RESTRICTIONS UPON THE IMPORTATION OF CATTLE.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 87, 4 September 1863, Page 3

RESTRICTIONS UPON THE IMPORTATION OF CATTLE.

■ PUBLIC MEETING. | V ery numerously attended P^^eetM.llPfi by advertisement, took pa ce on iilil from Aus ' r r aha wnt mS that Mr 3-i tit,. Wo ft- moved !"»'' lur x • • ible, Mr Watt nwja on>having .tfcame^Mr F anasa ?/r Tn £Sing the proceedings -*v frtJ all pSt knew the purpose of gaid t ha t all { ,g; ca p meat" was a subject !meeting i; nmfi to everyone. He trusted C-SlSto^ a « uestion aMr r- UP ionld be allowed to every one. fcrf ) He would call upon Mr Gilles to j dftiip first resolution. Kr rfuZ who was greeted with applause, ttba the local butchers found it quite ■Sble to keep up regular supplies, ETiiny baseless restrictions were Cosed upon the importation of cattle. In Eothey had more sense, there importateamed on freely with the best ; Kits to the community. He was certain Tway, and the authorities .would, he felt Jbe induced to fall in with their wishes had to read the first resolution-*' 1 hat it he opinion of this meeting that the nuna*Of eSe in this Province is total yinadeitt to supply the present consumption and tunLss some steps are taken to admit Station from other qolomes now reEed butcher's meat must of necessity t nut to the meeting by the Chairman, ft' carried item. con. amidst cries of " Cheap feS^in moving the next resolution, , ■d that the restrictions in Southland had Xv the effect of raising the market. (A i mie—" Give it mouth.") They did not < Kually prevent the bringing into the Pro- < lice of cattle from the districts under ban, » what more easy than to drive them over Em Otago. They only sent away trade \ im Invercargill. The resolution entrusted him was this— "That restrictions are solutely useless in preventing the importanof cattle into Southland from any ports w open to Otago, inasmuch as imported ttle brought into Dunedin will find their iy across the Mataura into Southland, thout any possibility of prevention, and it such restrictions only tend to raise the ice of meat without being any safeguard ainst pleuro-pneumonia." Mr Mendoza seconded the resolution, aud was carried. . , - , Mr A. T. Clarke moved the third resolu--n— il Thut this meeting is of opinion that ttle should be admitted from all ports ien to Otago." He thought they were in le position of men with their hands tied Iliind their backs, whilst a neighboring frovince was reaping every benefit from [at, which was alike open to Southland, bt closed by foolish restriciions. JMr Millbank seconded the resolution, and was carried unanimously. Mr Kingsland moved the next resolution — That the petition now before them be <;ned by all present, and laid before his onoP the Superintendent." The mover ien read the following petition :— j His Honor the Superintendent of the Province of Southland, he petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the Province of Southland, espectfully sheweth, — That, attracted by the adjacent gold-fields, and le great natural advantages of the Province, rc;e numbers of people from other Provinces are lily arriving and settling here, and that there is 'cry prospect that for some time an increased flux will take place. That the number of cnttle at present in the rovmce is very limited, being barely sufficient i supply the present demand, and, conseicntly, makiug the price of butcher meat very gV. That the port of Otago is open to the importaon of cattlo from Gipps' Land, Tasmania, Weington, Twofold Bay, Queensland, and other ;an ports. That the boundary line between this Province id Otago is merely a political one, so that cattle ay easily be drafted from Otago into Southland ; mgequently, no advantage is gained by our Jrts being, closed, but. ou the contrary, our own jinholders and inhabitants are deprived of the Ivantages which tbe people of Otago enjoy. That the runholdcrs of the Province of Southind arc prevented from taking full advantage of leir pasture land from the great insufficiency ot ie stock — in many instances more than half of le runs being unoccupied. ■ That it is, therefore, very desirable the ports of oufchland should be open for the importation of ittle from Gipps' Land, Tasmania. Wellington, wofold Bay, Queensland, and other clean ports. Your petitioners therefore pray that your [onor will take the case into your earnest consiBration,_ and cause our port 3to be open for the nportation of cattle as early as may be ; and jur petitioners will ever pray, &c. he mover was not up in, bullock literature, at he could gay that he felt strongly upon le subject from a domestic economic point f view, and so he felt confident, did all presnt. (Cheers.) Any project, then, having >r its scheme the reduction of tbe present corbitant price of butchers' meat, must meet ith the approbation and have the support of irery member of the community. ;MrW. B. Kingswell seconded the resolulon, and it was carried. |Mr Tannoch moved, " that a deputation [ait upon the Superintendent to present the Btitioa now read, and convey the opinion [this meeting." He thought that the evil torn which they at present suffered, would s removed by a little pressure upon his ?" 0 , r > ,( A ™ice-as soon as possible !) Mr liUbank seconded, and the resolution was irrier'. Mr Moffat moved, "that a deputation constmg of Messrs. Gilles, Longley, Miller, annock Clarke, Watt and the mover, be >pomted to present the petition and wait ?? '-S 6 Su P erinten dent on the subject." Mr Watt, said that he must have his name ithdrawn.as he was not an old resident, erely a bird of passage. But still he artily supported the aims of the meeting ■the measure under discussion was one Fecting. both their bodies and their soulsleast, it the Government ministeied to the ants of heir bodies with cheap butcher's eat, he had no doubt that Mr Kingsland as prepared to attend to their \oles. SIFT"' and a voice -nothing like Jjr Watt's name having been struck off, the was seconded by Mr Carey and Carey said he would now propose, that wLTif ° • T °? Va I d n nd Bign the P^ition. was the interest of all to sign it and he WHO doubt they would do so. From his ra personal experience he was confident at the Province and its inhabitants suffered levouslyfrom the restrictions on l the im Ration ? f cattle, from Australian ports jeers.) He knew that a fortnight ffie 'We refused at this port had been tak*n to uneihnand theresoldtoa Southland squatter w were at the present time being driven to us i lrovince at great risk, and with the of 20s. the .head of 120 cattle Xim BkuidDf tiling to goon-he put it ot?' T e .« le y *° continue thus losing Stnl WUh expenses? In fiu? tW sl °cksold in town, he knew for 3?i2r 8 ? great was the scarcity, that J/ n e * act *% killing breeding 'stock vi since he first landed in Inyercargill, the

stock killed, had, he was certain, always been too young. . He" knew it well. (A voice, I don't believe a word of it.) Though the person in the. crowd might not .believe it, it was, nevertheless a fact. Mr A. T. Clarke appealed to the meeting, if he had ever killed or sold stock too young, or if such had been done by any of the other butchers. Mr Carey reminded him of the man who having saddled his horse, instead of getting on, stepped over. it. (Cheers and laughter.) A vote of thanks was then proposed to the Chairman, who requested those present to step forward and sign the petition. The request was complied with by crowds ; and the proceedings terminated.