INDIGNATION MEETINGS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 206, 30 August 1881, Page 2

INDIGNATION MEETINGS.

WAKEFIELD

A numerously attended meeting was bald at the Chcral Hall last night when, on the motion of Mr Painton seconded by Mr W. Fail-ball, Mr Joshua Bird took the chair. Mr Bird in opening the proceedings urged those present to combine together against the common enemy, for he considered the Government was their enemy, as far as regards the Redistribution of Seats Bill. He hoped they would combine unanimously to support the Nelson members in the very unequal and uphill fight they were now engaged in.

Mr E. jßaigent, &s one of the conveners of the meeting, explained that himself and Mr Painton had taken upon themselveß to call the present meeting because they bad been so taken aback and alarmed at the proposition of the Government to coerce the House into passing the Bill. He thought they had a great duty to perform that evening, and he quite concurred in the remarks made by Mr Bird in referencs to the importance of their being unanimousin supporting their members iv the House, and in encourgaing them to continue their resistance to the Bill.

Mr D. Price said he had great pleasure in proposing the following resolution which had been placed in his hands:— "That in the opinion of this meeting tbe Redistribution of Seats Bill now before Parliament is unjuat and objectionable in the extreme, and that it is the duty of the Nelson people to encourage their members to eontinuo to resist it in every constitutional way they can, and that with this object in view, this meeting hereby expresses its entire approval of tbe action taken by them in the determined opposition they have offered to the said Bill."

Mr Sam,uel Baigent briefly Beconded the resolution, and Mr Fittall said in support of it that he looked upon this as a life and death struggle we were engaged in, and it seemed to him that our enemies were not satisfied with the numeroua injustices we had suffered in the past but that they now wanted to stamp ut out altogether. While the other Provinces had been going enormously into debt for public worki Nelson adhered to tbe policy of keeping out of debt —wisely or not he did not say— but they had now to pay their full share of the wanton expenditure iv the other Provinces. The great injustice of this was acknowledged by the Stafford Government who offered to compensate Nelson by giving them the lump sum of £00,000. But the money was never paid.

The resolution was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously.

Mr Painton proposed " That this meeting views with alarm the introduction by Ministers of the " cloture ;'' that in no case could such n course be justified, where the inhabitants are a law-abiding and peaceful community, and if the present Government cannot conduct the business of the country without resorting to coercive measures for depriving the people of the liberty of debate it is high time other men took their place." He had much pleasure iv moving the resolution that he had just read to them, as he considered that it was a most important one, and he felt quite sure that it would be earned unanimously. It seemed to him (Mr Painton) that the Government desired to reduce them to the position of the little island at home that was now bordering on a state of rebellion. There was no doubt in his mind that this Ptedistribution of Seats Bill, was all settled at the caucus of Canterbury and Otago members which took place about a month ago. This was when the mischief was done, and the battle they had to fight Was a battle to prevent them being stamped out altogether. He thought John Hall and party had done good service to the country

a3 regarded finance, but he for one was quite prepared to carry out the resolution he had just read to the bitter end, and turn them out if they persisted in their attempts to pass this Bill.

Mr W. Fairhall seconded the resolution. Mr Lightband then came forward to support the resolution, and said there could be no Question aboat the importance of this meeting, for meetings were being held in so many other places in iTelson on the same subject. He said he quite concurred in the resolutions that had been passed, and the present occasion reminded him of tho nafae we bore in memory of the great Lord Nelson, who called upon those under him " this day to do their duty," and he was glad to see our representatives,- and the people, too, were quite ready to do their doty, and were doing v in a way that was surprising the colony, for he was glad to say the Kelson people were anything but asleep. Our geographies! position and many other considerations Btlch as Nelson's fine climate, splendid harbor, furnishing as it did a harbor of refuge in all weathers, and its undeveloped mineral resources had been entirely overlooked in this

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