INDIGNATION MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 563, 30 December 1875, Page 2

INDIGNATION MEETING.

TVfiMVAVT to ft notice issued by the Chairman of the Hamilton District Board, a large %nd iniuential meeting of the inhabitants was held on Tuesday evening last, in the old School-house Hamilton, to consider the action | taken by the Postal Authorities in reference to changing the name of the district of Hamilton. Mr J L Longbottom was voted to tbe -chair and opened the proceedings bj reading the advertisement calling the meetisg. He was not there, fee stated, to explain what had taken place but he might say, that since the meeting had been called lie hadjrecefced a telegram from the Chief Postmaster at AnckUnA, which he would read to the meeting. , I ** Having learned that a public meeting has ! been convened at Hamilton, to consider the supposed intention of this Department to alter the name of the Post Offices. I hare to inform you. that the department has no such intention. A circular was issued to certain Postmasters asking for suggestions, with a Tiew to lesiem the ' number of offices beating the same name. Thin ha» I Bupposo given riae to tfce impression that the" designation of the Hamilton Post Office wai to be ohanged. I beg yon -will be good enough to correct this mistake at any meeting which may ' be held. —Signed S B Biss." In answer, to a question put bj Mr A C >x tho Chairman stated that -hi* attention hnd been nnp called'- to 'the matter by the "Waikato Tij^fs. H£, the ohoirman bad been requested by several of the inhabitants to call a public meeting tend ho had done so. The matter was now in their bauds. There hadfeeen hethotoght some Ktile nri«understanding in the subject, but it was only wise on the part cf -the settlement to take seme action in the matte?, as everybody nrast know the inconvenience that weuld follow such a change. Mr Enox taid that it wa« quite ckar that the authorities had meant to have taken tome action in the matter of changing the name whatever might now be their expressed intention. As an old uettler of many years standing in tbe district he was touched to the quick that the Government had not ev«n paid the inhabitants the compliment to consult them on a matter so nearly affecting their, interests. Great credit, and tbe thanks of the communitj were due to the Waik \TO Timfs But for that journal they would some day have reoeived a copy of the •Gazette and found that the name had been changed past recall, He allufed to the case of Ugaruawahia tho nawie of which had been arbitrarily changed to Newcastle, and ncm it was felt on all sides that the best thing they could do would be to change it baCk again. In the case of Hamiltqn the toast that should have been done was to have first consulted the" inhabitants. Eleven years ago when the district was Aaraed they were «11 called together on the other side of the river aud asked what name should be given to it, and now after this lapse of time it has been attempted to upset their decision without so much as consulting them in the matter. The name of Hamilton had then been fixed upon in compliment to Capt Hamilton who fell at tho Gate Pa, and the name of tke district had not only obtained in some measure sort of historical renown, but it would be a matter of seiious public inconvenience to have it changed. He would move " That while this meeting learns with satisfaction that the intention of altering the name of tho district has bee« abanc'o icd, they desire to place on record their dissatisfaction that any such change should have been contemplated without first ascertaining the feelings of the inhabitants, through their representatives, the Hamilton Town Board, aud that a copy of this resolution be forwardei to the Postmaster at Auckland." The motion was seconded by Mr McPherson. Mr John's thought that the telegram roeeiTed from Mr Biss showed taat no special intention existed as regards the change of name of the Hamilion district. That had not been shown. There was no «ridenoe of it before them and to paes the resolution would be to charge Mr Bis with untruthfulness in his telegram. He hud known Mr Bis for years ani could not believe that he would be guilty of such conduct. Mr Knox— "Oh its a mattet of pure friendship, and its coming out now." He too had known Mr Bis for some years and he knew him to be notorious for anything but courtesy as an official. In his mind, *s in that of the majority of those who had spoken to him on the matter-, there was no doubt but that the change was contemplated, aud would have been carried out by Mr Bis, but for tbe pressure from without put upon him, first by the Waikato Times, and then by» portion of the Auckland press, which took up the matter. As the suggestijn of Mr Oox the wo f ds "if it exiited" were proposed to be added after the word " district*' and, this alteration meeting the views of Mr Johns, and being accepted by Mr Enox, the resolution as amended was put to the meeting and carried umnimously. Mr John's then proposed "That this meeting exp- ess its hearty thanks to the Waikato Times for tho outspoken manner in which it had dealt with the question." They all, he said, liked plain Bpeaking. and their local journal bad not hesitated to deal in an independent and straightforward manner with the question. He thought they ought not to separate without showing their appreciation of the manner in which their interests were cared for by the local press. '"Mr Knox J in seconding the resolution said that tne-present added another to the great obliga1 ffons conferred by the Times on the Waikato settlers. Itwas owing in agreat measure to that journal that they w<mld be called upon to meet tomorrow to" nominate a second member for the district. It was not usual at meetings of thii kind to do so, but he hoped the resolution would be carried with three tine three. Resolution put and carried witk acclamation. A vote of thanks to the Chairman then terminated the proceedings and the meeting separated.