Supplement to the "Evening Star," August 29.

THE SUPERINTENDS?^, — MB. DAKGAVILLE'S ADDKESS. On Thursday Mr Dargaville me fc the elect ors of Auckland by invitation at the Mechanics' Institute, m order as he announced to " rebut the charges made against him by the New Zealand Herald. When the doors were opened at naif past seven a great rush was made into the hall, and in a few minutes the place was crowded with an eager and excited throng. Pending tho arrival of Mr Dargaville the crowd amused them selves with cheering and laughing at the would-be political demagogues—Mason, Staines, and others Trho arrived shortly before the principal personage. Two of these, viz., Mason and Eoads, behaved in a very disgraceful way. Mr Oakwood, the s. r:rae man Trho attended at the Police Court the other day with a summons for the Education Bate framed and hang round iiis neck, caused great laughter by his appearance on the scene decorated in the same man ner. At the foot of the summons was an inscription:—"James Oakwood; income, 10s per week; Education Tas, £1 Is; four other rates to pay." Just before the arrival of the speaker, Mr Mason •walked up to the chair and saying that as no one had taken the chair he would, sat himself down. Mr Dargaville, who came in at the time, looked for a moment some what disconcerted at this unexpected and undesirable president, and then requested him to withdraw. Mr Mason, however, planted his elbows on the (able, and. refused to move. Mr Dargaville then appealed to the meeting, but the end was that Mr G. W. Morrison, who was at last voted to the chair, had to lake his seat alongside Mr Mason. The Chairman having briefly introduced Mr Dargaville that gentleman began as follows: — Mr. Dargaville, on rising, -was re ceived with loud cheers, lie said : Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, — I appear before you to-night under somewhat different circumstances to those under which I addressed you some six weeks ago, when I first made my appearance as a candidate for the Superintendeney. Since that time I have held very many meetings in different parts of the pro vince, but on the whole I have adhered con sistently to the policy which I then enun ciated, and to the same figures us nearly as possible. I have, gentlemen, since then been criticised sometimes fairly, and sometimes unfairly. My chief object in inviting you to come here to-night to hear me was, to reply to certain unfair criticisms, which recently appeared in one section of the Press with reference to myself, I promised you some time ago, by advertisement, that before the day of "nomination I should reply to Mr. Lusk, with reference to certain attacks he made upon me, and with re ference particularly to his share in the present education tas, I under took to prove to you, gentlemen, that Mr. Lusk, notwithstanding his statement to the contrary, did vote for the education tax. (Applause.) (Mr- Hurst: Who said he did not?) Mr. Hurst asks me who said he did not. I say that Mr. Lusks says he 'lid not. (A Voice: I deny it.) Well, never mind. Messrs. Hurst and Beveridge are allowing their feelings to get tho better of their judgement, and are interrupting me. They will have an opportunity of proving what a novice I am in politics and statistics if they will allow me for a short period to occupy your attention. Although I say my chief object to night is to reply to the unfair criticism of the New Zealand Herald. I am here also to satisfy you that I can reply to Mr. Luslc's attacks upon myself personally, because, gentlemen, personalities have entered into this candidature. Now, though I spoke for . two hours in this place before I never attacked either Mr. Lusk, Mr. Williamson, or Mr. Macfarlane personally, It was Air. Lusk who threw down the gauntlet of personalities, and I have take;) it up. (Applause.) I do not think I need trouble or detain you to prove that Mr. Lusk voted for the education tax in its present form, because his two bosom friends admit that he did so. Therefore I take it for granted that you are all aware of it. And although Mr. Lusk lias a defective memory, which was proved very clearly by the late lamented Mr. Wynn on a remarkable occasion, when Mr. Lusk afc last screened himself under the guise of a defective memory. He may also screen himself in that way as regards the education tax. Before Mr. Lusk hopes to occupy the honourable position of Superintendent he should cultivate a more perfect memory than he at present possesses. You are all aware that when I spoke to you six weeks ago I went into figures. None of the other candidates had done so, and my estimates were the estimates of a novice in politics. I gave you my estimate of the revenue of the province for t.he next year at from £40,000 to £45,000. Mr. Lusk followed me a week afterwards and stated it at £55,000. Somebody interrupted him by saying, " Dargaville said £45,000." Mr. Lusk replied, "Dargaville knows nothing about it." Since then, however, I find by the newspaper reports, which are reliable enough until personal animus is introduced into them, that Mr. Lusk came round to my estimate of the next year's revenue. He therefore is not much of a financier when he is taught by an infant in politics. He has had the financial control of the " Cosmopolitan," " Consolidated," " Tradesmen's," and other goldmining companies, and there may be some gentlemen here to-night who can testify to Mr, Lusk's financial ability in that direction ; but I say that the manipulation of goldmining com panies is a very different matter to the performance of the duties fchot devolve upon the Superintendent of this province I shall not say much more about Mr. Lusk to-night. I do not think that the position he holds in the estimation of the electors is such that I should take very much more notice of him than I have done. (Hear, hear, and immense uproar, during which Mr. John Mason, who again insisted upon asserting his right as Chairman, was bundled into the body of the hall, not however without first making his mark on the os frontis of the legitimate Chairman.) lam now, gentle men, going into the interesting 'part of my address, and although I was made aware this evening from two or three qnarters that I should meed with, an rganised opposition, yet; I do rely up on

