The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1863.

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

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1863.

Although there was less " talking " done at the public meeting, on Tuesday evening, than is usually the ease on such occasions, it was quite evident from the manner in which the resolutions were receive!, that every man present was fully alive to the necessity of some change in the regulations, t?rohibiting the importation of cattle from Gipp's Land and Twofold Bay. Nor was it only in unanimously passing the resolutions that the feeling of the

meeting was manifested, the petition to His Honor the Superintendent, praying him to throw open the above ports, was numerously and most respectably signed. And the "entlem in who occupied the chair, and therefore to a certain extent may be said to have identified himself with the movement would, if he had only consulted his own selfish interests, have possibly opposed the movement. It is gratifying, however, to know, that all classes have joined in this movement, flock-owners, cattleowners, merchants, and the public generally. AH who have thought, about the matter at all, have come to the conclusion, that the restrictions are not only useless for the prevention of pleuro-pneumonia in Southland, but are turning an important branch of trade away from our doors. And yet we should have liked the subject to have been discussed more fully than it was at tile meeting. A speech is only really bad when the speaker wanders considerably from his subject ; and though there we're no orators present on Tuesday night, we saw one or two gentlemen who could perhaps have put the matter in even a clearer light, if that were possible, than has hitherto been done. Our reade r s are aware that at a special general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, held on Monday last, it was agreed, that a memorial from the Chamber should be presented to His Uonor the Superintendent, praying him to allow the importation into Southland of cattle from those ports which "are recognised by the Otago government as shipping ports. 1 ' Yesterday a deputation from the Chamber waited ou his Honor and presented the memorial. From what took place (we publish an abstract of the proceedings in another column), it becomes apparent that his Honor has a firm belief in the utility of the regulations as they at present stand. The arguments of the memorialists are, that the number of siock in the Province is not sufficient to meet present demands ; that the population, and consequently the demand, will be increased in Spring, and that the present regulations do not accomplish the object for which they are intended. Thusspeakthe memorialists, and his Honor as follows : — -The last census returns show an increase in the number of cattle in the Province ; the price of meat is no higher to-day than it was last year ; and if cattle were driven overland from Otago, any latent disease would surely make its appearance during a journey of some two hundred milee. Every one knows there are more cattle in the Province today than there were last year, — the fact was never disputed — so that his Honor might have spared himself the trouble of telling the deputation that such was the case. With regard to the price of meat the figure wholesale is far higher than it was last year, and the retail price must advance very speedily if a larger supply be not forthcoming. But supposing the price of meat to be the same as it was this time last year,

that issurely.no reason why we are not to get it cheaper if we can, and the. regulations prevent us from doing so., We had almost said his Honor's argument was childish, for it is equivalent, to saying to the people of the Province, " You have no right to grumble, for you are as well off in this respect as you i vvere last year." For ourselves,, .and, probably a great many more, we may say that our wish is to be better off this year t ian we were last. If meat was a shilling last year and we can have it ridw v for ninepence, by all means let us go in for the smaller figure. And now we come to the third reason that was adduced in favor of these sapient regulations : during the journey of two ! undred miles the disease, if it exists, is sure to develope itself. That is to say Southland is to use Otago as a kind of quarantine ground. This final argument of His Honor in support of his regulations, is really, we are compelled to say it, absurd. If all the Australian cattle landed iv Otago were intended for Southland, and were driven at an easy pace through Otago before they reached the boundary of the two Provinces, we could understand how the two hundred miles journey might act as a safeguard to this Province ; but when, as is the case at present, only a few are to be so driven out of the many which must of necessity arrive iv our neighbor's ports, we may safely say that Otago should be considered as much tainted as Gipps Land, Two Fold Bay, or any other port, which is at present barred to Southland dealers. If that is the case, to make the regulations of any avail the boundary between the Provinces must be kept, and that we believe to be impossible. But granting for a moment that Government is able to watch over the whole line of the Mataura, and effectually prevent the passage of cattle from Otago, it becomes an interesting question as to the amount of injury which would be inflicted on the Lake trade, and on that lesser, but still by no means to be despised connection which this Province has formed with the southern settlers of Otago, who draw their supplies from, and take their wool to Invercargill. If one class »f cattlw be forbidden, every class mast, working bullocks included ; in fact, the latter are more to be feared than any others. The samo gentleman who suggested, that as beef wus scarce, it would be as well to school our appetites to the use of mutton, might, perhaps, tell us that as bullocks were not allowed to cross the border, bullockdrivers hud b°tfer, at once, invest in horseflesh. How such a proposal would be met we leave our readers to judge. In short, to make the regulations effective, no cattle must be allowed to crOvSS the Mataura from Otago, and should his Honor succeed in stopping them, we will, at all events, say there is " method in his madness."