PUBLIC MEETING AT BLUE SPUR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 1294, 18 September 1873, Page 5

PUBLIC MEETING AT BLUE SPUR.

A public meeting was held in the Blue Spur Schoolhouse on Monday evening, the 15th inst. Mr. T. F. Morris was called to the chair. He said the meeting was convened for the purpose of considering the public utility of alienating to Messrs. Hinde, Duncan, and Tucker, 250 acres of the commonage sdjoining the Blue Spur township. He believed the land applied ! for by these parties contained rich auriferous deposits. Thiß question was now assuming a public significance ; and if those applications were granted, all the land would be taken which is now available for the exercise of the rights and privileges conferred by the miners' right, viz., the right to occupy for residence one acre of land, and also to graze two head of great cattle. He would seriously put it tothe meeting whether they are to tamely submit to be hemmed in in that manner. They had only to look toFenton's hill to see what the object was of thoso parties ; there some 80 or 90 acres had been for some four years fenced in, and the natural grass made private property. Had the occupiers of that land set the plough in motion and made improvements which would have had the effect of making two blades of grass grow where only one had grown before, the case would have been different. But no ; j the only result in this case was to take what belonged to the community generally, and apply it to the benefit of one or two individuals, thus making a monopoly. If this land was to be occupied by private individuals by all means let it be laid out in Bmall sections, so that every man may have the opportunity of getting a bit. They all knew the nature of this land mania ; it required the most intent watchfulness on the part of the general public to protect their interests. For years past, Mr. Hinde and others have required the most careful watching ; and j from the past experience of this class, he thought the time had now arrived to throw the responsibility from their own shoulders on to those of the Government. But he would caution the meeting from placing too much reliance on the Legislature, as their absence precluded them from acquiring that knowledge which public necessity demanded. He would call on the inhabitants to rise from their chronic > lethargy and defend their rights. Mr. T. E. Williams moved: "That the alienation of sections 42, 43, and 44, block xix., Tuapeka East, to Messrs. Hinde, Duncan, and Tucker, will be injurious to the people and detrimental to the mining interests of this district ; and that a committee be appointed consisting of Messrs. Morris, Williams, French, and T. Cousens, with power to take what steps may be necessary for permanently reserving this land for the benefit of the people of the Blue Spur generally." Mr. Williams said his reason for taking a prominent part in this matter was on account of the blocking up of the township, so that a horse or cow could not be turned out except on a road. This land if leased would shut up from the Blue Spur all the land beyond it, and be a serious loss to him, who kept a cow and a team of bullocks, as well as to others similarly situated. Mr. Wilkinson, in seconding the resolution, said he did so on other grounds than those mentioned by the proposer. He knew this ground to be auriferous: he had worked on it years ago, and but for the want of water he would be working on it now. The ground was very deep, and with a large stream of water to remove the clay, he was convinced it would pay handsomely. He predicted a rich goldfield being found at this particular place after the Blue Spur was washed into the sea. Mr. Cousins was opposed to the leasing of this land on^account of its close proximity to the township. By the present law he had a right to run cattle, and if this land were taken up it would stop him from exercising thai right. Mr W. D. Morrison believed Mr Hinde and others had not seen this matter to bo of such. -public importance, and if the m&feker waa properly represented to them, he felt sure they would withdraw their applications, If Mr. Hinde were present and saw the view that that meeting took of it, he felt sure he (Mr. Hinde) would give up his application.

It was very annoying and vexatious that the people there should be intermittently worked up to fever heat in defending their rights, and it was a disagreeable duty for him (Mr. Morrison) to have to place himself in an antagonistic position to any member of the community. But Mr. Hinde was not one of those who would suffer by going a mile or two further for a farm, and though some Blight difference existed between him and Messrs, Duncan and Tucker, yet they should all see the^ necessity of quashing their own private interests for the benefit of the community. It would be better if the land around the Blue Spur were permanently reserved for public purposes by the Government ; if it were so reserved it would prevent in the future those bickerings and the bad feeling which sometimes arose out of opposing applications for land. Mr. Samuel French quite concurred with the remarks of previous speakers, and as those remarks were apparently concurred in, he did not think his prolonging the discussion of any importance. The piece of ground composed what was absolutely required for public use, and in the future would be necessary for conducting the large water supply to Tuapeka Flat. The resolution was put and unanimously carried. It was at this juncture proposed to collect a small sum to enable the Committee to oppose the applications. After receiving sundry half-crowns, the meeting terminated in the usual manner.