M SEDDON AT THE ODD FELLOWS HALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 1500, 5 December 1899, Page 2

M SEDDON AT THE ODD FELLOWS HALL

Although" the Hon. Mr SeddonV meeting at the Oddfellows' Hall yesterday was advertised as I)eing f for the "" friends- and supporters of the Liberal Party," it in reality devolved into ft public political, meeting; and the Hall, notwithstanding tMJ inconvenience of the. hour (12 noon) was crowded. The Mayor (Mr Hatrick) presided and briefly introduced the Premier, expressing at the same time the hope, that MrSeddon would o^reh the nerfPnrliaruent with a big majority standing by his side. The Premier, who was greeted with applause, proceeded to make the most of the time at his disposal and commenced by saying that he regarded the large ntteii'dance as one of the greatest honours ever conferred upon him, and fey expressing the pleasure which he felt at ■seeing so m'otiy people, assembled at mid-daly to hear a few -Words from him with regard to the public affairs^f the colony. Wanganui was>'"a historical/ spot, and that his feelings were always with them "they well knew. He had always taken a great interest in their welfare, and lie' had always., received . a kind and 'cordial welcome. ' At.thc^present June-' ture they were oh' the eve of a great' battle, and he hoped Aatdnthiscontest that-there-would be no- bitter /eejjng-, -He 'confidently be r .ieye{L that his ; ..pj;irfcy wo.uljd. win, and asserted that many ersWhile opponents of the GovernmenUwere M now Working faithfully, for. the'; liberal; cause. He asked them to contrast^ New., Zealand to : day with what it was :when' his party took office in^ 1890. It -\ras Hie sdmo colony aiid the same people, but. |he:|{Je'<jp"e had" been, given greater opportunities, and had been helped by progressive legislation. They had found; New ZealalTd" .on the verge of disaster; • while ti>da,y it was one of the most prosperous" portions; of Her Majesty's great Empire. wiou'.d not refer them to what had gone on in other parts of the colony. Ho would bring --ikeo! idoser jhqme, and \» ould ask them" to'cprnpiire the- Wanganui .of lp9oj£itfi : the',Wiii)'ganuj.,.(jf ,1899, and tha 'aijswfer must bejtpat they never more 'prosperous ' than they were to-day. Building was going- on : apace, and the people, were riever more prosperous; and, while that was the " case, although the Government did not ejaim; all the cre.dit, they -did ■claim that ttey riudl .helped the. people, and had given them the means to help themselves.- They were'toM'thnt the Premier "had 1 "no right to go round the country, this was un-faj-,' xm-British. There were 70 Opposition cfindctaltes flfld 60 newspapers .poundiitg -eway: at him ''every day, and yet he was not to have & word to (say in his own defence. If they would take a good look at the gentleman who was addressing them, they .would see. that all that his opponents had done and said- had had very little effect, (Laughter.) It was the t clear eonsojsnee that die) it. (Laughter.) So' referred t<? s .hs Kithftm' .meeting, and isaid that even'-befors the Chairman was elected , a . .gentleman had risen and proposed "that ~. the'" Premier .he not heard.". 'Why,- all the people of Eltham co.uld/ 'noT: stop him, from, being Jeard. TJie'y ..might) «as ; . ,weH ' try; to stop the ebb arid low of the tide With a broom. (Laughter and applatise). ■ He had Jjeerf told on good authority that the motion had been inspired by Mr G. Hutchi--son, the Opposition p^i)didaj* for Patvi That gentleman hud been ' Jhera the iifgfct before trying-to prejudice the e'.ectQvs asjainst himself (Mv Seddon). He it wis who had suggested that the Premier shouUl not bo heard, that they s'hould gag him and hoot him and keep him back, but he (Mr Seddon) was not built that way. He also referred tothe Palmerston N. meeting, and said that the statement that had been telegraphed to the effect that he had met with n Sbs/jje rStep'tion was untrue. He had never* left ''tnefrplatfqrm iintil he had seen Mr 'Pirani and,.iiiS fiWij']^ clb.m ij'tifc of the Jial[ (ApHlijUse). It was %tr "PiraViiiiiinself wjio baa sent pile toingiiim slij.tii}g that a mutioii of "l)0 eoßSdence" ha4 beei) pprrjpd againsfthe' Government, "o)n wjiat tlioy Jl»d heard and read they mjglit think that the Govennnent had 'no friends in Palmerston North. He asked them to waft till the numbers were up (applause). It had been said that Ministers had no right to put fijip .country to expense for electioneering purposes.. W«l!, }}e could {five them precedents from good men, and quoted Uliidf>t<>i)e, HiV Harry Atkinson, Sir Robert Stout and thetv hitu" yespeyted. pnd esteemed lender, Mr John Bal'.auoe. \\ T hen the" Ministry of the day was on its trial it wiw not it (iuention of Mr Willis or Mr Carson, but of the Uoveiiiuieiit, iwd if Mr -Willis went down it would be fi reflection on the party and the Government of the day.- Pt'feipjtg to the charges of corraptio.ii, lie %'aia'ttmt 'thh f7l»,lf<V«iti, n " Jiad forced inquirj.es, u«tl th.ose : Hi()uli>'erf ' hud posit the fysqiajterjs £10,0.U0, auat)ia't r n.iit One- of Uieso charges' 'hud proved. 'Talking of expenses, he said tiuit in tltV g|;O||"»ld 'L'tny (.%?■? » Premier had gone Homp, and Jus expense.^ £§OQIJ, but that not being !s<><>d emougli he fiad }jie(B|( t<f r jt'>j;od an allowance i,f jG^OO' ?n additfon. -They could compare tfiat with hi« ospenses when ljo.went to represent 't«e pylony at the piamond' -J«hilee,..vli!., «1750. And, with regard to^xpense,. he would give tIISIH SOffle ■jcUjai, an f> how Mr Carson's election expfi).:is£s wfixe j^jd. Ho held in his hand .1 slip of paper, a' .Olipjyiu!/ tfom the Chronicle On the oue side they could fce'4 tjig n^cm\ ecctorato announcement, for the i'atea scat, und on the other the same GovernUWtp "/Jvertisoinent for the Wanganui seat. Th,e P^a.aun^uce^ueiji;,.!!! jnch in length H'fV? at' wap was required 'by" l».\v, (jut they w u «y see fhaj; it took a foot fpr-Wiin-ganui. (Luughtei..) Jf ij )e candidates Mere advertising on the sumo li&'eiul Aa|,e M.- Carson would no doubt like an election Bvpiy' week/ jn the year. (AppU'iise). He m;«uUl Ije fair, howeyc ( ., and fc >v (hiit (hrf Heiaul hud the same advc'rUWiit-'-bu-he understood thnt the Hei-;f 1 c .-yirdfro).! the Chronicle. He ftnly mentioned this ! to show that although Minn- jv..ple talkel of "ejcpeii»p»" when (ir./.hhg came iheiv way they took it- .and wjie Ihortl Jul flquoted from a speech uf Mi l!-.i Ihßtnn'ii, In which that gentleman lm-l refpned to him (Mr Seddon) as a man of "intelligence, ability and grit." That w;i»- M- Rty'lrs ton's ; 'clescrijjtioii ut "yijijr hnin'i'e'servanfc," and when Tie'Verfd ii, ■lipjinn'ij >■» it did it nliuwfct }»ad,e him blush, although ii ; they believed the (J.qhse^valiye papers there was »y^ a blush left in K. if. 'Ifywfvtf, if Jie Ci.Hiß up tp t)io Hon Kolleston-'ii description he (Mr Hedduii) Vnjs tlie very nuln they wanted ns a leader,. The Indies' wyijl^ agree with bin) Vihm lie said, tbat tlie man

