PUBLIC MEETING.

Colonist, Volume XLV, Issue 10407, 13 May 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

PUBLIC MEETING.

YCTXON OF GOVERNMENT CONDEMNED. ME. GRAHAM, M.H.R. THANKED. A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE SET UP. (" Colonist," May 2nd). A. very large audience assembled at the Provincial Hall last night in consequence of the Mayor having convened a meeting to consider the matter of t^e recent local changes in the Police Force, and those present were practically unanimous. His Worship the Mayor (Mr H. Baigont) took the chair, and explained that he called the meeting in consequence of having received a requisition from Mr G. M. Rout and a large number of others. • He hoped all the speakers would be as temperate as possible. As they knew, MiGraham and himself had telegraphed frequently to the Government, but they had not received satisfactory answers, and the Government had decided to carry out their resolution to remove certain members of the local Police Force, and dismiss two others. As they also knew, Commissioner Tunb ridge came to Nelson and held an enquiry into police matters, and they naturally thought the officer in charge of the department, who was appointed to reorganise it, would retain control. They were satisfied that he would be impartial, and if the finding had been in accordance with the information he obtained, they would not have objected at all. His findings I practically exonerated the men — in one case he imposed a fine of 2s 6d, and in another a reprimand, and they would agree that they could not have been grave offences that merited such light punishment. It appeared, however, that the Government had disregarded the enquiry, and the finding of Commissioner Tunbridge, and the why and wherefore was the matter which mystified them, and they were anxious to find out. It was due to these officers, and the force' generally, that they should know on what ground the Government had taken the action it had. He thought it was tantamount to a judge disregarding the verdict of a jury that a man was innocent, and saying no, we will punish him. It was not his desire, and he was sure it was not theirs, to interfere with a department so long as they felt it was justly administered (Applause) They all prided ' themselves, as Britishers, on fairness and justice, but he felt there was something that ought to be unearthed. At the close of the Jubilee proceedings, he told Inspector McDonnell that, he was very satisfied with the work of the police, but he did suggest that the men on duty should not be confined to one or two beats, but be allowed to visit the outskirts. The Supreme Court Judges were repeatedly congratulating them on their immunity from crime, and that pointed to the fact that the Police Force was an efficient one. (Applause) They did not want to dictate to the Government, but only to show that they wanted strict justice. If any officers had done wrong they should of course be punished. He understood that Mr Graham had just received a telegram. Mr Graham, M,.H.R., who was received with loud applause, said he was not taking part in that meeting, but he had been in telegraphic com- . munication with Ministers, and it was but right that he should let the people know everything. Previous , messages had been published in the Press, but he had received one too late for publication that day. He referred to the Ministers message indicating that the matter had been considered on fresh correspondence, and read the following telegram received that evening: — "The statement contained in your telegram that Ministers have been ' influenced in their decision by correspondence not produced at the departmental enquiry is not correct. ' As already advised you *in my wire J yesterday, Ministers have had before 1 them the full correspondence. I t have already ■ conveyed to you the ( decision of Cabinet in the matter. ' and the case will not be re-opened.— ] J. G. Wakd." ( To this he replied as follows : — ] "I have your wire stating that my j inerpretation of your last telegram to 1 me is not correct, and I now quote i the words in your telegram to which a mine was .an answer, viz., 'Ministry s have carefully considered the whole I matter upon the fresh correspondence t placed before them.' If there was c no new matter to guide Ministers to c a decision, whence the meaning of i; the words, ' fresh correspondence. ' i: Kind regards. " f< If there was no new matter why had k the words "fresh correspondence" been used. (Applause. ) He simply n wished to put them in possession of

