REPRESENTATION OF PARNELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 449, 21 April 1865, Page 5

REPRESENTATION OF PARNELL.

In - pursuance of iin announcement that yestorday a mooting of the electors would bo convened by the Sheriff at tho Supremo Court House, Auckland, for tt;o purpose of nominating a fit and proper person to represent the above district in the General Assembly, a coii.sidi>rab,o number of electors assembled to take part; in tho elec-tion. Punctually nt 12 o'clock Mr. O'Brien, tin 1 sherill' and rctuniiiig officer for tho district, read tin; \* rit for the election of a new member for Parnell, ru-j Mr. K. G. Wood, resigned. Mr. Thomas Jlicim.hi.a.ve came forward and said : Electors of Parnell —You are aware that at a preliminary meeting of the electors of your district held tho otiier night it was resolved to wait on Mr. Whitakar to lvquest his acceptance of tho seat in the House of Kepresentatives as your representative, which seat has been recently vacated. A deputation appointed by that meeting waited upon Mr. Whifoiker and expressed their views with regard to the crisis existing in our affairs—in tho affairs of this province. Ur. Whitukor courteously but firmly declined tcaccept tho honor proposed to bo conferred upon him. In accordance with a subsequent resolution passed at tho meeting to which I have already referred—that in tho event of Mr. Whitakcr not accepting the vacant seat an oti'er of it should b» made to Mr. Creighton, till) deputation waited upon Mr. Creighton, and he at once cordially accepted the honor which you were pleased to confer upon him in requesting him to bo your roprcsentativo. When we consider all tho circumstances under which we waited on Mi - . Creighton ; when wo consider the cri.-is, and the fact that the present parliament cm exist for only a few —perhaps throo or four months at most— J must say that Mr. Creighkm has placed tho electors of l'arnell under deep obligation to him. At one tima we had thought that there was to bo an opposition. Irejoico that there is to bo no opposition, and.that Mr. Coolahan, with tho advice of his friends, has seen fit to withdraw from the contest. It was desirable tliafc and indeed tho immodiato interest of tho province that thero should be no contest, and that we should appear in the front of the enemy as an united constituency — we should"" unite as one man in the interest of the whole colony, and i.ot fall to pieces in consequenco of disunion: In fact all our members must unite, and must Egreo to one course of action, and sticlc to each other during the approaching eosefon. Whefher it shall bo determined

to go down to Wellington, or to remain in Auckland —whatever course upon deliberation may be thought to be best, our representatives must agree as one man to act together, and must put themselves under the leadurship of whatever opinion may bo determined, so (hat if they go r'own, every step that shall be tab n shall he taken unitedly, anil that tho whole weight of our fifteen vot. s fhall tell on every occasion. Mr. Creighton 1 .s come forward in a moat Kenflemanly manner. 1 Id talent you ;«U know. He has large experience in :. -aid to tho general position of the colony—to its gci inl wants. He has been an able and consistent adv ;itc for tho settlement i f the Wiiikato district, also a warm advocate for securing to the Europe :i population a fair return for tho lossei caused b> this war—a war not brought about by the Europe:.: .-s, but forced on thorn—and for which thoroforo tl y are not responsible. Should Jlr. Creighton bo r. to go to Parliament, he has sufficient talent t.. maintain the dignity and the honour of this, tho Istetro] olitan Province of New Zealand. I therefor.- propose to nominato Mr. R. J" Creighton, as a n't ri il proper person to represent the electoral district of P.,rnell in tho Houeeof Representatives. With regard t<i (he Northern Association I perceivo that a difiereu. e of opinion exists as to the action (liey hiivo taken, or. in (lie opinion of some, ought to (ako. So far as the Northern Associa(ion is concerned, it has given no voice on this matter, or any matters of (he kind. it has not interfered in nny election and it does not intend to interfere in any election. The position that it has tc'ien up is this, that every man ehall be registered, that, our representation in Parliament should be fair and equitable, that is to (-ay, if we are entitled to three, four, or five other members moro than we have, that we should have these other members. '/he Northern Association has exerted all its strength, and taken no little (rouble with tho question of registration, ar.d it h;is fuecoeded in placing 4000 additional electors on the roll, a ninnncr larger than is to he found in many of ihii provinces of the South. lit has never thought <■( interfering with the deliberate opinion of an}' ot the districts, or of any section of electors, en that they might elect any man that they choose. It. must bo co'.sidpred that, whether it is best iVr our representatives to go to Wellington or to stay iway—that whatever is to be done, it will he of noeiFoct, and our labour w ill I. L - lost if we ure i:ul uhunimou.'i. What we mustprrF<.\uirin..urreprcFei.t:i l ivc3 is the necessity of unity of action, and that if we are true to ouwelves we shall secure pur right?, ai.d that at no distant date. (Cheers.) Mr. Wμ. Vacghan seconded the nomination of Mr. Robert J. Creighton, as n. fit and proper person to re;resent the district of Parnell in tho General Assembly. Mr. Chkioiiton next came forward and said: Gentlemen, Electors of Parnell. I deeply feel the honour you have done me, but I still more deeply regret the necessity ibr this election. I think it was parliculßrly iinfoitunate that a gentleman of Mr. I?eader Wood's standing and experience in political life should have resigned his seat at the last moment, or, to epeak more properly, before the expiration f the present Parliament. I cannot help thinking that it was a great political mistake on the p ;rt of those gentlemen who are recognised as tho leaders of political opinion that they should not have made tender of this vacant scat to the very Lest man among them. I have no claim I acknowledge upon the. constituency '■f l'arnell. I do not wish to set up any ckim for tho part 1 have taken in public, or in the proceedings moro immediately connected with tho Province. I think they might have placed thoir interests in abler hands, but after what occurred at tho meeting on Monday and subsequently, owing to tho refusal of Mr. Whitaker, I felt bound to place my services conditionally at the disi osel of the electors. I told tho deputation that wailed upon mo that I would be happy, even on the hustings, to resign in favour of any gentleman they mijjht bring forward having a greater claim to the confidence of the constituency. As they have not brought forward any other candidate, I niny now f-tuto that my views are tolerably well known. I have identified myself with the question of separation. I have done'something as a member of the Northern Association to promote that movement. Should tho members bo an vised to take their places in the ensuing session at Wellington, I trust that 1 will be found in my place doing my very beet to promote the interests of the province. I thank jou again for the honoryou have done me. Tt. was an honor unexpected by me. I may take this opportunity further to apprise you that 1 do not intend to become, after the expiration of this Parliament, a candidate for Purnell. The re of nominating a new representative I leave in your hands, and I should advise you to lookout for the very test man that can be found. For my piirt I will do my best to ii'prcsent and to securo your interest in Parliament. (Cheers.) The Sherill', their being no other candidate, dedared liobeit ]■;. Ci'i'iiflitoi), isq., duly elect.d member i'or Parnell in the G->:7ieral Assembly. lilr. CliElGinoy pro2)otcd, and Mr. Macfakt.ane seconded, u vote of thanks to the Sherill', which was passed, and the proceedings terminated.