THE COUNTY RIDING.S PUBLIC MEETING CAMBRIDGE

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 699, 7 December 1876, Page 2

THE COUNTY RIDING.S PUBLIC MEETING CAMBRIDGE

A meeting of ratepayers of the Cam bridge town and country districts convened by the Chairmen of the Highway Boards, was held at the National Hotel, on 'lv sJay last, the sth instant, to take into con-ideration Waikato County Ridings, and number of Councillors allotted to each. The attendance, considering the shortness of the notke, was fair, some thirLy being gentleuun preae .1. Mi C etnentJ, read the advertisement calling ttie inee-ting, and called on them to anoint a Chairman, Soveral gentlemen were proposed, but declined, eventually Mr Jaine9 Rutuiman con■ented to act. The Chairman, said, it was not necessary for him to enter into any elaborate explanation of the 01-ject of the meetiug, they were astemlned to take into consideration the injustice that was abeut to be done them, in the unfair distribution of the County Councillors He had telegiapbed to the Hon. Mr Whitaker that day, for the names of the Ridings,, and the number of Councillors for each, in the Waikato Countj. Ho ha<t taken this step because they had nothing to go by but the newspaper's (" St.v") report. The following was tho answer wuich he had received from Mr Whitaker :—'• Auoklaud Nov. 6th, 9.30. a.m : To Jams* Kuuciman, K*.q : Waikuto Cuunty, Cambridge Hiding, two members ; Kirikiriroa, three tnemoers ; Tamahtre, one member ; Kaugniri, one member. Tins arrangement was forwarded by me to Wellington for proclamation, and I am not aware of any alteration —b\ Wnitaker " Thus it. will be seen that matters were even wor<»e than they h.»d thought when the) meeting was called It had been understood before, that Cambridge was to have two member*; Tamahere, two; Kirikmroa, ; two; and Kangwiri, o»e. He then read a telegram to Air Clements from the Waikato Times con Hi miug the "Star's" nport. it rested with the meeting wnat coiuse they should punue,, ho hoped that their de- I mctnds would be reasonable. If they were, there was a prospect of their being tcceaded to. Cambridge people were genorally considered to be reasonab.e, and he woula like to see them maintaiu their refutation. It was clear that tney mnst act upon the telegram from tuo Attorney-General. It wait open now for any gentleman to move a resolution. Mr Selby. said, they had been led to boheve that representation was .nxed upon the basii of population. Now the first thing to do wai to hud out whac the population of the vari ,m Kiting* reuliy was. It was no use Haying Cambridge has a larger population ihau Kinkiriroa or Tamaheie withonfc any tangible proof that it was so. It would not do to ignore those places. One member wm sufficient be believed f^r Tuina here, But before they grumbled at Kinkinroa haviug three members, they should be made aware of the lelative population of the two plaoei. If it via* shown Cambridge bad the largest number o£, inhabitants, he wou'd gv with them m trying to obtaiu justice, but until this was done they weie uompia mug without any cause ior<:omplaining. Ihe Chaiiman said, he did not think any gentleman could give any approximation of the relative p>pulation. Mr Camp moved cnat the meeting ttaud adj .urned until they could have more reliable info matum to go upon. This provoked a short discussion, and it wa* negitivud ou the grounds ot the shortness of iin»: *t their unpo-al »s auy alter ttioa would, hive to be made betor«. the Ifiih mat., and in any c*Be, Cainbrittle would fare tlie tamo. The Chairman said, ihat what they wante I w. ■ to have Camb'idge more fainy represented in the Council. Mr Bright came forward to move thd first resolution, he presumed that ihi-y all ha<l one oljjot m vie.?, some oi them might not oe able to boast ot large Mucks and herds, but tuey made it a rule to identify themselves with thuir dutriot. They were eudaavounng to aid in doing good to tne dHtrict. On this principle tie woul I move a sen s of resolutions. It would reet with th« meetiog whetner th>»y w.mld take tliein as a whole or seriatim. Several gentlemen spoke for and against putting th in to iho meeting as a whole. Mr Bright said ne would read the first, which was, " That thin meetiug 14 of opinion that the allotnvtut of members for the Ri lings of Waikato wai ar Uary and unjmt." Tlih Chiiruian said it would be as well if Mr Bright would read all the r>solution* first, and then the meetiug could dtoidw upon the order in which they ■hould lie put. Mr Bright then read the three other resolutions, as follows :— 2nd " That thin ineetia^ u of opinion that Cambridge Township, from it* population, which is lar^st in the Waikato County, is emitted to be a Kidi' q of itself, with t»o members." 3rd "That Cambridge District and T«mihero firm ono Riding, with two members." 4th 'That two geuiletneu from this meeting proofed to , uckUnd, ai a deputation to the Hon Mr Whitaker, t»kmg with them the Assessment Kolla of th) aforeaaid districii, and urge &n alteration in conformity with the abo»e resolutions." He was glad he had been allowed to read all the resolutions, as the meeting could sse their connection one with another. He had no interest in moving them, as nothing could induoe him to make, one of the geutlemou to proceed to Auckland. The whole thing was this, on the decision of the majority of tha Councillors will Gnally be fixed the County town. If population was to be the criterion, on that basis Cambridge was entitled to be th« county town. Certain gentlemen had been there a few days bef no, who had bean willing to bet th.it Hamilton East would be the Oiuuty town, and when aikcd for their reasons for so thinking, they coolly said they had more interest down there th»n they had. This interest, a>id nothing else, gave them a puwer which Cam'irilge had not. Now, they should try to thwart them, if poHsiule, and obtain justice for Cambridge. HU only object was to get their just rights. If population wu anything, tbeu, Cambridge should be the County town. If the Government went on th • principle Hated by the gentlemen he ha<l referred to, then, he supposed, it would be Hamilton Bast Sir George Grey had given it as his opiuion that the only way to get anything at Wellington was, by scheming, and he supposed that it was the same here. With the pc> mission of the meeting, be would move the resolutions ■■ a whole. Mr Clements seoonrled. Mr Houghtnu said, the utmost that they should auk for was, to be put up m the tame footing as Kinkinroa. The position 6f Camb idge preclu led the possibility of its being the County town. It would not he just to the other p*rls of the County to tnako it co. Mr Clements pointed oat that to make 'Kmkiriroi and Cambridge equ%l, and to give Kangariri and I'amahere ono member each would make it iv cessary to have eig'it members instead of seven. Mr Clark thought the (xove-rncr had power to add anotlur member.

