THE PREMIER AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1044, 25 August 1879, Page 2

THE PREMIER AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Christchtfrch, August 24. Sir George Grey's meeting last niglit was fearfully rowdy. The people begar> to come before G o'clock, the hour for the meeting being 7, and the Oddfellows' Hall was jammed to suffocation. So dense was the crowd that they hung on the windows outside, and stood on any ledge of the walls that afforded a foothold. The platform was crowded also. There was tremendous cheering when Sir George appeared, and also some determined hissing, which was kept up well throughout the meeting. The noise was so great that it was some time before Sir George could commence, and then the crush in the Hall made the audience restless, and a continual din prevented even those on the platform hearing the speaker distinctly. After this had gone on for some time a man fainted, and had to be carried out of a door next to the platform. Those in the way jumped on to the platform,

and in a moment the whole crowd, who knew nothing of the cause of this proceeding, surged forward to the platform, and all was confusion. It looked for the moment as if it was an organised attempt to break up the meeting, but it was quite accidental. Various plans were suggested, and the Mayor at length called out that the meeting would "be adjourned to the Drill-shed, as it was evident the hall could not hold the people. On this several hundreds went off to the Drillshed, but the rest showed no inclination to move, and it was proposed to postpone the meeting. The curtain was dropped, but Sir George refused to give up, and finding that the vast majority of the audience insisted 011 remaining to hear him, the certain was again raised. Sir George Grey, stopping to the front, said : " Gentlemen, I never rail away in my life, and I am not going to do it now." At this there was an immense shout, and it was quite evident those who had attempted to drown his voice before had been overwhelmed by the majority of the men in the Hall. The scene on the platform when the curtain was lifted, was in worse confusion than the hall. A knot had gathered round Sir George, and over the remainder of the stage was a mass of people standing on the chairs, and piled together in the most promiscuous fashion ; and so they remained to the end of the meeting. Sir George immediately went on with his speech, and, fired by tiie little scrimmage, spoke splendidly. At the beginning lie had been hoarse, and unable to make himself heard very well, even when there was a lull in the row, but now he spoke clearly and well. There were one or two bursts of interruption, some enthusiastic admirers every now and again calling for three cheers for him, which were always given, and whenever he had occasion to say, " If I am elected," there were uproarous shouts of " You will," " You shall," &c. At the end of his speech there was a long string of questions, nearly all written before hand, and handed to the Mayor to read. Dr. Turnbull then proposed, and Mr. Higgins, of Ashley, seconded, a vote of confidence and thanks, but when the Doctor got as far as the " confidence," the rest of the motion, and the name of the seconder, were lost in the cheers. In five minutes the Mayor was able to put the question, and was met with another tremendous uproar of cheers, through which could be heard the hissing that had been kept up very determinedly from beginning to end by the .small band of Conservatives in the room. He then called for the voices against it, but as no one could be found with the courage to call " no," the motion, much to the amusement of Sir George's supporters, had to be declared unanimously carried, though the hissing was immediately heard again. It was about twenty minutes to eleven when the meeting ended.