EAST COAST ASSOCIATION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1039, 21 February 1882, Page 2

EAST COAST ASSOCIATION.

The advertised meeting of the above Associa ion to rrceivi* the report <d the I’rovisi mal Committee appointed ’o enquire in’o the working of the N.rtive Land A c’s am! ot her grievances, louk. place in iiiv Mastmie ilad, yes terday afternoon. Owing, however, to the ineotiveiiicnt hour, 2 o'clock at which t e meeting ua« cal’e . there was not a very I irge attendance Air Willoughby Bra<s< y said lln hour for which the meeting was called was a upet undesirable <me. it. wathe object of the Association to liavi ihe public widi them, and, therefore as large an at vndanre as possible. Ile de.-ired to see all sections of the community represented, lie would, therefore, propose that the meeting he adjourned until 7 o’clock on Smurdav evening. 1 his was seconded by .Mr Ward. Mr Robert Mcßretney said theonly objection he had o make was that the hour be fixed at S o’clock on Saturday evening, instead of seven o’clock, fhcrv were many <d the conn rv people (L’>iro:is of being present, but could scarcely arrive in town after work was over bv the hour proposed. Mr Brassey consented to the hour being altered to S o'clock. Mr Matthews wanted to know some reason why the meet it g should be adjourned al ail. He looked at the mat ter in t his light : The I’rovi-iotial Commit tee had decided in their wisdom that a public meeting should he called, and their report brought uj). lie thought it was rather like throwing cold wa'er on the movement that the first public meeting called should have to be adjourned for want of a sulii cientlv large attendance. Mr MciLetney did not think that all the subscribers were present, lie understood from the iulimaiion be received that the sole objeei of the pre sent im-ei ing was to consider the report brought up by the PrivCi-unal Committee. He had heard, however, I hat it was intended Io propose the formation of a permanent. Committee. Now if that were the case, it was only right the public and the subscribers generally to the Association should be made acquainted with the fact. The notice he had received said nothing about a perminent Committee being established. He hoped the meeting would consent to the adjournment proposed. Mr Carlaw Smith opposed the adjournment. -Many persons would be unable io abend ar so late an hour as 8 o'clock. He thought it was a mistake fixing that time for the meeting. Air Willoughby Brassey said the present meeting seemed more like a caucus of tiie Coinuri.tee. lie did not think that the public were al all represented by the meeting. lie fell c nivinced that the public should have the fullest opportunity of hearing ihe report read. ihe lime, 2 o’clock, for h tiding the meeiing was a most — if he might use tue expression—most unseemly one. Be thought that there were many people--laboring men — who, on account of their duties, could not possibly aitrnd at. so nnsiiiiable an hour. 1 iicy should have a t borough opportunity of a tending as the objects to be di.-cussed rcla/ed to the welfare of all sections of lhe comunini y. That was the reason why lie coiisvired to the hour of adjournment being fixed at 8 o’clock. I’hcir week’s win k would he over and they would have no diiliculiy in coming to the hail, lie for one had no desire to rush the business of the meeting through.

Mr Gannon supported the adjournment. There were many persons of small means as largely interested in the objects of the Assicia i< n proportionally to the largest laud owner in t lie di.-t rict. Several of them had spoken to him about the meet in;, but expressed l hem-elves un.iide to a tend as they would have had to sac.ilice tlnir day's work to come, lie hoped the im cling would agree to Air Brassey's proposi:ion. Tiria Ndioniuo expressed greatly plca-ed at tae proposal for adjournment. He and his pooph* were anxmus to talk matters over and they would all come better prepared if the hour id’ the meeting were fixed for 8 o'clock on Saturday. 'The motion was then put and carried.