PROPOSED NEW COUNTY OF CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 988, 22 October 1878, Page 2

PROPOSED NEW COUNTY OF CAMBRIDGE.

A large and very influential meeting of the electors of the several ridings proposed to be amalgamated m the new county, was held at the Public Hall Cambridge, on Saturday last, the 19th inst., at 3 p.m. There were present nearly all the leading settlers and resideuts of the district's of Cambridge, Pukerimu, Temahere, Hautapu, Taotaoroa, and Patetere. Every Maclean, Esq., having been voted to the chair stated, that the meeting had been called to receive and take into consideration the Colonial Secretary's reply to the memorial forwarded for presentation to His Excellency the Governor, praying 1 the formation of the County of Cambridge, and to devise further measures that shall lead to the realisation of the project. He then read the reply of the Colonial Secretary as fpllows : — Colouial Secretary's Office, Wellington, September 25, 1878. Sir, — I have the honor, by direction of the Colonial Secretary, to acknowledge receipt of the petition signed by yourselt and 274 other County electors, praying that the district therein described be constituted a Coanty, to be called the Cambridge County. In roply, I am instructed to inform you that the Government consider that the amount of information they haye as yet been able to obtain does not justify them m advising His Excellency the Governor to issue the proclamation under section H of the Counties Act, 1876.— 1 have, &c, S. S. Cooper. Major Clare, Chairman of Committee, Cambridge, "Waikato. Mr Maclean then went on to say that the gentlemen present would remember that the petition was sent to the Government early m the session, and tne Government having very important matters under consideratiou, thought, probably, Ibat they could put oiff the petition m the way they have done. It remained now, for the meeting to pass resolutions that will strengthen the prayer of the petition, and give it more effect. There were several gentlemen present, prepared to bring forward and propose resolutions, aud he would ask the meeting to give all the speakers a fair and impartial hearing. Mr Francis Hicks then came forward, and said he had been deputed to propose the first resolution. He was rather sorry that this was the case, as lie 'thought there were many other geiitlemen present who had been able to devote more time to the due consideration of the question, but as he considered it one of great importance he had not shrunk from the task. He therefore proposed the following resolution :— That this meeting is surprised and grieved that the Government has delayed to advise His Excellency the Governor to comply with the prayer of their memorial for the formation of Cambridge County, and deolare that this delay is injurious to the interests of the memorialists of the country. x\lv Hicks thought this resolution very inadequately expressed the feeling of the electors of the proposed couuty on the subject. Hs thought it very wrong of the Government to ignore the matter m the way they have done ; they ought to have paid more serious attention to it, more especially, as it was signed by the whole of the electors, except six or seven. It might be said, that the prayer of the petition wa3 almost the unanimous voice of the electors of the area to be constituted into the new county. No doubt, the gentlemen present would remember that the members of the present Government were opposed to the Counties Act before they came into office. It was thought that it would be better to have a change m the Ministry, as the former members had been Iso1 so long m office, but the members of the prosenfc Ministry, would never have been, m office had they not pledged themselves to carry out the Counties Act. When the present Premier, Sir George Grey, was making a tour of this district, he expressed himself* vury stronyly on the abolition of provinces. He said that he considered it a blow to the prosperity of the country. The framera of the Counties Act never dreamt that the country would abide by such arbitary boundaries ns those laid down by the Act. The very fact of provision being made for the constitution of new counties at the yery beginning -of the Act proved this. The Government wpre going beyond their powers m refusing the prayer of the petitio i. Shelving the question as they have done, he eocftidefed injurious to tU» prispjrv

ity. and welfare of the comtry. They were the first to apply to be constituted into a now county, and therefore the Government should have paid most particular attention to their petition. He therefore begged to move the resolution he had read to them. Mr Patrick Leslie seconded. The Chairman read the resolution to the meeting-, and put it to the vote and it was carried unanimously. Mr Edward Lake now came forward and said it had fallen to his lot to propose the next resolution. He begged to move : — That the meeting express the conviction that the General Assembly of New Zealand, when framing and passing the Counties Act, 1876, and fixing arbitrary boundaries for counties, intended by clauses 11 and onwards to make provisions m that Act such an to enablo electors to find and to fix their after centres and limits suitable and satisfactory for themselves. He said the Government m shelving the question thought that they, (the electors of the new county) could be shut up with a bit of bounce. Tt remained for them to show that they could not be so set aside. He thought they should be' like the woman m the parable of the unjust judge, pester away at the Government till what is wanted ia granted. If they will not grant the prayer of the petition because it is just, let thorn pester away at the Government so that because of their importunity they will grant it. The framers of the Counties Act had no idea of the best centres and limits for the Counties. Wheu the township of Ngaruawahia was sold the Govern, ment and the people who gave such s, high price for the laud had no idea ihat it would occupy the second rate position it does now. Mr John Fisher rose to second the resolution, he said that he did not agree with the Chairman's remarks that it was mere pressure of business which induced the Government to treat their petition m the way they hid dove. He had seen a letter from Mr AloMtnn the member for Waipa, which stated that the Government held a meeting to consider the question and th it after due deliberation they decided to shelve it. He was aware that a good deal of pressure bad been bronght to bear outside the proposed couuty m opposition to the petition! But it was a matter outsiders had no voice m He had much pleasure m seconding the proposition. Tho resolution having been road by the Chairman, was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Mr Patrick Leslie came forward and moved the next resolution. That this meeting declares that the present boundaries of counties m this part of the provincial district of Auckland have been ill-chosen, and are not suitable, and that the formation of the new County of Cambridge, as prayed for m their memorial to His Excellency the Governor, will best promote and protect the interests of tho districts concarned.

