LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 40, 4 November 1882, Page 3

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.

The meeting called by the Mayor for last evening to consider the question of of the remoTal of the Clerk of the Resident Magistrate's Court from Feilding, and the necessity for the appointment of a successor, was not largely attended. We noticed that all the Justices of the Peace, and the majority of the Borough Councillors -were present, together with some of the principal business people. The general public was represented by very few. Mr J. H. F.ry, J.P-. invited to iiltf. the chair, and after a few remarks he read the notice from the Mayor calling "~ yfiie meeting. *«>Jr H. L. Sherwill, J.P., movrd tlie first resolution: — "That the recent withdrawal of the • lerk of the Resident Magislrate's Court from Feilding has C-iisiv'-j a id will cause, very considerable inconvenience to the residents in the large and populous district of which Feilding is the -judicial centre, viz. Jviwitea, Halcombe, Taoiiui, Awahun, , tlie Manchester Mock,' and part of S.ui- ! don, containing 3.300 inhabitants, and t a% in the opinion of this meeting, it is d sirable that a resident Clerk of the Court be appointed at once for FeikHng. " He said that the Clerk of the Court had been removed to Palruerston because the Government believed that it was a larger j centre of population than Feilding. This was not the case, for Feilding was a judicial central point for the important settlements of Kiwitea. Halcombe, Awahuri and Taonui, containing in all a greater population than Palmerston. A | large number of people would therefore lie inconvenienced by the absence of this M* U. Loudon, a member of the Bortough Council, seconded the resolution. He -stated that as a business man he ! would suffer great inconvenience by the removal of this officer. He considered the business of the Court was sufficient to occupy the time of a Clerk. One day in the week would be insufficient to overtake the work of Feilding. Mr D. H. Macafthur, J.P., supported the motion. He was disappointed at the small attendance. He was in hopes the people of Feilding were awakening to the fact lhat it would be well for them to exhibit some interest in matters that deeply concerned them. If there was any small faction matter that was of very I little material consequence they would find time to attend sucli meeting. He spoke favorably of Palmerston, where the people always Bunk personal matters when the common good was to be obtained by unanimity. He believed the j prosperity of that town wag mainly owing to that cause. He said that as a Justice of the Peace he would decline to fill up or make out any documents that ought properly to be prepared by the Clerk of the Court. He would decline t«» do clerical work of nny kind. They liad a member who professed to represent them, and two other members in tie Houxe interested in the districts, which were inconvenienced by the present action of the Government. They should be appealed to. Mr Haul tain was not to blame; he was right in obtaining promotion for himself. The district of Feilding was the judicial centre of a larger imputation than Palmerston, which was daily increasing, though Palmerston itself was perhaps more populous than Feilding. The Palmerston district was nearly as large as it ever would be. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Mr Goodbehere, solicitor, and a member of the Borough Council, proposed, "That a copy of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Justice, through the Eesident Magistrate." He briefly supported the motion, which was seconded by Mr F. Lethbridge, J.P., and Borough Councillor. The resolution was put and carried unanimously. Mr J. C. Thompson, Borough Councillor, proposed, " That a copy of the first resolution be forwarded to the Hon. W. Johnston, J. G. Wilson, an-1 .f. Stevens, M.H.R's., asking them, as uic.nbors of the districts affected, to use their influence in having a Resident Clerk appointed to the Court of Feilding." He thought the Justices of the Peace and the solicitors of the Court should have had a voice in the matter of removing the Clerk. The business m«n ought not to hare to go to Palmerston in urgent cases. He was thankful to say the criminal business was small. Mr E. H. Wright seconded the motion, which, was carried unanimously. The rarious Justices of the Peace then expressed their intention of declining to do the clerical work that might be at■+t- tempted to be thrust upon them through / the absence of a Clerk of tlie Court. A vote of thanks to the Chairman was passed, to which Mr Fry briefly reand expressed his gratification in his part in the public work of this HBKstrict for the first time. !