A "Happy Family."

Otago Witness, Issue 1602, 5 August 1882, Page 23

A "Happy Family."

Some racy lobby rumours wer,e recently in circulation concerning the Westland members, 1 who had held wordy warfare while present' at a meeting with Canterbury members, to discuss "proposals to be submitted to the Government; ' A Westland paper publishes] this account of what took place, evidently from the pen of one of the members; present:-" Mr litzgeraldi lam altogether averse to the proposals. Thd £250,000 for Reefton is a mere sham, which ' is never intended to be carried out. I quite understand Mr Westpn ignoring all other > works but this. He is not a West Coast repre T sentative. His sole interests he with Cantert bury, and he's willing to sacrifice all other works to promote the welfare of Canterbury.—Mr Seddon: Well. Mr Chairman* ■ I'm quite disgusted with the proposals, and won't agree to them. Why, all the money is to be spent for the benefit of Canterbury.— Mr Weston :Tm sure I should hot be twitted with having no interest in the West Coast.— • Mr ' Fitzgerald : No, you are constantly-inter-fering with ' other constituencies, in order to K ain a little cheap popularity. Why, you have interfered with Mr.Petne, Mr Seddon, Mr Munro, and with my own consti; tuency in an impertinent and ungentlemanly manner. But it's all outward show with you, and precious little work — anything to gratify your sc-lf-conceit and vamty.-Mr Weston: Mr Chairman, I will not sit here to be insulted in that manner by a man who,only managed to struggle into Parliament after having been twice rejected on the West Ooast. He is not fit to represent any constituency. 1 sot elected without any trouble whatever. 1 should like to see Mr Fitzgerald do that.— Mr Seddon : I can substantiate everything that Mr Fitzgerald has said about Mr Weston. He is constantly interfering with other constituencies, and sending telegrams that are far from correct, and all to be considered a diligent man; and to gratify his vanity.— Mr Petne : I regret to see the turn matters have taken. JNo possible good can come of these personal attacks. I would, Mr Chairman, therefore suggest that this meeting stand adjourned sine &ie.Sir John Hall: I quite agree with Mr Petrie, and might add that the Westland members should, at the next meeting, come prepared with some definite proposals.— The meeting then broke up without anything being agreed upon." j