MEETING TO PREPARE AN ADDRESS TO THE GOVERNOR.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 59, 20 October 1855, Page 3

MEETING TO PREPARE AN ADDRESS TO THE GOVERNOR.

A public meeting was held on "Wednesday last, at the Literary Institution, for the purpose of considering an address to be presented to the Governor on his Excellency's arrival at Nelson. D. Sinclair, Esq., Speaker of the Provincial Council, was called to the chair.

The Chairman, after briefly adverting to the object of the meeting, suggested that a committee should be appointed to draw up an address to his Excellency.

Mr. Mackay said he understood a gentleman was present who had prepared a draft address, which he should be glad to hear read.

Mr. C. Elliott said that in preparing the draft of an address to the Governor, to lay before the meeting, he had been actuated by the desire of saving time. If a committee were to be appointed to draw up an address, another meeting would have to be called to adopt it, and as the arrival of the Governor might be looked for early next week, there would scarcely be time for another meeting. If the address which he held in his hand could in any way be made use of, a saving of time and trouble would be effected. Any alterations which the meeting might think proper to suggest he should he most willing to adopt. He then read the following address :—: — To his Excellency Colonel T. Gohe Browne, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over her Majesty's islands of New Zealand, and Vice Admiral of the same. May it please your Excellency — We, the undersigned inhabitants of the Province of Kelson, desire

to offer our sincere congratulations on your Excellency's arrival at our shores. We believe that an inspection of the capabilities of this and other portions of New Zealand will enable your Excellency to recognize how large a proportion of the elements of prosperity the colony possesses. It is our earnest hope that your Excellency's administration in New Zealand may bo distinguished by the removal of any impediments which may have hitherto retarded the development of its numerous resources, and the advancement of tho social interests of its inhabitants.

We especially desire to embrace this opportunity of expressing our satisfaction at the assurance that, in administering the Government, it is your Excellency's intention to confide in those who possess the confidence of the people of the colony : and we beg respectfully to record our opinion, that such a policy is equally calculated to secure to your Excellency tho attachment and support of all classes of her Majesty's subjects— to provide for the adoption of those measures which the circumstances of tho country may require — and, consequently, to ensure its progressive and permanent prosperity. With every prayer for your Excellency's health and happiness, We remain, Tour Excellency's most obedient servants, The Rev. T. D. Nicholson would feel great pleasure in seconding a motion that the address Tead be adopted, if Mr. Elliott would make a proposal to that effect. He thought the address as it stood was quite sufficient, and needed no alteration. The meeting, he considered, was indebted to Mr. Elliott for having taken so much trouble off its hands. Mr. Elliott said, if it were the wish of the meeting, he would propose that the address he had read be adopted. Seconded by the Rev. T. D. Nicholson, and carried unanimously. Proposed by Dr. Renwick, seconded by Mr. Mac kay, and carried unanimously — 1 . That the address be presented to his Excellency by his Honor the Superintendent, and that tho members of the Provincial Council, Executive Officers of the Province, and such other gentlemen as may wish to attend be requested to accompany his Honor at the presentation of the address. Proposed by Mr. H. Adams, seconded by Mr. Muller, and carried unanimously — 2. That the following gentlemen bo a committee to obtain signatures to tho address, viz., tho Chairman, Mr. Elliott, Eev. T. D. Nicholson, Mr. A. M'Donald, Mr. W. Wells, and Mr. W. Webb, with power to add to their number ; and that such committeo be authorized to make all necessary arrangements for the presentation of tho addrcs3 on his Excellency's arrival in Nelson. Mr. Travers (who entered the room just after the address had been moved and carried) said, he had hoped to have been present before the discussion on the address had closed, but had been prevented by the necessity of attending in Court on business. Although he did not in any degree disapprove of the form of the address, he had hoped to have seen embodied in it a statement of the grievances of this province. The Governor was not visiting the provinces simply to receive congratulatory addresses, or to admire the picturesque scenery, or to become personally acquainted with the inhabitants; but for the express purpose of obtaining information as to their actual wants, and to enquire into their complaints. Those wants and complaints arose in some degree from neglect, but in great measure also from improper action on the part of the General Government ; ana it was the duty of those who felt an interest in the prosperity and welfare of the provinces to bring those wants and complaints prominently before his Excellency, in order that they might be ministered to and investigated. He would beg to call the attention of the meeting to one grievance of a very serious nature in relation to this province ; one which had engrossed much of his own attention in the house ; one which required to be immediately taken up by the public, in order to give strength to the representations and action of the Local Government. This was the impounding of their land fund, in order to repay to the General Government certain alleged over-payments to the provincial treasury. The public of this province were in general but little acquainted with this grievance. They had not yet suffered to any extent from it, but, although for the time postponed, suffering and evil would inevitably ensue. The facts of the case were simply these. In accordance with certain financial regulations made by Sir George Grey just before he left the colony, a proportion of the proceeds arising fram the land sales was directed to be paid over to the Provincial Treasurer, to be devoted specially to public works and emigration. In pursuance of these regulations the settled proportion was duly paid over until June, 1854, when, on making up the accounts of the General Government, Dr. Knight found it convenient, in order to cover a large and uncontemplated expenditure upon the purchase of native lands in the Northern Island, to upset all-Sir George Grey's regulations, and, under an arbitrary interpretation of the Constitution Act, ex post facto to re-apportion the revenue of the past financial period, by which he brought this province into debt, to the extent of many thousands of pounds ; and then, without the slightest previous notice, directed the Commissioner of Crown Lands not to pay over any more money to the provincial authorities, but to remit the whole of the revenue to Auckland, until the alleged debt was extinguished. The effect of this direction which has ever since remained in force, has been to deprive this province of the funds for emigration and public works; and the only reason why serious inconvenience had not already been felt was, that the balance in the Provincial Treasury at the time the advances were stopped, was sufficient to enable the Provincial Government to carry on its expenditure. But that balance would one day come to an end, and the Province would then feel all the mischief which must arise from the arbitrary stoppage of its immigration and public works. When he (Mr. Travers) was in the house, this matter came prominently before the Finance Committee, and the fallacy of Dr. Knight's accounts being very apparent, many members consented, at his instance (and here he must do some of the Auckland members the justice to say, that they acted in the fairest possible spirit), to a resolution for restoring to this Province, and to that of Canterbury (which was in the same position) their current advances, until a final adjustment of the accounts had been effected. He, accordingly, moved the resolution on the subject which had been published in the Nelson Examiner. In the course of his investigation of the matter, he had been particularly struck with the conduct

