MR T. MACKENZIE BEFORE HIS CONSITUENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 8

MR T. MACKENZIE BEFORE HIS CONSITUENTS.

Mr Thom«s Mackenzie addressed a meeting of his constituents on Thursday night at Tapanui. Notwithstanding the boisterous evening the large hall was crowded, a great many ladies beiDg present. The member was acoorded an excellent reccpMon. Mr Mac ktttzie spoke for au hour and 20 minutes, and gave an exhaustive account of the work and legislation of the session, criticising keenly the banking legislation and Tariff Bills. entered largely into the, financial administration of the Government. Tho /Lab. ur Acts he handled in a way to' leave but iiitle doubt on the minds of his luartra ttyat it. was -to those measures' the workers in New Zealand largely owed the lick cf Maplo^ment. - A subject j'of great local iuttmt was then dealt with by the member. He had bean blamed by the Temperance .League" for breaking hia promise respecting tbe bare majority voting. Mr Mackenzie had applied to be present at tha league'! meeting, to show they were wroag ia their comclu •ions. Ho Lad not been successful in obtaining that privilege. A long correspondence ensued between tbe secrehwy' (Mr Malcolm) and the memler. Mr Ma cksnze meantime communicated with three of the moab prominent and capable temperance reformers .in New Zealand; and placed the point in dispute before them for their opinions'. 'These opinions he read to the meeting, the purport ot which bore out in every particular wbnfc Mr M»rktnz>e had all along contended, and entirely d s^roved the contention o£ tbe 6ecreUry of the league. That tba leaders of the temperance movement in Tapauui accepted Mr Mackenzie's vie'wa was evidenced by the fact that Mr John MFarkne proposed the vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Market zie, euloguing in hie remarks that geuUemun'e action. Another prominent member of th« ' empfratca party rose 1 and confirm* d Mr Macktiizib's action, and quot- d from correspondence he Lad to show tnat Mr Mackenzie did not promise to vote for a bare majority in the ab«uco of the day' of election being fixed, but favemed a three- fiflihs majority. It w*s expeoted that Mr Malcolm would have at! ended the meeting, and. when tbe matter was being dealt wffh, o*Us of " Where's Malcolm ? " were frcqin-nfcly made. At.the clos? of tho aie^tiug cbe*rs were given for Mr Maokci zie, who shou'd be well pleased with the enthusiastic reception accorded jto him. MrT. Mackenzie, MH.R. for Cuiha, addressed a meeting of his constituents on Saturday wight at Clintui. Mr Coughlan occupied the chair. The weather was boisterous and cold, but a large gathering assembled to hear what the member had to say. Ib was reported that ho was to "get it hot" from some quarters, and certainly the clo«o of tho meetiug was unusual. Mr Mackenzie received a very patient hearing, and at the close ot his speech was put through a running fire of queatione, ohkfly from Mr Koty and Mr W. Rhodes. { Much amusement was caused by an individual arriving late, who bad boen, &n the chairman remarked, "in the sua" This visitor walked boldly up tb« passage, despite vigorous tugs a& his coat tail by his friends, to Mr Mackenzie, and on reacbiug the member shook him heartily by the hand, aud then took a acat faring the audience. Wheu questions weo* being a»ked this mdiv.dual frequently replied for Mr Mackenzie, <akTng occarirn to admonish the questioner for his want of knowledg-3. Although i tbia went on for a long time, tho audieuco took the whole thing in the very b;st spirit;. Mr D. Wallace proposed a Tote of thanks I and confidence in Mr Mackenzie. This was | teoended by Mr Wateoa Rhodes, who in tho course of bin remarks said that at the last: 1 election he had, being a prohibits nut, voted against Mr M.ickenz ; e. \Vheu the atxb elecj tion arrived he would nob vote for a probibitio \isfc unless "his politico also coincided with the spanker's views. Mr Walter Keay moved a vote of thanks only' by way of amendment. Hti said he h-vi voted against Mr Mackenzie lust election, and 'he had sem no reason to chat-ge bii miud sinca.— After a time the Cbuirmwn said thai) sm no one had secouded the attxndment it wouldjapae.— • Mr ,Keay asked leave to withdraw his 'amendment, renurking- that he thought little of those who ou f side had promised to support him and who now would not stand to thsir woid. — Tho Chairman then called npou those in favour of tbe motion to hold up their hands, when a umnber o? hands were' held np, Mr Kevy lending oif by mounting a form and holding his hand high. An altercation thtn aroso as to this metLod of asking people to hold up thdrhindg. — In reply to a remark by the chairman, Mr Mf.ckeiizie said he did not approve o£ this method, as it was asking the elector? to disclose their voting, and was therefore a violation of the secrecy of the ballot. It did not suit every m^n to let his Eeiguboat know hiw ha niewit to vote, and servanti naturally might object to their masters knowing how. they wou'd vote. It was a system he deptecileJ.— Mr Kevr wi«jjod to know how Me Mackeczia gob the flattering votes at other mci titles it not by n show of hands.— Mr Maok< i.zio frni<} that at- none of his meetings bad a &how of hands be -n asked or token. — Tho Chaitman said : " I will take a show of hands." — A sprinkling of hands were he'd up for the motion. — Tee Chairman declared the motion lost, as. more had not voted than had voted.— Mr Mackenzie: "Pardon ma. To decide that point you must; call for those against; the motion, which you have not done." — The Chairman : " Then I will take it 00. (he voices.'-' Mr Wallace here rose and pointed out that, the amendment having been withdrawn, the motion stood carried.— Tho Chairman (excitedly) : ." I will take the vote by a show of hands. I call upon all who have the pluck to show "—At this juncture the audience rose and retired frpm the haU, leaving ■ the chairman . speaking. His concluding remarks were therefore nob heard. It is reported that Constable Ferguson, oE Gore, is shortly to be transferred to the Central Otago district, bis destitution being tbe (jovt&i •Jus of Blacks.