MR LAWRY AT NEWMARKET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 293, 15 December 1892, Page 2

MR LAWRY AT NEWMARKET.

Yesterday evening Mr Frank Lawry, M.H.R., addressed a meeting of the ■Parnell electors in the Public Hall, Newuiarket. Aboub 200 persons were present, and the chair was occupied by Mr G. Kenb, the Mayor of the Borough. Mr Lawry, who was briefly introduced by the Chairman, said that he was glad to see so many present. ,Ib had been stated thab New Zealandera took little interest in politics except on the eve of a general election, bub the present meeting was a. complete contradiction ot that remark as far asParnell was concerned. He believed ibwaa the bounden duty of all to watch the affairs of, the country. If a Government was honest, ib required thocarefulsuperviaionof the people to keepitso, and the same remark applied to the representatives of the people,' Thab evening he intended to deal candidly with the electors. He had come prepared for " heckling," and he was ready toauewdr any question without hesitation. • ' '-■ MESHERA. When he lasb addressed the electors the. Chairman of the meeting had said thab he (Mr Lawry) intended, to deal wibh a certain statement made by Mr Shera, who at a meeting of the Auckland Liberal Association, charged his fellow members of being guilty of treachery. To thab statemenb he musb give an unqualified denial. He was chosen by the Auckland and Taranaki members to take the leading part in advancing the interests of the Stratford railway route because he was the only man who had. travelled over all the ground and knew more than any man in the Government of the matter. Notwithstanding this, Mr Shera stepped in and jumped his claim. Many of the members Were indignant against Mr Shera, bub the speaker was prepared to help the former gentleman rather than thab the work should not be carried through. Mr Shera's scheme was afterwards communicated to the Premier, and his remark was that the Government had gone in for a nonborrowing policy. Finally, the Auckland and Taranaki members resolved to wait on the Premier and ask him to ire'e his influence in getting a Committee appointed. At this juncture Mr Shera stood up in the house and said thab he had never been consulted. The consequence was that he was appointed to put tho motion on the order paper, bub ib had nob been there long bofore he stood up and gave notice thab ho would wibbdraw it. Fortunately, Mr Jackson Palmer was in the House at the time, and the motion was immediately replaced by him, and fortunately in spite of Mr Shera a report very favourable to the Stratford route was obtained. The fact that tho report was good showod that the evidence. before the first Committee was absolutely false. . , OHURA VALLEY. ' ' '■'• Id reference to the proposed Ohura settlement Mr Lawry thought that .the intending settlors should havo remained quiet till the land was obtained from the Maoris, and then taken it up in the usual settlement way. The natives he belioved were willing to sell, and all that was wanted was that the Government should find the money, and hundreds of thousands of acres of the beßb land would be bhrown open for settlement. Referring to the Liberal and National Associations, the speaker said thab the latter body had some time ago sent him a sorios of questions, and Mr JEWington had characterised his reply to these as "quibbling and ovasive." As ib was, thab reply had simply bsen a refusal bo answer any questions sent by a self constituted body. He still thought he had acted in the right way. He was willing to answer any questions on the public platform, bub he musb decline to answer any question when put in the way tho Association had. put them. Mr Lawry then stated that Mr Buckland had accused him of ratting oh the Land Bill, and he pointod oub how this gentleman, after making the.accusations in the House, had taken care to see that they were nob printed in Hansaid. He (Mr Lawry) had always been in favour of freehold tenure, and everybody knew thab; and he bolioved if the property tax had been made a test question at the election, ho would have beaten Mr Buckland by a larger majority than he did. Whatever Mr Buckland might have said about his gaining the election by promises to the Catholics regarding denominational education ib was untrue. He belioved in an absolutely ffee, absolutely secular, absolutoly compulsory system of eduoation. - ELECTORAL BILL. Mr Lawry said ho was always opposed t° the man in tho city having perhaps thre 0 votes, while tho elector of Parnoll for instance had only one. He believed thab such a thing was contrary to the spirit of democracy, and ho hoped tho time wa3 not far distant when we would havo one man, one representative. It had been stated that the city had too much power, but ib was the country thab had the power, and if ib liked ib could crush the cities. Ib returned 60 members where the cities had only 12 members, and if the cities did not use their privileges with discretion the country would rise up. The cities musb remember that their success depends on the country. THE LAND TAX. At some length Mr Lawry spoke of the benefits that had been conferred on the colony by the adoption of the Land and Income Tax. The people in the country were very satisfied with its working. Never had there been so beneficial a system as this which taxed a man not to what he possoseed but according to what he could pay. Tho principle had been in operation in Adelaide and had never been condemned. As a means of taxation, Mr Lawry considered tho land tax a good one. THE ATKINSON GRANT. Mr Lawry then went on to explain why he had voted against the grant oi £3,000 to the Atkinson family, and said he was proud to say he had done so. He would be the lasb man to deny the work that Sir H. At. kinson had done, but he was thoroughly opposed to tho system of grants. In conclusion he said he would watch events during the recess with groat care. He oxpected that there would be a big opposition next general election at-Parnell, bub ho was prepared to fight even Sh' George Grey for thab constituency. He migiiD have disappointed many Of them, but he had acted faithfully by them, and they must take the greater good against the leaser evil. Ho would not bo a slavish supporter of any party. If they had a better man let them by all meaus elect him, and he (Mr Lawry) would support him, but in tho meantime he wa3 determined to fight. Be was confident of success,, and if not successful he would go down with colours flying at the mast head. Mr Lawry was loudly and frequently applauded during his address. Several questions were handed in to Mr Lawry. In answer to one dealing with the village settlements ho explained how it was thab he had come to be the one who pufc the question on the order paper of the House asking the Government if they intended to take into consideration the passing of any additional sum to Mr Lundon. In answer to another question he said he would ascertain the views of the Government with regard to a Foreigners Prohibition Bill. To the question, " Will Mr Lawry give his support to a measure in the next session of Parliament to give compensation to widows and fatherless children who have been ruined by the drinking habits of their parents; also, will he support a moasure giving to every person, on attaining 21 years of age, the power 'to " voto sale of intosic&Sing drinks in frbo