this —that every man Lnctnithstanding that he might be invited here by people in favour of the Provincial cause to oppose me—if lie has a heart and conscience ho will exercise his judgment now, and will say fairly, when the meeting is over, whether I shall have explained accusations made against me by the New Zealand Herald or not. I appeal to the good sense, intelligence, and the patriotism of every honest man in this community, as to whether I shall have fully answered to-night the unjust and false charges which the Herald has brought against me. In order that I may set the whole matter fully before you I will read the indictment; then, gentlemen, I will read the deposi tions to support the indictment; and, after that, I will give you my version of the matter, without calling to my aid any other witness than the pi'ess itself, and I will be content to abide the issue to-night as to whether I am, or am not, a fit man to be Superin tendent of this province. (Hear.) In the New Zealand Herald of the 21sfe of August, I read : " Mr. Dargaville told his hearers at Coromandel, on Saturday last, that he was a man of common lionesly.1' Gentlemen, I never said any thing of the kind. It was not necessary, (Mr. Hurst: Oh, oh !) Mr. Hurst says, Oh, oh. I shall have a few words to say about Mr. Hurst, gentlemen. (Immense applause and laughter.) Tho Herald continues : " Now, a man of common honesty does not allow himself to say those things which are not —tilings which people sometimes give a name to in four letters." These four letters are 1-i-c-s. These are the letters; the editor does not put them in. The Herald continues: "As an illustration of what we mean, we refer to a statement made by Mr. Darga ville that the provincial printing cost£l,ooo for the year." The Herald goes on to say, " This is altogether untrue ;" we will see presently whether it is true or not; and now comes the libel: —" And the candi date knew well when lie spoke the words they were untrue." Further on the Herald says: —"Now, if this gentleman is so lost to all self-respect as to bolster up his candidature by making one gross mis statement, will he not make any number to suit his purpose ?" That is libel No. 2. Again, "In all public business that he has taken in hand he has failed.'' The only public business I have taken is the City Council —"and was even unable to raise himself so far in the scale of popular favour as to obtain for himself a seat in the City Council at a late election contest." Well, gentleman, the only time I stood for the City Council I went in "hands down," and I have been there ever since. And I can only assume that the editor of the Herald in making such an assertion must have been very very little, if at all acquainted with local matters. He must have been for the nonce non compos mentis, as the lawyers say. Z^ow, I have read to you the indictment, and I will now read to you the depositions in support of the indictment. The day after the statements referred to appeared in the Herald, namely, that Mr. Dargaville had stated that which was untrue, and knowing it to be untrue, I consulted my solicitors, and found that to call a man a liar in the leading columns of a newspaper was a libel ; and though my costs may be small, I am going in for the truth, and whatever damages I may get—be they five or 40s. —they will go to some charitable institution here. Now, I will read to you the specific charges in support of this statement, and remember, gentlemen, these specific charges are given here in the paper, and in. order that Mr.Dargaville shall not have a loop hole by which to escape. The first charge against me here is this : —" When I began my candidature," I said at New ton the other day, " I was rather patted on the back by Mr. W. C. Wilson. Go on, aaid he, my paper won't oppose you." Now, gentlemen, it is unnecessary for me to point to any newspaper to contradict that, because Mr. Wilson's two sons have stated to gentlemen in this city, and Mr. W. C. Wilson has admitted that he said his newspaper would not oppose me. I will give my version of what occurred. I went to Mr. Wilson with my advertise ment of the first memorable meeting I held here. He said, " Then you are coming out." I said, " Yes ;'' and I said "of course you will go in for the old man." Ho said, " Well, I don't think that we will. I have not spoken to him for these six years, lie and I are not friends. However, of course I am not going to oppose Lim, because there are certain party connections between him and my party, and therefore I cannot go against my friends " I said, " J thought you would go in hot for him and against everybody else, as you did last election," and he said, " Pso; we won't oppose him, and we won't oppose you; but wo won't have Lusk at any price, and we will leave the public to decide between you and Williamson.' 