THE GOVERNMENT OF THE GOLD FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 970, 5 September 1871, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE GOLD FIELDS.

PUBLIC MEETINGS AT HALF-OUNCE AND GRANVILLE. A public meeting of the miners and other residents of the district of. Upper Half ounce was held at the Empire Hotel, Upper town, on Friday, September 1. The meeting was called by a delegate from the Central Anti-p.royincial Committee at Ahaura, for the purpose of submitting the resolutions passed at Abanra on the 29th August to the residents of the Half-ounce and Duffer Creek districts for confirmation, and also to submit the petition to be presented to the General Assembly by Mr Harrison for approval and signature. Mr James Cunningham was voted to the chair. The Chairman explained that tlie objects of the meeting were to endorse the action taken by the people of Ahaura with reference to the mismanagement of the Gold Fieldsby the Nelson Government, and to elicit au opinion on the subject from the inhabitants of this, the principalmining centre in the Grey Valley. The Chairman then read the resolutions seriatim, and after reading the petition called upon Mr H. G. Hankin to move the first resolution. Mr Hankin said he regretted the meeting was not more numerously attended by the miners, who ought to.be specially interested in the movement which had been initiated, and which was a step in the right direction. The course taken by their representative, Mr Harrison, in bringing the subject of Gold Fields mis government before the General Assembly wa3. commendable, and worthy the sup^ port of his constituents. The neglectja^ mismanagement of the Gold Fields' by the Nelson Government had become intolerable, and it required united action on the part of the . inhabitants to counteract the evil effects resulting from it. The Nelson Government cared nothing vfor the interests of tho miners,: and so long as the Provincial exchequer was filled it was immaterial where the money came from or what or who were taxed to obtain it. The revenues of the mining districts had been and were grossly misapplied, and it mattered little to the miners whether the money which ought to be expended in making roads and other necessary public works, was misappropriated in supporting and pampering a cumbrous and useless incubus of officialism, or whether it was, throwu into the sea, so long as they (the miners) were despoiled of it. The miners were systematically deprived of the equitable rights- to which taxpayers everywhere were entitled, and it required no gift of prophecy to foretell that if a determined stand was not made, , and resolute and energetic i^ctipn taken, ; the raining community in this part of the Province would soon arrive at that goal of ruin and destruction towards.which they were fast drifting. — (Cheers.) The present, state of affairs was brought about entirely by wilful mismanagement, for it was idle to assert that the men who composed the Government, and who knew so well how to look after themselves, were altogether incompetent, or that they were acting in. ignorance of the requirements of the Gold Fields, for.. members of the Executive had personally visited ' mining districts. Petitious and memorials, generally did very little good; but the present was an . exceptional ■case. Their representative was an able and clever man, and if the present me* .morial was sent, up numerously signed, supported ;as it would be by. his advocacy, it would attract the attention of the^ Assembly, and be the means of helping Mr Harrison iU; his .endeavors to get. justice done to his constituents. If the General Government could be induced to tfavor the prayer of the petition, other concessions would be made, and therefore it behbved every man in the district to subscribe hisname'tb the memorial,' as a' first step towards removing tlie disabilities under which they were all laboriflgi-^ (Cheers.) Mr Hankin then moved the^ -'following resolution :--" That this meeting, having had tlie resolutions passed ai a public meeting held at the Ahaura on the 29th August submitted to it, and having heaxd the petition to the. G eneral. G overnmeht, : with, reference ta the mismanagement of this portion of the Nelson, ; South- West Gold Fields^y ,the,. Nelson Government read, fully endorses tlie action taken by the Ahaura Committee, and eritirely Vafereeg with the prayer of tlie petition.'' ■ ; Tho resolution was seconded by Mr James Marshall, and carried' unanimously. ■".'■■■■ , ■.■■■.;'■,■ ;Mr Wm,.Falbr s^iid Ke listd; beep; un e X . f pectedly^jalled upon to., 'propose the next

resolution, and he would not be expected to dilate on their grievances, especially aa "* the subject had been so ably dealt with, b^ the mover of the first resolution, with, whose opinion he (the speaker) entirely concurred. He was glad to see that the people were arousing from that state of lethargy and apathy which was apparently becoming the chronic state of G'oldFieldk'*:: communities. The usual excuse given for this want of interest in public affairs by the miners was,, that every man thought . " matters might as well be allowed'tor re--' main as they were for the short time he would be in the country." But this nelect of their own interests and welfare was driving the most of them "lip a tree," to use a vulgar but expressive de- ' scription of the operation which led to gradual but certain ruin. The residents of this district had been deceived by, the promises, of Government officials, and it|P would be their own fault if they allowed* themselves to be bamboozled any longer.: '■ Movements towards the abolition of Provincialism was being made all over the ~ Colony, and they must not be behindhand v in assisting in furthering so desirable an object. The miners in this important district were practically governed by a. lot of "cockatoos" and "shepherds"^ about Nelson, who had no sympathy with"- 2, the residents of the Gold Fields, and wlio,; actually did not possess the necessary, in-, telligence to enable them to understand' the requirements and wants of the miners, even if they were willing to try., ,3Jhe^ Nelson Government did no good for >thei place, and they never intended»to do any good for it, therefore a change was necessary, epen if they "jumped out of the»f fryingpan- into the fire." -Mr Faler-then~, alluded to the several local wants of the Half-O^ce District, and to the promises V made by the, Provincial Secretary during his late visit, and concluded by moving the next resolution—" That the following gentlemeu be appointed a Local Committee, to co-operate with the Central^ Committee at Ahaura in furthering tbje*. objects the petitioners have in view :—T Messrs Jas. Marshall, H. G. Hankin, John R. Cunningham, F. Wilckins, 0. W. Anderson, W. Donovan, John Algie, James Cunningham, Samuel ffafforjl,-*/-Nicol Browne, William Melody, John M. Ollivier, Wm. Young, and the mover., The resolution was seconded ,byi Mf JT.J, Wilckins, and carried. After passing a\ V vote of thanks the Chairman, the meeting dissolved.

On the following day, a public meeting was held at Mr John Torrens'a store, at Granville. Mr Wm. Lonargaii took the : .chair, and read the, resolutions passed at Ahaura, and also read the petition' to the Assembly. Resolutions similar to those, passed at the upper town were put to th^rmeeting and carried, and the following 'T gentlemen, were appointed a Local Corn-TV, mittee: —-Messrs J. Torrens, W.! Lotiar- v gan, L. M'Nair, T. Tracy,' P. Bourke, K. M'iKenzie, and J. D., Williams, The.. petition has received upwards of five ' hundred attested signatures in the HalfOunce and Duffer Creek District alone. ' :