THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3216, 2 September 1879, Page 2

THE ELECTIONS.

Mil. SHERWOOD AT THE ODD FELLOWS' HALL.

Mr. Shurwood addressod tho Egmont electors last night, at the Odd Fellows' Hall, on which occasion there was a large attendance. Mr. B. Wells was voted to the chair.

The Ciiairman read the advertisement convening tho mooting, and said that Mr. Sherwood was comparatively speaking a stranger in the district — yet, not altogether a stranger, for he had represented the Patea District in the Provincial Council. He had been for years connected with the local Boards at Patea, being Chairman of the Patea Harbour Board. Englishmen were proverbial for their spirit of fair pluy, and as the electors had given one candidate for the district (Major Atkinson) a fair hearing, ho was sure they would give to Mr. Sherwood an impartial hearing likewise.

Mr. Sherwood said lie had to apologise to the meeting for not addressing the electors of New Plymouth nt nn earlier period, but lie had been prevented on nccount of ill-health. He slid that Major Atkinson had stated to the electors the reason ho (Mr. Sherwood) had opposed him wa9 because he (the Major) had secured the 25 per cent, of the land rcvenuo within the old provincial boundaries to the district. He had yet to learn that it was Major Atkinson who had obtained tho 25 per cent, to tho district, and therefore he could not have opposed him on that ground. The fact was he was not .against the district getting the 25 per cent., and he had to endure no small amount of opposition from some of the settlors at Patea because he had not actively opposed it. He had represented tho Patea District in the Provincial Council for two sessions, and tho Hill was brought; in while lie was a member of the Council, and he showed, not opposition to the bill, but spoke in its favour, excepting as to a portion of it. The bill proposed to rate tho whole of the Patea District past the Waingongoro, and to this he objected. He did not think it was right to go beyond the Waingongoro River, as the settlers there had peculiar riitticultici* of their own, and therefore they should not bo taxed. A petition was got up in New Plymouth against the Tnraunki Harbour Bill, and copies of the petition wore scut to him as Chairman of the Patoa County Council to lay before the members of the Council. He simply laid the copies on the table, and did nothing further. He did not introduce tho subject in the Council. Ho was afterwards furiously attacked by a staunch supporter of Major Atkinson for not bringing the petition before the notice of the Council. He declined to do so, nor did he say anything in the Council against the Tarauaki harbour. He voted against any interference bjing made with the endowment of the harbour. A petition was gob up by the Patea County Couucil against it, and he signed it as chairman on behalf of the Patea County Council, although not approving of it. Ho did not think it would bo prudent to resign as Chairman of tho Council, so ho signed the petition. He endeavoured to persuade some of tho Patea people not to opposo the endowment, because, if the Taranaki District did not get it, tho Patoa District would gain nothing by it ; the Government would have the benefit. Ho told them that it was secured to the Taranaki District, and he would be tho last to oppose it. Major Atkinson took tho credit to himself for having secured the endowment, but he (Mr. S.) considered that Mr. Carrington had done equally as much as Major Atkinson in securing the endowments to the harbour. The people of the Patea District felt that an injustice had been done them because part of thoir education reserves had been made into a reserve for a High School for Taranaki. Ho did not connect Major Atkinson with it — he did not know whether Major Atkinson knew anything about it— *yot Major Atkinson hud said he charged him with it. If these were the only two charges he had against Major Atkinson he wonU not be there that evening addressing them, for he would not have opposed Major Atkinson in tho present election. It was because Major Atkinson had not represented the district in many ways that he opposed him. He did not enre personally as to the result of the election, but he oppo.oed Major Atkinson on public grounds. He would frame such nn indictment ngaiust him sis would cause them to say that he (Major Atkinson) had failed in his duty (applause). People had told him that it had taken their breath away to think that he was opposing the Major, but he waa backed by the uimniiuous voice of the people he was living among. Ho had taken an active part in public matters, and for ten years past he had given up the whole of his time to local and public matters. During that time he had made enemies, as every public man must do— but he had also made friends — and he came there that night at the request of a large majority of the electors at Paten. He then compared the progress made between the Patea District with that of New Plymouth, and stated that the former had made wonderful progress. He would not like to see Major Atkinson out of the House of Representatives, but what he contended was that Major Atkinson knew he was not representing the people of Patea faithfully, and therefore he should have selected another seat, and allowed another man to be elected for the Egmont District. He would have found in him (Mr. S.) a warm-hearted, hard-working member if he had done so. But that was not tho Major's policy. He put the people of Patea at defiance, saying "stand aside." In the election for the Egmont District held in 1872, there were three candidates — Messrs. Ballancc, Meorhouse, and Mujor Atkinson. Mr. Dallancc was inclined to withdraw in favour of Major Atkinson, if ho was satisfied that tho Major would support his views. Mr. Ballanco requested him to wait upon Major Atkinson for the purpose of ascertaining his views. He did so, and among the questions pub to him were, " was lie in favour of the making of the Mountain Itoad, and the completion of tho railways in the district." Major Atkinson stated that he was i strongly in favor of these schemes, and yet what had he done to promote them since that time. Major Atkinson had stated that they must have a colonial statesman to represent thorn, or, in other words, they must sacrifice themselves on the altar of "political eminence." (Cries of no.) Ho would repeat it, they had been sacrificed on the altar of political eminence, and the desire to obtain office. (Cries of no, no.) He was not there to gain thoir applause, but to state facts to

