PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BURGESSES OF WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 15, 20 September 1842, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BURGESSES OF WELLINGTON.

On Wednesday evening a numerous and respectable meeting of the Burgesses was held at Barrett’s Hotel, to receive the report of the Committee appointed to secure the election of ‘those gentlemen who. have .been generally, approved of. by the community at large,” and to nominate persons to fill up the vacancies in their list of candidates arising from want of qualification and other causes. . . On the motion of Mr. Sutton, seconded by Mr. Roots, Mr. Lyon was called to the chair. Mr. Lyon said, Mr. Sutton informed him the meeting had been called to receive the report of the committee, and for other business, and he hoped the gentlemen present would assist him in preventing those interruptions to the business of the meeting,-which too often occurred at meetings in this town. . Mr. Sutton then read the follbwing report Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,' in laying before you the report of your Committee, I must.;first' request permission to read to you the following Advertisement, the insertion of which in the New Zealand Gazette and Colonist, was, indeed, our first act. “THE COMMITTEE appointed at alate Public Meeting, for the purpose of forwarding the Election of those Gentlemen who have been generally approved of by the community at large, beg to caution all parties from being misled by those self-elected individuals, who so ,modestly advertised themselves in the Colonist of last Friday. The following Gentlemen only have been recognised by the public as the most fit and proper to form our first Town Council: —

Messrs. -Hunter Messrs. Machattie Wade • ’ Molesworth Revans Dorset 1 Waitt ' Lyon' Cooper E. Johnson H. Taylor Hanson A. Hort W. Smithy Catchpool Wallace Fitzherbert R. Davis.

“The CmmmlkT. n.o't at the Thistle inn, every Tviim<laj. and at the Mew Zealander, on Thursday evening's, at eight, o’clock. ' “JOHN SUTTON, “Chairman of Committee.” This advertisement v:as inserted in order to give publicity to tire names of those gentlemen who had met with your approbation, as well as to prevent any mistake that, might have been, was intended to be,, produced by the advertisement of the self-elected clique. Tito object of our appointment being to secure, as far as possible, the election of those on the “Public list,” and it having been reported that certain parties whose names were on that list were using their influence against us, it became the duty of your Committee to distinguish such parties, and accordingly, a deputation* was appointed to wait upon all the nominees in order to ascertain how far they were inclined to support die gentlemen whose names were associated with theirs on the “Public list.” The answers from «U these parties were most favourable, and indeed, flattering, with the exception of Messrs. Waitt ami Hort, paiticulaily Mr. VVaitt, who spoke evasively, and left a strong impression on the deputation that, while ho would gladly avail himself of your votes and interest, he would use all his own influence in favour of the clique in opposition. Your Committee tliereiore called this meeting of Independent Burgesses, to lay before you these statements, and to recommend the propriety of substituting other names in place of these gentlemen, and also of Messrs. Revans and Wallace, whose absence from the settlement prevented them from qualifying, and of Captain Smith, who is about proceeding to the Middle Island, and will in consequence be absent some time. A deputation from the' Kia Warra District having waited upon your Committee, it was suggested by them, and approved of by your Committee, that the following names should he proposed to this meeting as substitutes for those gentlemen, viz. Messrs. Pharazyn, Penny, G. Scott, 11. Wallace, Sellars, and Dr. Featherstone, and a deputation having waited upon these gentlemen to ascertain if they were agreeable to be nominated, satisfactory answers were received from all, with the exception of Mr Sellars, who is unable to spare time necessary for the business of the Corporation. In concluding the report of your Committee, I have much pleasure, gentlemen, in bearing testimony to the satisfaction expressed by. most of the Inhabitants —I mean of the sensible and respectable portion—in favour of the Independent principles you have adopted in your selection, and if we only preserve the unanimity that at present reigns among us, I feel assured we shall be able to return the gentlemen you have approved of, with success and. triumph. Mr. Serb, moved, and Mr. Stafford seconded : —That the report of. the Committee be received, and adopted. Carried unanimously.

Mr. Hair then rose and moved : —That the.suggestions of the. Committee, as to the erasure of the names of Messrs. liart and Waitt from the list, be adopted, and that the names of Messrs. Pharazyn, Penny, Featherstone, G. Scott, and H. "Wallace, be put singly to the meeting for' adoption. Seconded by Mr. Johnston, and carried unanimously. The Chairman then put the names of Messrs. Pharazyn, Penny, Featherstone, G. Scott, and H. Wallace, seriatim. Carried unanimously.

Mr. AnNear then moved':—That the list of nominees agreed to this evening be printed on cards, signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting, and distributed for general information. Seconded by Mr Seed, and carried unanimously.

