MR W. FRASER, M.P.C., AT THE TOWN HALL, CROMWELL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 40, 17 August 1870, Page 4

MR W. FRASER, M.P.C., AT THE TOWN HALL, CROMWELL.

On Wednesday evening last, Mr W. FrasJa M.P.O. for the Dunstnn Electoral District, |J drossed a meeting of Iris constituents at tflj 'Sown Hall, Tho attendance was not nuinoriiJß Tlie Mayor (Mr W. Smitlmm) was requested j|i take the chair, and introduced Air Eraser to meeting. He said Mr Eraser had come befjg the electors for the purpose of giving an acgoti of his stewardship as their representative in t (Provincial Council, and he trusted Mr Erase iupemarks would be attentively listened to. Air Eraser, on rising, said ho had called t meeting with the object, as the Chairman t remarked, of giving some account of his stewai ship, or, in other words, to show the electors what way he had fulfilled the they 1 reposed in him as their represent f*- It mi; be asked why ho had not convert >. d meeting the proceedings of the session of ISC and anticipating that question, he would ansi that there was not sufficient reason to warn him in doing so. His chief reason for call the present meeting was to ascertain whctl Ahe electors approved his conduct in regard tN Hundreds Regulation Act. That measu as a whole, he approved of, but did not ag with its details. It was a measure calculated promote the settlement of the country nr effectually than any other hitherto passed, was of opinion, however, that provision shoi have been made to apportion one-third of i laud for agricultural and two-thirds for pasto purposes. With regard to the extent of ei Hundred, it should be remembered that althot 15,000 acres was the limit, there could be s number of Hundreds proclaimed. Still, . thought the limit ought to have been 20,1 [ r^IU rim holder only acquired the ri : io graze stock, not to break it up ; and hisi pressmen was that the rimholder was entitled IllPfopensatiou. Under the Hundreds A the amount of compensation was left to arbit .who decided the amounts awarded m to the relative diminution in value of i SPRcent land than the actual value of the li ' itself. When the Bill was passed, a great d of declamation and ill-feeling had arisen. ] Superintendent and Executive held diametria opposite views of the question ; and it was i dent that if the Government did not pull gether, the country could not prosper. The f sion of 1869 was convoked to consider tl difficulties ; and if the Government had ti brought down certain amendments on the I they would have carried with them three-fourt if not the unanimous approval, of the ComJ The Government, however, took their stand a question of vested rights which existed uni the Act, and refused to put it into force. 7 had prevented the throwing open of land 1 settlement. The lockiug-up of the land for I time past, was the fault of the Provincial GovJ * ment. A Bill to repeal the Hundreds Act was ilk [ before the General Assembly, under the chi if of the Superintendent, and there was no doji! £ it would bo carried. They were aware i| * under the Hundreds Act a man was not only I / titled to take up laud, but also had a right! i pasturage on the unsold land. That waa& 1 } improvement upon the former state of thiii ||! He regretted that the petition relating to laud | I the Hawca Flat had not reached him until | I day before the Council was prorogued ; hut ai I? I the prorogation he had called upon the .Secret; 9 I for Laud and Works, and asked what was ; la? intention of the Government in the matter, ill* told tho Secretary that the land was emineii suitable for settlement ; that at present th r was no laud in the whole district available ft agriculture, and tho result was that oats a;|| other agricultural produce were excessively higt|£ He urged that if there was any money at all' | the Government coffers, Cromwell had a pri t claim to it. Air Reid seemed convinced of tI" necessity of granting the petition ; and, he () | Fraser) trusted that ere long the land would I thrown open for selection and settlement. hoped the electors would consider that he t 9 done bis duty in the matter. He then descrijg the re-adjusement of the electoral districts, and more particularly as affecting the represeutatwl of the Cromwell district. It was originally pro posed to have two members for the Duustai district—one member to represent each sub-divi sion ; but he considered it would be more con ducive to the progress of the district, and also accord better with the wishes of the electors, to have two separate districts ; and the result was that Cromwell and Nevis were formed into a distinct electoral district, under the name of “Kawarau.”—(Cheers.) The speaker then alluded to the subject of a University Ho was happy to say that the Assembly were norr. dis. cussing a Bill to make the institution a Coloniaf one, although the seat of the University was still to be at Dunedin. With reference to the erection of a new Court-house, he might state that he had seen the plan of the proposed building ; that £3OO was passed on the Estimates for the purpose ; and he expected the work would very shortly be commenced. In conclusion, he would just observe that he had district for three years in the Provincial Council, and his connection with his constituency had been a source of much gratification to himself. This was probably the last occasion on which ho would address them as their representative, and he took the opportunity to say that he should) always feel grateful for the honor they had conferred upon him.—(Cheers.) In answer to questions, Mr Fraser said that with regard to coinmonage, ho was of opinion that around all centres of population there ov 'em to be a reserve for grazing purpises of 3t- r H extent to provide for the actual necessity s ca iJS inhabitants, but the commonage should,j IC ■ open to outsiders to rim perhaps a humli B of cattle upon. The right of pasturage oi jb be in proportion to the amount of prop; |s mining or otherwise—held in the locality. (Hear hear.) Various other questions were satisfactorily answered by Mr Fraser, and a vote of thanks was afterwards unanimously accorded to him by the meeting.