MEETING OF TAXPYERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 126, 28 February 1880, Page 2

MEETING OF TAXPYERS.

. ♦ On Monday evening lust tho meeting of taxpayers took place, according to advertisement, in thu Court House, Matafolo. At eight o'clock, thoro hoiug about , nighty persons present, thu mooting commeucud. Mr. Williamson proposed, and Mr. Volkman seconded, Hint Mr. Alvord lake tho chair. Curried unanimously. It WO9 then proposed by Mr. Davis, seconded by Mr. Williamson, and carried unanimously, that Mr. Spiers act as secretary. Tlio chairman explained the object of the meeting, and said, iu order to carry out the business for which they had met together, with more expedition, a number of resolutions had been prepared, which he would road. The following resolutions were carried without opposition : " That this meeting believes, that In accordance with Article 11. of tho Convention, concluded between Malietoa imJ

the Representatives of the Foreign j Powers, resident at Apia, that the taxj payers of tho Muicipality have the right to choose a number of citizens to be member.) of the Municipal Board. " That this meeting requests the Mu nicipal Board (consisting, illegally, of only the Foreign Consuls, resident, at Apia,) to accept as members of the said Board all those officers of the Municipality elected at the public meeting held in December last, who now hold office. " That this meeting considers Article No. VII. Municipal Regulation No. 1, an unwarrantable assumption of power on the part of the Municipal Board, and ought either to be modified or repealed. Further, that all officers elected at the public meeting hold in December last, who now hold office, should continue to do so for the term for which elected, provided they discharged their duties faithfully. " That this meeting requests that a Regulation be issued by the Municipal Board to the effect that hereafter no business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Board unless there be present a quorum, which shall consist of at least two of the Foreign Consuls and four of the representatives of the people. " That this meeting considers that the Municipal Board should revise the existing Regulations, delete such as are unfair, crude, or unsatisfactory ; issue full instructions to the Magistrate and Police as to their duties, and adopt a Police Code, based on the Police Statutes of the Colony of New South Wales, or some other civilized state. " That if the Municipal Board does not grant the requests, as set forth in the foregoing resolutions, within six days from the date of this meeting, then those constituting this meeting from thenceforth will decline to acknowledge the authority of the Board (as at present constituted) in any way whatever; and it is the express wish and desire of this meeting that if the Board does not grant a satisfactory answer to the said resolutions within the time before specified, thatthose officers of the Municipality elected at the public meeting held in December last, who now hold office, shall forthwith resign their respective offices. " That this meeting requests the secretary to forward to the Secretary of the Municipal Board a copy of the foregoing resolutions." Votes of thanks having been proposed and carried unanimously to the chairman and secretary, the meeting terminated. On Wednesday a man with 8 bell and a board in his hand, called a meeting of ratepayers for that evening, for the purpose of taking into consideration the resolutions passed at the meeting on Monday night. This was, no doubt, intended to have been an opposition to Monday night's meeting, and we are given to understand that one of the resolutions that was to have been put to the meeting was sympathising with the Consuls for the manner in which the public declared their independence in the sixth resolution of Monday night's meeting. _ At the tiuio .wtifiod for th-> meeting there weie present, the eo ivener, the Police Magistrate, oi.e other gentleman, and the whole of the police force. As there was no sign of :i larger number of persons being present, at a quarter past the hour the lights were turned down, und the intended meeting of sympathy collapsed.