MR CURTIS AT THE TERRACES.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1125, 18 November 1873, Page 2

MR CURTIS AT THE TERRACES.

(communicated.) His Honur the Superintendent addressed the electors at Harrison's Hotel on Thursday evening, the 13th instant. The attendance was good, although it rained heavily. Mr J. Braithwaite occupied the chair, and Mr Curtis spoke for upwards of an hour. His speech being similar in most respects to that delivered at Westport on the previous evening. He dilated upon railway works, coal leases, O'Conor & Co's application to the Waste Lands Board for a two year's monopoly of the Buller coalfield ; provincial expenditure ; horse tracks versus dray roads, and gold duty. On this last topic he defended his action in opposing any reduction, because of the gold duty being the only real revenue of this province. He also explained that he had opposed the extension of Miners Franchise because objecting to class legislation, and considering that all miners who valued the privileges of the franchise could, if they liked, enrol themselves as Electors; having equal facilities with any other class of colonists. Referring to the Local Revenues Act he recommended a conference of the present Boards to suggest amendments, and promised to favorably consider th \ same with a view to render the Act a success. He declared himself in favor of periodical mining conferences similar to the one held recently at Reefton rather than permanent Mining Boards. He blamed Mr O'Conor for getting motions passed in the Council for public works on the West Coast while he knew they were not, nor could not be, provided for. Also for asking too much and getting less than he otherwise would have received for this District. Bullying and frightening the members for the settled district until he had made political enemies of them. Mr Curtis defended the miners of the Province and himself from the studied insult given by Mr O'Conor when he said at a meeting held in Nelson that when he, Mr Curtis, visited the goldfields on a recent occasion had it not have been for the championship of Mr O'Conor he must have certainly been mobbed by the enraged diggers. He assured his hearers, and he felt proud to say it, that wherever and whenever he came among them he was treated with respect and courtesy, and that the only rudeness he ever received was at the hands of Mr O'Conor himself.

Messrs London and Hume put a number of question which were promptly replied to. The answers were warmly applauded. Mr Dunn then proposed a vote of thanks and confidence, which was seconded by Mr D. Barrie. An amendment, the same as proposed and carried at the Westport meeting, " That Mr Curtis's re-election as Superintendent would be looked on by the mining community as a disaster to the Province," was proposed by Mr Hume, and seconded by Mr R. Gill, but was lost, and the motion was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the chairman and three cheers for Mr Curtis, followed by three groans for Mr O'Conor, terminated the proceedings.