ANTI-SEPARATION STRATAGEM.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1264, 17 August 1872, Page 2

ANTI-SEPARATION STRATAGEM.

[WESTPORX TIMES.]

A meeting of the Westland Separation ' Committee was held on Monday evening, to consider the action alleged to be taken by the Nelson Executive by employing persons in Westport, and paying premiums to them, to obtain signatures to a document, ostensibly a petition of the inhabitants of the Nelson Province, but in reality emanating from the Superintendent's Office, Nelson. The information laid before the committee was to the effect that a telegraphic message was forwarded on Saturday, the 3rd August, to Mr Anslow, of ;Westport, asking him if he would obtain signatures to a petition, that: he sent a reply in the affirmative, and that by the mail arriving from Nelson, on Monday, the sth instant, per Murray, Mr Anslow received a petition, accompanied by a letter of instructions, dated Superintendent's Office, Nelson, August 3rd,- and signed Alfred Greenfield, Provincial Secretary, conveying instructions for obtaining signatures, and the return of the document; on or before the 15th instant. That Mr Anslow had shown great unwillingness in making the contents of the document public, and that he stated he was .under orders not to divulge the contents to certain members of the Separation Committee. It was also shown that some parties who had been asked to sign their names had done so under misconception, having before signed the petition for separation, and had signed the anti-separation document, under the idea conveyed to them that it was merety ajprotesfagainst annexation to Westland, and a sharing of the responsibility of the public debt of County. It was also stated that Mr Anslow, presumedly acting under instructions from the 1 Provincial Secretary, had authorised Charles Edward Jones to obtain signatures, promising him one shilling per name for every signature obtained. The committee after considering and discussing the subject, expressed a unanimous opinion that the information adduced was reliable and substantially correct ; and to place on record the opinions of the great majority of the inhabitants of the town and district, who had already signed 'the petition : praying for Separation, adopted the following resolution, proposed by Mr Fisher and seconded by Mr Evans. :— " That this committee condemns in the strongest terms the action taken by the Nelson Provincial Executive, and more especially by Mr Greenfield, theProvin-'---cial Secretary, in attempting to" stifle the expression, of public opinion, on the part of the inhabitants of the Nelson SouthWest Gold Fields, as contained in their petition for separation, by employing persons and paying a ipremium to obtain signatures to a counter petition." The Anti-Separation Petition, which has been guarded with so much attempted secrecy on the Coa3t, appears in the advertising columns of the three Nelson papers. The following is a copy :— PETITION AGAINST THE DISMEMBERMENT * OF THE PROVINCE. To the honorable the House of Representatives of- the Colony of New Zealand, . in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the Province of Nepon. Respectfully Showeth — That your petitioners are informed that it is intended to introduce to your honorable House a measure for the division of the Province of Nelson into two Provinces, or to take away a large portion of the Province in order to add the same to the County of Westland. That your petitioners believe that any such alteration would inevitably lead to large increase in the departmental expenditure now found sufficient for the Government of the Province, and to a corresponding diminution in the., funds now available for public works, education, and other important purposes. That your petitioners further believe that the result of any such measure would be financial embarrassment in both portions of the territory proposed to be divided, to the almost total discontinuance of public works, to the suspension of permanent settlement on the gold fields now steadily going on, and to great discouragement to the cause of education.That your petitioners also submit to your honorable House that a great injury would be inflicted upon the South- Western portion of the Province by separating it from, -.a Province almost free from debt, in order to give it to, a County "involved in very heavy liabilities, which its resources have already proved insufficient to sustain. -

Your petitioners believe, also that good government is not so likely to obtain amongst a community whose pursuits are almost entirely of pne character, whether those pursuits be purely mining, pastoral, or agricultural, as amongst a community whoso pursuits comprise a fair admixture of all three, as is the case in the existing Province of Nelson. ° Your peti -oners therefore pray that yonrhonoral. House will not pass any measure for tne division of the Province of Nelson into two provinces, or for the alteration of its existing boundaries. And your petitioners will ever pray, i &Q.,&G. ..■;■■■ " •/; v „;,■■.;• ..'