1 (Hear, hear.) I assure you, gentlemen, upon my word, which you must take or not, as you think fit to-nighfc. This was the whole substance of the interview between Mr. Wilson and myself, and I say that I abide now by the result, if lam wrong as to whether hi 3 two sons and he himself haverecently admitted to gentlemenin this city, that he did state the Herald would not oppose me. I do not believe that either Mr. Wilson or his sons would speak an untruth on the subject, and I am willing to abide by what this meeting says on the matter. This is misstatement No. 1. There is another matter at issue between us, gentlemen, and it is as to whether or not I asked Mr. Wilson to support me. I will deal with that further on; but I am talking now of the day after my solicitors wrote to Mr. Wilson. He produced this bill of indictment con taining three distinct charges, and it is with this that I propose to deal, and with nothing else. The next item is one about which the Blue-book will come into requisition, and I have found out since this that it has been of great value. When first I began my candidature I was inclined to under value the Blue Book, but when these disputes were raisedl found the Blueßook my best friend. Ib will be your best friend also, in bringing home to ill conducted members their misconduct in the Provincial Council or elsewhere. It is evident that it cannot be contradicted, and therefore I say that from this day forward I Bhall endeavour, if elected, to make the system of keeping Blue Books as perfect as possible. The next bill of

indictment against me is with reference to printing, which. I estimated cost £1,000 for the year. Though made a great deal of, it was on this particular item that I was accused of speaking an untruth, and "knowing when I spoke it that it was an untruth." Indirect your attention to this matter. As for printing, including advertising, stationery, pens, pencils,&c. I may tell you that, on this very occasion when the Herald reported that I stated the printing would cost £1,000, the Ceoss, which reported me more fully on that occasion, giving me 7 columns as against 2i in the Herald —the Cross reported me as say ing :—" Printing, including Government Gazette, Blue-book, &c, £1,000." That necessarily implied printing and stationery, and I tell you now that I simply take one item —for instance, when I gave you the estimated cost of the Executive I did not give you the esti mated cost of the three Executive officers of the Provincial Government; and when I gave you the item printing I gave you the printer's account altogether. I appeal to any business man here whether printing and advertisements are not almost invariably classed under the same heading in matters of account. If I had given stationery and advertisements separately in any part of my address it might have been called in question, but I never did so. Now, I estimated printing for the year at £1,000. In. the appro priation for the year 1873 it is set down at £750, and I only wished at my first meeting some sharp member of the Pro vincial Council—and there were a great many present—had picked me up and asked me how I made it out. I should have been glad of the opportunity of showing that I knew what I was talking about. Last year, 1872, we find that the sum voted for printing was exactly the same as for this year. I mean printing, paper, advertising, pens, ink, &c. What was the actual fact? Well, up to nine mouths of that year, although onl}' £750 had been appropriated, it had cost £806, and my friends Messrs. Hurat, .Lusk, &c, estimated the probable expenditure for the other three months at £213. Making a total for last year, notwithstanding that the Appropriation Act only provided for £750—the actual cost was £1,020. Now how do I arrive at the fact that it is likely to bo £1,000 or so for this year? It is true the Appropriation Act sets apart £750, and there are certain re imbursements which are likely to be recovered : in my estimates I am not going into reimbursements, which are revenue, I am going into expenditure. And I say that even though £750 be set down for this year (1873), that the actual expenditure is far more likely to be £1,000. When the estimates in 1878 were cast, probably the same circum stances existed as existed when the estimates for 1872 were cast, and this alone would have warranted me in esti mating printing, stationery, &c, &c, at £1,000. But there was another condition, gentlemen. Since the estimates for 1873 were cast, the consumption by fire of the Provincial Offices and Post-office occurred, and by that fire a very great quantity of printed forms, &c, were con sumed. They were not insured. The consumption by fire of these printed forms and stationery, and the experience of 1872, when, although the appropriation set down was only £750, the actual cost wns £1,020. I leave you to decide whether these facts warranted me in saying that the probable cost of printing, &c, &c..would be£l,ooo. Now comes the third indictment, which is of a very serious nature, because in connection witli it I have been charged with misreading a public document, and with saying that Mr. Hurst did a groat many things which ho did not do. Now I will read to you the particulars in this matter, and I tell you upon the first flush of it, it will appear against me. There is no doubt about that, but in clearing myself I am not going to avail myself of any loopholes whatever, and yet I can do it thoroughly and entirely. " I stated," this is the newspaper report of my spoech at Newton, " I explained