THE "SCENE" AT THE DRILL HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12817, 17 March 1905, Page 7

THE "SCENE" AT THE DRILL HALL.

TO THE EDITOH. Sir,ln your report of tho " scene" which occurred at the Drill Hall oil Tuesday night you say " that Mr. Richardson hero attempted to ascend the platform, but was barred by tho police. Subsequently the Mayor admitted Mr. Richardson to the platform, and allowed him to speak, but his remarks were quito inaudible amid tho uproar which followed his appearance on tho platform. He attempted to read an amendment, but after trying fully ton minutes, tho din being terriffic and violence appearing to bo inevitable, tho Mayor read Mr. Richardson's amendment for him." Tho facts are: I ascended tho platform quito leisurely after Mr. Seddon had resumed his seat, and while Mr. Coleman was moving his resolution I showed tho Mayor my amendment, tolling him J. meant to move it, to which lie agreed. I then stood bade against tho wall (there wore no chairs available) to wait for my opportunity. Mr. Coleman not getting as quiet a hearing as the Mayor thought he should ho turned to me, and asked- mo to stand back. I replied I was doing so. Ho then pointed to the stops, and told mo to go down on tho floor. This I objected to. Ho thciijiaid angrily, "If you do not go down I will throw you down," and as I still stood my ground ho rushed at mo, seizing hold of mo violently and hurled me down tho steps. There wero no police there then. I immediately returned to tho platform, when tho Mayor still more violently hurled mo down- the steps a second time. There was no police at tho platform then. A freo fight then commenced, in which some men endeavoured to tear me from off the bannisters leading to tho platform, while others were upsetting them. This violence continued some time, and it looked as though I might bo torn to pieces. It was then the police appeared on the scene for the first time, and barred, as you say, my entrance to the platform. It was Mr. Mitchelson who for ten minutes was hooted at by 3000 men for his unprovoked attack on mo, and finding that he was powerless to quell the storm he had raised ho walked round the table, and after having consulted Mr. Seddon ho came to the front again, but being howled down he turned and beckoned to me to com© on the platform, which I did, and received a tremendous ovation, lasting probably five minutes. Had your reporter been on the platform instead of the floor ho would have seen a waving of hats and handkerchiefs that he would never have forgotten. I did make three attempts to get a hearing, but seeing a number of men in front of tho platform determined to howl me down, although Seddon had had a, good hearing, I quietly handed tlie resolution to the Major, whose reading of it was inaudible on tlienlatform, and in this Babel it was declared lost, although if tho meeting could liavo known what they wero doing I believe it would have carried it by a large majority. As I havo no wish to bo "blamed for any disturbance I am not responsible for, I hope you will permit Will i a llichakdson.

TO THE EDITOR. .Sir,As an old colonist with some appreciation of the duties and rights of a British subject of our good King, the importance of maintaining the- right of free speech, the danger of countenancing violence or intimidation, and notwithstanding a friendly acquaintance with our worthy Mayor and his father before him, 1 cannot refrain from publicly entering rny protest against the chairman of Mr. Seddou's meeting last night ruling Mi*. Richardson out of order when that gentleman took the platform to move an amendment to a proposal of thanks and confidence in Mr. Seddon's Government; but most of all, I protest against the personal violence used when a number of the police were at ho be die of the chairman, but did not interfere until Mr. Richardson had been twice roughly thrown from the platform. With regret to record such doings,— am, otc., James W. Cake. j ! [