SCENE AT THE AUCKLAND NOMINATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4249, 3 December 1881, Page 4

SCENE AT THE AUCKLAND NOMINATION.

" ■♦ — | [By Telkgbai'h.] [fbom oub own cobbespondbnt.] AUCKLAND, Dec. 2. After the City Eaat nomination Sir G. Grey deolined to shake hands with Mr Clark, and replied : " No, not after what you havo said." Walking quickly away he said something to the effect that Mr Clark should bo ostracised from Society. The cause of offonco was Mr Clark's referenco to tho Canterbury estates and Irish Land League in the following terms : " Theu aa to largo estates held by porsons. Thia aubjeot appears to be Sir G. Grey's trump card. It wbb no doubt a serious thing for localities in whioh such largo estates were held, but how wero th=>y ' obtained ? They wero obtainod under regulations whioh Sir G. Grey had framed. E en tha regulations of tho Canterbury Association were more favourablo to modorato estates than thoso of Sir G. Grey ; they at least kept 1 the price of land up to £2 an acre, and good i land was sold outside, undor Sir G. Grey's regulations, at 10s an aoro. But much of tho land was bought under regulations properly framed according to law at tlio time, and that > being the case, purchasers had as much t right to their land as any man had a right to anything whioh he purohased. Many of these purchasers had to ask the assistance of the banks to prevent foreign speculators com- . ing into the market and buying up the whole i lot. Many of them wero even ruined by > overdrafts. It waß a struggle on their part to • keep thoir small estates ; they had a fear that they would be ousted from their propertios. i Th.ro waa a case mentioned by Sir G. Grey 5 at tho Choral Hall, where an occupier's homei stead was challenged, and that man had been b driven from his homestead. It was the caso . of a man coveting hia neighbour's v:,neyard, i and if the person w&3 shot at that waa a j process which Sir G. Grey, or at all cvonta , somo of his frionde, would approve" f Sir G. Grey : I must claim your protection i from the insult that haß been offered to me. > I would not approve of anything of the kind, . and I havo no friends who would do so. i The Returning-Offlcor : lam sure Mr . Olark will withdraw any words that might be ) construed into an insult. I Mr Clark ! Well, I do oot believe Sir G. t Grey would approve of anything of tbe kind, . but I said at all events some persons who i are called his frionds, or who called thomt selves his friends. i Sir G. Giey: I must again claim your r protection. No peraona that can bo called i friends of mine would approve of anything of I the kind. > The Returning- Officer : As I understand it, l Mr Clark disclaims any imputation of the . kind against Sir G. Grey, and he will withdraw the statement that any of Sir G. Grey's r friends would approve of anything of the , kind. (Hear, hear.) Mr Clark: Well persons who call themsolves his friends. Jfc was unnecessary to \ pursue that matter any further.