how Mr. Sheehan, having sent in his resignation as Goldfielda Secretary, Mr. W. J. Hurst, who was the only represen tative of the Government in Auckland — Mr. Gillies being at Wellington, and Mr. Lusk starring it in the out-districts —accepted the same, and the Govern ment (represented by Mr. W. J. Hurst) duly guzetted it, and then also duly appointed Mr. W. J. Hurst as Goldfields Secretary. (Laughter.) This is what I said, and the Government Gazette not withstanding : this is what I am going to stick to. The Government Gazette is brought out against me to show that I was wrong in saying that Mr. Gillies was at Wellington at this particular time. If he were not at Wellington at the time that appointment was made, ho was on the high seas on the road to Wellington. (Oh oh by Messrs. Hurst and Jieveridge.) Messrs. Hurst and Beveridge say oh, ob, but I will have them in a corner presently if you will ouly listen to me. Now, when I stated that Mr. Hurst appointed himself as Goldfields Secre tary I Btated what actually occurred. I was speaking with reference to the sham of our present system of responsible Go vernment. I said that the Superinten dent was a mere dummy when the Provincial Executive represented tho Council, or the majority of the Council for the time being. At the time Mr. Hurst was the Executive Mr. Lusk was still starring it in the province, and Mr. Sheehan had actually resigned. See ing that Mr. Hurst wad for the time being the Executive Government in Auckland, it rested with him to decide what should be done under the circum stances. (Mr. Huest : " No.") Gentle meD, you all know, and I think that even Mr. Hurst will not contradict me, when I say that Mr. Gillies agreed to accept the principles of responsible Govern ment in provincial administration, and therefore I say that he was to be guided by his Executive as much as the Governor at Wellington has to be guided for the time being by the Ministry. Therefore I say that, having admitted that principle—even supposing that there were only the Executire here repre sented by Mr. Hurst and Mr. Gillies- Mr Gillies in bound to accept tho advice of Mr, Hurst, and therefore he, Mr. Hurst would be the Superintendent for the time being. If responsible Govern ment meant anything at all it meant exactly what I hare said. I

will now read an extract from the Provin cial Gazette: " .Superintendent's Office, July 8, 1873."— (Mr. Hurst: " That's a mistake." —Mr. Hurst says, that is a mistake. Well, seeing that Mr. Hurst was the man who inspired tho New Zealand Herald's libellous article. If the Herald also would say, " That is a mistake," the whole 'difficulty would be at an end. Mr. Hurst inspired that libellous article. I know it, because before going to the Herald, he went to the Citoss, and he went to the Star, and they wouldn't have it; and then he went to the Herald, who received him with open arms. (Applause and hisses.) Therefore, I know that Mr. Hurst in spired that libellous article, and now lie says it's a mistake, gentlemen. (Cheers.) This announcement runs as follows: — " Superintendent's Office, Auckland. July 8, 1873.—1 hereby notify that I have accepted the resignation of John Sheehan, Esq., of the office of Goldfields Secretary, and that I have this day ap pointe I William John Hurst, Esq., to be Goldfields Secretary in his stead.—Tiios. B. Gillies." This is dated July 8, and I know that Mr. Gillies was on the high seas on July 8. I will give my evidence for it.— (Mr. Hurst: " Give the Gazette, and not the false report.")—l am going to give you the Herald of July 8, and it says, and I believe it's quite correct, because the other papers are of the same opinion. " The 'Wellington,' Capt.Carey, left Manukau yesterday for Southern ports —Passengers, His Honor the Super intendent," &c. Now, gentlemen, I ask you for strict justice, and nothing else to-night, and I tell you that from the first time I stood on this platform and enun ciated as my policy strict retrenchment, every official connected with the Provincial Government, from Mr. Hurst downwards, have watched my figurefi and statements, and supplied the Herald with information and figures from time to time, anxious to trip me up. And yet, seeing that lam a new man, even if I had tripped during one of my many meetings, at all of which I have spoken for bd hour or two, my mistakes should have been looked upon with some leniency, But, gentlemen, this proves that they have watched the slightegt errors I might make, to hold me up to public ridicule. I will now prove that either the Gazette or the Herald' is a liar. I am bound to use strong language, gentlemen. I took action the other day against tho Herald for damages for using somewhat similar language. People have since said to me, " Well, Dargaville, if you go into politics, you'll find it a stinking atmosphere, and you must expect all this.'' I never before went into politics, and would not have done so now' had I not scan that some body who did not fear the N.Z. Herald and Wyndham street, and was able to defy them, was wanting ; one who would come and tell you the true facts as to the position of the province. And every statement of mine I shall prove to you by facts, notwithstanding the Herald and Mr. Hurst. I say Mr. Gillies left the province on the 7th July, on the 11th of July a document is advortiKed in the Provincial Government Gazette. (Mr. Hurst: Untrue.) I take the N.Z. Herald, Mr. Hurat, the chief officer of the Pro. vincial Executive certainly behaves him self very badly. (A Voice : He'll never be chief officer again ; we have had enough of him.) Well, on July Bth, the day after Air. Gillies went to sea —I undertake to prove that Mr. Hurst represented the Executive. (Laughtor.) What I undertook to provo was that Mr. Hurst appointed himself, and now I adiiere to the same statement —whether Mr. Gillies was at sea or on shore, I say it is the same thing. Mr. Hurst repre sented the Executive Government, and his advice to the Superintendent was bound to be carried out, under the principles of responsible government, and Mr. Hurst, therefore, accepted Mr. Sheehan's resignation. 