THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 8

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

A ROWDY MEETING. (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.}

WELLINGTON, November 21. Mr John Hutcheson addressed the electors to-night, Messrs Hislop and Atkinson, the other Opposition candidates, being also on the platform. The meeting was a disgracefully rowdy one, a number of persons at the back of the hall persistently interrupting the speaker so that his voice ,was frequently drowned in the uproar. Hooting, caterwauling, whistling, or the singing of choruses were indulged in by a .number of hoodlums,' and stones were thrown on the iron roof of tho building while the candidate was speaking. Eventually he had to stop his address prematurely. The meeting, however, was strongly anti-Seddon, and Mr liutcheson, who made a forcible speech in condemnation of the present Administration, was cheered to tho echo, and accorded a vote of confidence.

November 22.

Mr Hutcheson's opening meeting last ovening was one of the most exciting that has been held in Wellington for a long time. 'Shortly after the appearance of Mr Kennedy Alacdonald, the Government candidate, some of the noisy ones at the back of the haU struck up a comic song, and others indulged in catcalling. Mr Hutcheson stopped, ahd remarked : " This is what is considored fair play." He proceede.d to give them an instance of how the Premier scared people. An excited Elector (waving his hat) : '" You would never have beaa in Parliament only for Dick Soddon." — '.Uproar.) Another Elector:

"■ Tou shut up." The first Elector (threateningly): " I won't shut up." — (Uproar.) Mr Hutcheson, when he could gtvin a hearing, spoke of his opposition to tha South African Contingent. The Contingent would co3t them £50,000, and he thought this could ba better spent in tho nobler cause of assisting those who wero seeking refuga in South Africa. — (Loud crie3 of "No" and ""Yes^-wid further interruptions, in the midst of which an excitoJ elector could bo seeu gesticulating wildly in tho centra of^tho hall, and endeavouring to get a hearing.) Mr Hutcheson : Well, anyhow, I erred on the safe hide, and x would rather have you howling at me than the widow asking mo for her son. (A Voioe :

"" Bravo, Jack." and frantic cheering, which drowned the hooting of tho '* barrackers. ') At this stage of the meeting fooling ran high. No Boonor had the cheering subsided somewhat than tho hooting and groaning woro again started. There was cheering and counter cheering, and a young man in tho audienco ro3e and called for "' threo cheers for Jack Jdutcheson," to which there-was a lusty response, followed by mors hooting. JU.r Hutcheeon continued : Thcra h a better timo coming — a change of Government is coming. — (Housing cheers.) There i* new blood coming into our Parliament. — (Cheers.) We aro not going to have tho old Toryism at all. AVo will have a ne-.v democracy. — (Applause.) All over the colony there are young and- vigorous men who are determined to have straight business, and'tney are going into Parliament. — (Applause.) Thoro will be a loavening in.nueneo in the new Parliament that will tolerate neither tho maladministration of this Government nor the faulty legislation of tho past. — (Applause and interruption.) Those interruptions and the very cxcoji committed by Mr Soddon are hastening the day. — (Cheers.) The masses of the people cannot any longer be* hoodwinked by tho specious legislation of the Premier, introduced simply for party purposes. — (Applause.) It is in tho hands of the electors of Wellington to choose between us and the three selected and hallmarked by Mr Seddon. — 'Interruption, during which stor.e3 wero thrown outside on tho iron roof.) You may hovri me down, as you may. It is the ballot-box that tells. — (Cheers.) I have been through tl-o mill of a bye-electioii. I have been through the mill of the persecution of the hirelings of luo party in Parliament, and I a:n still alive and strong. — (Ci&ers.) I have supporters in every part of New 1 Zealand amongst tho working classes. — (Renewed cheering.) I hava been offered, from tho working classes in different parls of tho colony monetary assistance to help me in my candidature. — (Applause.) These people who aro howling mo down will sing another tune, when the numbers go up. — (Cheers.) I'll bear them no malice. They will not bo able to say that the next day I looked even' proud, and they will recognise" that I have been able to discriminate between idolator3 who worship a set of men and those who prefer great principles. — (Loud applause.) A vote of confidence in Mr Hutcheson was carried by an overwhelming majority.