ELECTORAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5730, 25 November 1896, Page 1

ELECTORAL.

' [PfJB Prsss AsspcrATJON."] AXrCKLA'RB, Wov. 24. - /V 5§:V Crow the i. ■anihest^d tW biiylelectors k. ciglit. > T « V s a jtieflily cincl «.ro&j himself OG the .intiep.rident- ticltiit. He received a vote of thinks. . '"' -j .-..;• WELLINGTON,. Nov. 24. -'In" "th*e" : cdvx < ser"6f speech tonight Sir R. Stout referred to the Premier's recent remarks at HoMtika on Colonel Eraser's appointment as Sergeant-at-Arms, and expressed surprise at his referring to the matter again, as he thought it was dead. Sir Robert contended that the reason why Mr C. C. N. JBarron, the late chief of the Hansard staff, could get no compensation was that under the Civil. Service Act of 1866 it was specially provided that no officer of Parliament came under that statute. The appointment of Colonel Fraser, however, cud not depend on that statute, but on the Disqualification Act of 1878, which provides that no member of Parliament can for twelve months after he ceases to be a member become a paid official of the Government, therefore it would be seen that Mr Barron's case had no bearing on the Sergeat-at-Arms case at all. WAIKOUAITI, Nov. 24. The Hon J. M'Kenzie addressed a crowded meeting of electors at Waikouaiti this evening. The Mayor, Mr Robert Mills, occupied the chair. Mr M'Kenzie was accorded a most attentive hearing, and at the conclusion of his speech was accorded a hearty .vote of thanks and confidence. A motion expressing confidence in the Government also was passed. DTJNEDIN, Nov. 24. The Hon John M'Kenzie 4 ias been nominated for Waihemo, his nominators being three ladies born in the district. There .are 4100 names on the Waihemo roll. The following election addresses will be given this evening : — At 7.30, Messrs G. J. Smith and T. E. Taylor, at Knightstown Library, Mr W. H. Montgomery at Irwell .school; at 8 o'clock— Mr W. Cullen at Richmond Foresters' Hall, Mr H. G. Ell at Phillipstown school, Messrs Lewis, Beswick and Donnelly at Waltham school, Captain Marciel at Merivale school, Mr G. W. Russell at Hornby school, the Hon W. Rolleston at Papanui Town Hall, Mr G. Swarm at Marshlands school, Mr D. Buddo .at Stoke*school, Mr R. Meredith at Clarence River homestead, Mr A. Saunders at Annat .school, Mr J. C. WasonafcKillinchy school, Mr G. Renner at Domett school, Mr F. A. Alison at Duvauchelles school and Mr H. F. Recce at Loburn school. Mr J. A. H. Marciel met his friends and jsupporters at the Druids' Hall, Sydenham, last night, Mr E. Jones in the chair. The building was crowded. A. vote of thanks :and confidence was carried, only one hand being held up against it. A strong committee was formed, met and arranged .matters in connection with the election. Mr W. Cullen addressed a well-attended meeting at Phillipstown schoolroom last evening. Arrangements were made for a -committee, and a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence in the candidate was passed. Mr W. W. Tanner was yesterday nominated as a candidate for the Avon seat, and Mr D. Buddo was nominated for the Kaiapoi electorate. Messrs Lewis, Beswick and Donnelly .addressed a well-attended meeting in the Merivale schoolroom on Monday night. Mr G. G. Stead occupied the chair. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speakers, on the motion of Mr Howland, seconded by Mr Money. The same candidates addressed the electors last night in the Oddfellows' Hall, Addington. Mr Sydney Day occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. Each candidate spoke for about half an hour, and a number of questions were answered by all three. On the motion of Mr James Irving, a vote of thanks was passed to the candidates for their addresses. Mr W. W. Collins addressed a large meeting of electors at the Foresters' Hall, Richmond, last evening, Mr J. Stapleton in the chair. Mr Collins met with a good reception, and upon the motion of Mr Darlow, seconded by Mr Whitmore, he received a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr H. G. Ell addressed a crowded meeting in the. Oddfellows' Hall on Monday night, many being unable to gain admittance. He dealt at some length with the Liberal and Conservative 'policies to the evident satisfaction of the meeting. His views on the Elective Executive, Upper House, Eight Hours Bill, miTiimnTn wage, -equal pay for equal work irrespective°of sex, overtime, land settlement, and the question of securing the unearned increment in land for the benefit of the people, were received with marked approval by the meeting. Mr Ell said he wished to set the Times right with reference to his attitude on the question of the leadership of the Liberal Party. He wished to say distinctly

