Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, 18th APRIL, 1867. THE NORTHERN ASSOCIATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 471, 18 April 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.

THURSDAY, 18th APRIL, 1867. THE NORTHERN ASSOCIATION.

“ Nullius addict us jurare in verba viagisiri .”

Election matters in the neighboring province of Auckland seems to have revivified, at least for a time, a political organisation that we had believed had died out and should have been heard of no more. Our files per Lord Ashley inform us that a meeting of the Council of the above association was held on the afternoon of the 12th instant, at which an auditor’s report :was submitted, and a draft report of its proceedings, intended to be presented to a public meeting to be held at a future date, was read by the secretarv.

By the auditors report it appears that, after paying all expenses, the association has in hand a balance of £lO ss. 10d„ the receipts being pul down at £163 11s. 4d. The draft report of the secretarv refers to the fact that at the last elections for the Provincial Council and the General Assembly, the question of insular separation was made a special I point, inasmuch as it issued an address

to the various constituencies recommending that a pledge of unanimity of

action should be taken from each candidate, and that, with but one exception, such pledge was given. That in addition, through the exer-

tions of the association, various petitions were presented to Her Majesty, to both houses of the Imperial Parliament, and to the House of Representatives. That a London committee was formed, provided with a full statement of the Auckland case for circulation amongst the members of Parliament. That a special effort was made to induce the Imperial Government to send out a Commission of Inquiry, but without success, further than that the Council are assured that the Imperial Government will be willing to ratify such change in the constitution of the colony as may be recommended by the General As sembly. The report further informs us that the chairman of the association convened a meeting of the electors of the Franklin district, to consider the course taken by their representative in failing to vote with his colleagues in the House of Representatives. That his conduct was disapproved of, and himself requested to resign his seat, but that he failed to comply with such request.

We are next informed of a change in the policy of the association, whereas during its first year of existence it did not attempt to define any boundaries for the proposed Northern Colony, leaving it to the other three provinces of the Northern Island whether they would unite with Auckland or not. During the past year the persistent opposition of the representatives of those provinces to the scheme has removed any sufficient reason that may have existed for such policy, and establishedthe necessity of soliciting the co operation of the Southern Island in obtaining insular separation.

la accordance with the above change of policy, a series of resolutions were adopted by the Council, and forwarded to their representatives, then at Wellington, who accordingly met, and after considering them, decided to move in the matter, and recommended the Council not to call public meetings on this or other questions during their absence, hence the Council have abstained from further agitation for the present on the subject of insular separation.