of the General Executive. His Honor the Superintendent had sent up loud and able remonstrances against the arbitrary action of Dr. Knight, and demanded some explanation. None was vouchsafed. The General Government treated his Honor's letters just as a man who knew he was bankrupt would treat the applications of his creditors. They were quietly and coolly laid up in the waste paper drawer. For aught he (Mr. Travers) knew to the contrary, they might at this moment serve as wrappers for botanical specimens collected by Drs. Knight and Sinclair — ferns, or perhaps fungi. The whole proceeding had much the character of a highway robbery. He (Mr. Travers) seeing how vitally the interests of the Province were affected in this matter, had early determined to- get the mischief remedied, if possible, and as he had before stated, succeeded in getting a resolution through the house for that purpose. But he feared that the resolution might possibly be treated by Doctor Knight and the Executive in the same manner as they had treated his Honor's letters, and he therefore determined that before he left Auckland he would direct the attention of the Governor to it. He accordingly wrote a letter to his Excellency, stating that the matter was one upon which much interest was felt in the Province ; that great irritation existed in consequence of the sudden and arbitrary withdrawal of the funds devoted to Emigration and public works ; and expressing a hope that his Excellency would give the matter his earnest and early attention. This letter was written on the Saturday afternoon, the steamer leaving on the Monday morning following. It so happened that the Governor had left his own office before the letter could be delivered there, and he (Mr. Travers) took it to the Colonial Secretary's office, for the purpose of getting it sent to his Excellency. When he mentioned to the headclerk that he was anxious the Governor should have the letter without delay} as it was on the subject of the Land Fund at Nelson and Canterbury, the head clerk said, that the Colonial Secretary was about to send memoranda on that subject to the Commissioners of Crown Lands in those Provinces. He (Mr. Travers) then requested to see the memoranda, when to his utter disgust, he found that they were nothing less than peremptory orders to the Commissioners immediately to send up all the Land Fund to Auckland. He felt that this must at once be stopped, and went in search of Mr. Sewell. Having found him, they returned together, to the Colonial Secretary's office, where they saw him and the acting Attorney-General. They pointed out the illeffects which these orders would produce in the Provinces of Nelson and Canterbury ; that they would cause a financial rebellion ; that the public irritation there was already very great, and would be seriously aggravated by such orders ; that they were in direct contravention of the resolution of the house, and would be looked upon in the light of open defiance; that, as peace-makers, they would suggest the immediate withdrawal of the orders, more particularly as the reception of the Governor on his proposed visit would not be a pleasant one if those orders preceded him. Tbe Colonial Secretary and acting AttorneyGeneral, having retired to confer for a few moments, returned and promised that the obnoxious orders should not be sent down, and that the resolution of the house should be discussed during the ensuing week in the Executive Council, and should receive their favourable consideration. He (Mr. Travers) and Mr. Sewell then retired, rubbing their hands in great glee; delighted at having effected so much for their Provinces, and confident that in the character of public benefactors, they would be hailed on their return home with congratulations and enthusiasm. He had found on his return, that the orders had not been sent to Nelson, and he felt somewhat more disposed than he had ever been before, to rely on the good faith of the old Executive. But his faith had been shaken since the return of the steamer from Canterbury, for it appeared that the obnoxious order had been sent to Canterbury, in direct violation of the plighted words of the Colonial Secretary and AttorneyGeneral. That Province was in an uproar on the subject. Now this was either the effect of negligence or design. He feared it was design, and he feared that the evil day had only been postponed for' Nelson. He feared that the next mail would bring an order to send up all our money. In that fear he wished to stir up the people of the Province to action in the matter. He wanted them to back by remonstrance the efforts of the Superintendent, and he had hoped to see that remonstrance embodied in the address. He would mention other grievances, almost equally serious, which —

The Chairman rose to order, and said that the subjects brought forward by Mr. Travers, were doubtless of great interest, and the meeting would probably thank him for bringing them under their notice, but they appeared to him to be foreign to the objects of the meeting.

Mr. Travers said, if he were considered to be out of order, he would willingly bow to the decision of the chair ; but had he been present when the address was proposed, he should have taken the opportunity, while speaking to the question, to have laid the facts he had just stated before them.

The general feeling of the meeting appeared to be, that it would be better to keep a congratulatory address to his Excellency, and a memorial of grievances, distinct from each other. It was suggested, that at the close of the business for which the meeting had been called a fresh meeting might be constituted, and steps taken to give effect to Mr. Travers' suggestion. On the motion of Mr. Collins, a vote of thanks was then given to Mr. Elliott for drawing up the address to the Governor.

A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman, after which the meeting broke up.