PUBLIC MEETING AT BLENHEIM.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 126, 18 July 1868, Page 5

PUBLIC MEETING AT BLENHEIM.

A public meeting, called by the Opawa Broach Committee, took place in the Provincial Hall on Wednesday last. There was a fair attendance.

S. L. Muller, Esq., took the chair, and opened the proceedings by stating that the Committee had inspected the Breach, and that the plan proposed at a previous meeting had not been considered an advisable one. - He would remark that a great feeling of depression seemed to exist on account of the state of the country from these overflows. Some talked about leaving the province. To him’ things appeared not so black. Their state at present was certainly not conducive to prosperity or comfort, hut lie could not give in that the province of Marlborough was ruined. Other provinces had suffered worse. Ho had asked parties where they would go. It certainly could not be to Otago, to better themselves, for the floods in Dunedin had exceeded ours. In the Taieri and Molynenx they had been much worse. Here there had been no loss of life, but in the Taieri there was, besides a great deal of property being destroyed. He traced some of their despondency to the way they had been brought up. The province of Nelson and others were promoted by the New Zealand Company. They sold land in England, and had schemes of roads, schools, Ac., being provided for the settlers, so that when they should come out, they would require to do nothing for themselves. Many would bear him out in the fallacy that this was. When the New Zealand Company collapsed, provincial governments were established, and local governments spent money upon roads, bridges, schools, Ac. ; but this was so no longer, and they had to face things as men, and see what could be done. In America, 200 years ago, there had been a splendid example for their imitation. A few New Plymouth settlers landed on a rock : they went there to protect themselves. They fell on a barren deserted spot, and had to struggle against hostile natives, but they persevered, and now the United States were immense in power, and destined to influence the rest of the world veiy extensively. Here, with only a small flood to contend with, it wanted only some spirit. The men here from the United Kingdom, were the same men, and could do similardeeds as the settlers he had alluded to. It had come to that now that they had to work, and go manfully at it. If they couldn’t do it they might give up the name of British. The scheme to be proposed to-day would give them power to work. At last meeting a subscription was proposed, and although he was not enamoured of the system of voluntary contributions, yet as a mere temporary expedient it was worthy of support if an efficient purpose could be gained. After due examination, it was considered that the work would have to be of a more formidable character than suggested ; and that it would be. necessary to get an Act passed by which they might levy rates and carry out the work properly. If they acted with energy no doubt they would vanquish the common enemy. They must not be all divided, like the sticks in the fable, so that they could easily be broken, but combining they wouldhave great strength. (Applause.) Mr. H. Dodson, (Chairman of the late committee,) said he had listened with a great deal of pleasure to the remarks that had fallen from the chairman of the meeting, showing what had been done by settlers in another place, and deducing from., what had been gone through in more hostile circumstances, what they might do. He believed a step was being taken in the right direction. The committee had visited and considered the Breach, and it was planned that each district should contribute a certain proportion of the amount to be raised, but it was seen that considerable difficulties would come in the way of effecting the purpose intended. They had come to the conclusion that it would be better to ask the Government to get a bill passed. The memorial, as published in th q Express last week, and now submitted for their approval, was hastily drawn up merely as a sort of basis. He would himself suggest amendments upon some of its defects, which after reflection, in individual opinion, had

occurred to him. Instead of the Governor he thought the memorial ought to be addressed to the House of Assembly. The mode of rating might be altered. It was Is. per acre on country lauds, and 12s 6d. in the £IOO on town properties, including all buildings and improvements thereon. He never thought that would be fair to the town, or desirable, but be wished the town to meet the country in a liberal spirit. On more mature consideration, he thought the lands in the town should be rated as they were by the late Town hoard. For an acre in the country, a similar sum should be paid for every £5 worth of land held by the Town. He believed that would raise a sum larger than would be required in one year. This was valuing the country land at £5 an acre on an average. The Town Board assessed the town lauds at the value of £40,090, but as it was not proposed to include the whole of the previous boundaries, it would, under this Act, reach a value of £35,000. Blenheim was not so subject to these floods as to those of the Oraaka and the Taylor. Of course the town suffered a drawback to its prosperity. The Breach stoppage would benefit the country far more than the town. He thought an ad valorem tax would not answer. The most useless lands were those most affected by the floods. He could not see that improvements should be taxed for purposes of this kind. At first it was held that a larger area should be included than was now proposed. The line would not extend beyond the Wairau river on the North. If by protective works they closed the Opawa river, other acts could be considered and obtained for further extension, but at present they had only a dim recollection of the difference before the Breach became what it is. There were reasons why they should go to the General Government, for virtually there was no Provincial Government that could deal with it, or if they did, their act would be disallowed. He would refrain from assert ing a claim upon the Provincial Government for any Acts ; but it seemed to him that the Government evinced a want of sympathy and care in the matter of the Breach. No steps had been taken, for much might have been done by their officers in the matter of surveys and professional opinion, and they might have procured information of the character of like works that had been carried out in other provinces. They were not called upon to consider any plan that it might be desirable to adopt at the Breach. They had first to raise the money under an Act, and then after collecting information from other provinces, and procuring a plan from some one experienced in such matters, cany it out. He was desirous of consulting the meeting in regard to the boundaries. Meantime he would put to the meeting the several clauses of the memorial.

