THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2065, 17 August 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1875.

A peetxy large meeting—indeed a crowded meeting considering the size of the building in which it was held —took place in Auckland on Saturday evening, ostensibly for the purpose of considering*the Abolition measures now before Parliament, but in reality to condemn them. We «ay condemn, because we gather from the reports of the meeting in the Auckland papers that the speakers whs wished to say anything iv favor of the Government measures for abolishing Provincial Governments could with difficulty obtain a

hearing, while the speakers on the other side were listened to patiently and cheered to the echo. This circumstance is significant of the one-sided character of themeeting, and is calculated very materially to weaken whatever influence a really honest expression. of opinion miglit have had upon members in voting upon the question before the House., No* one will" be disappointed at the result of -thismeeting. One speaker—M"r J. M. Dargaville, who addressed the meeting in favor ..of abolition.. — .saicl ..ho had no intention of addressing the meeting, and only did so because they should not bave the opportunity of saying that" he" showed the "white feather.-".; The principal speaker, it is almost needless to say, was Mr W. L. ! Bees, .who launched out in his usual reckless manner, knowing full well that no one would, attempt a refutation of bis statements, or would bo afforded an opportunity if heimade the attempt. Consequently, Mr Bees' speech occupies nearly one half the report of the proceedings as published in the New. Zealand Herald.But it is not to criticise the views of the speakers at this meeting, so far as their bearing upon the abolition question is concerned, that we write. We believe m a full and:free expression, .of -public opinion on any question, more especially one of suehmoment as that of abolition, which means the destruction of existing institutions and substituting something entirely ,new, which may.or may not answer the purpose. But Mr Bees in the course of his speech had occasion to refer to . the grant, to the Pumping Association at the Thames, and he did so in terms which he, at a member of the Provincial Council, must know to be erroneous; If he does not know, at least, his ..presumed, knowledge of the- administration of Government mtist be a sham. Mrßees ddes-'kn'bw-, and that his explarations or strictures,, or, whatever he may, please to call them, on the mode by which the Pumping Association grant was'made were so worded »s to purposely mislead his audience, trusting to the ignorance of his hearers, and sacrificing veracity so as to make a point for Provincialism. We may mention that Mr McMillan, who moved a resolution in favor of Abolition referred in terms the reverie of complimentary to the Pumping Aisociation gf int. Mr Bees may hot therefore have had any intention of touching upon the matter except by way of reply ; but this does not excuse his want of truthfulness iti disposing o£ the dent. The New Zealand Herald reports Mr Bees to have said.:—- • :

That gentleman had mentioned the advance'to the Pumping Association, and had said that showed the Provincial Government ought not to have the money interests of the province in its hands. Why, that advance was promised to the Pumping Association, by Mr Vogel before the Provincial Authorities knew a word about, it;: 4'[A';vqice.: " No."] He said yes, for he was speaking from the published etatementof the House of Representatives. Mr Vogel promised the Thames people he would get the bill passed, and he actually advanced £60CD to them. The next thing was that the bill was passed. But where was it passed? In the Provincial Council ? No. It was passed in the" House of Assembly without the Provincial.* Council being consulted, without the Executive being consulted. It was passed by Mr Vogel's Ministry for the purpose of deep sinking at the Thames, arid that before the Provincial Council knew anything about it. After that was done by the General Government, ihen, because Sir George Grey had been elected, Dr Pollen stopped the supply, and the Commissioners of Audit very conveniently came upon the scene, and would not allow the payment of any more money.. The General Government having got the rotten security spoken of by Mr McMillan—who ought to inform himself of matters before he attempted to speak—then said,'" If you don't like to take this master upon your shoulders, the Pumping Association can be stopped, and the goldfield ruined." They were forced in the Council to take the responsibility, or, as Mr Whitaker had told him at the time, the works would have been stopped, and most disastrous consequences would have ensued. Because the Council would not allow the Pumping Association to be ruined, or, on the other hand, take all the responsibility u K on itself, a resolution was passed that, taking all these things into consideration, it would not take the liability, but would leave the matter to Sir George Grey, so that certain ruin should not be entailed upon many men at the Thames, but so that at the same time as little responsibility should be passed upon the Council as possible. The Assembly had passed the vote for £50.,C00, made the advance; and settled the liability upon the province without asking anyone's permission, and this was quoted as Provincial mis-management. The thing was ludicrous, and the argument used by Mr McMillan was just of a piece with all the arguments on the side of the Government.

Here it will bo noted that Mr Rees says the advance to the Pumping Association was promised before the Provincial Authorities knew a word about it. We have no hesitation in saying this is untrue. Mr Vogel and the late Superintendent were together at the Thames, and a deputation interviewed, the former with respect to this grant. Mr Vogel consented to entertain the proposal only on condition that the Superintendent recommended it. Mr Williamson wai accompanied on-that visit to the Thames -by two members of his Executive — Messrs Sheehan and Reed, if we remember rightly. The same deputation waited upon the Superintendent in presence of his advisers, and having explained their proposals, His Honor consented to recommend the grant — as a loan to the Province. Mr Vogel agreed, and, before accepting any security, consented to an advance, so that the work should not be suspended. This is in brief ihe history of the advance to the Pumping Association ;' and the subsequent muddle in the Provincial Council was due to the uatiraely death of the late

John Williamson, Esq., and the want of ingenuousness on the part of those advisers who could—had they been so disposed —have thrown light upon the transaction, having been parties to the verbal terms of. agreement on the strength of which, the advance was made; which explanation,.; had"it been vouchsafed, would have show)! l" clearly enough that the grant was simply a loan to the Province, with the full knowledge and consent of the Superintendent and two of his responsible advisers. ".... The remainder of Mr Bees' statement regarding this matter ia as reliable as that we have referred to, and the whole no doubt as veracious as some other statements he made to the meeting regarding colonial finance and public works," which' we shall leave to others to contradict or substantiate, as the case may be. But of Jhis matter of the Pumping Association we feel called upon to speak, as the wnole transaction as detailed by Mr Bees, is a perversion cf the truth, -and no one should know it better than hie, being a member of the Provincial Council.'"