It required very few words on his part to take the meeting with him on this resolution. He thought it seemed to embody ovorything that could be said. It was absurd of the Government to aay they had not sufficient information on the subject. They (the memorialists) had given them all the information m their power, and the Government did not ask them for the information. If, as he was sure they had done, the law had been complied with m eveiy particular, it was an injustice to withhold the execution of prayer of the petition. If the Government will uot grant it, let them give some i solid reasons why they should not. He thought they should force the tljiug to its utmost limits. He had much pleasure m moving the resolution.—Mr H. A. C. Furgasson seconded. The Chairman then read the resolution, and put it to the meeting, and it was carried nem con, Mr George E. Clarke brought up the next resolution, which he Maid it had fallen to his lot to move. It j was as follows : — That tins meeting declares that the two hundred aud seventy-nve memorialists whoso signatures have been alKxed to the memorial, praying fur tho formation of Cambridge County, having complied iii every particular with all the requirements laid down by the Legislature m the Counties Act, 1876, and no public or openly avowed representations having been advanced m opposition to thenprayer, the withholding compliauco therewith is a grievance, an invasion of their rights as County Electors, and not consistent with the spirit of the law. This resolution, he said, might seem rather strong, but uot too strong, if they considered the wording of the Counties Act m Ciause 11, which he read. The Act had been complied with m every particular, and if there was any opposition, it was not of a legitimate kind. There could be no such opposition, considering there werj only sis against two hundred and seventyfive. If there was, there is a cour.se of procedure laid down iv Clause 200 of the Act. Opposition outaide tha County could not be taken iato consideration. Outsiders had no voice m the matter. He believed that if prperly carried out, the Uounties Act would provide the very best means of local Government. After a time, when the whole machinery was m perfect workiu" order, he thought they might do away with the lload Boards, and let the County Councils do all the work. By this mean.*, proper engineers could be employed to carry oat t c work, and mucli of the pow now. wasfecj WQuJd be spent ta better advantage. He would be very much opposed to doing away with theEoal Boards at the pr^ui/t time, but, af .er a time, he thought tbey-WQuW l *o \ey well withvuli 4

them. By passing theso resolutions, thcy^ would show a greater determination to haja the prayer of the ro^momtcarried out, as desired. They (the memorialists) ha,d. the law on their side, and they were bound to receive justice at the hands of. the Government. -Mr E-. B. Walker seconded. The resolution, having been read and put to the meeting by tliq Chairman, was carried unanimously. Mr Robert Kirkwood brought up the fifth resolution, and said that, if the gentleman present had occupiad tho position he had dono for the laßt twelve months m tho Waikato County Council Chamber, they would feed the necessity of doing their utmost to get tho new county proclaimed a3 soon as possible; He begged to move — "That this meeting rosolvos that the resolutions now passed be forwarded to the Government through tho Colonial ■Secretary, and that ho be again addressed on the subject of their memorial, with a ronewal of the request that Hia Excellency may be advised to issue a proclamation declaring tho constitution of tho Cambridge County." —Mr William Martyn seconded. The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting, and it was carried unanimously. Mr James Kunoiman came forward, and said that they would all agree with him as to the necessity of appointing a, committee to carry out tho foregoing .resolutions. Ho was aware of a certain opposition to the prayer of the petition, but it wa3 of a minor kind and not legitimate, altogether outside tho area of the newcounty. ' He had heard it said that it was very short-sighted policy of them to try to form themselves into anew county. But the signatures of tho 270 odd electors m and around the district proved it was no narrow-minded policy. He would, therefore, propose — " That a Committee, composed of the following twelve gentlemen, bo appointed to carry out the terms of the last resolution, and that each of them bo requested to attach hia signature, as elected to represent the memorialists, to a copy of the resolutions now passed, and that that the said copy be forwarded by the Chairman to the Colonial Secretary : — Every Maclean, Esq., J.P., chairman ot tho meeting ; Mr George E. Clarke, County Councillor, Cambridge Hiding ; Mr Eobert Kirkwood, County Councillor, Cambridge Riding; Mr John Fisher, County Councillor, Pukekura Riding; E. B. Walker, Esq., J.P., Pukekura Riding;' Patrick Leslie, Esq., J.P., County Councillor, Tumahcre Riding ; Mr William Martyn, Pateterc Hiding; Mr J. A. Douglas, Tamahero Riding; R. H. D. Fergusson, Esq., J.P., Chairman Taotaoroa Highway Board; Major Clare, J.P., Chairman Cambridge North •'own&hip Highway District Board ; Mr Edward Lake, Chairman Pukekura Highway District Board ; Mr James Ruuciman, Chairman Cambridge Highway District Board." — Mr Hicks seconded. Tho motion, being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously. After a vote of thank 3to the Chairman, the meeting dispersed. The signatures of all tho members of the Committee were at once affixed to. the resolutions, and no time will be lost m forwarding them to Wellington. The meeting was remarkable for its unanimity. Although a large attendanc* was present, there was no discussion, and lhe most perfect accord waa aiven to all the proceedings.