Mr. Collie rose to propose an amendment.

The Chairman ruled that he had no proposition before him, and he would request Mr. Dodson to submit his in writing. Mr. Dodson proposed the following resolution : “ That it is desirable to memorialize the General Assembly to pass an Act for the purpose of preventing the Overflow at the Opawa Breach.” Seconded by Mr. McArtney. Mr. Collie proposed his amendment: — “ That the Memorial be not put until some expression of opinion has been given by the meeting as to the course to be adopted, consequent on the failure of the Committee to carry out the previous resolutions.” —He really felt an amount of reluctance to stand forward and occupy the attention of the meeting ; but he believed that when any one had something material to suggest, it was a duty, and in a matter of such moment as this, a sacred duty for him to do so. He believed that if they left the matter to the General Government considerable delay would take place, and the matter not be attended to in time at all; whereas if they had a draft of a Bill prepared and forwarded to their representative, that he might use his best endeavours to have the same passed through the Legislature, they were certain of having it quickly and surely done. Even were this done, it would be some time before any Act could be brought into operation, and it was not advisable that they should leave themselves at the mercy of the inundations in the meantime. A great deal of damage was being done to the fields and roads, and banks of the rivers, and it was impossible to say when through continued neglect the floods might in increased volume at any time not only destroy much property but take away life itself. Something of a temporary nature ought to be done at once by subscriptions, or'otherwise to attempt a diversion of the water into the proper channel by making a cutting,

and throwing the shingle in the mouth of the Opawa. (Applause.)

Mr. John T. Robinson seconded the amendment pro forma. He thought that a failure would ensue to any system of voluntary contributions. Those that gave in {the first place would be called on to make up all deficiencies as well. He would speak to the memorial, which was the most extraordinary document ever printed in the Southern hemisphere. They had left their Chairman to move its adoption, and public feeling had already caused him to modify it considerably. Pie had no confidence in gentlemen who brought in three or four schedules in as many weeks. Ile would not place confidence in them to carry out any other object. It was necessary that a measure should be sent up, but after it had been maturely considered by the inhabitants, the taxation should be on an equal basil. He did not believe in taxing real prop Tty, only land ; but at a late meeting his townsmen were in favour of taxing all property, and he would bow to that, and go in with them upon that principle, but treat country and town alike. Pie thought if they were assessed so much in the pound, it would be a rate of lid. in the pound; at so much an acre it would not be fair. Some sections might be worth £2,000, and another only £l5O. Was it fair and just that these should pay an equal amount to the rate. The Chairman had stated that many had pet ideas of their own, but he was willing to go into any Committee for drawing out an Act, but the whole principles of the Bill should be embodied before he assented to be taxed. Better spend a week before an Act went away than be taxed, perhaps for years unjustly. The Committee should get no person to draft an Act they had no confidence in. (Applause.) Mr. Sinclair rose and said they had all one object at heart, and that was to stop a wide spread evil. Nothing was under control if they chose to fold their arms and not put their shoulder to the wheel. He would support the sending of a memorial. The Chairman said the amendment could not be put as an amendment to the motion. Mr. Collie admitted that, but sad that the amendment was proposed at the time Mr. Dodson was going to put the clauses of the memorial to the meeting. Pie would withdraw it as the resolution now stood. The Chairman then put the resolution, which was passed unanimously. Mr. Sinclair would propose another motion—“ That a memorial be forwarded in reference to the Taylor and Ornakaj rivers.” The Bill would have to go through the same forms. The motion was not seconded. Mr. Dodson proposed that the following be a form of memorial to the House of Assembly, to deal with the matter in question : “To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Colony of New Zealand in Parliament assembled. “ The Petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the Wairau Plain, in the Province of Marlborough, in the said Colony, “ Humbly Sheweth, — “That your petitioners are owners and occupiers of land in the Wairau district, engaged in various industrial pursuits. “That the lower portion of the Wairau Plain, contains about sixty thousand acres of agricultural land. v “ That the richest portion of this land is situated in the delta of the Wairau Hiver, bounded on the North by the River Wairau ; on the South by the River Opawa, which diverges from the Wairau at about 16 miles from the sea. “ That the channel of the River Wairau is of sufficient width and depth to contain the river at ordinary times, and in ordinary freshes, although it overflows its banks occasionally in extreme floods, such as occur frequently in winter “ That on the other hand the channel of the Opawa, although of sufficient capacity to afford considerable relief in carrying off the waters of the Wairau in extreme floods is so ranch narrower than that of the Wairau, as to be quite unsuited for a permanent river channel, as it is liable to overflow its banks from a slight accession of water in ordinary freshes, such as would but make little impression in the Wairau River, “That during the last few years the deep channels of the river have become so altered by the gradual rising of the shingle, that the main body of water now flows down the Opawa channel at ordinary times, leaving the Wairau channel dry, and that the least fresh in the parent river is sufficient to cause the Opawa channel to overflow its banks for several miles, inundating large portions of the richest land, through an area of about 28,000 acres, including the Town of Blenheim.

