LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 82, 31 July 1852, Page 7

LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

A Genera] Meeting of this Society took place on Wednesday evening, to receive the Eeport of the Committee appointed to consider Sir George Grey's proposition, and also to hear the Rev. Mr. Paul's lecture on the Reformation. The meeting1 was very numerously attended. Mr. Godley took the chair at 7 o'clock, when a proposition to alter Rule 8 was proposed and adopted, that the News-Room be opened from 10 a.m., instead of 7 p.m. as heretofore. Mr. Birch was then called upon by the Chairman, and read the following report of the Committee on the Provincial Councils' Ordinance. " Gentlemen, —The Committee appointed by, you to consider the Provincial Councils' Ordinance,* and the late proposition of the Governor-in-Chief, have the honour to lay before you the following report. " They .do wot think it necessary at present to enter at length into the arguments for regarding the Ordinance in question as illusory and inadequate. Upon this point they have been anticipated by the Christchurch Colonists' Society, which has published a very able and exhaustive report on the subject, and they consider it would be mere waste of time to travel over the same ground again. They have accordingly appended the report in question to their own, and content themselves with adopting generally the statements and views contained in it. " Assuming then that the Ordinance is bad, and that the real question for the people to decide is, how it may most effectually be opposed and defeated, your Committee proceed to offer their advice as to the practical course which, in their opinion, ought to be pursued. In the first place, however, it. is necessary for them to inform you that two important circumstances have occurred since they were appointed. The first is the arrival of a Blue Book, containing a despatch from Lord Grey, in which he acknowledges the receipt of the Draft Ordinance, and signifies his intention of disallowing it. The second is the elapse of the 9th of July without so far as is known the issue of the writs :

although the 17th clause expressly enacts that 'he writs shall issue within twelve months after the passing of the bill ; that is, within twelve months after July 9th, 1851. Under these circumstances it appears nearly certain that the Ordinance is mere waste paper, and that no further steps will be taken 30 carry it into effect. Now, such being the case, it would appear to follow that we ought to take no more trouble about the matter; that we should refuse to become parties to a measure which we believe to be illegal as well as unreal; in short, that we should abstain from registering. And to this effect would have been the advice of your Committee had this Settlement alone been in question. They believe the feeling of indifference anH dislike with which the measure is regarded here to be so nearly universal, that it would be quite possible to defeat its operation by simple abstinence, even if it should turn out to be valid and good in law. If so, they conceive opposition by abstinence would be the more dignified and effective course.

"But this settlement does not stand alone. It is only one out of four settlements, constituting the Province of New Munster, and does not contain more than one-fourth of the population of the Province. It is not possible for us to consider our position apart from that of our neighbours. Where, as in New Zealand, the Government is on one side and the people on the other, it especially behoves the people not to suffer themselves to be divided. Their only chance is union. If they allow themselves to exhibit disunion upoii details, a pretext is left for the assertion that they are not agreed upon principles; and the moral power of their opposition, that is the power on which they mutt mainly rely, is proportionally weakened. Again, to look at the matter in a more directly practical point of view. If we abstain and they register, the result will be not that the Ordinance will be defeated, but that if it be brought into operation, the popular party will be weakened in a ratio proportioned to the strength which we could send them, while the moral effect of our abstinence would be obscured, if not annihilated.

" Your Committee have accordingly considered, that their first duty was to ascertain what the people of the other Settlements were actually doing with reference to this question ; so that, in any advice which they might offer they should be guided by a full consideration of the case, as it affects the whole Colony. The result of these inquiries is this, —the people of every other Settlement, without exception, are registering. The arguments used for this course are to the following effect. The highest line, say its advocates, would be to abstain, the safest is to register. It is just possible that Lord Grey, notwithstanding his declared intention to disallow the Ordinance, may have been prevailed upon by subsequent dispatches from the Governor, to confirm it. It is just possible that, although we do not know that the writs were issued within the prescribed time, they may have been so issued without our knowledge ; issue and publication being not necessarily identical or even simultaneous. At any rate it is best to guard against the remote chance of the Ordinance, being, even illegally, forced into operation, as we cannot tell whether even avowed illegality might not be cured through the instrumentality of Parliament. Now if by any means legal or illegal, the Ordinance be enforced, it is better that the people should be prepared to work it, or at least to prevent their opponents from working it. In all the Settlements there will be some, (a small minority perhaps, but still some,) who will go with the Governor against the people. Such men -will register at all events. But it is not desirable,that such men should be allowed to confer even the name of the people's Representatives. It is not desirable that they should he enabled to contribute even the outward semblance of popular sanction to a policy which the people repudiate. It is better that a bad system should be worked by good men than by bad men ; and the most effectual means of neutralizing the obnoxious Ordinance is by keeping the working of it in our own hands. " Such is the reasoning employed by men who, while they condemn the Ordinance, yet obey the invitation to register. " Your Committee do not think it necessary to inquire what might be said on the ocher side of the question. It is sufficient to know that the great majority of the inhabitants of the Colony are acting on these views, and that they appeal to you for your support in the common cause. On this ground alone your Committee recommend you to register. The manner iv which, after registering, the unconstitutional provisions of ths Ordinance may be best opposed will be matter for subsequent consideration. " Although it is not strictly speaking with the province of the Committee, they have thought it may be of service to conclude this Report by a statement of the Qualification, the possession "of which will entitle persons to have their names placed on the registry. The Electors are to be of three classes : Freeholders, Leaseholders, and -Householders. " (1.) Freeholders of real property of the value of £5Q and upwards, of which they have been pos-

sessed, for six months prior to the date of this registration, that is, ever since the 10th of last February.

" (2.) Leaseholders of real property of the annual value of jjglO and upwards, held upon a lease of which three years after the 10th of August next are still unexpired ; or upon a lease three years of which are already expired. " (3.) Occupiers of any tenement, of which they shall have been in the occupation ever since the 10th of February last, the annual value of which, if situated in the Towns of Lyttelton or Christ, church is £10, or, if situated without those townsof £5. " Your Committee hope that every man in the Settlement who can establish a claim under either of these classes, will lose no time in placing his name on the registry." John Birch. Wm. Donald. (Signed) iJ. T. Cookson. C. J. Reader. James Edward Fitzgerald. Mr. Allwright, after briefly expressing his concurrence in the Report, moved— " That the recommendation contained in the Report be adopted, and that a Committe be appointed, consisting of the Committee who drew up the Report, with the addition of the following gentlemen, Mr. Alport, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. P. Smith, and Mr. Genet, who shall take steps for facilitating the registration of the people of this town and neighbourhood." Seconded by Mr. Richard Davis, and carried unanimously, amid general applause. Dr. Donald read the report of the Committee upon the formation of a Choral Class, which was adopted. Mr. Godley then vacated the chair to the Rev. Mr. Paul, who gave his promised lecture on the Reformation of the 16th century in Germany. The Lecturer gave a concise summary of events from the birth of Christianity to the advent of Martin Luther, entering very fully into the character and proceedings of the celebrated Reformer. As we hope to he able in our next to give a detailed report of this interesting Lecture, we refrain at present from adding more, save that it gave great satisfaction, and was highly relished by a very attentive audience. The thanks of the Meeting were extended to the Rev. Lecturer, and the company dispersed.