THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Evening Star, Issue 4217, 1 September 1876, Page 2

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The meeting last night of the residents of Caversham, convened by the chairman of the District Road Board, to consider the present political situation, was held in the Drill-shed- there, presided, over by Mr 'Rj Rutherford and attended by about 100 persons. ". • > ! The Chairman explained that the meet-! ing was called in compliance with a requisition he had received. .Although he was ai partisan, yet he would take care that both; sides should have a fair hearing, except in the case of political quacks who attended meetings for the sake,of gaining notoriety,' or, perhaps, because'they got a few shillings for so doing. Mr Sibbald, who moved the first resolution, referred at some length to the advantages of the Provincial system. ; . He urged' the meeting to set their faces against any-; thing like the abolition of the Province, because the Constitution was given them by. the Crown, which alone could take it away ;i and he believed there was no disposition on the part of the Crown to do so. If theAbolition Act were carried into effect,'it would take away the rights and privileges of a free and independentpeople who had carried on the work of colonisation in their own way; for some time past. The position which Otago at present held was. due .to» the way in; which the people had been settled upon the lands; and if- they did not insist upon re-! taining the system which had rendered them independent, they would soon sink down to : the same position as the Other Provinces 'of; the Colony, and they would then be governed by a kind of aristocracy. ' If they, gave up their present rights, they would be allowing themselves to be dictated to by others, and lose the independence and commercial and political prestige Otago had hitherto possessed. Mr David Caldeb seconded this resolution.

Mr Fox moved and Mr M'Jctoe seconded the second resolution. In speaking to it the latter expressed, the opinion that Sir Jtilins Vogel h*d Wen forced to

act as he had done, and that his departure f £%Jfe &l on fc« &w the Abohtibft Bui could «qt be given effect to. At this period of the proceedings M'Laren, Wfie^iad dfcgpul to the received a hint, which he carefully !beeded7 that hisi obstrwfcHm would not be tolerated. > ?-<.i\ &.."?*•.■ \ \r The third resolution by Mr Hugh Calder And secoMed by Mr ffn. Rrad ; the fourth, by Mr Banks, seconded by Mr and supported by Mr B6lt. These which we. carried-unani-mously, as walHnefollowing, moved by Mr W. Read:—"Thatcopies of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to our members, Messrs Seaton and Burns, and to the Superintendent of the Province, Mr Macanarew."

At to-night's meeting _at Forbury the chair will be occupied hy ififr Moloney, tbe Mayor, and the principal speakers will be . Messrs. Barrowman and. The following is a draft of the resolutions drawn np for submissMn:-—• That this meeting .expresses-its general-approval of the motion of Mr Maoapdre«v, as itJffords the Colonial Government a fair and iSonstittitional means of ascertaining and resptectingjthe'iHll of the -people of Otago - as to the for&rand of Government they desire to toti regulatedlS/' ' That any form of Government formed against the free-will of tup people maybe, joaily ,'rewned; and that, while approving of the services of Mr Seaton -as representing this -district*- it is the opision of this meeting that if a majority of the electoral districts of tbe Province decide to recall weir members, he will hold himself in readiness to'act with such members.

Tha": this meeting appoint a committee to ensure prompt action with outer districts, should emergencies arise, provided such action be in conformity Kith the spirit of the resolutions just carried.

A meeting is to be held at Balclutha on Monday evening, and at,;Tokomairiro tonight a committee is to be formed to make arrangements for a demonstration jthere.