the latest information. (Applause.) The Chairman said they all knew the interest Mr Graham had taknn in the matter Ho then called on the Bishop to move the first resolution. The Right Rev the Bishop of Nolson, who was received with prolonged applause, said that the following resolution had been placed in his hands: — ■;■".*.* ■•■•■" -^'^^C^Lxr^ "That this meeting deepl/regrets the action 1 of the Government in overriding the finding of the Commissioner of Police by deciding to removo and disrate Sergeant Mackay, and calling upon Constables Burrell and Durbridge to resign without first acceding to »the request for a public enquiry into the charges made' against them." He thought the resolution was couched wisely. From what the Mayor had said there was enough' reason to agree with the resolution, but there were some other matters to be gone into. That interest was aroused in the question Under consideration was evidenced by that large gathering. From what they gathered in the public Press, and from common rumor, the charges made were so trivial that they could not account on those grounds for what had occurred, and they were left to conclude that there were other grounds on which the Cabinet had decided. They were largely at the mercy of the Press and common report, which, rightly or wrongly, had given some grounds for the imagination to work on. Present events had bften connected with others, which look place some time ago. (Apparently the Stoke Orphanage cases were alluded to. ) They were also aware that the officer whose removal they " regretted* was subjected to certain charges 16 months ago, when, he believed, he was triumphantly exonerated. (Applause%) By the decision of the Government suspicions had been aroused, suspicions of a kind they all liked clear up. A writer in the Press had said that he himself had heard threats made against a certain officer that the person making the threats would do his best to get that officer removed. Such a threat would naturally lead them to suspect that there was some connection^ between the event they deplored and the person who uttered the threat. Because of such suspicions, and the kind of feeling they stirred Up, they would, have been glad of a full enquiry, and to have had suspicions removedj if they could be removed. (Applause.) They asked themselves what were the grounds for refusing an enquiry? He could only see two. One that they had some evidence that had not appeared—and he hoped that was the true one— but he must admit that the unwillingness of the Government to tell them so seemed to throw doubt on its being the true ground. The second wag fchat the Government had bQcn subjepfc to some pressure or other, and had yielded to the will of someone or other having sufficient influence. They had no just grounds to go on, and they asked the Government what their grounds for refusing them were. If some person or bodyhad sufficient power to carry their desire they might ask where that body was to be found. Perhaps the Salvation Army had power, or the Good Templars, but he was not satisfied that either had. He recognised that there was another body. (Applause, and laughter. ) It was a very unpleasant thing to have the fact brought home to them that some responsible body had sufficient influence with the Government to bring such power to bear that they could carry out their own will. They felt it ought not to be so, and that it was their business to try and make an alteration. They might be altogether wrong, but if that was the correct solution, then he said they were very closely concerned, because it was evident that some body existed able to secure its own ends when these were not in accordance with justice. . (Applause. ) There was not one of them who did not value freedom, and more so when an attempt was made to deprive them of it; he proceeded to speak of the importance of their maintaining their freedom. As to the suggestion that some body was exercising influence, his Lordship asked was there any existing body that seemed to exercise great preponderance? He referred to a return to Parliament giving particulars as to the police, and as to the religious denominations of officers. It was evident that one denomination was represented out of all proportion to its numerical strength. (Applause.) He thought they ought to weigh the fact, and have regard to history, and he said he knew that attention had been called to the power of that body. He could quite believe that a person in the position of a leading politician would be only too glad to be removed from the pressure of some very determined followers : he felt how great must be the difficulties of those at the head of the Government, and how hard it was for them to satisfy legitimate requirements, but he thought they them^" selves, were in some measure to blame. It seemed to him that this was not only a political matter, for it touched many moral considerations and religious questions. He said they were to blame for showing so much parochialism. He recently asked a well informed man why a certain person was so consistently returned to Parliament, and the reply he got was that that person got more for roads and bridges than anyone else. This v?n? vr>"y vnn-.H". y. '-" ■ "r.n-r~ to see higher principles l * .ailing. (Loud applause. ) Mr Haddow seconded the motion. He looked upon this as a very serious matter not only for the people of Nelson, but those of New Zealand, He looked at it as a blow at their liberties. They enjoyed their liberties by the struggles of their forefathers, and they had an heritage they should stand by. Everyone who valued liberty should stand shoulder to shoulder and see that their liberties were not infringed upon in any [shape or form. (Loud Applause). ' The motion was then put and carried, with one dissentent, who was greeted with groans and cries of "turn him out. " Mr James Graham then proposed : "That this meeting expresses its high appreciation of the straightforward, independent, and efficient manner in which the services of the police have been performed during the time that Sergeant Mackay has been in charge of the Nelson Station, and also expresses its deep sympathy with those suffering by the injustice that has been done them, not by the Commissioner of the Police, nor by any departmental enquiry, but by the refusal of the Government to grant a respectful request for a public enquiry into charges that may have been made against them. " He said that meeting had not been called till they had exhausted every legitimate means whereby justice might be secured. He spoke of the Police enquiry, and said they heard nothing for a long time, and then were startled to find some transferred, some disrated, and some dismissed. He referred to the petition he took took round himself, which only one person refused to sign, and he complained of its having been ignored. In that petition the leading citizens declared themselves perfectly satisfied with Sergeant Mackay and the police. Mr Worley- said he seconded the 1 motion as a matter of stern duty, i here was a dangerof the free actio t

