MINERS' LEAGUE COMMITTEE MEETING.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 656, 10 May 1870, Page 2

MINERS' LEAGUE COMMITTEE MEETING.

(contributed.) The advertised public meeting in connection with the Miners' League took place at Giles Terrace on Saturday night, and was well attended by the miners of the district. Mr Braithwaite, who was appointed chairman, stated briefly the objects of the meeting, and explained that the Committee expected to have had the petition laid before the public for signature before this time but delays had taken place in the drawing out of the petition which had retarded the work of the Committee considerably, but that the secretary had rough drafts of the petition and rules for a permanent Miners' League—which he, the secretary, would read, and concluded his remarks by urging upon the miners the necessity of organising themselves so as to be in a position to deal satisfactorily with their own affairs. Mr Barrowman, before reading the petition, explained the cause of the delay in the petition coming forward. He said that the delegates who were appointed to draw out the petition thought it advisable to have it revised as also the rules for a Miners' League by a lawyer, and that Mr Donne, of Charleston, had kindly' taken it in hand with the assistance of their representative, Mr Reid, and that corrected copies had not yet arrived but were expected daily, when the Committee would be in a position to lay them before the public for signature. He then read rough proofs of the petition and rules for a Miners' League. And went on to state that the Nelson Government had always attempted to whitewash every agitation of this sort. How often had it happened in the Council—when they could not refute the just claims of the representatives —that they voted moneys that they never intended should be expended, and a little over two years ago, when an agitation got up at Charleston and Addison's Flat for the establishment of mining boards; what did the Government do on that occasion ? Why, they established a mining conference, and at that conference practical miners made practical suggestions which were afterwards turned and twisted by the Wardens to suit the particular ideas of the Government, and this they called a mining conference. They seem on the present occasion to have recourse to the plan that suited so well on the former occasion to quell the agitation and shuffle the just demands of the miners. The Grey River Argus justly remarks that little good can come out of the proposed conference of Wardens, when such men as Dr Giles go to that conference, with the idea that there is very little requiring to be rectified. He thought that if the miners wanted redress, that they must depend upon themselves to obtain it, and that a committee, however willing to push the thing through, would be of very little avail unless backed by the miners as a body. A voice from the body of the room, taking up the strain of the Wardeu's report, asked for a statement of grievances, and Mr Dunn, in a very pointed manner, explained many grievances that were patent to the dullest comprehension—such as the insufficiency of ground compared with the amount of labor attached to the opening of it up—the way that miners were hawked about for the most trifling affairs, that ought to be obtainable in each district —and the number and amount of taxes that miners are called upon to pay compared with any other class in New Zealand. And explained, to the satisfaction of the meeting, that not only were our grievances numerous but of such an outrageous nature that the energies of each individual miner should be called into play for their speedy remedy and removal". Mr Graham said that there seemed to be a very mistaken idea with regard to the petition because it did not directly ask for one miner's right for the Colony the reduction of the gold duty, &c, but he explained that the prayer contained in the petition for increased representation was the first and surest step towards obtaining these and many other wants of the mining community ; and that Mining if granted, could deal with local matters of detail. He made mention of many great benefits derived in the old country from local organised bodies and a fair and equal representation.

The Chairman, to teat the feeling of the meeting, put it to a vote, whether the Warden was right to attempt to throw cold water on the movement, and representing that the body of miners were not in favor of it, or whether the Committee was right in carrying through what they had undertaken, when the meeting was unanimous in favor of the Committee. It was also put to a vote whether

the enrolling of members of the Miners' League should be proceeded with at once, so as to raise funds for the earrying'tbrough of the petition, or, whether a ball should be held in Westport on the Queen's birthday for that purpose, and the enrolling of members ' of the Miners' League tp:stand over till the petition was presented. The' vote was unanimous in favor of;the . ball, and the enrolling of members of ' the Miners' League to take place after the petition had been presented so as to place the permanent league in an independent position so far as funds were concerned.

A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Harrison for kindly granting the use of the room. And with a vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting separated.