PUBLIC MEETING AT WAIPORI.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 291, 28 August 1873, Page 6

PUBLIC MEETING AT WAIPORI.

(From a Correspondent.) A meeting was convened at the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday last to request the Waipori Progress* Committee to resign, as they had lost public confidence. I went expecting to bear what they had done, or omitted to do, by which they had loßt tbe public confidence. You ttiay judge my surprise when I inform you that their transgressions consist, first, in having written to tbe Government informing them that a lot of unlicensed sheep were on our commonage ; second, that they did j not forwards petition applying for an extension of commonage nntil they had ascertained from the public which was the most suitable ground for them. At a meeting called for that purpose,tbe public decided that tbe ground mentioned in the memorial was the most suitable. Tbe Committee immediately wrote to that effect to our representative, Mr. Bastings. (They have received a letter from him, stating that the matter was being considered by the Government.) For the reasons stated, Mr. S. Henry proposed, seconded by Mr. Keating, "That this meeting bas lost confidence in the Progress Committee." Carried. Proposed by Mr. Henry, seconded by some gentleman whose name I did not hear, " That a letter be sent to the Committee requesting them to resign, and that a meeting be held on Saturday, 23rd August, to elect another." j Carried. Mr. Henry stated that be had not lost confidence in all tbe members of tbe Committee, and that he thought most of them would be willing to stand ftm.re-election. He no doubt believed what be stated, but I would be very much astonished if they do so. The office is no sinecure, and to have such an unmerited and unjust insult passed on a public body, is no encouragement for men to take action in public affairs. Most public men expect abuse, more especially if their services are given gratuitously ; but it is possible to lay it on too heavily. I missed tbe oft-vaunted boast of fair play and manliness that is supposed to characterise Britons, for the majority had evidently made up their minds as to their coarse of action before the meeting. It reminds one of tbe celebrated jury who first convicted a prisoner and then beard the evidence. Tbe meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman, Mr. S. Caudwell.