1 believe that Mr. Hurst's colleague (Mr. Lusk) know nothing about the appointment at the time it wns made. He was in the country, and when he saw it in the papers he was somewhat surprised, be cause it was understood that Mr. Swan was to have this appointment when it became vacant. (A Voice : Quite true.) I know it is quite true, and I hope that gentleman will believe that all I say to night is quite true. Mr. Swan was anxious to know how it was that faith was broken with him, and Mr. Lusk said to him, " When I saw that announcement in tho papers. I was so mortified and humiliated that I could actually have cried." (Laughtor.) Therefore, gentlemen, I tell you that it was Mr. Hurst's doing and Mr. Hurst's alone. On the Sth July as this paper signifies, and, therefore, I say it was Mr. Hurst's doing alone in every sense of the word. (A voice :He will never have it to do again.) If I have been wrong in believing the Provincial Government Gazelle or the Herald, I do not know which of them tells the most truths or untruths, but, at any rate, if one is right the other is wrong. Mr. Hurat is re sponsible for one and Mr. Wilson for the other, and these two concocted the libellousarticleagainßtme. (Cheers.) Now, I have done for the present with theso charges against me. These, gentlemen, are the misstatements which have been dished up against me during my 10 or 20 addresses in various parts of the province. They have been brought here as incontrovertible statements that I did not know what I was talking about. Now I will give some of the mis-state ments of the Herald, and I promise you that I will prove against them not three, but at least three times three mis statements during the time that I have been a candidate. The first is that the Herald accuses me in a leading article of having undertaken to save £13,000 from the Provincial establishment. Now seeing that I set down the cost of these estab lishments afc £13,700, and in my most enthusiastic moments I only undertook to save as much as the pi'esent education rate would bring in. I never said more: and, the statement emanated from the brain of the editor, who was instructed to write me down. In tho second mis statement. He said that Mr. Dar gavlle stood in such a low position in the estimation of the Auckland public that he could not get himself elected to a eeat in the City Council. You are all aware that on the only occasion when I stood for that office I was elected without any effort on my part. (A Voice : And you'll be elected again. An uproar here took

place, during which our reporter lost ;i sentence.) This is mis-statenient No. 2. The next is No. 3, which is as follows : The Herald states in a subsequent leader, probably with a view of colouring the minds of the }wy when the matter comes to a trial, that my action was taken an-ainst them because they contradicted the correctness of my estimates. Ie was not so, but it waa because they said that I knew I was telling an untruth. I say that 1 nm not so thin-skinned as to bring an action against the Herald for contradicting me ; and I also say that the Herald is writing thus with a view of misleading you with regard to the action. I aua accused in No. 4 of misreading a public document, and as the Provincial Treasurer" has told you there is :•„ mistake in this public document; therefore I think it is sufficient that the correct reading of this public document will prove to you that thor-3 is a screw loose somewhere. The nest misstate ment is No. 5. They say in one of their articles that Mr. Dargaville asked Mr. Wilson for his support. Well, gentlemen, you have known me hero during the last six or eight years, and will at once conclude that it is exceedingly improbable that the Tie raid would support me in any matter. From the very first day that I arrived here as bank manager, and afterwards when I was let off" the chain —for I always felt a good deal of the watchdog in me—l became a public man. I have endeavoured to do what was right. The first thiDg 1 did was to go in for an adjustment of the gold duties at the Thames. I pointed out how the miners were unfairly taxed, and in my position as a member of the Chamber of Commerce brought up a report pointing out how these might be rectified. I immediately had the Herald and Cross, too -for they were both organs of the Bank of New Zealand in those days—down on me. Whenever I crowed aloud near their dunghill they flapped their wings. (Laughter.) I ask you if it is likely then that t should go to the Herald and ask for their support, is it likely that 1 would go io the juggler and ask him the secret of his art, is it likely that I would follow 'he she.wolf to her lair and ask her to surrender her favourite cub to me. I would as soon go to the crafty old fox in Wyndham-street, and ask him for liis political support. I leave the proba bilities of this issue with you to say, whether I am so soft as to ask Mr. Wilson to support me. The seventh statement is, that he said be would not oppose me. His two sons and himself have now admitted that he said he would not oppose me. (A \roice : The editor is behind you.) I am told that the editor of the lleralcl is behind me, and I am glad of it. No doubt I shall get a tremendous roasting to - morrow, but I can't help it. (Laughter.) The next item iv the indictment is nz follows :—lt is stated by that, Mr.Wilson and his party having invariably advo cated the recession of those famous resolutions by which this province of Auckland is left at present in such a state of poverty as compared with the provinces in the South. I can bring before you indisputable evidence. The New Zealander and Mr. Wilson were tho mean.