Meeting of Members of the late 1st Waikato Regiment.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2783, 15 January 1878, Page 2

Meeting of Members of the late Ist Waikato Regiment.

At the imitation of Captiin Fraser.the officers and men of the late lit Waikato Regiment,' resident in Tauranga, met to- n gether on Saturday erening, at: th»:!) Tauranga Hotel, to consult on the proprietary of restoring the monumenterected ' to the memory of their comrades who fell at Mauku. Captain' Fraser, in opening the proceedings, explained ,tha,t. sufficient.. , 'funds for the desired object could be 6b- ; / tamed without any difficulty from among ': '■ ■ the men of the late Ist, resident at the: Thames goldfields, and that he had .been urged not to trouble' about'asking' for funds in Tauranga, but was of opinions that such a course would be discourteous to the members of the late regiment residing in Tauranga and Opotiki, which places he.regarded as the headquarters (so to speak) of the late regiment. Now his idea was to go further than restoring the monument; what he desired was to see sufficient funds.collected to re-, more the monument, and the bones of their late comrades, and place them 1 in the '•.' new cemetery in Tauranga! (cheers.) That was his .desire, and it would take but little more to remore the monument and bones than to restore it at its present site at Drury, which is. now in a more ' backward condition than.when the monument was erected ; the: burial ground is open to horses, cattle, and sheep, such a state of things was disgraceful, and he conceded it the imperatire duty of the surriring comrades of the Mauku heroes to see that the monument and the bones were remored to a place where they would be looked after with affectionate solicitude by not, only ; the surrirors of the* men who fell at Mauku j .;\ but by their children, and grandchildren, - ' and Tauranga was such a place, or to take steps to hare the monument restored and properly taken care of. He would like to hear the opinion of'his late comrades on the subject. Mr J. J. Redmond expressed himself in high terms of the action taken by Captain Fraser in calling them together for such a noble purpose, tod great credit was due to him for so doing: he (Mr ' . Bedmond) would be quite glad to see the , monument and bones of their late com-^y | rades remqred to Tauranga, and* would do what lay in his power to assist in the> •* matter. • ' ■ : Mr Martin asked what would be the probable cost 1 of 'removals' •- - Captain Fraser:'About £70. Lieutenant Hallo'wes spoke in faror of | removing the mbnument to the new | cemetery, Tauranjta. '"''.' " In reply to Mr Patrick Collins, Captain Fraser said that the officers and men of . the late Ist residing on the gold fields desired that the. monument should be ; repaired at Drury, but would be. willing ... to see it removed to Tauranga. ...... , After further discussion it, was carried . unanimously, on the proposition of Mr J[:' J. Bedmond, seconded by Mr P.- Herbert, ; < that "It is the desire of the military . settlers of Tauranga that the monument..' and bones at Drury be remored aad '■ placed in the new cemetery at Tau- -'■ ranga." -■•..., •. .. ... Captain Fraser said he would leare ; ■ subscription lists with Mr Bobcrt King, J.P, of Opotiki, and would appoint Mr Peter Shaughnessy, senior, local trea« . surer. : , . Mr Bedmond mored, and Mr Shaughr nessy seconded, a rote of thanks to Captain Fraser for his soldierlike conduct in this matter, to which the gallant Captain suitably replied, and the meeting dispersed.—Bay of Plenty Times.'