PUBLIC MEETING AT WAITAHUNA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 25 April 1868, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT WAITAHUNA.

A large and influential meeting "took place in the Schoolhouse, Waitahuna, on the evening of Monday last, to fake into consideration the action of the Government in reference to the sale of certain sections of land in Murray's Flat. Mr. Winning was unanimously voted to the chair, and briefly explained the objects of the meeting. Mr. Dunn (Secretary) read' several letters from influential gentlemen, offering adricf on #J? matter before the meeting. . £-" .a-'--. .

A discussion took place in reference to the appointment of an interpreter. Mr. Butters suggested the advisability of allowing the matter to rest for a time, to wait for further information in. the matter, which was ultimately agreed to. Mr. Heath said, with regard to the land question, he was neither an applicant, nor did he wish to become one. He was merely advocating common justice. It was the miners who would have to suffer from the great injustice which was being practiced by the Government. The man with the most means had the most influence ; and he would ask, what right had Mr. Murray to the land ? He (Mr. Heath) was not interested in the -pTOfTerty — (hear, hear) ; — and the Government had no right, no elective power, for that remained in the hands of the people. He then moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Butters, and carried unanimously : — " That in the opinion of this meeting, the answer' to the petition presented to the Superintendent, relative to the sale of certain land, situate in Waitahuna east, is evasive, and altogether unsatisfactory, inasmuch as the Government have failed to show any justifiable reason why the prayer of the petition should not be granted." Mr. Moggarth said, the Government had certainly not given any justifiable reason for their conduct in the matter ; and the Waitahuna public certainly could not be responsible for any misapprehension on the part of the Government. Mr. Moggarth further discanted, in an eloquent manner, on the letters received by the Secretary ; and he then moved the second resolution, as follows :—": — " That it is the opinion of this meeting that the land in question is not in a more exceptional position than other land in the same neighborhood, and consequently can see no reason why it should not be dealt with in the ordinary manner, the fact of competition giving it no more special value above other lands for which more than one application has been received, and which have been satisfactorily dealt with by the Warden, under the present Leasing Clause of the Goldfields Act." In seconding the resolution, Mr. Higgins said that, as he might be considered an interested party, some explanation would be necessary. He had made the usual application for some portion of the land in dispute, and had paid tha necessary deposit ; and although the other claimants had never put a spade in the ground, he was liable to the forfiture of all the improvements laid out on the land. After a few further remarks, he said, that the sooner they got rid of a Government that would act in such a manner the better. The motion was put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. Mr. Butters moved the third resolution, which he supported in an able manner; seconded by Mr. Hattie — "That this meeting considers that the sale of the land in question would be decidedly unfair to the applicants who were informed by the Warden that their applications were granted, and in some cases have commenced improvements upon said in- j formation." Mr. Dunn proposed the fourth resolu- ! tion — " That this meeting considers that the sale of this land is detrimental to the interests of the mining community generally, as it would give it a precedent for soiling any land on the Goldfields, for which more than one application may be made." Mr. Heath seconded the resolution, and read a clause in the Goldfields Act, bearing upon the subject under discussion. In the course of his remarks, he said that, as they all lived upon what came from under the ground, they would be obliged to remove elsewhere as that became exhausted, unless they could obtain the land for settlement. If they gave the Government license to sell that land, it would be a pretext for their selling land in other localities. He continued by referring to what he believed to be underhand influence on the part of those monopolists who were doing their utmost to obtain the land in question. After some reflections upon the Government, he said that, if they wished to gain the object they had in view, they ought to support each other in strenuously resisting all endeavors on the part of the Government to dispossess them of land to which they considered they had a just right. Mr. Moggarth proposed the next resolution — "That this meeting considers it advisable that a copy of these resolutions, in the form of a petition, and signed by the Chairman of the meeting, be sent to the Provincial Council as speedily as possible, praying them to take into their favorable consideration the grievance contained in the resolutions." He. (Mr. Moggarth) was of opinion that the wisest plan the meeting could adopt would be to forward the resolutions arrived at to the Provincial Council. Mr. Bailiss seconded the resolution. j Another gentleman who addressed the i meeting suggested what he considered the most desirable method to adopt in the matter. He proposed to embody in the petition as many signatures as could be obtained. He would therefore move, as an amendment, "That a petition, embodying the previous resolutions, and signed by the public, be presented to the Provincial Council." Mr. Agnew seconded the amendment. He was of opinion that the more signatures there were obtained the more weight the petition would carry with it. Mr. Higgins generously offered to defray all expenses attending the canvassing for signatures. Mr. Dunn said that that had been the most influential meeting held in Waitahuna ; and he hoped it would be productive of good results, as showing the real state of public opinion in .the dis. trict. Mr. Hattie was of opinion that it would not be necessary to adopt the amendment just read. He thought it would be quite sufficient for the Chairman to attach his signature to the resolutions.; and the time necessarily involved in canvassing for signatures would thus be saved. Mr. Moggarth supported Mr. Hattie ; and after some further discussion,- the amendment was put to the meeting, and carried. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Winning for presiding, after which the meeting closed. >v The petition alluded to .was numerously signed at the dose of the mating.