MR. W. L. REES AND THE ELECTORS OF CITY NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6255, 3 December 1881, Page 5

MR. W. L. REES AND THE ELECTORS OF CITY NORTH.

MEETING IN THE THEATRE ROYAL. Mr. Rees addressed the electors last night. The house was crowded to excess. On the motion of Mr. D. H. McKf.nzie, seconded by Mr. Nf.vlon, Councillor Thompson was called to the chair. Mr. Reks on presenting himself to the electors, was received with cheers. He said he had asked the electors of City North to meet him, that he might explain the reasons why he claimed their suffrages. It was in Auckland that he first sought the suffrages of the people. He discovered at the dissolution of the last Parliament that his name was struck off the roll, without objection made, without his knowledge ; but there was this about it, that it was known to many persons before he knew it himself. (Shame.) He once more stood face to face with the electors of Auckland. When the last dissolution took place, there were three

or four questions which Sir George Grey placed before the country, upon which he claimed to be returned to Parliament. These questions were : 1, the extension of the franchise; 2, Triennial Parliaments ; 3, incidence of taxation (that is the sources from which taxation should be derived) ; 4, local self-government. There was no doubt that Sir George Grey had the people of the colony with him on these questions. But, to the shame of the members who had been returned to support Sir George upon these questions, seven of them betrayed the confidence that had been reposed in them. (Shame.) Shortly after the assembling of Parliament there was a " no-confidence" motion, which hung on a very slender thread indeed. Mr. Rees referred at length to the passing over of the Auckland members, giving the history of it from his point of view. He would speak of the four members, (1) Captain Colbeck, a "nonentity," on account of indecision of character, who ought not to have been in the House at all. Pressure had been brought to bear upon him by a great monetary institution. (2) Mr. Swanson. Of this gentleman he could speak with more perfect knowledge. He (Mr. Rees) had been intimate with Mr. Swanson for twelve years. There was not a single hitch in that intimacy for that period. He believed Mr. Swanson had made a great mistake of judgment. No doubt Mr. Swanson thought he would improve the state of things existing ; he thought he would prevent evils which presented themselves to his mind. Mr. Swanson was a man who had achieved

wealth and position. He had been accustomed to look upon public questions from a narrow point of view. Mr. bwanson had not given any attention to the science of legislation and government, having accustomed himself to look slightingly on theory, not thinking that correct theory underlay ail sound practice. He did not accuse Mr. Swanson of any selfish motive. 3. Then came Mr. Reader Wood. It was not the first time that gentleman had betrayed his party, and if again elected it would not bo the last. He had heard Mr. Wood at Eden a few nights since. Mr. Wood told the electors of Eclen that he informed Sir George Grey the day before he resolved to change sides. But he did not tell the whole truth, for Sir George Grey said to him this : —"Before you change Bides remember this, that it is your duty to acquaint your constituents with what you propose to do." (Cheers.) Mr. Wood said, in a jaunty way, that he was not a delegate. There was another statement made to the electors of Eden. Mr. Wood said he did not desire the Apent-Generalship, and was opposed to the existence of that office. He (llr. Rees) was in the confidence of the Grey Government at the time, although not a member of it. He was in a position to give Mr. Wood's statement upon that point an unqualified denial. There was an intention to give him that appointment, and Mr. Wood knew it, and the reason he did not get it was that Mr. Macandrew, Colonel Whitmore, and some others were afraid of Sir Julius Vogel. He (Mr. Rees) never spoke to Mr. Wood since. He saw that gentleman since, walking lonely amidst a multitude, with a moody and defiant aspect. There was a famous personage in history named Cain, and he never saw Mr. Wood that he did not think he bore the brand like that which was set upon' Cain. (4.) As for Mr. Hurst, what of him? That individual had not the reasons which others might allege, although they were inadequate reasons. His conduct was peculiarly gratuitous. It was something like "painting bis pig," for if he had not painted his pig he would have won the prize. (Roars of laughter.) The people knew Mr. Hurst's modesty. (Laughter.) One reason Mr. Hurst gave for going over from Sir G. Grey was that there were only two "gentlemen" on that side, one was Sir George Grey and the other was himself. (Laughter.) As to the temper of the people on the conduct of these men, it was proved by the rejection of Mr. Whitaker and the election of Mr. Tole. He believed some of these four men regretted deeply what they had done. The consequences of what they did was a deep injury to the Liberal cause. The evil that they had done was perhaps being remedied slowly, but gradually. The effect of their perfidy was to paralyse the influence of Auckland in the Assembly. It shattered the Liberal interest so that no man could trust another. It made it impossible for the time, and for a long time, that Auckland could have a potential voice in the Councils of the colony. (Cries of shame and cheers.) This was the first time that the great mass of the people would really and truly send the new members to the General Assembly. This gift was bestowed on the people by Sir George Grey, and now that it was won it could never be taken from them. It was as

