THE OTAKI ELECTION.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 4, 5 January 1900, Page 2

THE OTAKI ELECTION.

♦ MR. MORISON AT THE LOWER HUTT, TACTICS OF THE~ GOVERNMENT EXPOSED. AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. Mr. C. iB. Morison addressed a very large meeting of electors of the Otaki electorate in the Oddfellows' Haft, Lower Hutt, last evening, Mr. Whitton presiding. In the course of his speech Mr. Morieon referred to the desperate efforts being made by the Government to win this by-election. His opponent had friends addressing meetings in all parts of the electorate — all striving to keep the present speaker out of Parliament. He thought that if there was one strong reason why he should be given a chance, it was that so many of the powers that be were trying to prevent him getting a show at all. (Applause.) He had been accused of attacking Mr. Seddon, and ho had done so politically. If he was not prepared to attack Mr. Seddon when ho ought to be attacked, he was not fit to stand on any platform and ask the electors fox their suffrages. (Applause.) jHc had made no personal attack on Mr. Seddon, and had not "hit nim below the belt." But Mr. Seddon evidently felt these attacks, because he had broken up his Christmas holidays in outler to reply to them. The Premier also left the path of political criticism to attack the Opposition candidate, in one respect, personally. One of the things he said at Pahautanui was that 'Mr. Morison was a child in politics." Well, he evidently thought that he was a child that took a good deal of keeping in order. (Laughter.) Mr. Morison thought the electors of the colony and of the Otaki district liked such a thing as fair play. Not that lie was complaining. He was perfectly ready to stand up against the lot of them, and take his own part. (Applause.) And he appreciated the compliment paid him, and considered himself a much more important individual than he was a few days ago. Mr. Morison emphasised the danger to the colony of such a majority as Mr. Seddon now had, and of the system of one-man Government. Who could say, if Mr. W. H. Field won this contest, that he himself had won the seat? (A voice — "He can !") Yes, be coulu say that, and a lot of- other things equally true. Mx. Field was now merely a lay figure in the matter; one of those who must lose their independence when they were put into PaVhament by the Premier. Ifc was not his seat, but the Government seat. Mr. Morison strongly urged on the electors to disaffirm this principle of one-man Government. Referring to the assertion by Mr. Seddon that he (Mr. Morison) had obtained a lease of 105 acres of native land at a peppercorn rent for 1000 years, he said he had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in any of his dealings with the natives, and there had never been the slightest question between himself and the natives on any score. (Applause.) And "with regard to the '"peppercorn rent" matter. The facts were that he did have the lease, and he paid in cash the .full freehold value of the lanl for that lease. (Applause.) The object of tho leaso was to avoid the payment to the Government of the very heavy duty of JLO per cent., which had in other cases been the cause of the purchaser not being able to jay the seller no much as

would otherwise have been the case. This loophole which the Government had carefully left in tho Act was uiscovered by him, and settled by the Law Courts in his favour, and other solicitors adopted the same course on behalf of their clients. It was a fight between the Premier and the present speaker, and the latter Avon, and the result was the introduction of new legislation to meet the point; so that now leases, as well as the purchase of freeholds, were subject to duty. The 'Premier, however, in telling of the "pepperoorn rent," did not tell his audience that the very document ! that he was quoting from showed that he (Mr. Morison) had paid the full amount of the freehold value, in oash. (Applause.) Such actions as thia were unworthy of the Prime Minister of the colony, but it was an instance of the class of tactics adopted by the Government. (Applause,) The assertion that he had unfairly taken advantage of any native was absolutely without foundation. Ifc was a very oruel thing for the Premier to so attack a person whom he professed to consider "a mere child in politioa." (Laughter and applause). Several times he had firmly announced his determination to absolutely avoid personalities, and if he were assured without question that by going into his opponent's private affairs he could win the scat next day, he should refuse it. A seat in Parliament was honourable if it had been * won by honourable means and clean, hands. If he could not get the seat without clean hands he should refuse to go to Parliament at all. He did not consider that a political meeting could be turned into a Magistrate's Court, and he absolutely declined to go into the merits of the much-talked-of agreement between himself and Mr. Tom Wood except in a Court of Law, He had been accused of all sorts of things, but he was not going to retaliate. With reference to the completely exonerating letter he received from Mr. Wood, it was reported that he (the speaker) got the letter by bringing pressure to hear on Wood. Well, Mr. Wood was there that night, and he would tell the audience if any pressure was brought to bear on him ; if he was not absolutely independent of the speaker, and gave him the letter voluntarily. It was very unfortunate that matters like these should be spread about, as they nearly always compromised a third person. He deplored that persons should have so degraded politics as to do such a thing as had been done in this case, and absolutely exonerated the late Mr. Harry Field from anything of the sort. Mr. Morison urged on the electors of the district to brush on one side statements which were exparte. Justification was sought for the circulation of these reports by the assertion that the present speaker had attacked Mr. W. H. Field, but that was absolutely false. ("Hear! hear!") He had hardly even criticised his political views He would abstain from further comment — he was not going to get down into the gutter to discuss personalities with anyone. (Applause.) A pamphlet containing such matter had been held back till just before the election, but it was so utterly contemptible that every right-thinking person — and he did not want any others to vote for him — would dismiss it immediately from their minds. (Applause). After the candidate had answered several questions, Mr. F. Moorehouse rose and asked : "What is the reason for bringing Mr. Wood here?" Mr. Morison — It was stated that Mr. Wood was put under pressure to give the letter stating the facts with regard to that particular agreement. That was stated publicly, and I believe that the statement has been made in this valley. I asked Mr. Wood if he would come here and give the people an opportunity of asking him if he had been put under any pressure. Mr. Moorehouse — Then, with permission, I should like to ask him a question. The Chairman said the question could be asked, but it was, of course, optional with Mr. Wood whether he would answer it. ' A gentleman in the audience, who proved to be Mr. Wood, here rose, and was greeted with a perfect storm of applause. After some argument concerning statements alleged to have been made hy Mr. Wood to outsiders, Mr. Moorehouse asked Mr. Wood : Has Mr. Morison promised you money, and has he promised to help you 'to get a place and assistance in the future ? — Mr. Wood : No ; most decidedly not. (Loud applause). Will you swear to it? — I will swear to it. (Renewed and prolonged applause and cheering). Then the statutory declaration by these two gentlemen is untrue? — It is not true. (This "statutory declaration" was a document flourished by Mr. Moorehouse, and said to contain the allegation that Mr. Wood wrote the letter exonerating Mr. Morison from any blame under pressure). Mr. Morison — You have Mr. Wood's denial. It is unnecessary for me to again give you mine. The whole value of the letter was that it was given fairly. Some discussion took place as to Mr. Moorehouse "badgering" Mr. Wood with questions not to the point at issue, and finally the candidate was unanimously accorded a vote of thanks on the motion of Mr. F. Buck, seconded by Mr.-Cooper At the candidate's request a vote of confidence was not put, Mr. Morison expressing himself as being prepared to be perfectly satisfied with the verdict of the ballot-box. (Loud applause).