of the police being curtailed, and if that happened they might say goodbye to fair-handed justice. Ho emphasised the point that if they stood by and saw any fellow-creatures treated unfairly it Was only a question of time when they themselves would become slaves. The motion was declared carried, I unanimously* amidst cheers. The Rev. J. H. Mackenzie moved: "That this meeting strongly protests against the action of the Go- , vernment in coming to an important decision in regard to members of the Police force upon charges received by the Cabinet in private, and which the accused have had no opportunity Oi rebutting— a method of procedure contrary to all British justice." (Loud applause. ) He said that this resolution was of wider import than the others, for its outlook covered the Colony, and the Empire. . (Applause..) He : was riot Satisfied with the telegram from Sir J. G. Ward read that evening, for a previous one spoke of ' ' fresh correspondence, i which indicated that some private persons had been acting. He complained that the officers had had no, opportunity of rebutting charges, and he declared this to be, in his { opinion, an infringement of. the British' Constitution. He spoke of the Magna Charta and .the Habeas | Corpus Act, and said the glory j of every Britisher was freedom and fair trial. A private employer might forgtt the rights oi a person in his employ, and dismiss him unheard, but for those holding superior positions in the land it waa a terr ble thin^ that any should take up the position, of listening to private individuals, and according the person most interested no opportunity* o£ answering. Such it state was possible in Trirkef , bu". they didn't intend to have Turkish rule in New Zealand. (Cheers) Such a thing might le done in mighty but they didn't intend to have Russian rule here. He said the price of Liberty was eternal vigilance, and if they were not vigilant they had no right to enjoy th 6 privileges of freemen. Mr Gibbsj who was received with cheers, had much pleasure in seconding the motion. The decision of the Government was cvi- ; I dently based either on the evidence obtained by Commissioner TunbrHge, or from secret information. He thought the latter more probable, and Sir J, Ward had appa-ently let the cat but of the bag when he used the word " fresh " correspondence* Whether guilty or not guilty, the worst of criminals deserved fair play. He had heard thatj some bad characters said that Sergeant Mackny ought tr> go, and if that^ was so it was the best compliment that officer could receive. The Chairman asked if anyone else desired to speak, and, in response to calls, Mr . Maginnity said it was a cardinal maxim that they should hear both sides, and that was all they asked for that night. Professionally he bad heard both sides, bun he was surprised to be called on to defend such trivial excesses. If the Government could find nothing more serious, the sooner they reinstated the men the better. (Applause,) He urged that any charges should be formulated, and expressed the view that there must ba something behind. He only asked tbe same for these officers as each of them would ask if placed in the same position (Applause.) The motion was carried unanimously. Mr W. T. Bond, who was received with loud applause, moved — "That" this meeting expresses its appreciation and thanks to the Member for the District for the way in which he has brought the matter before the notice of the Government, and requests him not to relax his efforts in the- endeavor to obtain the fullest and best public enquiry. " He thought evevj speaker should put some views forward He remembered when the Nelson Supreme Court district embraced Westport, Havelock. and Lyell, but pieces were chopped off till even Murchison was aken away, and cases had to be taken all the way to Hokitika. Following the curtailing of the Supreme Court district, Nelson was made second to Greymouth in police matters. (A voice: It's nearer Kumara,) He contended that since then police matters bad not been managed as before, and he believed, if the truth were known, a great deal of the present difficulty had arisen in consequence of what had been done at Greymouth. 