a heritage to them. (Loud cheers.) Sir George Grey had told them there were persons who were allowed to take lands illegally, and when it was found the action was illegal a law was made to make it lawful. There was no doubt about that. He remembered when on a visit to Sir George Grey a telegram arrived from Mr. Sheehan. It said in respect to certain lands at Patetcre that these people were so strong that they mightbringabout achangein the Government. But Sir George Grey said he would be no party to an infraction of the law ; that if his Government could not Btand by law it should fall. (Loud cheers.) There was the Piako Swamp, which was absolutely given away to Mr. Thomas Russell and others. There were thirteen millions of acres of land at present in the hands of the natives. In some cases there were 300 or 400 native owners to paltry blocks of land, and it was in many cases impossible to get the natives together to give a title. But when there was a large block of land like Patetere for instance, upon which the Government had put a reservation, private persons could be informed that the reservation was to be taken off, these persons could then get the lands. The Government had actually reserved a block of 640,000 acres so that when the Petetere gentlemen went to England to get more money the reservation would be taken off, and when it would be taken off they would have all necessary information. [The speaker explained the history of the payment of £300 to himself, for appearing before the West Coast Commission. He had to draw up numerous documents, to study the whole question from beginning to end]. It was a fee for professional services. Tho fee was uot excessive for the work dose. He was to consider the rights of all parties. When he wrote to the Commission explaining his position, they said they would not allow counsel to be heard. If he (Mr. Rees) should be clected for City North—and he believed he would (loud cheers) —the first thing he would do when he entered Parliament was to ask, "Whether anybody had anj'thing to say about that." (Loud cheers.) Sir Donald McLean had distinctly promised that the confiscated lands should be given back. But after waiting for eighteen years they had never got an acre. And some of the natives they arrested, and sent to Dunedin, were old men and cripples, who had fought on the side of the English and sealed their loyalty with their blood. What if Te Whiti had not been a man of peace ? What if the war had commenced through any unforeseen act ? Blood and devastation would have pervaded flourishing districts. It was very well to let Taranaki be protected by a large force, but other districts would have been the real sufferers. (Hear, hear.) He would refer for a moment to a matter of finance. He held in his hand statistics which showed that £300,000 had been raised in new duties from the Customs. The people paid these duties. Notwithstanding that large sum, and £240,000 from the property tax, the Government had issued thousands upon thousands worth of deficiency bills. Yet the Government said they were keeping expenditure within limits of economy. The retrenchment they had begun, was begun at the wrong end, and was earned out in the clumsiest way. Th«y should have begun with large salaries, not with the salaries and wages of subordinates. They should not have passed by the salary of the Governor himselF, if it were necessary. (Cheers.) Sir George Grey was opposed because he tried to prevent large blocks of land acquired illegally being re-

tained .by a few favoured persons. As to the Upper Chamber, it was not necessary. It was a shoddy aristocracy. Such men as the Marquis of Hartington and the Marquis of Blandford were telling the House of Lords that if they did aot bring their proceedings into accord with public opinion the House of Lords must go. Mr. Whitaker had opposed Sir George Grey for 40 years. It was all caused about a piece of land which was wantsd for the Government, and Sir George Grey (then Captain Grey) offered him other land for it. Mr. Whitaker selected land below water maik in a cermining district. Having some difference with a mining company Mr. Whitaker threatened to let the water in upon their shaft—(oh, oh,)—and he did it too. The land was taken from Mr. Whitaker, who wrote to the Secretary of State, who ordered Sir George Grey to give the land back to Mr. Whitaker. fc-ir George Grey did as he had done since and before. Knowing that he was doing right, he disobeyed the Secretary of State. Sir George Grey had given his life in the service of the public ; no one act

