PUBLIC MEETING TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE ALL BUILDINGS ERECTED ON PUBLIC RESERVES.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue I, 30 April 1842, Page 30

PUBLIC MEETING TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE ALL BUILDINGS ERECTED ON PUBLIC RESERVES.

In accordance with an advertisement in our last number, emanating from some of the land proprietors and land agents, a Public Meeting 1 was held for the above purpose on Tuesday evening last at Miller's Tavern. P. Vallk, Esq., in the Chair. Mr. Young rose, and, previous to moving the first resolution, enlarged at some length on the injustice done to those ,'who had purchased land by the Government suffering the ground set aside as reserves to be taken by any person who pleased to erect a house thereon. By such a proceeding private rights were seriously affected, and a great wrong inflicted on individuals. It was true that he had learned from Mr. Thompson that he had warned most .of those who had so built their houses to leave, and that gentleman had also informed him that he had endeavoured to prevent others from squatting on reserves. But as there were still a number of persons who had shown no disposition to remove, he considered it the duty of the land proprietors, the representatives of absent proprietors, and the public generally, to pass such a series of resolutions as shall mark their sense of any compromise of so great a principle. Mr. Young then moved the first resolution, which was to the effect that Government be petitioned immediately Ifligaaaife' all DU %m^ erected on public reWvloSSjjr* •" ~ .' • -*V Mr. Patcbstt seconded the above, and stated that after the observations made by the gentleman who hail moved the resolution, it .was unnecessary for him to say more than that he fully concurred in the whole of his remarks. Mr. Bungatk rose and enlarged at some length on the hardship to which the labouring classes would be subjected if the resolution just moved should be carried into effect. He had been told that he was liable to have hiß house pulled down at a moment's notice — this was most cruel, as on his arrival in the colony

he was informed that he was at perfect liberty to erect it wherever he pleased, and that for two years no rent would be expected. At that period he had no knowledge of what portion of the site of the town was intended for reserves, and after an expenditureof time and t money of great moment to him, he considered the obje'et contemplated by the gentlemen calling this meeting a most unjust one.

One of the men who came out with the preliminary expedition here stated that he had been distinctly assured by the New Zealand Company's agent in London, that lodgings would be provided for them for two years, and that the barracks was intended especially for that purpose." On then* arrival here, however, they found they had to build houses for themselves, which, in the expectation of being joined in a short time by their wives and families, they willingly did, in order that they might have a home ready for them -on their arrival. In fixing tra the spot on which to srect their cottages, they had been determined only by considering which would be the most convenient situation. If they Were on what is now considered to be reserves, the fault was not theirs. He therefore thought that, after the promise they had received, it was a most unfair , proceeding to require them at this early period to pull down their houses and erect fresh ones on land for which exorbitant rents were, demanded.

Dr. Monro considered it would be raaaifestly unjust towards the men who formed the preliminary expedition, and who had been promised either a free lodging or the liberty of squatting for two years, to be nqw compelled to pull down the houses they had erected. He would therefore move as an amendment that an exemption be made in their favour.

Seconded by Mr. Seymour.

Mr. Kimo said that, although not one of those who formed the preliminary- expedition, he nevertheless felt the hardship of being called* on to pull down his house, the erection of whic'i had cost him great .labour and expense, with i a so short a time after its erection. If he li.ul built on reserved land the fault was not his, for on inquiring on landing where he could put a house up, he was told that he might do so wherever he pleased, and that for two years no rent would be charged. He would therefore move* as an amendment, that all squatters shall remain undisturbed for two years. Seconded by some one whose name we did not learn.

Mr. Young considered 'that if a promise had been made to any individuals that theyshould have land rent free for two years, they were fairly entitled to compensation ; but, it must be from those who had made them the promise, and not from the land proprietors.

Mr. Dufpey saw no reason why the land set.. aside as reserves should not be rented until required by the Corporation for public purposes. The fund thus raised might be laid out in improvements, and would save some local taxation. As the large majority of landowners were absentees, he considered the residents of Nelson quite justified in availing themselves of such a fund, in the advantages of which all land proprietors might alike participate if they would come and settle among us.

Mr. King again rose, and strongly condemned the resolution moved.. He could not see the justice, of the land proprietors forcing people off the reserves on to their own acres, and at the same time charging such exorbitant rents. In the present infancy -of the colony the rents asked were most extravagant, and the labouring classes would be highly to blame to accede to them; more particularly when they saw two of the gentlemen now so anxious to force labouring men off the reserves, in order that they might let their town acres at , excessive high rents, building their own houses, and thus depriving the labouring classes of that employment which they might reasonably have expected.' By such proceedings, men who expected employment from private individuals were compelled to seek it from the Company. Mr. King concluded by asking the conveners of the meeting on what principle of justice their proceedings were grounded. <

