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Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1734, 4 September 1875, Page 2

" At the Otahuhu meeting for instance the country settlers who attended it found themselves outvoted by a lot of ruffians who had been brought from Auckland for the purpose of outvoting them." Such is the language of a leader in the organ of the Hawke's Bay Robber Ring, the Napier Sefaid, respecting the meeting of the electors of Franklin. It is quite unnecfens&ry for us to remark on the foregoing save as an illustration of the manner in which the miserable creatures of the Government, and of the various coteries of bauded land thieves, are endeavouring to create a prejudice against those popular uprisings which are everywhere manifesting themselves against the present intention of consolidating the reign of public swindling. It is well known that nothing existed which could be tortured into the state of things asserted respecting the Otahuhu meeting So far as we understand the only " ruffians brought out from Auckland" were Mr Lusk and a gentleman who accompanied him in the cab, but who neither spoko nor voted at the meeting. Mr Lusk is an elector of Franklin and had as much right to be there as any "country settler." But this is quite of a piece with the representations made elsewhere of our public meetings. For example in an is3ue of the Cross last week appeared, telegraphed from Wellington, a letter which had appeared in the Tribune from "a well informed and observant correspondent writing from Auckland " and which represented with reference to these meetings that "the same crowd attended all" and this "well informed and observant" person stated the conductors of the meetings as "Reed and Lusk had charge of Otahuhu, and Mr Rees of Ponsonby." We need only say that neither was Mr Reed at Otahuhu nor Mr. Rees at Ponsonby, the latter name being represented at tho Ponsonby meeting by a gentleman not connected by relationship of any form, save the name, with tho belo. noir of the Ministerial hacks, and who hailu from the North Head. But these statements made by the hirelings of the Ministry are supposed to serve a temporary purpose, to throw discredit upon a manifestation of popular earnestness and determination which is evidently incapable of beiDg underptood by the wretched creatures whose only animating motive appears to be the delight of licking the hands of those who have the power of s weeping crumbs off the public tables. One of the vilest of thesa haa been located at Hawke's Bay, and is supported in connection with the organ of the Robber gang there ; aud his whole soul so far as soul pertains to the reptilia—appears to be thrown into the service of a party which has made tho very name ol Hawke's Bay a by-word, and whose existence seems to depend on the removal of Government out of the reach of the people.