ELECTION MEETING- EXTRAORDINARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3166, 5 April 1871, Page 2

ELECTION MEETING- EXTRAORDINARY.

. It is only among the thorough going democracy of the colonies where the extraoi-dinary spectacle of one candidate ringing-up an open air meeting for another, can be Been ; yet such was the case yesterday evening on the Reclaimed land, or thereabouts (us it would not bo very easy to fir upon any definable centre for that area for freo and independent gatherings ) It had been announced in the papers that Mr Henry Anderson would address the working men of Wellington at five last night on the Reclaimed land ; but at the appointed hour the delightful spot for a meeting presented nothing to obstruct the vision save the usual little cones of sweepings and a few " dead marines." Along the beach wero crowds of mechanics returning home after their day's labor, and evidently not bestowing a thought upon their self-constituted champion. As Mr Honry Anderson and bis henchman Mr Trueraan were about this time making furtive dives in and out of the Nelson Ale House, they saw the golden opportunity, and the hundreds of working men whoso applause was necessary, slipping by out of sight, a desperate remedy was hazarded. Con's aid was invoked. With a Bublime scorn for the cbanco of an opponent who had got " betwixt the wind and his nobility," Con was magnanimous enough to lend him the loudest tonea of his lungs and his bell's best clangor. But in vain the disinterested Con plied his brazen boll ; in vain ho appealed to the working men to rally round their candidate! while informing them that the meeting had been postponed till half-past five. Evidently a stimulant of some sort was wanted. The people passed on ; the meeting hung firo, and the divea of tho gnllant two became more frequent. A happy thought ! Con was not to be beaten, his mngnanimity was not to be stayed half-waj ; he too, took a dive. On re-emerging, awaying gracefully (with the weight of the happy thought, perhaps), he commenced afresh, but tins time wound up his instructions by adding •' and after tho meeting all of Mr Anderson's supporters will adjourn to tho back parlor of the Ncleon Ale House!" Even this flight of genius failed, and it was now on the stroke of six, but still no sign of a meeting. Matters had come to a crisis. Even Trueman appeared for once to havo become untrue, and seemed as if anxious to read the Hgnboards in tho direction of the "Empire," while Billy Taylor slunk round thecorner. The Inspector of Police and a few of his myrmidons appeared at the gate of the Police Office, but we trust, for the credit of the force and the freedom of the city, that they exorcised uo over aweing effect to crush an expression of public opinion. As became a bold man, Mr Henry Anderson dashed acrosn the rubicon (it reads better than street) followed by his fuvorittt cordwainer, who mysteriously appeared at his heels again, and took possession of a pile of planks opposito the Supreme Court. Mr Anderson then explained to tho nineteen grown up men and the littlo boy who composed his nudienc<\ that the fiasco wns entirely due to the stupidity of his committee, who did not know how to writd out an intelligible advertisement. However, as ho s.iid lie WRsnninn ever prepared to do the "possible best" under tho most trying circumstances i (and he appealed to tho nineteen men and small boy if ho was not placed thon in a very trying , position), and he was determined to do so on that occasion. It was only natural thai such bore stress should give birth to another happy thought. So Mr Anderson proposed that tho meeting (aforesaid nineteen and a moictyjshould decide in tho usual way whether they should adjourn to tho Jong room oi the Nelson Ale House, which hud been piovidod specially for them (one hundred of them at least could there find sitting-room), or whether ho should doliver his speech whero ho was standing. Tho chairman (who, by the way, was without a chair) put tho suggestion of his candidate in the usual way. Only one limb of an oscillatory corpus, who seemed to have a natural lurch towards the beerhouse, was held up in favor of the adjournment, backed by a frothy and inarticulate mutter, " Sh-1 s g-shn-ls-n Alo House;" but ten dirty digits were hoisted in favor of the opon air. Tho candidate then cleared his brow, squared his broad shoulders, put on. the appropriate look of inflexible ro-

solve, and said, " Well, gentlemen, since such a largo majority of you are in favor of going on with tho meeting, we shail go on with it, despite the machinations of the paid agents of the General Government and Provincial Government, who havo been buoy buttonholing, cajoling, bribing and treating, to induce people not to come to this meeting ; and, gen tlomen, let mo tell you, although I don't expect more than 500 will be assembled to hear me on this occasion, I intend before long to have a splendid meeting at Somerville's, and another at the hustings when I finally solicit your suffrages. Tho eloquent gentleman then proceeded to give a word panorama of the province between tho Paikakariki and the Waingongoro; but as our reporter for once took the liberty of exercising an independent opinion and walked off wo'are thus compelled to cut short an otherwise correct report. Wo have since bean informed, however, that tho candidate's remarks, though eloquent, were exceedingly brief— tho paucity of attendance not being worthy of the gigantic effort tho speaker was prepared with. A diving match took place immediately after, many seeking shelter m tho " ark."