NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 177, 23 December 1854, Page 4

NELSON.

Political Meetings. — During the present week the constituency which elected Mr. Travers, and which, as we have shewn, declined to pass a vprdict upon his political conduct until further informed of his proceedings, have met their other representative, Dr. Monro, whose conduct during the late political crisis has been the exact reverse of Mr. Travers's. Dr. Monro, it should be remembered, from his understood conservative tendencies, was not the popular candidate for the Waimea district, and therefore laboured under a great disadvantage, compared with his colleague, in coming before a popular assembly to justify his votes and measures. Yet Dr. Monro invited the Waimea electors to meet him on Wednesday evening last in the same room where Mr. Travers addressed the electors a few evenings previously. On this occasion the meeting was also a full one — more full indeed than the one of the previous week, and composed to a great extent of the same individuals. Unlike the former meeting, however, the statements and explanations made by the Speaker, instead of falling on an audience cold as stones, were received with warm and repeated bursts of applause, and the avowed political opponents of the hon. member joined in a most unqualified approval of the support he had given to constitutional Government, and the opposition he had offered to faction and folly. — Nelson Examiner. We give the following remarks of one of the speakers at Dr. Monro's meeting :— Mr. Alfked Saunders, as a late opponent of Dr. Monro, begged to be allowed to make a few remarks. He thought that a vote of thanks on this occasion should not be an expression of political opinion, but merely an approval of Dr. Monro's conduct during the past sessions. He had himself voted against Dr. Monro, and would do so again if another candidate came forward whose general opinions were more liberal than that gentleman's. He must, however, say that Dr. Monro was one of the few members who had not made a fool of himself or of his constituents. Unlike some he could name, he had practised no dirty tricks. He had not left the house, to get it counted out, or to avoid a division, and had never shrunk from giving his vote as an independent man. He had even shown that he considered the high office of the first Premier of the colony might be purchased at too high a price, if purchased at the expense of principle. He (Mr. Saunders) begged to remind the chairman and the meeting that the testimony of a political opponent was more valuable than the adulation of a political friend. A public dinner was given to Dr. Monro on the 22nd Nov. by the electors of the Waimea district, at which 56 persons were present. Christchurch. — A meeting of Mr. Wakefield's constituents took place on Tuesday evening at the Golden Fleece, Mr. J. Erittan in the chair. Proceedings commenced at about 7£ p.m., and lasted till two o'clock a.m. Mr. Wakefield addressed the meeting in his usual diffuse style for about 3 hours, going over the same grounds as he has done before, and with much the same effect. The audience was nearly wearied out when Mr. Sewellrose and made a very effective and telling reply to Mr. Wakefield's accusations and allusions, pointing out at the same time the desertion by the Messrs. Wakefield of the interest for which they had been returned. Messrs. Hall, Tancred, and John Bealey spoke in explanation of subjects introduced by Mr. Wakefield, although totally irrelevant to the object of the meeting. The majority of the meeting began to disperse after Mr. Sewell's speech, the impression as to the proceedings of the General Assembly remaining much the same as when the members first came down. Mr. Wakefield then stood up and spoke for upwards of an hour more. At 2 o'clock, Mr. Ollivier proposed to what was left of the meeting, a resolution expressive of want of confidence in Mr. Wakefield. 11 hands were held up for it, and 12 against it.