PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAGO, PRAYING THAT THE DISTRICT OF MURIHIKU MAY NOT BE ERECTED INTO A SEPARATE PROVINCE.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1858 Session I, G-04

G— No. 4

PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAGO, PRAYING THAT THE DISTRICT OF MURIHIKU MAY NOT BE ERECTED INTO A SEPARATE PROVINCE.

AUCKLAND: 18 5 8.

To the Honourable the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled. The- Petition of the Inhabitants of the Province of Otago Humbly sheweth :— That your Petitioners understand that a Petition has been forwarded to your Honourable House praying for a separation of the Southern or Murihiku portion of the Province of Otago, from the Northern ; and the erection of the Southern portion into an Independent Province. ■That your Petitioners viewing such a proposal with feelings of regret, as a measure which would be productive of the worst consequences to the Murihiku District, the population of that District being so small, and the resources of the District bring as yet so undeveloped as to require, in the mean time, what they have already to a large extent received, the fostering care, and pecuniary assistance of the earlier settled portion of the Province. That the small population, and consequently small Revenue of that District, are in the meantime, ■wholly inadequate for the Support of the necessary expenses of an independent Government, and that the erection of it into a separate Province would therefore retard the progress of that District itself, as well as be injurious to the general interests of the whole Province of Otago. Your Petitioners would therefore crave, that the Province of Otago be not divided. And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c., &c., {Here foUow 402 Signatures,)