them. He though: it. w.is noirly r.uie the peoplft of New Plymouth hvl a little eaylighl let in among them. Ho considered it was absolutely necessary that a State prison should be established here, as a guarantee that the harbour works would be proceeded with, and ho did not see how they could be satisfied with their members in that respect, as they hadfailo I entirely in obtaining it. If they lost the Harbor it would be owing to the blundering of thoir members in the Hou.se. The people of Patea had managed to make their small harbor because they were all agreed upon the subject, and he thought the people of New Plymouth might follow that example. They should give in to one another where the public good was concerned. When in the Provincial Council he had urged very strongly the necessity of the Mountain Road being made, and if their members had been as anxious about it at that time the Mountain Road would now be a metalled road right through. Ho had lately come by the Mountain Road, and ho could not say that he travelled over the road but that he "dragged through" the place called tho Mountain Road. He spoke favouiably of the Road through the Seventymile Bush, and said that it now passed through a thriving district instead of a dense bush, which was its state in 1870. He repeated that Major Atkinson had done nothing to obtain the formation of tho Mountain Iliad. Major Atkinson had given them a lo:ig array of figures, but figures could be made to say anything. Major Atkinson had made out by his figures that the Egmont district, had received more than its share of the money spent upon public works. It was not a very creditable statement to make, for Taranaki had no right to more than its share. But was it really the case / In tho session of 187IJ, Major Atkinson was premier of the Colony, and in a spcccli to the House he was reported to have said that tho Colony wanted a period of political rest. Could any man conscientiously make such a declaration ? Political rest when the Queen's Writ was not in force I — when the public works could not be carried out 1 Was that the time for political rest 1 No : they wanted politicnl progress. Had they consented to the political rest, theory being carried out the public works of the Colony wonl'l have been stopped. The value of land woul I have decreased, so that the land sharks could have stepped in and bought up the whole Colony. The speaker then referred to the visit of .Sir W. Fox to Patea to " help" Major Atkinson. They were not aware what a " terrible case" it was with the Major (hisses) when he had to enlist the services of Sir W. Fox on his behalf. He then related how nt the meeting addressed by Sir W. Fox he had shown Sir W. Fox had a defective memory relative to promises made. He had promised that the natives would not be allowed to re-occupy land in the vicinity of the settlers, and in two mouths afterwards the natives were allowed to go back to the land to the great discouragement and hindrance of the settlors.. Had tho roads been made years ago, and the telegraph lines carried through with determination, there would have been no native difficulty now. The Government had allowed themselves to be overawed by the mysteries of the Niitivc Department. Major Atkinson had stated he was in favour of the roads being made through the Wnimato Plains. Had he ever said so in the House ? Tho Hansard did nob disclose the fact. At a meeting at Carlyle, while addressing his constituents Major Atkinson had admitted that he had not done so much for the district as he might have done. Out of his own mouth, therefore, he was condemned, lie would now state to them something about himself. He did not sec how there could be two distinct political parties in New Zealand — such as Conservatives and Liberals. Ho thought a new country would be unanimous in its liberal spirit, yob such was nob the case. There were actually two parties, and New Plymouth was hydra-headed in its Conservative principles. He thought it was essential to have true Liberalism in New Zealand ; he would not bind himself to any leader ; he did not recognise Sir George Grey or Sir W. Fox ns leaders (hear, hear). Neither would he recognise Major Atkinson as loader.— [A Voice : That is not fair].— And that is because the House of Representatives would not recognize him. The voice of the people must be heard ; they must have liberal land laws. With regard to triennial Parliaments, he was decidedly in favour of them' A now country where the population was liable to sudden incrcaso from the opening of goldfields and other causes, did nob require a long Parliament, but a short one. On the quest ion of manhood suffrage, he was decidedly in favour of the working man, but he did not believe in giving tho working man a vote which he did not value. He believed in giving tho working man good wages, so that he could buy n piece of freehold, and facilities for gett ing it, and ho would then pub himself on the roll and take an interest in how he used his vote. As to the redistribution of seats in the House, he was not in favour of ils being done on a bads of population, as it would give two-thirds of the representation of the Colony to the South Island. lie did not agree with tho present land system. He thought the land should be sold at a lower rate. It would pay the Government to give the land away, if by it they secured settlement of the land. The unfortunate deferred paymeut settlors had sometimes to borrow money, on account of the high price they paid for their land, and consequently they were at tho mercy of the b.vnk, which might put the " screw" on them at any moment. With respect to the completion of proposed railways, he thought it was the duty of the Government to take tho land from tho natives and push on the construction of railways. ' They should not waib until the natives would give them permission. He thought it would not be doing any harm to the natives, but, on the contrary, much good, as thoir laud would be enhanced in value by tho opening of roads and railways. They should fix a fair price for the land ami pay it to the natives if the natives were willing to receive it ; and if not, they should keep tho money until they were willing to accept it. Ho then referred to tho defective religious training that had been given to the natives, and argued that it was on account of this that the present form of fanaticism had sprung up. The Bible had been translated bally into tho Maori tongue. The missionaries, ho considered had not acted with integrity, for the Maoris had themselves stated that tho missionaries had taught them to look up to heaven ami pray, while at tho same time they were taking the land away from them. He next spoke about the Native Department. Major Atkinson had stated that the Native Department could not bo abolished, and they found that year after year tUo exponditu.ro exceeded, the sum voted for