-; of depriving us of participating in any '.ray in the land revenue of the colony. En ISSG, during the session of the Assembly, a series of resolutions were proposed which brought about this pre sent state of things which are ho disas trous to us. I will read you the resolu tions. The first section in these resoluc tions sets forth briefly" that it is expedien' to adjust the public-burdens of thecolony,' meaning amongst the provinces. Then there is a series of other resolutions o( no particular moment to us now. The 12th is, "This House is of opinion that the administration of the waste lauds of each province should be transferred to the Provincial Government in such pro vince, and the land revenue thereof made provincial revenue, subject to cer tain charges." Auckland and Wellington wore to be held responsible for any money expended in the purchase of native lands in their province. Now these were tho resolutions which sup plied the whole matter —a series of reso lutions agreed to by the House, and which have been from that day to this held in truth and honour, The New-Zea hinder, which was at that time edited by Mr. W. 0. Wilson, was chiefly iustru mental in carrying these resolu tions. I have now before me the Raw-Zealandcr of June, 1856. I wish all who doubt it to refer to that paper as to the truth of my statements. Now, I have read to you the first of these reso lutions, and if you wish it I will read to you the division list at the time. (A Voice : -Read it.) Of course they were carried by a large majority, in fact, there were 19 ayes and 10 noes; and I think it is incumbent upon me now to give the names of the Auckland members who voted for and against that measure. Those who voted against it had their own reasons, no doubt; but, I say that when the New Zealand Herald of to-day states that they were always against it, and that tho people connected with that paper were always against it, they say that which is untrue. Those who voted in favour of the present system were Messrs. Campbell, Merry man, Williamson, Greenwood, and Carletou : and those against it .Henderson and Daldy. Now, although 1 have had many differences with Captain Daldy, I must say altogether that Captain Daldy having so far seen into the future, deserves our thanks for having voted against this most unjust measure. The imprint upon the papers which supported these measures was as follows:—" Printed and published every Wednesday and Saturday by John Williamson and W. C. Wilson, proprietors." Therefore I say I •was correct in pointing to these people as being the cause of this province being in a state of beggary, whilst the Southern pi-ovinces are in a flourishing condition. (Hear, hear.) The next is number eight, in which they accuse me of having written my own report of the Newton meeting, and furnishing it to the Star. I think every man who hears me will acknowledge that the Star has pursued an independent course, and during its career has been of more use to the public, has done more good for the province and colony, than the two other newspapers have for the past ten years. (Hear, bear, and prolonged cheers), I say it is untrue that I furnished them any report. They are

well able to procure reports for themselves. Misstatement No. 9 follows. The diggers at Oororaandel seem to take to me. The report in the local paper was a fair and faithful one. )V:r- Wilson did not like it, and the Herald again says that Mr. Dargaville supplied his own report. Ihe result was fin article twitfcin/r Mr. Wilson for prostituting his columns for unworthy purposes. I will go into these matters because they have thrown down the gauntlet. The IScio Zealand Herald has referred to the time when I was a great autocrat in ray bank parlour. I will refer to what the Bank of New Zealand did some 10 or 12 years ago here, while the great charge dished up every few years when occasion requires is this, that, somebody iv the Union Bank said that the whole of Auckland was not worth £10.000. What evidence do I want to prove the falsehood of assertions ? The very .gentleman * accused of doing ifc spent some £10,000 or £12,0-00 in building a bank for your convenience and for mine. It shows what wretched straws men clutch at when they are sinking. I hopo the Wynyard-stroet clique and the Herald will get a boating from the people generally This is one of those miserable con temptible reflections thrown out by Mr. Wilson, a director of the Bank of JN Tew Zealand, upon a rival institution. The Herald is the organ to guide public opinion in favour of the Bank of New Zealand, and against every other institution. When the Bank of New Zealand was established here it began like an infant in politics. It was only a novice, and wanted the help of a father. At tbat time the Union Bank came forward to help it. It wanted nutrition in its earliest stage. I am not reflecting upon the present position