in place of dedication or "text": "If I was rich enough I would print it after it was revised a bit." Here are two extracts from George’s book, reproduced by pefmission of the Turnbull Library, with his own punctuation and spelling preserved: Life-Preservers and Threats "Lieut Col R. Wynyard 58 Reg was waited on to be nominated. . .. he like a maid blushed and consented after some time then came the tug of war in politicks, which has been the ruin of the place to a certain extent, by the disgracefull scenes of bribery and drunkeness and personation, carried on by those who should know better, at the election of Superintendent in 1853 the soldiers of the 58 Regt was taken to the orderly room and

the voting paper--headed Unity and Peace (Save the mark)-with their Colonel’s name on it "was put into their hands as they were marched down to the poling booth where the G Post office now stands 1875 with a Sergeant at their head and having voted for Col Wynyard thay was marched back to their baracks at 14 past 9 o’clock AM. such was our first election in Auckland it put every man against his Neighbour, life-preservers and threats was freely used by some who considered themselves men, and great drunkeness Bribery & c I was assailed by an Irishman and accused of having been the cause of the 1848 rebellion. ats = és Y Ree aa Campbell resigned in 1856... J. A. Gilfillian was brought out against John Williamson or Promising John. I went on Mr. Gilfillian’s act to Waipu the Nova Scotian settlement as agent for him Williamson sent a Mr. Gourly Mr. Leon Delavile was the returning officer when I voted for my candidate Gourly said that he would vote for J. W. Esqr then gave a paper or Voting one, But he had forgot to put his signature, I noticed: the omision but did not let on so did Leon Delaville I got all the votes at Waipu, Williamson not one I told Mr, Henry of it Gourly swore that it was a Lie, wanted me to fight on the Beach, but I knew better."

A Lamented Death In 1855, George was chairman of the "Progressive Party,’ opposing the "Constitutional Party,’ at some sort of election. He does not make it clear what post was.to be filled by the successful candidate, but he reproduces an "obituary" of the defeated one from the Auckland Paper The Southern Cross. "On the 10th November aged Old Officialism died after a severe struggle. Deceased had been ailing for some time but his friends, even to the last, never despaired of his recovery .. . he suffered a relapse consequent on the previous day’s excitement, increased, it is supposed, by an_ over-indulgence in ardent spirits . . . it was clear to all that the mortal course of Old Officialism was run. During the whole day friends of the deceased (whose struggles towards the end were frightful) mustered in large numbers, including the Protestant Clergy of all denominations, who for once were united possibly because spiritual consolation was not required. Col. Wynyard and the Colonial Secretary were greatly moved at the condition of their friend, and did all in their power to alleviate his sufferings. A great number of the humbler class were in constant attendance during the day, enquiring after the health of expiring Old Officialism. As a proof of how much they loved him we may mention that the majority were so deeply affected as to lose the use of their legs; some indeed became perfectly insensible, and were only recovered after many hours’ attention on the part of the police. About 4 o’clock deceased lost all appearance of life, and in that state remained until the night of the 9th instant, when he recovered the use of