this department. It was simply allowing the Nil ivo Department to govern' or r.irhtr to mis-gown the natives. Tho «rreat mistake had been inadu in nliowinjj the Maori language to bo taught iunarive.schools. Thoy should have compelled tho natives to learn the English language, aud the services of the Native Department would not now be required. (Applause.) There must be no further touipoming. If promises as to reserves lia-l Lwon made to the natives, these promses should be kept. At the saino time we must prove to fhe natives that wo are superior to them in physical force, and if we did notdo that, the native difficulty might, last for 500 years. He conclude I by saying that whatever the result of the election iniglit be, he would accept the verdict— if it were given against him— without a murmur. lii answer to questions he said he would be in favour of giving tho preference to iron rails produced iv tho colony if they could be produced at as low a rate as the English rails, or at a slight advance. He would not be in favour of having the 5000 acres set apart for ironsand Company, reserved for an indefinite time. He alluded to Mr. Smith as deserving credit for his labours in theiron sand question, and ho was not to blame if up to the present time the iron sand scheme had not been a success. He thought the Government should spend a few thousands in testing the iron sand ; it spent money in quite as speculative a manner iv other directions. It was Colonel Trimble he referred to as the gentleman who had sent the petitions against the Taranaki Harbour to the Patea Council. He was in favour of an elective Upper House. He was not in favour of members, before they joined tho Ministry, going back to their constituents for the purpose of being re-elected before they took office. He thought it would not work well. Ho was in favour of secular education, and was entirely opposed to the use of tho Bible in schools. He was in favour of the railway being opened at once to Waipuku, if it would pay. He was in favour of the railway right through to Wangauui. lie would not like to interfere as to the administration of justice, unless he was quite sure there were good grounds for so doing. If any judge had been guilty of a inal-adminis-tration of the law, ho would like to see him punished. At tho same time it was dangerous to open up the question without having conclusive evidence, for it might bring the administration of the law into contempt. Ho would not interfere with the endowments of the Taranaki harbour. He would not be in favour of immediately seizing Hiroki, for ho did not think they were quite ready to do it, but as soon as it was expedient, he thought Hiroki should bo taken and To Whiti too if possible. No further questions being asked, Mr. Colesby proposed a vote oE thanks to Mr. Sherwood for his speech, and that the meeting lias entire confidence in him.— Seconded by Mr. Dingle. Mr. Bland proposed, as an amendment, a vote of thanks to. Air. Sherwood for his address. Mr. H. Newland seconded the amendment. The amendment on being put to tho mooting was lost, aud the original ' motion was carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.