Mr. GfcAHAM inquired whether Mr. King was a landholder, and, on being answered in the negative, said he would, on the part of the landholders, endeavour to reply to the question that had been just put by that person. v Mr. Graham continued — You emigrants are aware, I suppose, that 75 per cent, of the purchase money paid by us for our land was laid, out in bringing you here, and that the principal inducement held out to us by the New Zealand Company was the speedy return of our capital in the shape of rent fervour town acres. How, then, are we to be remunerated for our outlay of capital, if we allow you .to squat on Government reserves ? Mr. Hicton said that, as far as he was concerned, he felt himself under no obligation to the land proprietors for the expenditure of 75 per cent, out of their purchase money. The treatment of the emigrants on board the Bolton was euchv that for no consideration would he again urafergo the like.-. Jfhe landowners had lay ois4|jeir shilEngfont it was onfy'witn a vievrof Ifjeeiving eighteen-pence in exchange. If the landowners would expend more capital, the labourers would freely pay reasonable rents. Mr. James Elliott said he wished to make a few remarks on some expressions which bad been made use of by Mr. Graham. That gentleman, in reply to a previous speaker, had undertaken to snow the justice of tins attempt of the landowners to eject men from cottages built by themselves, and in the erection of which many of these men had expended the whole of the little property they possessed on being landed in this settlement. But how had he proceeded

.to show the justice of this attempt ? By telling you that 75 per cent, of the money paid in London for lands in this settlement had been expended in sending you out here; and by asking you in what way the landowners were to be remunerated for this outlay of their capital if you did not rent their town acres. Gentlemen, in my humble opinion, Mr. Graham has wholly misconceived the intentions of the New Zealand Company in thus expending so large a portion of the sums paid for land in their settlements. If lam not mistaken, you > were sent here — not as bought slaves, but as free men — to enable these mighty landowners to avail themselves of your labour in the cultivation of their sections, and thus render them' really valuable. This would, undoubtedly, be a mutual benefit. But it appears that Mr. Graham and his colleagues have taken a different view of the matter; and would persuade you that it is for your benefit as well as theirs that you should, by paying them exorbitant rents, enable them to realize, by letting their town acres only, five or six times the sum they originally paid for their sections of 201 acres each. Some gentleman has denied that this is the case. But I assure this meeting that 1 know a gentleman who has so laid out bis town acre that he expects to realize £1,800 by * it — six times the sum he paid for his 201 aoes. Let not working men, therefore, suppose t hat this meeting was called with an intention to benefit them : depend upon it, those who convened it had no other object in view than to extract money from the pockets of thosv, whom they expected to cajole. Mr. Young rose to correct an error which the meeting had fallen into respecting the amount of the purchase money set auart for an emigration fund. It was 50 instead of 75 per cent. Mr. Jenkins, to show his desire to give employment, stated that almost immediately on hia arrival he had commenced 'brick-burning; and understanding there were several bricklayers in the colony,- he had determined to let his acre only to such persons as would undertake t j erect brick houses on it. JRy this means he hoped to give immediate employment to bricklayers at their own trade, as well as to carpenters, for brick houses, from the more substantial manner in which they were built, would require as much carpenter's work to render them complete as many of the wood houses. Dr, Monro again rose to observe that it appeared to him that the labouring classes were impressed with the idea that their interests were' opposed to those of the land proprietors. ' Now this was quite erroneous ; for, should the land proprietors be deprived of the return of capital in the shape of rent, which they might reasonably expect, they would be unable to give employment to the labouring classes, and the consequence would be that all alike would be injured. Mr. Hicton (we believe, for the confusion was. becoming great) siiid that he, as well as others were most anxious to put up their houses on ground to which they had some legal claim, by lease or otherwise; but at present it was impossible to do so. The few proprietors now in the colony were asking from ten to twentyshillings per foot irontage, and at the same time required that, only substantial wood or brick buildings should be erected. On the other hand, agents for absent proprietors "had no power to let for more than one year, until they had communicated with their principals at home. The working man could not comply 1 with the tevms of the one, as it exceeded his means to erect a house of the description required ; nor would he be so foolish as to make an agreement with the other, for in less than twelve monthshe might bo. again compelled to remove, and again sacrifice all the. labour bestowed on his ■house and the ground which he had cleared for cultivation. Mr. Gb eaves endeavoured to show that the practice of squatting on reserves was fraught with injustice, and instanced the presumed case of two persons in the same business, one paying rent ami the other living rent free; it was impossible, under such circumstances, that there could be a fair competition. And again, the public would suffer great inconvenience by the . streets and roads being blocked up by some of the houses now standing, unless they were, immediately pulled down. Mr. Clarke thought the object of the meeting unjust. The greater number of those whose houses were now sought to be removed were agricultural labourers, men who had no expectation of remaining in the town of Nelson, but ■\\ ho expected,as soon as the accommodation land was given out, to remove into the district now being surveyed for that purpose. Under these circumstances it was too bad, after' an expenditure of from £20 to £30 in building houses for their families, that they should be compelled, for the short time they expected to remain here, to build fresh ones. •. Mr. James Elliott rose to submit the 'following amendment to the consideration of the meeting, and in doing so he would take leave to say that the truth of his former remarks had been .fully borne out by what he had since "heard. It-was true the landowners had not declared in so many words, " We mean to force you off the Government reserves on to our own acres, and to ask what rents we please ;" but in every twist, in every turn, some expression had escaped which clearly discovered their un.generous intention. It was scarcely necessary -for him to direct their attention to the selfproclaimed public spirit of an individual who had evinced his patriotism by declaring that none but brick houses should be erected on his acre, as he had commenced bis trade of bricksoaker. Not wishing longer to detain the meeting, lie would merely read his amendment, which

