PUBLIC MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 885, 20 January 1868, Page 5

PUBLIC MEETING.

WRECK OE THE ? GENERAL &RANT." A most numerbus'and influential meeting was held at th<? Council Hall on Thnrsday ; evening. The ball was crowded, notwithstanding t-Jjat no public notice had been given that it. was to be held until within about an hour 'of its commencement.- The object of the meeting was to consider the best mode to be adopted to ensure an immediate search .being made^ at the Campbell's, Anlipodcs,' Bounty, arid otler Islands, to ascertain if the mateef the "'General Gr,arit" and his com---panions, who? left tort Ross, for the tn'fiin' land, were t till an some of.' these numerous^slahde,- or thai other castaways could be found. On the m jtioh of Mr Calder, Mr H. M'Culloch, R.M., was' called the the chair. •■'■■:■ ■'■' "■'•■ ■'■"■•■'■ ■ The Chairman, in opening the ; mejetihg; explained that the object for Which it had been called was to express sympathy with the rescued mariners of the General .Grant, and adopt some prompt measure for the rescue of their brave companions who^were still missing— the mate and his crew that left; Port Ross in a boat with the hope of feat-lung" the main land— and it. was thought might still be alive on one of the Islands, and no time should be lost in sending aid— not even a single day. ,-...'■' '.. '." „■ * Mr Caldeb proposed the first resolution, which was as follows:— "As it is urgently necessary that a vessel should be immediately despatched to the Campbell Islands, the M'Quarrie's, arid adjacent islan Is,' in search of the.poor sailora wholeft ;the Auckland rslands. with a view to relieve their' fellow-euirerers, intending tp reach .Stewart's, [sland, as .well as any other castaways who may be on those islands, i^ is proposed that a Committee bo formed, to act in cd' Oper ation wiih the Provincial Government, who have, promised the sum of two hundred pounds towards ' defraying the expenses, with a view, of .carrying out the ab'oye object." He saidvin bringing lor ward the rcsqlutioa he felt confident that the sympathy of : the meeting was with him. No one who had read lh~e published narrative of the wreck of the ill-fated .ship, and the intense sufferings of the survivors >wbo had been rescued, and imagine that the otli' rs' might stilt be living, ronld hesitate to lend his .aid, }>f supporting the resolution, and' ac.coinpiishing the_object ifc was r,»teded t<> attain. (Applause.)' Southland had never been back-? .ward when, such 'claims upon its sympathies and and assistat ce'harl been presented. The activity displayedin the.""Grnfton" ca; I e J^Yas a lasting credit to the Province, and from the efforts then made, he had confidence that the present movement would be carried out with spirit. Southland' was the;nearest point for a search ship to sail from, an& he' endorsed Z he ' opinion expressed by the' Chairman, that r\6 ti "': /\ ' . . . w. " .- 1 — n 6t even a single day. Tfc foX: sn- ? iic-l 'h--[ he General Government u <luia rcaiii y auticiion :1m proceedings. Instructions had been received that every attention should be paid to the castaways, and there could be no doubt that the Governments of the Australian colonies would give their share of support to the enterprise. It was , just as well to'state that there were-men in the Province that 'possessed intimate knowledge of the most valuable, kind of the numerous islands in the vicinity of the Auckland Islands, and it was most desirable that such men should accompany the expedition. He considered that the 'efforts made by the crew of the Amherst to resfeue the survivors, was most noble, and not only deserving of the highest praise, but. also of a testimonial of a more substantial kind. Ho had no hesitation in saying that when all the facts of the case' were known, that none of the Australian Governments or the General Government of New Zealand, would be backward in suitably acknowledging the services of the Amherst. (Applause.) What was wanted was despatch. The Amherst ought to be sent away immediately. : Mr M'Pherson seconded the resolution. He . felt it was unnecessary for him to u-e any arguments to ensure its adoption. The entire sympathy of the meeting,' he knew, Vas with its promoters. (Applause.) ; Carried unanimously. ' „ Mr Moobe. moyed-r-"That a Central Committee , be appointed for the above .purpose, -as well as for the of funds, for defraying the expesnes incurred in assisting the survivors ■ from the wreck of the.' General Grant,' and providing a testimonial to the captaip and crew of the brig. 'Amherst,' and that subscription lista.be opened ;in this and the arl joining Provinces of New Zealand and the Australian Colonies." He said he read the resolution previous to making any remarks, in order thnt it might be thoroughly dnderstood, and any suggestious made that might tend to render it more complete. In bringing, forward this resolution, he felt that all would agree that,%£. order, adequately to accomplish the objectjit seeks to achieve, expenses must bo incurred, ; which it would be wrong to expect the Provincial Government to entirely bear. The Committee Vas a large one, and it had a largo work before it.: It would have to take immediate action to organise a search expedition without delay, and then .seek the assistance of the other Provinces and the Australian Colonies to Dear their share of the cost, and unite' to organise a regular service, with, the aim of preventing such I prolonged Buffering and captivity as the survivors

of -"tlfa " General Qrsn*" were called upon to experience. (Applause.) Mr JoSK MrioiaßUi seconded the motion. Be rlia4 grfeatpfeaSuro itf giyittg hra I&SrtrjE subporfc to ' a movehierit of so important sfbd ; ph^antoTophiiff '•' a chfirfipter. ; There could be no fcwa "opinions *so to it being the duty of everyono to aid in this matter. 'i % hfi sarviees rendered by the captain £»nd crew of the '" Amherst" trere great; and r he hoped \toxt\ 1 be handsomely- rewaTdei. (Applause.) had done good service, and : deserved the thanks; of ,ppt pnly. the, . tamrors, i But thfe -whole of the Australian colonists! (A'ppia'u'se 1 .) .. ■'■■"■ . .". ; . ; ' A vote of tßants' id ftis Ghairmiah' having D9eQ passed, the meeting. terminated 1 ; ' Before the audience left the Hall, the Chairman; requested those gentlemen, preisent, : whose names , Were on the committee list as /read, would'remain to' miiptte- ptypeedimgs*- Tb.e request, was at once complied witS. - : .; . ; - f