SEPARATION COMMITTEE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 503, 13 May 1869, Page 2

SEPARATION COMMITTEE.

The Committee met at the Postoffice Hotel on Tuesday evening. The members present were Messrs Tyler (in the chair.) Gallagher, M.H.E., O'Conor, Bullen, Whyte, Lloyd, and Humphrey. Mr Adam Porter, who had returned from his visit to the Buller and Grey liiver districts, was present at the meeting, and submitted the signatures he had received to the petition, amounting to upwards of twelve hundred. He gave also a detailed, and, on the whole, satisfactory report of his extensive travels through the country, and of the spirit in which the petition had been received. In the Buller, Lyell, and Inangahua districts, the movement was looked upon very favourably, and more signatures might be expected, store-keepers and others having taken charge of copies of the petition. By the time he reached districts contiguous to Greymouth, steps had been taken to excite a feeling in favor of a County with Greymouth as its centre, and a smaller party were interesting themselves in a petition to the Nelson Provincial Council, representing their aversion to the dismembermeut of the Province, and urging upon the Council to give attention to the requirements of the district. The second party seemed, however, to be disposed, in the event of any separation, to favor the Westport petition, rather than to unite with Greymouth. He contradicted the account which had been given in the Grey River Arqus of a meeting at Napoleon's at which Dr Donovan appeared. Prom the statement of Mr Porter, Dr Donovan seemed to have imported to Napoleon's some of the antipathy which was once understood to exist between Addison's Plat and Westport, and to have made it the basis of his opposition to the petition. Brighton was very favorable to the movement, and any feeling of opposition in Charleston "seemed to be caused by some erroneous impression that Separation would be attended by taxation on claims and other property. It was arranged that Mr Porter should visit Charleston, on behalf of the Committee, and give such assistance to the committee there as might be necessary, in order to complete the list of signatures. Mr O'Conor referred to a statement made by Mr Harrison, M.H.R., at the recent meeting held at Greymouth. Mr Harrison had said that, from communications he had had with those in Westport who were interesting them-

selves in the establishment of a County, there would be no opposition to the proposal of a further division of the district by the institution of a County of whicb the llazorback would be the northern boundary. He knew that no person in Westport advocated such a proposal, and he believed that, so far as any members of the Committee were concerned, Mr Harrison had no authority for stating so. He proposed that the Secretary should be instructed to write a letter to the Grey River Argus and to the West Coast Times, protesting against such a representation of the feeling in Westport, and stating the reasons why such a feeling did not and could not exist.

The Chairman stated that in any conversation that he had had with Mr Harrison, he certainly did not give him to understand that the Committee or the inhabitants were inclined to give up any portion of the district. Mr Whtte referred to some of the arguments used at the Greymouth meeting—especially that with reference to the repeated payment of miners' rights—as illustrating rather the impropriety and disadvantage of further dividing the district. He seconded Mr O' Conor's motion and it was agreed to. Mr Humphrey, the Treasurer, in reply to questions from the Committee, reported that at present there was £2B remaining to the credit of the Committee, and he anticipated that, between subscriptions to be paid and othei's procurable, other £2O would be available. He would, at least, guarantee £lO.

Mr JO'Conor and other members pointed out that some effort would still require to be made to meet contingent expenses, and there was some conversation as to the propriety of requesting the Amateur Dramatic Club to give their services in aid of the funds, Mr O'Conor having represented that the Club were willing to do so ; but the general feeling of the Committee was against the suggestion. They considered that it would be preferable, and that they would also be able, to dispense with assistance so obtained. It was hoped that the Pinance Committee would give some further attention to their duties, and the Treasurer undertook +hat they would do so. He intimated that he had received a subscription from Mr Gallagher, M.H.B.

An account for the engrossing of the petition was passed ; and the meeting was adjourned until Tuesday next.