LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 340, 23 April 1863, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

April 13, 1563. My dear Sir, —In your issue of Thursday last, under, the head of Local Intelligence, I have seen an article designated “ Matarana Church,”. On that article I have a few strictures to make. ’ It is said, —“ A numerously attended meeting ••was held at Matarana on Saturday, the 28th ult.., to consider the propriety of; erecting a ch urch for the use of «tlie settlers in that district.” Now, when I, impromptu, can .call up no'fewer than between 35 and 40 different families of settlers in and immediately adjacent to such-district, I think that the meeting there held on the occasion referred to Was, -very far indeed from being . “ numerously attended.” Why, including the respected chairman, two ministers from Plitiki, kind myself, there, were 21- in all. The truth is,, the subject matter laid before the parties assembled, was, I am persuaded, quite unfamiliar to the minds of the. great majority of those who might naturally be. supposed to be most interested in it. And in such circumstances Task,, was a two-weeks advertisement of the proposed meeting at all adequate ? It is still further stated that,—“ It was unanimously agreed, that the offer of Mr. Alex. McGregor of an acre of land as .a site for a - pi ace of -worship anil-. burial ground be accepted.”' Again, the facts of the case are the following. A'motion was regularly submitted to the effect, —that.'in consideration of the building .presently used as a place of worship for the district being amply sufficient for its ordinary requirements, in. the now. Unsettled 1 state of the country, and with the ‘prospects of the two leading religious denominations of which its inhabitants are principally composed kept in view, it is inexpedient to erect a church in the meantime. , It was then -in due form proposed as an amendment to tliia, —that it is desirable to take the opinion of the meeting as to the erection of a place of worship. For this amendment and motion a vote was taken three several times, with the following results, —twice the amendment was supported by .nine (including my two rev. .brethren), and twice did the motion receive equal support (including my vote). Before the vote was taken the- third time, all present .were urged to-vote either one way or the other—when eleven (including Mr. A. McGregor, the proposed donor of said acre and who had not formerly voted) appeared for the amendment, and nine (as on the former occasions) for, the motion. Though the protest.was afterwards withdrawn, yet this decision was immediately protested against as anything lint a satisfactory expression of the mind of the settlers in the district on such an important subject. Almost immediately thereafter some left the meeting, and until its close only three or four individuals appeared to. take .much interest in its proceedings. Yet even to the other motion submitted.—namely, “That the offer of Mr. A. McGregor,” &c. &c., an amendment, .was proposed to the effect —that the consideration of the whole matter be deferred till this time twelve mouths.' If, then, with these palpable verities before us, it can be truly maintained that —it was unanimously agreed,” &c., certainly thfe unanimity is antipodean in its' character.

My reason, on after reflection, for declining to form one of a committee for carrying ont the wishes .of the meeting may, therefore, be patent to every one. , . . At present I shall only remark, in conclusion, that if the :regulations then■ proposed- and adopted he “ latitudinarian ” in their tendency, the Rev. proposer of them may congratulate himself that lie thoroughly evinced therein liis s o\vii perfect freedom from such a bias. ' I am, . Yours faithfully, David Hogg. ' April 18th, 1863. ; g IR; —Jf the ltiver-bank settlers had supposed Mr. Hewett capable of using his position as an M.P. C. to satisfy a-■.private-grudge of-four years’ standing, we would not only have withheld from him our support at tlie late'election, but would have attended more numerously at last week’s meeting, and gone prepared to encounter his opposition. As it is, I must ask space to correct his misstatements ; and the more so as, from an imperfect recollection at the moment of events which had occurred so long before, 1 seem to have, to some extent,"admitted one of them as correct. Mr. H. said, “that a barleycorn rate was voted 1 for the River-bank road,” and that, “in consequence he. and his neighbours had been ’compelled .to cut themselves off from the Tuiiuhaere district, and form a'separate one.” Both statements are incorrect.” The barleycorn’rate was twice voted at annualmieetings as a repairing rate —there being at the. time no roads in the district to repair—and was so A r oted to comply; with the the “District Highways act,” which gave no power to refuse a rate, hilt merely to fix its amount. Mr. Hewett was present on both occasions, and I believe . concuiTedmn thq votes. On the occasion to which he referred at last week’s meeting, the resolution was to the effect that, “ in consequence of the manner in which the funds already entrusted to them have been squandered, no further rates : be made so long as the present wardens remain in office.” The ratepayers who passed that resolution shortly afterwards'subscribed materials, and, having met as a working partv, erected a bridge over the

great chasm at the Aramoho drain—put- in a culvert and carried an embankment about ten feet high across the dry hollow near Mr. Gibson’s—and cleared and levelled live miles of the road—an amount of work which, if done under the act, would have cost a considerable sum, of which, the Government would have had to bear its siiare. The severance of the district did not take place for two years afterwards (rates having in the interim-been made and levied for every road in the Tunuhacre district),' and had nothing to do with the 'River-bank road, but was asked for by Mr. Hewc-tt and his'neighbours on the ground that the timber traffic from the hushes near Woodleigh cut up the unnietalled Brunswick mad so as to render it useless in winter to those wlio ! lived at its extremity.

The rates • which have been made for the Ivivcr-bank road are,Ist. Sd-per acre, payable in two instalments ; the expenditure of which by Mr. 11. and his colleagues being condemned by the auditors.and disapproved by the ratepayers led to the refusal of further rates for the time.

2nd. 4d per acre granted to the next Board soon after its election.

3rd. 2d per acre granted to the same, and which, not being levied through some informality, was confirmed by a meeting called by the present Board, and is now being collected. The total amount —Is 2d per acre is, I believe, as much or more than'has been voted for any country road in this neighbourhood in the same space of time, and affords a ■ conclusive answer to Mr. Hewett’s. insinuation that the River-bank settlers are unwilling to .tax. themselves, particularly when taken in connexion with the amount of work done by them-as above mentioned, and with the fact that many of. tlieni have, in respect of the same lands, to contribute to a branch road (Missionary line) by.which to get on to the River-bank road. I hope that, notwithstanding Mr. 'Kewett’s having succeeded in preventing the meeting last Aveek from requesting them to do bo, our ; members will endea\ r our to get a grant for a road which is quite as deserving of special assistance as cither of those hereabouts which have already re-cei-ved it. - • I am, sir, .' ; . Your obedient servant, . . < H. C. Field.