DEPUTATION.

Evening Star, Issue 4054, 23 February 1876, Page 2

DEPUTATION.

This morning Messrs O. R Chapman, W, Hepburn, Davis,- Mather, and Wohlers waited upon the Superintendent and presented to his Honor a petition signed by the residents and householders in the townships of Auderston, Lome, Broughton, and M'Kenzie’s sub-divi-sion, who objected to their portions of the Hilfway Bush road district being included in the proposed municipality of Craumore. His Honob (after reading the memorial) remarked that people seemed to be at tixe« and sevens about these townships, He had had any amount of petitions about this municipality. Were the signatures to this petition [ all tho e of residents ?

! Mr H»bdbn replied that in the towcship of Anderson there were nineteen householders, eleven*of whom signed against the inclusion of their township in the municipality; id Lome thoie were householders, three of whom signed against it; in Broughton there were three household*; s. all of whom signed against it; and in M'Kenzie’s subdivision there were only two householders, and one had s tmed this petition. 8

Mr Chapman added that two other persons *ould have signed it if they had been in town. His Honob : It is a great pity you cannot all agree about it. The question has not come up for final decisionyet. The petition was in the hands of the Halfway Bush Road Board much longer than it should have been, and has now gone to the Roslyn Board. When we get the whole of their observations the whole thing will come up fur decision, and then, of course, all petitions against it will be considered.

Mr Chapman believed several individuals who signed the original petition, apparently under a false impression, now wi'hed to with* draw their names from it.

His Honor mentioned that he had received a letter from Bishop Nevill, who objected to his property being included within the municipality. Mr Chapman said Mr Hepburn and bimaaif represented 300 acres, and they did not wish to be included within the municipality. His Honob ; The law is such that only actual townships recorded in the Registrars’offices can be proclaimed; and so far as that condition is complied with the thing will be proclaimed. I am very anxious indeed to see municipalities. If there is a majority of the people in favor of it, there is no option but to proclaim the municipality. Mr Davis remarks! that if the whole thing was gone over again a great number of persons who signed the first petition would not now slgnit; and in a few days his Honor would receive a petition from parties who signed the first petition asking that their names might be taken off it and placed on that against the pro posed municipality. His Honob : What has made them change their minds ?

Mr Davis : Because in the first instance a great many signed it without thinking; and others signed it out of respect for those rkho brought it round. Then after talking the matter over among themselves they think it better to be tinder a Road Board than a Municipality. Anderston could not be better attended to than it had been by the Road Board, which bad made it a point to spend in the townthip all rates collected there, along with a subddy. More than that, they thought their population was too sparse. There were a lot of ratepayers, whose property would be brought within the municipality, who could not say a word about it. His Honob- said the Government would try and ascertain the exact position of the case and the relative number of p opD within legally constituted townships who signed in favor of the municipality. If it turned out sfter inquiry toat there was a majority of not l-.ss than fif '.y, the Government had no option buV to regul ite the boundaries. The deputation then withdrew.