The Awarua Affair.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5252, 22 June 1888, Page 2

The Awarua Affair.

MR HATCH GIVES HIS VERSION".

MR JOYCE SPEAKS HIS MIND.

A LIVELY MEETING.

[J3PEOIAI, TO DAH.Y HELECffiAPH.]

IOWS COEBESPONDENT— BY TEIiEHBAEH.'I

■. Inveecaegiij,,'Last night. " Mr Hatch addressed a meeting in Sloan's Theatre to»night, in explanation of the' recent disclosures in conneotion with the cruiee of the Awarua at the Auckland Islands. The building was crowded, among , those present being a number of ladies, Captain Drew, and Mr Fox, lately master 5P d Jf? ate respectively of that schooner. The Mayor, who was to have been asked to take the chair, was called on, bat was not; present, and after some delay Mr N. Johnson consented to preside. Mr Hatch then went at great length into his relations with Capt. Drew, and epoke of the letter in terms which several times caused Captain Drew to I call Mr Hatch a liar and scoundrel, epithets I which were reoeived with applause, and come marks of disapproval. Mr Hatch, ia effect, explained that his letters to Drew on. the eve of the departure of the Awarua did notcontain instructions to visit the Auoklands but to go to Baes Straits. The reference in the letter to the Aucklands to the care to be taken to avoid meeting the Government steamer were made, he said, because he was afraid Drew intended to disobey- orders. Hβ did not dispute the authorship of the * letter, or its occuraoy, and said that the only thing that could be held to be wrongin it was the reference to buying ekins - from cutters that were known to have gone to the Islands during the dose season. He attributed Drew's action as to his having himself to hia (Hatch's) political nemies, and challenged the meeting to saythat ho had been guilty of either poaching' or perjury. He took up a lot of'time in relating a matter not striotly relating to the subject such as the aocrunts botweenhimself and Drew, the political situation, and the result of the libel action Henderson v. Hatjh. In Conclusion, he made a grossly personal attack on Mr J. P. Joyce, the lota . member for Awarau, and editor of the New«,whomhe accused of having "dragged him in the mire," and tried to ruin Ms political character. In dealing with this subject he related a scene that he alleged • - occurred at a Governor's dinner some years ago, when a member appeared at the table in a rather hilarious mood. The story was reoeived in almost dead silence. At the close of Mr Hatch's address Mr Joyce took the platform, and nmidßt great chonring said he had no doubt they all recognised as be did that he was the person referred to in Mr Hatch's closing remarks. , After explaining the cir- / cuinstances of tho incident lie continued: "Mr Hatch parades his thirty yeara* teetotalism. What is the product of that period of abstinence. (Pointing to Mr Hntoli.) If that fellow drank one glass of ' spirits what would he do? [A voice: He would go mad.] I have enjoyed a glas3 with friends, and never knew one before co low and so mean as to parade the weakness of a friend. If I had been guilty of a weakness fifty times greater •than that referred to, I have never dene an> thing so dishonorable ita thut which this thing has unbluehingly done—paraded. Mβ crime, hie treachery, his treason, hi& perjury." Mr Joyce added that no one' could doubt that Mr Hatch had instigated Captain Drew to visit the Aucklands. Anything that had been written in the New* .— hiid been done under a sense of public duty,, aud suggested which, he thought, the* Government should havo taken without being urged thereto by the press. He moved, " That, in the opinion of this meeting, Mr Hatch's explanations are not satisfactory, and that it ia the duty of the Government to take proceedings for perjury." Tho motion was then put, and the Chairman apparently declared himself unable to decide aud called for a show of hands. In Buch a vast audipnee it was imjiocsible to count all, but the Chairman declared the resolution lost. Many abstained from voting, and the_ Chairman's announcement was greeted .with" aries of "No, the resolution ■ was carried." Counter demonstrations were made by Mr Hatch's supporters; and amidst these tho meeting, broke up without according the usual com- . *■« j plimont to tho Chairman. %^JS