MR M'LEAN AT OAMARU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 6, 7 June 1873, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR M'LEAN AT OAMARU.

Mr John M'Lean addressed the Oamaru electors on Saturday evening, and is reported in the North Otago Times to have said that be would give the names of the celebrated Waste Land Board Mr lieid was supposed to appoint : they were George Duncan, James Allan, James Shand, Mr Lumsden, and MiReid himself. He only gave them the statement as he found it. Now, he respected these men as much as any in the Colony, but there was not one of them, with the exception of Mr Reid, who was able to understand the most simple Act, — (laughter)— let alone the most complicated Act that had ever passed through the Colonial Legislature. The great card played by Mr Reid was the cry that the Superintendent had exceeded his powers. Why, the very terms of the Act were that the Superintendent should have the power to nominate an Executive, who should hold office during kis pleasure. He now came to the closing scene. Jblach knew his part, and the Speaker knew how to act his, and did act it very well. The whole thing was well arranged in order that Mr Reidshouldhavethe last say. The Provincial Secretary having sat down, the Clerk opening a Message from the Superintendent, put it into the Speaker's hand. The Speaker of course was obliged to announce it, and, after some discussion, a second Message arrived, with the prorogation enclosed. The clerk handed this also to the speaker, but the latter nevertheless allowed the member for the Taieri, Mr Reid, to have his fling. Of course Mr Reid couldn't be thrown back. Others were ready and anxious to reply. When Mr Reid wanted to speak, the Superintendent's communication was " a letter" ; when Mr Fish would speak, it was " a Message." He (Mr M'Lean) wanted to speak, but got no chance. The moment Mr Reid had finished, the Speaker read the Message proroguing the Council, and darted out of the chair for all the world like a shag diving off a rock.— (Laughter.) Mr M'Lean added — "1 spoke to him about it, and he said 'We were playing chess— the move was mine, and I made it.'" We know our Speaker, and respect him accordingly. They would see by his Honor's address that it was proposed to establish a Branch Lunatic Asylum at Tomaririro, in which probably the present

Speaker would find a position which would better suit him than that of President of a deliberative assembly." — Laughter, applause, and hisset.) It was a singular fact that when, in after events, Mr Reid formed a new Executive, not one' of those gentlemen who had been members of the Government which he said commanded the confidence of the country did he ask to join him. Let him (Mr M'Lean) also tell them how far Mr Reid himself poßaessed the confidence of the country : why, the very parties who helped him (Mr Reid) to carry his motion on a previous occasion, were the very parties who opposed him this session. There were only two defined parties in the Houae the Party of Order numbering some eighteen or nineteen members, the party of which Mr Keid was the head numbering about that same, and some eight or ten unattached : so many Micawbera waiting for something to turn up. — (Laughter.) Under such circumstances it was impossible to carry on the businessfof the country. The situation wa* perfectly hopeless. Not long after the time at which Mr Reid saw great cause why he should not resign, the Stafford Ministry went out of office, and he, Mr Reid, was asked to resume his old positions. Why did ha not do so ? The reasons he had alleged, if they were good reasons, existed still, for up to that time not one member of the Waste Land Board had been appointed. Mr Reid spoke of the great Provincial interests at stake, and said, he wished to put a cope-stone upon his work in securing the proper administration of the land law. Well, the opportunity was offered to him, and he refused it. And why ? Because he allowed personal feeling to outweigh his public duty. It Eeemed to him (Mr M'Lean) that in refusing the Superintendent's office Mr Reid musb have said to himself, " I know I shall get into my old position again, and have the satisfaction of stepping ever your neck." When he got down among his own people again, numbers were asked to sign a round robin to get him a position, which he Mr Reid had refused to accept when it was offered him. Talk of constitutional principles after this ! Who ever heard of members of Parliament signing a round robin to the Queen to call Parliament togegether; and if such a thing were, done was it likely that the Queen would accede ? The thing was absurd, and it was equally absurd to expect the Superintendent to convene the Council merely for the sake of allowing Mr Reid to be put in a position to oppose him. It was for the meeting to judge how far bis (Mr M'Lean's) conduct had been right in the matter ; but he confessed he wa3 one of a number of members who held that they had nothing .whatever to do with the personal quarrels of Mr Reid and the Superintendent, but whose wish and desire was to see the business of the country carried through. But no compromise could be allowed — a Government must be forced upon the Superintendent with whom he could not work, and which could not possibly last one single day. The proposed new Executive had been termed by Mr Bathgate the rainbow Government, consisting of Reid, Green, Brown, Stout, and Lumsden. .... On one occasion he spoke to Mr Reid, and said : " Let it be our first act to repeal the Executive Ordinance ;" but Mr Reid replied: " Oh, no, by no means ; the Superintendent must nave the power, but he must use it rightly." That was the answer of Mr Reid himself, so that you sue, if he were in Mr ' Macandrew'a position, he would like to be able to exercise the same powers. A vote of confidence was unanimously passed in Mr M'Lean.