'Railway officials, and Post and Telegraph officers had their Associations, wh'-ch could take up grievances but the Police had no such Board, and therefore it was all the more necessary to require the fullest inquiry possible. There was, however, a higher principle. He held that every person's character was sacred. He contended that the characters of the police officers were assailed, and said a more sacred place than Parliament — whei'e here was no bias — waa needed to clear the characters of those assailed. (Cheers.) The purest place was a judicial court, where accused could bring forward rebutting evidence, and where the accusers could be cross-examined, and he said it was time that scandal-mongers were brought ink such a court, There were ugly stories afloat, and he thought the Court was the proper place to get at the truth. The Government might think themselves safe in their opinion, but they wanted to know what the Government had. They inigh! have sworn affidavits, but affidavits were no; sufficient. He said that character was sacred, and they must keep it sacred — as Britishers they must fight for that, (Cheers.) Mr F. Atkinson seconded the motion, endorsing the. remarks of the previous speakers. \He urged that it was a duty to recognise the services of their Member, Mr Graham, and of the Mayor. (Cheers). Mr Hanby, in response to calls, said it was hardly his place to speak from the platform. He had been able to speak to them daily, and should continue.todoso. He thought their thanks were due to their repre--:nn + n fives for the stand they had taken, and he quue ayioud witu/'uie resolution. The motion was then put, and carried unanimously. Mr Gibbs then moved : — " That a Vigilance Committee be formed to co-operate with Mr John Graham ; M.H.R., in endeavoring to secure a public euquiry into any charges against the Nelson Police that may have beem brought before the Cabinet, such Committee to consist of the Rev MacKenzis, and Messrs Rout, Bond, James Grabam, F. N.'^ones, Moyes, Finney, Fathers, Hanby, H^dow, Mercer, Gibbs, Baigent and Dr Gibbs,' with power to add to their number." Mr Mathieson seconded, the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr Graham, M.H.K, in response to calls, then ascended the platform. He said the resolution just passed would strengthen his hands. It was possible they were ori. the threshold of what might provena very serious matte*. They thought,the Boer war would be settled in a iaonth or so, but it had lasted over ty^o and a-half years. Whatever the difficulty be would, not stop short of success. He might not succeed in gettLag a judicial enquiry— that was the p\-oper course —but, failing that, with,;.<;he support of the public, he would^se his best efforts to get the best eii-iuiry that could be got. He expressed \'s gratification that the resolutions k,ad been carried at so crowded and/, representative a meeting. Their y.ctions showed that however patient people might be when an injustices was done s people would step forwarcj to secure right. That meeting was oaly the commencement of what might prove a very serious matter; the**, however, had expressed an opinioii, apart from himself, and it was his duty to carry out what they had decided. Up to the present he had acted on his own best judgment, but he was glad to have their support, and he declared that he would not relax his efforts. (Loud applause. ) Mr Haddow moved that the Mayor be requested to forward copies of all resolutions passed at that meeting to the Government through their member,

Mr Finney seconded the motion, which was carried.

The Mayor then expressed his pleasure at seeing so many present, and expressed his conviction thali the course they had taken up was a just one. On the motion of Mr Haddow, a hearty vote of tbo.nks to the Mayor for the able manner in which he had presided was carried by acclamation. The meeting then terminated*