various localities, Air Lawry said he believed in local option, and would support the last clause. The widows and fatherless were already provided for. .; Mr Bishop moved " That this meeting ing request their representative, Mr Lawry, to support the Saturday half holiday "being made general and compulsory.'.'. Mr Pollard seconded the m0ti0n...,,.. Mr Lawry thought that since the Legislature had already decided there should be a" half-holiday it "would be better for it to deEermine on one day that would be compulsory for all like Sunday.- Saturday might or might not be the best day, but the fixing .of the particular one could be left to.the local.bodies.: .. "' MrFrench movedas ananiendment "That the Government be requested to introduce a Bill to give the power to fix the day to the local bodies." "The Shop Hours' Bill when first, introduaed. had been on these linos.Mr Ewington rose to a point of order. He said they were there to discuss politics. They should not be trapped into voting on I the half-holiday question. Mr Lawry Eaid he had nothing to do with the bringing forward of the question. The motion was then seconded by Mr Edgerly. Mr Ewington Bpoke a few words to the effects that; if the selection of the day was left to the local bodies they could easily rectify any mistake they made. COMPENSATION TO PUBLICANS. _ Mr Withy then moved" That this meeting of the electors of Parnell disapproves of the action of Mr Lawry in attempting to introduce into New Zealand Legislation a novel feature by bringing in last session a Bill which proposed to grant compensation to any licensed victualler who may hereafter fail to secure' from the Council a renewal "6f his license to sell intoxicating liquor on the ground of not being required in the neighbourhood." Speaking to the motion Mr Withy said that compensation was not the law in either New Zealand or England. The highest courts in England had decided that anthoritatively." What he had to find fault was the way that Mr Lawry proposed to compensate the publicans out of their own licenses. This was merely a specious way of putting a fallacy. No body of people could claim a portion of money they paid to the state. The licensing fees were a part of the national revenue, and no more belonged to the people paying them than, any of the taxes did to the taxpayers. The publicans gained by the payment of fees because it restricted competition. Everybody knew the additional value that a license gave to a house. It.cost £40, but the owner's property was increased in value. Seeing that to refuse a license meant the loss of £40 to their revenue, local bodies would seriously reflect before doing it. He considered' that the enhanced value of licensed properties through other licenses being taken away, should be made to provido compensation. If compensation was to be paid, it .should bo done out of an insurance fund among the publicans themselves, and not by the local bodies. After a pause the Chairman announced thab the motion had lapsed for want of a seconder. But in a moment Mr French mounted the platform and seconded it, but the Chairman declared that it was too late. On this quite a scene ensued. After quietness had been restored, Mr Bishop moved a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Lawry, and the motion was seconded. Mr Withy then moved his previous motion as an amendment, and added thanks to Air Lawry for his address. Tho amendment! was, however, lost. Mr Lawry then moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman. Mr Ewington seconded the motion, and mounting the platform said ho had just been on his way home whon he had learned that Mr Lawry had attacked him, and he had immediately returned to defend himself. There then followed a brisk passage of arms between the two gentlemen, Mr Lawry contending that he had made no attack on Mr Ewington. Mr Rees George eaid he was sorry that Mr Ewington had come to the meeting for the solo purpose of attacking Mr Lawry.

In conclusion, tho vote of thanks proposed to the' Chairman by Mr Lawry was put to tho meeting by Mr George and carried with applause.