BANQUET TO THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10035, 28 April 1894, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

(By Ode Special Kepoetee.)

Palmeeston, April 27,

The Hon. John M'Kenzie, Minuter for Lands, was entertained at a banquet in the Shag Point Hall this evening. ■ There was a large attendancs, over 200 people—a considerable number ol whom were.ladies—biipg pre» sent. Mr Torranco presided, and among othera present were the Colonial Treasurer and Post-master-general (Hon. J. G. Ward), Hon. J. MacGfregor, M.L.C., Messrn D. Pinkerton, W. Hutchison, J. A. Millar, A. Morrison, J. Mackintosh, and T. Dancan, M.H.R's, Dr Fitchett, Dr Findlay, Messrs J. F. M. Fraser and J. J. Bamsay. Apologies were announced for the absence of the Premier, the Minister for Education, Messrs W. Earnshaw, M.H.R, and W. H. Williams.

The CiiAinjiAN, iii opening the proceedings) referred with gratification to the presencß.ipf visitors from all parts: of Otego, and said';tS*!s showed the estimation in which the Minister for Lands was held. He considered Me M'Keczie df served that if only for the straightforward and manly manaer in which he h&d won the Waihemo seat. '

; The toasts of "The Queen," "The Governor," and " The Army, Navy, and Volunteers " having bien honoured, ■

Mr W. Hutchison, M.H.R , proposed "The Ministry," for whom he claimed that they were just as desirous for the prosperity of the agricultural, pastoral, and mining interests, and as desirous of the extension of trade and commerce as their bitterest detractors, and had given abundant signs of it in the way thoy had endeavoured to administer the affairs of the

country. The CotONiAL Teeastoer, in responding {6 the toast, said the Ministry were at anyrate a fearless set of men, determined to do what they believed to be right in the general interests of the country without fear or favonr, and to the best-of their ability, and by their actions they asked the people ,of New. Zealand to Judge them. —(Applause.) Alluding to the recent presentation at Paimerston to Mr Scobie Mackenzie he desired to complete the statement made by Mr Mackenzie, who had intimated that he had previously had the loan of a type writer from the Postmaster-general. ' That statement was quite correct, but Mr Scobie Mackenzie did not give his reason for returning the typewriter, and in that respect he did himself an injustice. The fact was that in a very

important point there was a defect in that typewriter, as the capital "I" was left out.^(LaughUr.) When Mr Mackenzie used the typewriter be frequently had to touch where the capital "I" should have been, and judging the absence of it was a great defect he immediately made up his mind that the typewriter must be returned.—(Laughter.) The speaker understood that the first condition in regard to the typewriter presented to Mr Mackenzie at Palmerston was that there should be two capital " Fs."—(Laughter.) Regarding the, fufara policy of the Governme&t, he thought it undesirable that at the present moment he should unfold too much information, which those who were always ready to do so might use and. twist against the Government of the day. The time had not yet arrived, though it soon wouldj when the future policy of the Government should be put fully and fairly before the, people of the country—but he would say this: They had all heard during the past elections of the extraordinary and improper things the Treasurer had done in respect of sly borrowing and of many inconceivable evolutions in loan conversions. Ha _woald point out, however, that the colony's 3£ per cent, stocks were now approaching 100£. They wore over 100], and that had never happened before. While the Government had been accused of anxiety to go in for, sly borrowing^ he, said that if the public took up some of tha leading papers, they would find that it was being advocated that the Government should borrow, and that showed that while the press were anxious to kill the Ministry by stating they were going in for. borrowing, they were really anxious that .the colony.ahoald-'do what they were condemning. His opinion was that there was no necessity for the colony to horrow at all, either at present or for oocne time to come—(applause),—and the present Government were determined so far as they could to indulge in a policy of selfabnegation for a time, believing that the colony could gather way without reverting to the old system of borrowed millions'. When the statement was made that the surplus on the 31st March was again estimated at £200,000, it was reported that the Treasurer had cooked the accounts, that certain payments Had. been held back, and that co-operative labourers had not been paid: No Treasurer could do that without being found out and held up to justifiable ridicule; end not only had not one payment been kept back at the end of ths financial year, but everything that the Treasury csuld get had been brought to debit, and the ltabilites at the end of the financial year were never so low as at the present, time.—fApplause ) He claimed fearlessly that the bulk of the thinking people in the colony were behind the present Government. More than that, the Government were a fair reflex'of the members returned to Parliament. If the members got out of touch with the people the Ministry would very soon be out of touch with the people alsoj So far as the Government were concerned, they had had Very high fences to get over. Many hedges* had been put before them, but they had never onca baulked; and so long as they remained in office whatever obstacles were thrown in tbeir.way, they would never turn back, and they would act quite independently of the hostile criticism of those who were always ready to trip them up. So long as they had the bulk of the people at thsir back they might depend upon it that they would continue to develop the resources of this beautiful and extraordinary oouutry.—(Loud applause.)

Mr J. J. Ramsay proposed " The Parliament of New Zealand," and tho toast was acknowledged by the Hon. J. MacGregor and D, Pinkerton, M.H.R.

Mr Muhcott in tu'.ogistic terms proposed the toast of "The Guest of the Evening," whici was drunk with great enthusiasm, followed bj the singing of " For Jack has won the day," c parody on a popular song.

