THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2123, 17 August 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1875.

It is a very simple matter to get up a political demonstration in the city of Auckland. It ia a mere of a little money and organisation, To

arrange matters so that certain opinions: shall be allowed to bo ventilated on one! side, and to have hirelings to stamp down all those persons who desire to express an advorse opinion, is a very; common trick, but nowhero is it bo frequently indulged as in tho city of Auckland. This was tho fate of the public meeting held on Saturday evening to consider the question of Abolition. There was nothing like a really intelligent and fair discussion of the question, but certain windbags were applauded to the skies for uttering the greatest nonsense and bombast, whilst intelligent men were hissed off the platform. Such tactics aro truly characteristic of Auckland.

The speech delivered by Mr McMillan was characterised by bo and logic and common sense. But he appealed to the reason of the audience instead of their feelings, and was not very successful in consequence. At the close of a speech of considerable ability he proposed a resolution approving of Abolition, and Mr Andrew Black came forward as representative of the old identity clasp, and pretended to second the motion, but he spoke against it, although not much to the point, We are glad to s*y, however, that a seconder for tho resolution was found in the person of a Thames miner—Mr Carlisle, who stood his ground manfully against all kinds of interruptions and bisaes, by tho indignant Provincialists. But the principal speech of the evening, if we may judge by its length, was one delivered by Mr Bees. It is a speech; which, we venture to predict, will do more to strengthen tho Abolition party than any speech made in favour of tho Government measures, It contains a number of wild and reckless assertions upon tho finance of the Government, whilst "facts" are given regarding Thames matters which are merely unscrupulous assertions, uttered for party purpose?, without the least foundation in fact. Indeed, looking at the speech as a whole, Mr Reea, must be convicted either of wilful misrepresentation and a daring perversion of the truth, or else of crass ignorance. Taking the question of the grant of £50,000 to the Pumping Association first, Mr Bees is reported to have said that "slurs had been cast on tho Superintendent in reference thereto."

This, we must confess, is nowstous. But Mr. Rees proceeded. "It waß the then Mr Julius Vogel himself who promised the money before the Provincial Government heard anything at all about it. (Cries of 'No.') They might cry ' No,' but ho was speaking from facts." And further on he added:

"Tho Auokland Provincial Government knew nothing about it." Had Mr Rcea takon the trouble to refer to a copy of this journal of the 26th February, 1874, he would havo seen that at the interview between thoso interested in tho work and Mr Vogel, there wero present tho then Superintendent (the lato Mr Williamson), as well aa Mr J. Sheehau and Mr G. M. Reed, two of the mombera of tho thon existing Executive. Ho would also have seen frequont references to the" arrangements to bo made by tho Provincial Government;" Had he referred to our issue of tho 11th April, in tho same year, he would thero have Beon an account of a preliminary " agreement between "the PumpiDg Association and his Honor tho Superintendent." The negotiations wero, in tho first place, conducted by and with the Superintendent, and to mako such an assertion as Mr Ree3 did upon this matter ia most discreditable. From the very first the province was held responsible for tho repayment of tho money, and it was never contemplated to regard It as other than a provincial liability. "Wo deny that the" rotten security of tho machinery," aa one of tho speakers termed it, is a bad security, and if it were, wo think that tho Thames ia entitled to aome share of all the millions that have been borrowed j and wo know of no more important work upon which it could be expended than in aiding in the development of the deep levels of the goldfield, 1 On finance Mr Rees claims to be au authority, wo believe, but wo fear his statements are no more reliable than those regarding tho Pumping Association's grant. Wo believe that ho cither mixed tho notes from which he mi speaking, or else ho must have taken the wrong column of figuros in his calculations, At all events ho ondeavouredtomako tho statements of Mr Atkinson and Mr Richardson agree, and the result waa a trifling discrepancy of £350,0001 But luf candidly admitted that Ministers "jumbled" the finances all up together, so that it waa not possible to uuderstand them, Wo aro convinced that Mr Rees doss not understand thorn.

Mr Rees was very virtuous, and did, ustho honour to bring this journal twice under, the notice of the meeting. Ho said " with regard to tho provisions relative to the goldfields, ho said that if the Thames Advertiser supported them, It would be an enemy to New Zealand J as would any person who took that line." That is to say the people of the Thames generally, together with the local press, aro " enemies to ■ New' Zealand " because they differ from Mr Rees in their polllitical convictions. It Is surely a sign of great weakness when special pleading of such a character has to be substituted for common senso, Another statement regarding ourselves was made by Mr Rees which we desire to characterise by the shortest word known in the English language for a deliberate untruth. He said he had "seen the despicable charge.made in print that Sir George Grey was actuated by morcenary motives. He.

had seen it in. the Thames Advertiser." Wo hopo our contradiction will bo understood by Mr Rees. It is not long since wo pointed out; in a local paragraph, the pecuniary loss sustained by Sir George' Grey in accepting the position of Superintenwo have never once questioned his high motives, Tho paragraph complained of by Mr Rees pointed to the waste of the provincial system, and to the number of provincial officials in tho Assembly who were fighting for their bread and butter. But it was added, "wo do not Bay that all theso gentlemen are influenced by selfish considerations," Wo knew perfectly well that Sir George Grey was not, and Mr Rees also knew that we did not refer to him in tho sense that wo referred 'to some of the needy and unscrupulous members of the provincial party. But he hoped to make a point, and probably gained the sympathy of the audience by distorting facts. The measures proposed by the Government received very little criticism, but Mr Rees declared that "he could draw a better Bill than the Abolition Bill in an hour I" On the whole wq are inclined to congratulate Mrßee? upon the assistance that he has rendered to the Abolition cause, by his violent and leekless assertions in Auckland. .