“ That the.river being liable to such freshes at any time throughout the year, the inundations caused thereby prevent the growing of all crops, besides doing considerable damage’ to pasture lands, and very materially injuring many miles of road throughout the district. “That your petitioners are satisfied that, by protective works carefully maintained, the deep channels of the Opawa Biver at its head may be so far closed as to prevent material injury from frequent and slight freshes, at an expense completely justified by the large benefits which

would accrue therefrom to the whole district in question. “ That your petitioners are willing to be rated for the purpose of such works as aforesaid. “That in the year 18(53, the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the province passed an Act, intituled ‘ An Act to provide means for the erection of works at the Opawa Breach,” but which said Act has been inoperative, and which your petitioners believe to be unsuited to the province, while at the same time it is matter of doubt whether it is competent for the Superintendent and Provincial Council to grant some of the powers in the said Act contained, and for the purposes of the Act required. “Your petitioners are of opinion that it is necessary that the owners and occupiers of land interested should be authorised by an Act of the General Assembly to appoint a Board of Commissioners, entrusted with powers enabling them to construct such protective or other works as may be expedient for the purpose of preventing the injuries arising from the overflow of the Wairau, Opawa, and Omaka Rivers, and to levy such rates upon the lands and other property as may be necessary, and also to raise loans on security of such rates. “Therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your honorable House will be pleased to pass a Hill for the purposes aforesaid. “And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.” —ln justification of his dissenting from the plan of Mr. Robinson, he was not for taxing improvements for simple drainage. He was not for taxing improvements, for lands of least value were most benefited; he was not for taking isolated instances to show a rule. No Act could bear equitably upon every one. They proposed draining low lands and making them of extra value. Let them not think the country people would agree to a general property tax. He thought the town should meet the country in a spirit of concession. It would be of more consequence to them if they lost the country than for the country to lose the town. [Mr. Rob ins ox : We would be no worse off than they are.] The boundaries should bo left to a committee for the purpose. Exception had been taken to their publishing a memorial one day, and altering it the next; but he would freely say that he would at any time depart from his first position if a better could be shown. They had published a memorial merely as a basis to be considered. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Henderson said he felt particularly chafed that day. Some people came forward, but when called to do anything, very -generally shrunk , off their duties. No sooner did one or two go into the gap than a whole lot of the public pounced on them ■ accusing them of working for their own benefit and no others. They took trouble on the first occasion when few did anything, and although he had not much time to devote, he attended to this matter when others did not. Now there was something to begin upon. He was annoyed that persons should get up, and others back them, to find fault, and cast opprobrium upon those persons who had done the best they could. He would be glad if those individuals, who, instead of being absorbed in reading a book, study statistics in an evening, would come forward, for he would gladly hand over such hard working business to them. When these folks came and said so and so were not the people they would trust to prepare anything, he felt annoyed and could only say let such statisticians come and do it themselves. He would support Mr. Dodson’s motion, and he was happy the disputed clauses were set aside. He. himself did not care much about the mode of rating; these things generally got right. He was willing to pay even more than many, rather than the matter should be set aside. (Applause.) Mr. Collie proposed an amendment—- “ That a Committee be appointed to cause a Draft Bill to be prepared and sent to our Representative in the Assembly, with a request that he would use his best endeavors to get the same passed through the House of Representatives.” Mr. George Dodson seconded. Mr. Collie upon further consideration modified the amendment to the effect that the Bill should be drawn up in Wellington under Mr. Eye’s supervision, and ultimately withdrew the amendment upon an understanding with Mr, Dodson that he would embody it in another proposition. The proposition was then put and carried. Mr. H. Dodson proposed that clause 12, which was as follows, be referred to a Committee; — “ That for the purpose of raising the necessary funds, your petitioners are of opinion that an Acreage rate should be levied on the country lands within the boundaries set forth in the annexed schedule, not exceeding one shilling per acre in any one year, and upon the town lands within the boundaries set forth in the schedule, a rate not exceeding in any one year the sum of one shilling for every five pounds worth of such lands.” ’ .. ' ' , —Such Committee to consist of, — “ Messrs. F. Busch, F. J. Litchfield, G. Dodson, A. Dobson, J. T, Robinson, C. Eyles, J. F. Hathaway, A. M ‘Callum, T, Wall, Q. Redwood, Joseph Redwood, B. Bomford, H. Turton, W. Collie, and the mover, to fix on the mode of rating, and the boundaries, and submit the same

to a public meeting ; and to confer with Mr. Eyes, requesting that he would cause a bill to be drafted and put' before the House of Representatives as early as possible.” Mr. McHutcheson seconded. Carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Dodson, a vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman for his patience and good sense exercised during the many interruptions of the meeting. Before dispersing several gentlemen, including Mr. Litchfield, Mr. Paul, &c., expressed an opinion of the necessity for something being done in the meantime, and that subscriptions would be more readily forthcoming if parties could be assured of being credited with the amounts out of future rates. It was considered that in a matter of that sort, they would have to trust to the fairness and good feeling of the future office - holders under the A ct. The meeting then dispersed.