of the Bank of IN'ew Zealand. When it began to grow it grew very fast, and the Union Bank waa the father that ap pliedtlie golden diachylum to its kidneys, and the Union Bank enabled it to grow up to its present state, it ill becomes Mr. Wilson to have this slight against the Union Bank, because it is ungrateful, and no son should rise up and omplain against his father. But, gentlemen, remember you are my newspaper. I have none but you, imd, instead of writiasr letters to the Herald, I come to you. We are told that the Bank of New Zealand is a local institution, and they say " You foreigners belong to some other part of the world." But for what are we indebted to the Bank of New Zealand as a local institu tion? (A Voice: Tbe ruining of the Thames.) lam replying to the attacks of the New Zealand Herald upon the Union Bank and myself. I tell you, gentlemen, that every local institution should be encouraged, and that a very grave responsibility rests with the managers of local institutions. What prominent things has the Bank of New Zealand done for us. Do you remember the Consolidated loans, when our bonds were at £60 or £70 each. When the Bank of New Zealand was a large holder. When the bonds were suddenly raised to £100, by the endorse ment of the General Government. The Bank of New Zealand made a lot of money by them out of the province. In consideration of that and other circumstances. A sum of £10,000 has been paid by the directors of the Bank of JS'ew Zealand to those who were instrumental in bringing this about, and they never would have paid it with out consulting the shareholders of the Bank, unless they had been gainers. You may be sure somebody had to pay for this, and I think it will he found that the colony has had to pay the money. So much for your local institution. I do not depreciate local institutions, but desire to- see them honestly and faith fully conducted. Certain contractors in our neighbourhood have, as you are aware, undertaken certain works. They did not couut the cost properly, and the works were stopped. We find that certain Bank of New Zealand or Wynd ham-street people—who are nearly all one —have taken the contractors' horses, tools, &c, and swallowed them up, bringing two or three scores of hard - working men to the verge of starvation, and .depriving them of their weekly wages (Applause.) I say that in the records of the colony I do not know of any foreign institution which has been guilty of such a mean act as this. As a bank manager in the Umon I never knew of their doing it. They always provided that their employees in connection with any establishment should be first paid, and then anysurplus should go to the estate generall}'. The Herald says I twitted them at Newton when I said certain Wyudharn-street people were said to have had a hand in the purchase of land beyond the'frontier. I said there were agents, buying up thousands of acres of land beyond the frontier, and we were being urged to make the railway, for which we would have to pay. They said they wanted the railway to settle the country ; but I know for a fact that they were trying to buy large tracts of land from the natives for a mere bagatelle. I told you that when I began my candidature that, if it resulted in nothing else than directing the attention of the Govern ment of the country to the fact, I shall be well repaid for contesting this candi dature. I do not wish to take credit to myself for anything I am not entitled to, but iv order to show you that I was right iv my ideas as to the land revenue, I notice that the Government have adopted views similar to mine, and had actually put them into eli'ect, and certain gentle men had been commissioned by the Go vernment to negotiate in the purchase of native lauds, and that they had been well received by the natives. I take credit to myself for having awakened the Govern ment to the importance of this m-'tter. With regard to Mr. Hurst, I tell you that he has inspired this libellous article in the Herald, and I gave you my reasons for saying so before. Mr. Hurst is the Provincial Treasurer just now, but it was not on that account that the Herald received him with open arms. He is likewise chairman of] the Audit Committee. But it was not on that account either. Mr. Hurst has been admitted to . a certain posi tion in Wyadham-street. In days gone by Mr. Hurst was not a resident in Auckland. There is a place called Xiko whakariri, near Coromandel, and I heard of Mr. Hurst there. The people huve a warm regard for him down there, About ten years ago there was a dispute between

Mr. Hurst '■"and the WymlhTT^^^ people. Mr. Kurtt made irlaiT T^A against the New Zealand Insurance*C ' pany, while Mr. Wilson was a director j they disputed his claims. [At thuM' ment Mr. Dargaville observed ij0 * Beveridge taking notes, and saidl T not going to talk libel, Mr. ReverM* you need not take notes. (Lau^f > [Moving to the public] Mr. D^J V V said: I am only going to tell yo a O truth. Messrs. Whi taker and I| Us "jj acted for the Insurance Company a a Mr. Beveridge, I think, for Mr. H ( X f The result of this matter was a compr misc. It is an astonishing, therefore, \' view of these circumstances, that ~\u Hurst is admitted into the confi' • dence of Mr. Wilson, of the Herald Insurance Company, and the Bank, SO J to inspire an article against your hnmhh servant. I tell you there is an enetav prowling about. I have taken UpO n myself the duties of a watchdog, and when the time comes I shall' bite (Cheers.) We now find the jackall of Kikowhakariri and the wolf of