MR PITCHES AT OPHIR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1103, 15 June 1883, Page 3

MR PITCHES AT OPHIR.

In response to the publicly announced intimationthatMrJ.hu Pitches, member of the Vincent County Council for Maim herikia Riding, would address bis oonstifuencs in the School House, Ophir, on Saturday evening, the 9 hj i list, betw.-eo 40 and 50 gentlemen put in an appearance, of whom Mr J. 0. Jones, E-q., J. P , was called to the chair. He said Mr Pitches, our representative in the Vincent County Council, bad thou ht proper to take a different course from the other members of the Council, who had dl resigned their posili mg as a m-ana of getting out ol the Ouai man ship difficulty, and his onject m calling the present imeting is to know "-hether the course adopted by him meets your approval. The speaker then referred to Mr Pitches’ career as a Counci lor, eulogised him as a hard working member, and as a man o' deeds more than words who had faithfully represented the dislno . During his re in irks Mr Jones wag frequently applauded. Mr Pitcheg, on rising, said he would have to crave the indulgence of the meeting, as he was very unwell. He would, however, i try in p’ain t.-rms to explain to the meeting ' his reasons for taking the course he had at the present juncture ot affairs in the County. ' He then explained the vaious changes in the represeiilati nof the County since its ' initiation, an 1 sail there being now only ' eight ridings the division of power between I the North and South was equal, and the position of Chairman to either side was ot considerable importance, the powers it I carried with it being large. He was free to J confess that the North had an equal right 1 to the chair, but he was oppose i to any of 6 the just extinct Council holding it, for ! the one reason they w re not truly representative I 'ouutv men, hut simply Cromwell 1 men, and whose only and sole idea was the henefitting of the town of Cromwell, and * not the Comity. With respect to resignin ',’ 1 Had it been understood that on resigning none of the old Council, would, have stood J again for election, ha would have been one J with them ; hut to resign, and then again I seek the position, vvas too much like child’s f play. He had been twitted with being the , odd man, but he had the satisfactio i of ■ knowing behad done what he conscientiously thought was right and in the true interest eof the County, ami hj“ further had the satis- 3 ’action of knowing that others wished now ° they had followed his example. However, * on that point he would leave it to his constituents to say wnechcr they agreed with n him. If they did a it, and asked him to J resign, he would do so, and most ceit.dnly v he would not geek re-election. To the uu- ? fortunate contest for the chair he nttnhn'ed ell the troubles of the County, including the ’ defalcations ot Mm lane cu.m, ail ■ he felt 3 persuaded that had Mr Pykc remained at n the head of affurs they never would have ? occurred. He could not exonerate the 1 Treasurer from blame in the matter, to r accept as correct and certify accordingly to n statements handed him without first satis- 1 tying himself in the main was loose, and if I s . he judged rightly at the pending trial he , would be plainly told so. He then detailed . minutely all the circumstances of the election of Ur. Macginnis to rill tne chair tern ° norarily, with whom he said agreed on every 3 point except one, aid that was in regard to ? the LGUI) vote to the Alezand a B'ilgo con- ■' tractors. Ho 1 inked upon it that he Conn- J oil were not comnetent to deal with the 1 question, and he wis in favor of its being f submitted to the arbitration ot competent , men, whose decision he would hive supported. Notwithstanding, how.-ver, this 3 one point of disagreement, he had every 3 confidence in Cr. Macgmnio’a ntegrity, and the manner in which he had con lucre ! the business of the chair had more 'ban ex ceedod bis expectations. At the last meeting. so as to get ahea 1 with the con ty business and settle the various con racts that ' had been advertised, ho hid proposed th 1 election of a temporary Chairman for the * ■lay. it was vetoed, he then proposed the election of a Chairman who would bind him I self to teat the feelings of the ratepayers on r the question of separation, this also, was ' vetoed. Many were of opinion that separa- c tion was the only solution of the difficulty. 1 That was not now the question, therefore, whatever his opinion was he should not now ' give it. A good many questions having been asked 1 and answered satisfactorily, an unanimous * vote of confidence in, and approval of Mr 1 Pitches’ course of if action was carried ■ The customary vote to the chair having been I carried with acclamation, the meoti ig sepe- ' rated. 1