Mr. V, r A!>K, in proposing the fourth resolution said: —r. Chairman and Gentlemen, in appearing before you as mover of the fourth resolution, I must be allowed to express tlm extreme pleasure I. feci in presenting it for your adoption, especially as the gentleman it refers to, Mr. St. Hill, is in the room. It would be remembered that a letter appeared signed by Mr, St. Hill in the Colonial newspaper, in which he very ingeniously attempted to make it appear that the parties represented by the Committee before you are hostile to the New Zealand Company; this we are all aware is without foundation; some objections have been raised to the local management of the Company’s affairs : but certainly, no well-wisher of the Colony can be hostile to their benefactors, the New Zealand Company, who have more than redeemed exqfy pledge they have made to the colonists residing in this settlement: and the letter refored to is no less without foundation, than it is intended to mislead the Burgesses at the ensuing election. Our object is not to oppose the Company, or any other person, but it is to secure the return of those who arc likely to do the most good for the colony, in the shortest time, and at the least expense.. I therefore submit the resolution to the meeting, and hope it will meet with their approbation. “ That Mr. St. Hill, in a letter to the New Zealand Colonist, having stated that ‘ ‘ every endeavour has of late been made to instil into the mind a prejudice against the New Zealand Company, this meeting disclaim such imputation, and believe it to be without any foundation, and put forward by Mr. St. Hill to mislead the community at the ensuing election, this meeting believing that the New Zealand Company are using their best efforts for the advancement of this settlement.” Mr. Rowland Davis, who seconded the motion,, said, he felt proud of the opportunity afforded him to repel the charge against the working men, put forward in the letter of Mr. St. Hill.as chairman of a committee, and circulated by his party —that the working men of Port Nicholson considered the New Zealand Company hostile to this community, and that they had abandoned them, and further, that. the working men of this place had allowed themselves to be made the tools or instruments of the members of the government in this settlement, for the purpose of upholding the seat of government, and crying down Port Nicholson. In reply to those serious charges against his fellow workmen, he was happy to say that the working men were not quite of such baseness as to allow themselves to be made the tools of any person, or party, and that no gentlemen connected with the local government ever attempted to influence their proceedings. Gentlemen, the charge is a deliberate untruth, only raised as a miserable claptrap to mislead the Burgesses at the ensuing election, and raise a prejudice against the working man, it being, unfortunately for us, too well known, that the government of New Zealand has done all in tlieir power to crush this settlement, as the treatment we have received, and the unmitigated hostility experienced at their hands will testify. Hostility has failed in producing the desired effect, for its failure the Colonists have to thank their own spirit and energy, and a firm reliance on the New Zealand Company. I again ask, is it likely that the working men would be so blind to their own welfare as to join in the crying down this settlement in favour of the seat of government, to qualify any party? What would be our situation at this time had we depended on our government for their fostering aid in our infant state ? Gentlemen ! while the Government have left nothing undone to depress this‘colony, the New Zealand Company have done all in their power to forward our

interest, and haw: used eveiy effort to advance, and protect this settlement. 1 have great satisfaction in stating that the working men are fully sensible of their exertions. They are satisfied that gentlemen occupying the position and enjoying the reputation of the Directors of that Company, and whose interest is identified with ours, fulfil all they have undertaken to promote the interests of this country by every means in their power. With what face then do these persons, calling themselves gentlemen, stigmatise the working men with being opposed to the Company ? Gentlemen, the cause of their malicious opposition is their dislike to our list; the gentlemen on that list have on all occasions shown great pleasure at the prosperity of their more humble brethren the working men, and a desire to see the#i advance in society. How have that party shewn their feeling towards the working men by erasing the names of the only two on our list, a matter of no importance if they had supplied their place from the same class, but doubtless it would ill become men of their dignity to sit at the same table with a working man. He had much pleasure in seconding Mr. Wade’s resolution. Carried unanimously.

Mr. Seed then moved :—That this meeting do pledge themselves to support the list of Candidates brought forward this evening Seconded by Mr. Tomtin, but on the motion of some one, whose name we forget.; this resolution was negatived. The Chairman asked if any other gentleman had any resolution to propose, or washed to address the meeting. Mr. Hair was anxious to obtain some information on a subject which he had seen an account of in the Colonist newspaper, respecting a deputation who had waited upon Colonel Wakefield requesting that gentleman to allow 7 himself to be put in nomination at the approaliing election. Now r he would simply ask the question through the Chairman, when, where, and by whom that deputation was appointed, and as he had no doubt some of the parties who formed that deputation were at this moment in the room, he should pause for a reply. Seeing no one come forward, they must be considered as having allowed judgment to go by default. Now he must confess he had never seen or known any thing to equal the annoyance of Mr. St. Hill and his party on this occasion. A piece of greater impudence, mixed by the w 7 ay with vanity, and a species of folly, had never been perpetrated, and Mr. St. Ilill and the self elected gentry, had made themselves the laughing stock of the whole place.

Mr. Vincent then moved:—That tliis committee be requested to call a public meeting of the Candidates for the purpose of ascertaining then; political opinions. Seconded by Mr.' Mackenzie.

As an amendment to this resolution, Mr. Annear moved, and Mr. Seed seconded : —That these young gentlemen do call such meeting themselves. The amendment w r as carried by a large majority. Mr. Annear moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman.

Seconded by Mr. R. Davis, and the meeting separated.