J with a good back bone was the-mnn they | loved. They didn't like a namby-pamby 1 without a' inind of his own, as in the case of an o"d lady she would never got the opportunity of giving him a curtain lecture, and in the case of a young woman she was' niver able to get him to pop the question. They liked a man with a bnckebone, and that's why they liked a man of his description. He expressed the opinion that there was an agreement between the Left Wing I and the Opposition, but even if tlicy did ) amalgamate it would bo a case of all legs and wings, without any body or soiil in them. He referred to the Bun Tuck, Marine and Wrigg scandal, and with regard 1 to Iho latter stated that a good of the evidence tending to uphold the Government's action in the matter had been suppressed. He expressed his belief that Wrigg haj performed a brave and dangerous action, j He dealt with the statements that the West i Coast was particularly favoured in the matter of public votes, which lie denied, while at the same time admitted that he always had a warm corner in his heart for a West Coast man... He 1 quoted figures showing tho total votes for different districts, to show that — e amount granted to Westland was smaller than tho amount granted to Patea and Rangitikei; and concluded by saying that he had never yet made a district suffer because its representative was a political opponent. The West Coast had always been a good friend to Wanganui, taking ouv- stock and sending us its gold ■ and coal, and the attempt to create ill-feel- / ing between the. two districts was like.trying to pull two brothers asunder. He coinbatted the; option of the freehold for Crown tenants, ""4s "proposed by the Opposition, 1 and said the plahk for a reduction on the -necessaries of life was. on'y a catch cry. He eulogised the Gfovernment management- of the railways, riaicn)oj^;the suggested alteration in the constitution of the Legislative ' Council, and then went on to touch on socia' questions, and in doing so quoted from the speech of the Hon J. D. Oi'mond on the Young Persons Protection Bill with the object of showing that that gentleman regarded prostitution as a necessary evil., After speaking at some lengthen this subject Mr Seddon went on to deal with the Old Age Pensions' Act, and the despatch of tho N.Z. contingent to the Transvaal, both of which he asserted warranted the continued confidence of the public in his administration. ■ ' Mr Seddon concluded by an appeal to those present to support the Government at the polls on Wednesday next. „-,. ■ On the motion of Mr T. D, Cummins, ' seconded by Mr Benefield, a vote of thanks j to Mr Seddon and of confidence in the Government was put and carried, after which Mr T. D. Cummins caUed'for cheers for Mr' Seddon, towhich the majority of those "present responded. .