his speech for a moment, and. looking anxiously towards his sorrowing friends exclaimed *‘Who’s to pay the Piper.’ These were his last words; he expired at noon on Saturday." A Quorum From the Bush Nelson was the scene of election incidents described in the unpublished letters of Samuel Stephens, a surveyor who represented Nelson in the General Assembly in 1854-55. Here is part of a letter (from a copy in the Turnbull Library), written to Anne Stephens, and dated November 28, 1854: "We have plenty of politics and political business in New Zealand among a certain few -but we have far too much Government for the good of the country or its pocket-elections are constantly occurring by vacancies caused by people geting tired of the duties and empty honours. Few can be found to accept the post, particularly of member of the lesser Parliament, the Provincial Council. I have told you that I had the honour of being returned for Nelson as one of the representatives to the General Assembly by six men and a boy-in-tense excitement! This was rather better than in the case of a friend of mine (Dr. Monro) one of our sagest legislators, who had to send two or three miles into the woods for two sawyers to make up the quorum of electors necessary for the purpose, which I believe is three." % Suspense in Otago The slowness of communications sometimes made elections in country districts more exciting than they are nowadays by prolonging the suspense. In 1881, Mackay John Scobie Mackenzie was invited to stand against the Conservative, Cecil de Lautour, for Mt. Ida, in Otago. Telegraphs and telephones were few, and returns took some time to reach the headquarters at the small mining town of Naseby. In the absence of one or two relatively unimportant returns, Scobie Mackenzie was officially declared the victor, and was chaired through the one straggling street of Naseby. As Sheila Macdonald records in her biography of Mackenzie (The Member for Mt. Ida): "Mr. de Lautour left hurriedly by buggy for Dunedin, only to discover the following day that a belated and surprisingly heavy return had reversed the decision and left him the victor of the contest by six or seven votes." Three years later, de Lautour had retired from public life and Mackenzie defeated his successor in a popular win: "Naseby cheered itself hoarse, and: (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) organised an impromptu torchlight procession in honour of its new member. His own shepherds and musterers carried the news to his waiting wife and, as his buggy was sighted, unharnessed the horses and drew him home in triumph." : Some Election Posters Posters from early elections are preserved in the Turnbull Library, and we have reproduced one of the larger ones. Here is a humorous one devised by Francis Bradey, the date uncertain: TO THE ELECTORS OF the Citey of Wellington GENTLEMEN,-1I have been perswaded at the eleventh ower to put myself forward as a Candidate at the insueng election as maney gentlemen have promised me ther votes and intrust to obtain a seat in the Provincial Council about toebe assembled in this place & it I should have the honer of being chosing one of your representatives I will do all in my power to serve the best intruests of my constenants & my adopted cuntrey & I shal be at all times redey to receive advise from my con. stenants, and vot? on that side the majority my dictate & if I, cannot carey out thear wishes or meashers, I will resine my seat and trust in thar hands when fiftey of them please 16 call’ upon me to do so. ‘I remain your humbel and obedeent servant FRANCIS BRADEY Tamworth Cotage You will cee by the electral Role that I am the only gentilman amung the Kendidats. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!! De us Bg Qut of a bundle of two dozen ~.. assorted posters, only one ventures beyond the usual mixture of boid types-it is headed "Why is Dr. Featherston so Sheepish?" and the printer has inserted a particularly ineffectivelooking sheep from his stock of blocks. The poster goes on to enumerate Dr. Featherston’s applications for land, says that. he occupies 28,000 acres, or 44 square, miles, of the public land at a yearly rent of £29 3s 4d, and that he has paid "only 142 year’s rent up to June, 1857!" . "Wakelin the Poor Man’s Friend," if he is the same Richard Wakelin entered in Dr. G. H. Scholefield’s Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, appears to have been unsuccessful with his appeal to "the Working Man," to whom he addressed a poster: "If you wish to have cheap land and small farms . . . few taxes and plenty to do, Public schools and fewer policemen, an Inspector of Weights and Measures, a Public Wharf and

Market House . . . you will not vote for the importers of Chinese slaves, for land sharks, absentee agents, and flour monopolists, but you will Vote for Wakelin, ,the Poor Man’s Friend."’ ; Green paper distinguishes a poster headed "Irishmen! -Rally round those liberal-minded Englishmen and Scotchmen who expressed their disapprobation in the strongest terms at the Conduct of Government in Excluding Irishmen from the benefit of passages to this Province. . . . Erin-Gu-Braugh!" . Appeal to "Working Classes" Members of the "working classes" only were on the campaign committee of Dr. John Dorset, who addressed himself to Wellington electors in August, 1853, in the following terms: "Confidence is the soul of all fair dealing between man and man. I will not take the pledge of Mr. Gibson and Mr. Allen, as it infers a want of confidence between the Representative ard the Electors. " "My opinion of the pledge is that it is unmanly, un-English, and unconstitutional." "J have never been-am not-and never will be, a TICKET OF LEAVE MAN." — John Dorset. P.S. Among the various questions to be brought forward for discussion is that of the return of one of the Working Classes as a Representative. Some indication of the nature of the issues involved in that same election can be had from a@ pamphlet distributed by W. B. Rhodes in June, 1853. Looking suspiciously like a blue-police-summons, labelled on the outside "Mr. W. B. Rhodes respectfully solicits your vote and interest," the circular says: "Without going into details, Iam favourable to the reduction of the price of land, and shall use all my endeavours to procure the erection of a lighthouse for the approach- of this Harbour without any unnecessary delay and such other public works as may be absolutely requisite for the use of the Colony and the advancement of this Province. "I have always advocated the education of all classes, and I think some plan should be adopted for the education of the rising Native generation in the English language and habits, with the object of their being beneficially employed in the various grades of European occupation. . . . ." Preserved with that circular is a bulletin headed "The State of the Poll" and bearing a list of candidates, with spaces for progress reports. The votes have been written in in ink, now brown and ancient, and "at the close’ has been added to the heading. Charles Clifford topped the poll with 281 votes, then came Dr. John Dorset, 272, Fitzherbert 255, and others.