that he was not, .as the Times implied, an unqualified supporter of Mr Seddon. He would go to the House as an IndependentLiberal, to work loyally with the Liberal Party, and hold himself free to vpte' on the measures brought before Parliament in accordance witli the pedges given to his constituents. At the close of the address Mr J. B. Jack son moved — "That this meeting accords to Mr Ell a hearty vote of thanks for his address, and has confidence in him as one of the representatives of the Christchurch electorate." Mr S. Billcliff seconded the motion, which, on being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously, the greater part of the audience voting. Messrs T. E. Taylor and Smith, who were on the platform, in response to 'calls, addressed the meeting. A vote of thanks to Mr Williams, for presiding, brought the meeting to a close. Mr W. W. Tanner addressed one of tho largest meetings ever held at New Brighton in the schoolroom last evening. There were more than three hundred persons present, a large proportion of whom vere ladies. The chair wag occupied by Mr C. H. Winny, and after Mr Tanner had been attentively listened to for an hour and a half and frequently applauded, he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence on the motion of Mrs Knight. On a show of hands being taken only four were held up against the motion. A largely-attended meeting of the supporters of 'Messrs Lewis, Beswick and Donnelly was held last evening, at the Central Committee Rooms, Sydenham. The reports from the various sub-committees were considered highly satisfactory. Mr H. G. Ell, one of the candidates for Christchurch, addressed a meeting of electors at the Waltham schoolroom last evening. Mr T. J. Gledhill occupied the chair, and the building was crowded. Mr Ell spoke for over an hour and a half, and received a very attentive hearing, and at the close of his address answered a number of questions. On the motion of Mr Elvines, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. Mr Alfred Saunders met the electors .of Selwyn in the Waddington schoolroom on Monday evening. The Chairman of the School Committee, Mr Judd, presided, and there was an unusually large proportion of ladies present. Mr Saunders said that he was glad that he had not called a meeting in. that important centre at an earlier date, as if he had done so he would probably have addressed them under a complete delusion as to the aims and intentions of the prime movers of the Opposition. Only a few weeks ago he confidently- hoped that the old supporters of selfish class legislation had grown wiser by adversity, and would be prepared to surround every Government with proper constitutional checks. But this hope was now dashed to the ground. The Conservatives' only object was to get the present Government out and to get themselves in. The only qualification they sought in their candidates was that they should be either large holders or proved worshippers of property. Talent, patriotism and any desire to promote the greatest good of the greatest number were evidently qualities to be avoided in their candidates, and they had succeeded so . well in selecting men of the very opposite character that their candidates were almost universally accepted by the monopolists of all classes as the trusted upholders of their selfish and demoralising interests. It was really surprising that a class •of men so numerically weak, so historically selfish, so one-sided in all their aims, who had deluged the country in debt, who had so long and so successfully insisted upon the taxation of every improvement made by small settlers, and upon the exemption of large unimproved estates from taxation, should even dream that the now well-educated people of New Zealand — the small farmers, the mechanics, the labourers in all departments, and the lovers of equal rights to all — • would ever again put the reins of power into the hands of those who had too often used their power so selfishly in the past. On the motion of Mr Heighway, seconded by Mrs Colthart, a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Saundera as their long-proved and able representative was carried unanimously. Mr M'lntyre addressed a meeting at the Hall, M'Fadden's Road, last night, Mr A. Davis in the chair. At the close of the address a hearty vote of thanks, moved by Mr Tollerton and seconded by Mr M'Fadden, was carried unanimously. A meeting of Messrs Smith, Taylor and Ell's Central Executive was held at the Central Committee rooms last evening. There was a full attendance, and a large amount of business was transacted relating to working the approaching election. Yesterday afternoon Mr D. Buddo addressed a meeting of over a hundred lady electors at the Rangiora Institute Hall. Mr T. Keir, mayor, presided. A few questions were put, and on the motion of Mrs D. Graham, seconded by Mrs Sinclair, he was accorded a vote of thanks. A committee of twenty was afterwards formed to assist in securing Mr Buddo's return. The completed Kaiapoi roll contains 4793 names, an increase o£ 1072 on the roll for the last election. The final (No. 2) supplementary roll for Avon contains 600 names, and is in the printers' hands.