he hoped some gentleman would do him the honour to second : —

' f That it is the opinion of this meeting that the gentlemen who convened it are labouring ullder some strange delusion, inasmuch as they suppose that the prosperity of this settlement solely depends on their realizing more by their town acres than they had paid for their whole sections. This meeting, however, not coinciding with tbeae gentlemen, consider their conduct in this affair' as unjust ; and that to eject the labouiing men from their houses within two yeai 8, would be cruelly tyrannical." Mr. Duffy, in seconding the above, said that the wiser course would be to let things, alone. The evil had worked its own remedy in Port Nicholson, and he did not see why a diff i rent practice should be adopted here.

Mr. Young declared, with considerable warmth, that he quite as much repudiated the principle laid down by Mr. Graham as that propounded by Mr. Elliott. I stand up for the rights of individuals. Mr. Elliott should know that landlords have the same rights of property as other people, though landholding might be a less profitable trade than newspaper printing. I appeal to the people. I ask them to do us justice. It is not pretended that the emigrants were brought out for the purpose of enabling landowners to raise their rents. It is not true .that this meeting was convened in order to cajole the working classes.- There are some of you who ought to know that my place is more likely to be on the side of the working people than on this.' I ask for' justice. Dr. Monro saw the true side of the question when he said the interests of all are one. Do we desire to force you on our land ? No ! But we have a right to avail ourselves of the advantages that were held out to us in buying our land. (Mr. Young continued to address the meeting .with great animation for some time, and sat down amidst the greatest confusion of cheers, hisses, and groans from all parts of the room.)

The gentlemen who had signed the requisition now endeavoured to meet the wishes of those present, as it had long been evident that Jbe resolution would not pass; first, by suggesting.^!^ those only who could not be considered as belonging to the labouring classes should Jbe compelled to remove; then, that the words " after due notice " should be substituted for "immediate;" and lastly, that one year from the present time should be given to those who had already built on reserves; but the feeling was so strong in favour of the two years, that; afterjnuch uproar, during which several persons were speaking at once, the meeting was declared to be adjourned for two years; the Chairman having previously stated that he was so confused with the number of amendments as to be at a loss which to put first. Three cheers were then given for Mr. Elliott and Mr. Duffy, and the meeting quietly dispersed.

Hindoo Custom of Secreting Treasure. — The practice of interring money and jewels prevails to a great extent among the natives in India, and had its origin. from an apprehension entertained by individuals that they might be despoliated of their portable wealth by the frequent incursions of tyrannical hostile chiefs. Tributary states subject to Mahratta rule and dynasty were sadly devastated by their marauding neighbours, from whom they could not possibly obtain any redress, and this circumstance, and the extreme difficulty they experience in putting out their moneys to interest with security, prompted them, by way of safety, to bury the same. This accounts for the immense sums which have from time to time been turned up when the soil has been disturbed for agricultural and domestic purposes, and it is obvious that incalculable treasure remains still concealed in the localities of fortresses which have capitulated to the British arms. When, some time ago, a tank was being cleaned out at Coimbatore, under the Madras Presidency, two' earthen vases were discovered,, which were found to contain 250 gold coins of the Roman empire, which were in the highest state of preservation. They ran down in a series, commencing with those struck in the reign of Augustus Caesar, and ending with those of Gerrnanicusj and -consisted of duplicates coined at different stages of the reigns of the above and intervening emperors. There was one struck in honor of Titus, after he had laid waste Jerusalem; on the one side was represented the head of the above Emperor, whilst on the reverse was a triumphal arch, with a military knight passing under it bn horseback, beneath which were the words "De Hierosoluma." There was also another of Nero- and his mother Agrippina impressed ,on the same medal. How these coins could have found their way 4b the site where they were discovered is exceedingly questionable. It is generally understood that considerable treasure is concealed about the old Fort of Cuttack. There is a deep well within it, into which several persons have attempted to descend with a view to explore the. same, but, owing to the foul air within, fatal effects have attended their undertakings. A Kedgeree pot was dug up in a gentleman's garden, not far from the above spot, which was found to contain 440 rupees of a very ancient 'date. Considerable sums in specie have also, at sundry periods, been brought to light, whilst delvers have been employed in cleaning out the Mahah Tulloh and other celebrated tanks in the Pagan city of Juggernaut ; and scarcely is (here a tank throughout the country, of many years' standing, in wldch has .not been treasure when it has been cleared for use. This lockedup capital, and the practice so universal among the natives of Hindoostan of converting gold mohurs and rupees into " bangles " and other trinkets, which they wear about their persons, tends greatly to depress the currency of the country.