The Minister for Lands, who was receivcc with load applause, expressed pleasure al finding that his neighbours at Shag Point thought so much of him as to ask him to be present that night, and to ask so many visitors to meet him. They gained nothing by coming there to meet him, and the fact of such ai entertainment being held must convince th< visitors that they truly and earnestly desired to do him honour as a public man. Whatevei the Conservative press might say about the constituency he felt prond to represent the people of Shag Point, and he thought they could hold their own with any other part of New Zealand. He thought his opponents would admit thai during the whole of his political career he had not continued resentment after an election, and he would not on the present occasion have referred to the past election had it not been foi some high f*lutintalk recently at Palmerston, where statements were made which could not be borne out by facts He did not believe in kicking an opponent after knocking him down, but he claimed the right to defend himself under the present circumstances. On the occasion to which he referred the chairman (Mr John Duncan) characterised the Liberalism of the present Government as bastard Liberalism, but he (Mr John M'Keuzie) thought be could show that their Liberalism had been in earnest, and was not of a bastard nature. They had endeavoured to do what they could for the people of New Zealand, and to forward the interests of the colony, but ths present Government and himself as Ministei for Lands would hivo been entirely lost il it had not been for the grand support they had received from members in Parliament and from the people. He thought it must be admitted that the land legislation of the calooy was the most liberal in any portion of the world. — (Applause.) Whom had they to thank for that P Was it such men as John Duncan, of Palmerston, or men whom the class he represented wished to send to Parliament. No, they had to thank Liberal members of Parliament aud those who supported them without whom the efforts of the Minister for Lands would be unavailing. He pointed also to the labour legislation of the Ministry, and to tho credit of the colony in the old country as tLe effect of the Liberalism of the Government. In connection with Mr Scobie Mackenzie's meeting at Palmerston on the night before the election, he said he had nothing to do with tho organisation for that evening. He was never consulted about it, and he knew nothing about it. He believed that the action taken at Palmurston that evening was adopted aa a protest against the unfair methods employed against him. Hi 3 opponent on the platform at Palmerston bad accused him of one of the most iniquitous crimes a public man could bs guilty of, insinuating that he was guilty of corruption. He (the speaker) replied to that speech at Palmerston, and Mr Scobie Mackenzie had plenty of time for a further reply. He left his reply, however, till the last moment, so that he (Mr John M'Kenzie) could not possibly meet it. It was said that the speaker had an opportunity of meeting his opponent on'the platform, but the hall at Palmerston had been engaged by Mr Scobie Mackenzie a fortnight or three weeks before, and it was not till two days before the meeting, when it was not possible for him to arrange to reply to the charges against him, that he was asked to take part in that meeting, and he refused to go, because he knew the hall was to be packed by Mr Scobie Mackenzie's supporters, who were prepared to give him a good jicketing.— (Laughter.) It had been said ho lost hundreds of votes through the action taken that evening, but he believed he did not loso a single vote.—(Applause.) There had always been in the district a number of opponents who always voted against him on tho sly, but that meeting brought them to tho front, and for the first time he had them iv the opon. He was sure no real friend of the Liberal cause or of himself voted against him because of the meeting at Pahnersten, and ho was

satisfied that nothing was done that night that was wrong or disgraceful. At every place in the district Mr Scobie Mackenzie received a fair hearing once, and so did he, excepting at

Hampden, where the Moeraki station Hands fioundedhim down. Tliey had never Heard of that, however, and the Otago Daily Times had made no reference to the Moeraki station gang of rufflatis; but it was different whenja few of his Shag Point friends went to Fnlmerston for a little diversion.—(Laughter.) With refereiico to the statement by Mr Findlay, of Hampden, that Mr Scobie Mackenzie received the votes of two-thirds of the bona fide electors of Iho district, he said he would like a definition of bona fide electors, and how many acres a' man must have before he became a bona fide elector. But if any persons in that room were not in Mr Findlay's eyes borta Jide electors they were in the speaker's.—(Applause ) Allnsion had been made to the prestige which he had in the last election as a Minister of the Grown, bnt ho assured the meeting that if he had not been a Minister of the Crown for the last three years several disappointed persons who opposed him at the last election would have supported him. On the other hand bis opponent had the prestige of having been nine J-.ears a member of Parliament, and during that tkne the Otago Daily times b,a!i Written him up iia a great political prophet, ancl economist, ant! everything thut was good. He also had the, prestige of being the chimpion orator Dn his side and of having aa his supporters the wealthy section cf the comHUnifcv. BnH t.hpn hn woa <l macftf nf iha

art of humbugging people i;qual to anything they had ever before seen in that part of the colony.—(Applause.) So far as: he was concerned he in no way need undue influence as a Minister of the Crown, and employed to unfair tactics. When the proper time came he would defend himself against the charge of corruption, and would do so in such a way that Mr Scobie Mackenzie would either have to withdraw his words or bo branded as a speaker had called him in Palmerston.—(Applause.) So far as he was himself concerned he had done his best in the interests of the community he represented, and he did not think any opponent could accuse him in the past o£ neglecting the interests of the district. He hoped the same good feeling towards him would bontinue while he field his position lis a representative in Parliament, and when the time came for him to retire he would feel that he had done some good service for the people if ho could carry with him conviction that he had done something to elevate the masses and to increase their Bocial well-being.—(Loud appUuse.) The toast of the "Agricultural and Pastoral Interests" was proposed by Mr Mackintosh, M.H.R., and responded to by Mr T. Dcncan, M H.R. ' Mr Weston proposed the " Mining Interests " which Mr J. F. M. Feaseis acknowledged. 1 "The Newly-elected Members" and other toasts were honoured.