Mr C'enif-nts did iob wi»h to a»k for another mem'ier He wished to Arrange the pres W number better. Mr Hou^luou paid, he believed that the boundaries had been fixed by Mr He ile, at Auckltnd, and gent to a few H' flu utial goutltmen in the district for approval. Mr Clements said that, as Chairman of the Town bo-ud, he lookel upon it as an act of injustice They claimed the town aw a Riding, on the quebtion of population. He would do everything iv his power to make it one. If the County Board would not help them, they must go on and do it by th»mselvci. If they did not get foui membtrs, they would not get the Oouuty town. Mr Seiby propo'G'l that the Town Board shouM leave the matter to deal wnthitaelf. Itseem-d to himtbitthey had called the dutricb settlers to assist them in their policy of eel f -aggrandisement. He would retire. (Mr Selby then left the room ) Mr Bright thought the conduct of th« gentlemau who had just goue out very inconsistent. The interests ot Cambridge, town and country, were identic*!, it waa simply Cambridge versus Hamilton. The Chairman said he waB in a very peculiar position. He wished the meeting would keep to the reiolutiona. Mr Clark would more, as an amendment, that tho three foot reaolutiona bo struck out, and these words added to the first — " And that a petition be presented to tee Hon Mr Whit alter, requeuing that one councillor be added to the Cambridge Kiding, making three in all." If they demanded anything unreasonably they would >»et nothing. He was sorry to think that anj one should bi'hevo he wanted to pull against the interests of Cnmb-idge Township. He was alwayi misunderstood. However, he supposed lie was not made of the stuff that commands popu anty. Mr W L Martyn seconded the amendment, Mr Houghton atked if it would not answer the purpose for Cambridge T«tr» to have one msmber, and tin Cambriuga*^ Dishiot and i'amahere three ? «£. Mr Clark deprecated auj attempt t^"* divide the interests of town and Cjuntry, which were, or ought to be identicil. lhey mu-t not look back to the Road Board days, when Cambridge Township did not think it had its share of money expended there. The principle of voting was different now, and the town, instead of contributing a few shillings to the rates, would give a considerable amount, and consequently would have more expended upon it. The chairman pnt the amer dme"t and resolutions to the meeting. Four handa were held up for the f irtnen and six for the latter, and tli< original motion was declared to have been earned, several gentkmen were proved as a deputation, to proceed to Auckland, but, (or vuiious reasons, they all declined. ' Eventually, Mr Koae mored the following resolution — " lhat, in counequence of ' no gentlemen piesent at the meetmn being found williug to proceed to Auckland, . these resolutions be foi warded to Major Wilson, at there, requesting hint , to present them to the ttou iVlr vVtutiiker, i and that Mr Clements and Mr Bright draw out the re*olu lions iv due form." , Mr Bright having seconded, it was carried. , A vote of thanks to tho Chair u aj, coo* eluded the business.