of his life but was open to inspection, and from the inspection the record of it emerged pure and unsullied. (Cheers.) He would for a moment refer to what had taken place at the nomination for City East. An impertinent trick waa resorted to by putting a gentleman op to propose Sir George Grey, in order that Sir George Grey should be compelled to speak first. That itself was a most improper proceeding. But how did Mr. Clark refer to Sir George Grey himself— as a man that would by himself, or his friends, approve of murder. (Cries of "Shame!") Another phrase used to Sir George Grey was "set a thief to get a thief." Was that a phrase to be used towards a man whose life was one long career of distinction ? No one could accuse Sir George Grey of having acquired an acre of the public lands for himself. He might have acquired large estates, but he did not. When he bought land ha bought it for the people ; and he had even bought land for the people with his own money. (Cheers.) When the Indian Empire was in danger, Sir George Grey, of his own motion, and against the general commanding, sent to India the very regiments that relieved Lucknow. (Cheers.) Mr. Clark, in his observations, offended against every law of decency. If he should be elected for City North, then a climax would be put to the disgraceful conduct of Mr Clark at the nomination for City East. There was a great misapprehension on the part of those who thought that : Sir George Grey wanted to take the large estates from those who had legally acquired them. (Cheers.) Nothing of the kind. He wanted to deprive those who got lands which belonged to the public by unlawful ' means, and, for their own benefit, gave their illegal acts the sanction of law. (Cheers.) i This old man, vilified and abused, could stand before the men who vilified him without a fear that they could bring up from the past one improper or dishonourable transaction. (Cheers.) He believed the public would not allow any clique to set a brand upon an illustrious man to insult him; j to press on, to the discredit of the . present time, the charge of sympathy ' with murder upon the name of a man who t had served his country with honour. (Cheers.) c Mr. Clark said there must be business men j ill Parliament-. He was a railway commissioner, and in that capacity he reported against the railway fror* Taranaki to Auckland, and against the keeping open the Kaipara line except for carrying balk timber. The balk timber likely belonged to his friends. That was what Mr. Clark meant t by business men helping their friends, s (Cheers.) He believed Mr. Peacock belonged to the same class of gentlemen who were going to support the present Govern- 8 ment. The electors of City North would show that he must consider the rights of the people or not go to Parliament. (Cheers.) r

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Mr. Rees gave the following answers to questions put to him :—(1) He would in certain cases allow a policy of insurance to rank as an asset for the protection of creditors. (2) Justices of the Peace had no right to charge for their signature. (3) He declined to answer questions personal to Mr. Clark. (4) He would support a Bill for the distribution of a man's property after his death among his children. (5) He would support an Employers' Liability Act. (6) He would support a Factory Act to prevent children of tender years working amid machinery. (7) There ought to be a Plimsoll's Act in every community. (8) He would support Sir George Grey's Law Practitioners' Bill. (9) He would support a Bill to define the powers of judges in committing for contempt of Court. To Mr. Eccles : (10) He received £300 for representing the natives from Mr. Sievewright, a solicitor, comiug from Honi Nahe. (11) A committee of the House did not vote that payment illegal. (12) Governments were constantly obliged to pay away money that was not voted ; the Government paid £6000 of the people's money to defend an action for libel ; they paid £5000 to Vogel—these were not voted. (13) He was the largest shareholder in the East Coast Land Compauy. Messrs. Msss, DeLautour, and other members were in it. The object of the company was to get the land, and sell it at once. (14) Ho had mortgaged some of the land to build a bridge. He had spent more in the district (Gisbornc) than the General Government, the County Council, and the Municipal Councils put together. Mr. Eccles : Have you a property qualification ?

Mr. Rees : I have, and if 1 had not your friends are just the people to endeavour to keep me out of Parliament. (Cheers.) Mr. F. Williams moved a vote of entire confidence in Mr. Rees, seconded by Mr. Dunningiiam.

Mr. Eccles moved an amendment, that the meeting "thanks" Mr. Rees for his address, seconded by Mr. Hill. There was great noise and confusion during the time the amendment was being moved.

The Chairman deolared the motion carried, amidst loud cheers and a good deal of excitement.

Mr. Neylon addressed the meeting in favour of the working men's rights. The proceedings lasted from eight o'clock to 11.15 p.m. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman and the meeting separated.