Wyndham. street together. (Laughter.) I ask you to stick by me. I have no money to make out of this candidature. I appeal to you now that the time has come for a change from the Wyndham-streefc ring. (Immense applause.) I told you at my first meeting that I should save as much out of the expenses of the Provincial departments as the education tax would bring in. What is the education tax going to raise? The amount was thought to be between £10,000 and £12,000. At 3 o'clock to-day I applied at. the Provincial Government offices, and asked how much money had been received, and I found* that the total amount received up to that time was £5,G79. (Cheers.) j A short time ago Mr. Lusk sent ! instructions to the collector at the Thames to sue for the rate, but the people >' there swore that when the first man wag taken to Court they would burn Mr. Lusk in effigy. The consequence was that instructions were sent not to sue. Now the question is this, How much more are : they likely to get at the Thames ? This fact is worth recording. Instructions were seat I down there some litcle time ago to the col. lector, to sue for the education rate. You know that at the Thames they are a very/ mauly out-spoken sort. And they said if you/ sue us for the education tax, the very first/ day a case is put into Court, we will burn Mr. Lusk in effigy. (Loud cheers.] This I assume is a fact. The information wal sent up to the Provincial Government of thj state of feeling there. Instructions were eeij down to the Thames not to sue. (Grel: cheering.) Not a single man has been bu| since, and you had better take the same courl (Cheers.) lam not going to detain youmu longer. [Cries, "Gro on."1 I have told you tp my object in meeting you to-night was noip much to give you my views, as to repl& certain unfair charges that were made agaft me. I have pretty well done that. I ill now refer you to our position as a provPA Look at the other provinces. Loosa': Dunedin; look at that craft how^a has managed to hold her grM<l. She is under the lee of the land, in*afe anchorage. Then there is Canterbury.&he is also well moored on safe ground— jbet% land fund. We see further north, a fullgg6* ship. She is in deep water. Tha^ l^e General Government. She meets allArges' Then we see'another small craft (Wel/? ton)« She is holding on to the stern. Sh<^ com" . manded by a captain whom they/a^ c " Sturdy Beggar." (Loud cheers a/ laugh ter.) She is navigated by a kno^? crew. She will be wary. She will hang d *°r Joa know she gets the stores there fro/the 9uip when she runs short. (Laughter M cheers.) There she will stop. Here c are *a the north in deep water 'deed, but drifting with the tide,—there / n 0 win<1> —we cannot raise the v/it (Shouts of laughter.) We might have halll anchorage in that land fund long ago, °ur cr. OW wished for their own benefit tc° on a fishing excursion (renewed laughter ft cheers) ; but they fished not for us, and tF allowed the tide to drift us down th<stream where there are no 6tores f "8- What are the crew doing ? hey are pos sessing themselves of the duables. (Loud cheeers.) The Wyndharftreet crew have navigated us into thi: position. They are possessed of the •vnables. • and are eating up what is left ofhe stores. What do they care ? Lock t every one _of them. Every man of hem has a life belt round hia waist, "hat is it made of? it is made of rare material, aud ou It is marked, " L.S.D.Bank of New Zea land." When we g< i»to this trouble, knocked about as we arwhat are we passen- ■ gera in the boat to do I say, in these last hours, " put out the ' feeps.' " (Vociferous cheering.) Now, gen'nien, Ido not meau anything personal. <Tou know that the " sweeps" are those leg oars that are used in small craft to get waj I say, " Put out the 'sweeps;' give your> Thole strength to each stroke, —give a lougpull, and a pull alto gether." Already, gitlemen, the attitude of the General Governient shows that the craft is getting way. W will'look to the kind Providence which eT helps those who help themselves, to aid i in landing in a haven of prosperity. Mrj3*rgaviile sat down, amid loud and protratfd cheering, which was several times renevd. After variousqnestions hadbeen pu*, and answered, md various ineffectual attempts at spfich-making by Mr. ltees and others had'een made, Mr. Williams moved, " Tha' Mr. Dargaville was a fit and proper prson to fill the office of Superintended for the province of Auckland."-Mr. Martin seconded trio motion, whih, after some discussion, was carried (.mid great cheering. A vote of thanks t> the chairman brought the meeting toi close.



THS SUPERINTENDENCY. To thr Editor of the Evening Star. Sir, —Asyou will probably give a report of my ineetng at the Mechanics' Institute last evening, nayl ask you at same time to insert this notf from me for the purpose of caution ing electors against accepting the account contaimd in this day's Herald of the same meeting as correct. The Herald's report is grosslyunfair and onesided, and its issue of this diy contains as usual many statements which are utterly untrue. —I am, &c, J. M. Darga.vu.TjE. —[Advt.]



G>l KEWAED.-Lost, a Black OvJL Pointer Dog: answers to the name of " Satan."—Any person returning the same to Mr .). Young Butcher, Queen street, will receive the aDove reward. J SMITH begs to inform the Public • that he will deliver all Goods bought at his stall FREE of CHARGE (within three miles or h»o Market.) Orders punctually attended to. 9 , JOHN SMITH, Fruiterer and Greengrocer, JNO. -* Stall, Market-house. *^, T>E A D COOMB ES LIST OF PRICES.