PUBLIC MEETING.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 246, 6 September 1865, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A meeting of the inhabitants, convened by Mr Manders, hon sec of the late Queenstown Improvement Committee, was held last Saturday evening, in the Commercial Hall. Mr A. Louttit was elected chairman. The chairman, after reading the advertisement convening the meeting, said they had met for a double purpose, to J receive the resignation of the old committee, and to elect a new one in its place, and he now on behalf of the old body formally tendered their resignation. Mr Manders and himself, he believed, were the only remaining members of the old body. Ke trusted they would elect a number of gentlemen who would feel a deep interest in the progress of the town and district until they got a Municipality Act for it. (Hear, hear ) The other object was, he believed, that of supporting the application of Messrs Robertson and Hallenstein for a site upon which to erect a flour-mill. He was of opinion that they would all agree that a flour-mill was necessary to the prosperity of the district, and that the project should receive every encouragement. He said the Government had several times placed obstacles in the way of its erection, on the grounds that it would interfere with waterrights. He thought they had plenty of avilable water, not for only one or two mills, but, as the district progressed, for many more. There was, therefore, no grounds for offering these objections on the score of monopoly of water-rights, and he trusted they would not again refuse the granting of a suitable site. They had these two matters to consider, and he would request their best attention to them, and would now ask Mr Manders to move a resolution. (Hear.) Mr Manders, as hon. secretary of the late Committee, referred to its past actions, and the work that the new one would have to encounter, and concluded by moving:—" That it is desirable to elect a new Committee, consisting of seven members, to administer on the aftairs of the town ; that the members be elected by a show of hands, and that they remain in office for a period of six months." Seconded by Mr M'Dougall and carried. Twenty-one names were then proposed and seconded. Five of these, however, assigned satisfactory reasons for declining to stand. A resolution was then proposed by Mr M,Dougall that, as so many had been nominated, the vote should be taken by ballot. Seconded by Mr Burns, and carried. The polling then proceeded, Messrs Hallenstein and Robertson acting as scrutineers. The Chairman declared the result to be the election of the following gentlemen:-—Messrs Weaver, 29; Burns, 27; Manders, 26; Malaghan, 19; Savage, 15; Bowes, 13; Bridges 13; M'Dougall, 13. As a tie existed between the last three candidates, and two only were required, a re-election took place for them, when Messrs Bowes and M'Dougall were duly elected. Mr Manders, on behalf of the new Committee, returned thanks, and also mentioned that the inhabitants would be called upon shortly to supply, to a small extent, " the sinews of war." On account of the lateness of the hour at this stage—half-past 11 o'clock—the discussion as to the best steps to be taken to obtain a site for and the erection of a flour mill in Queenstown, was postponed; and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings.

A correspondent writing from the TwelveMile, Arrow, under date the 4th inst, says : " I am glad to say things are looking up again since the weather broke, and all seem to be doing fairly. Amongst others, I may mention Lawrenson and Co's. beach claim, which is paying handsomely, the washdirt being four feet deep by a width of forty feet, and is improving in richness every paddock. Travis' tunnel claim has also yielded well since striking the run, as much as nine ounces having been got by himself and mate in five days. A share was lately sold for £35. Harrington and Co. are also on the same run, and doing well. Rogers' Gully, about five miles up the river from here, is now occupying the attention of prospectors, good gold having been got there a year or two ago. Every indication exists of a quartz reef in this gully, as all the gold is said to be impregnated with quartz. I have no doubt the gully will turn out a rich one. It is the western branch of the Arrow, and undoubtedly the gold-bearing one. We were visited by a fearful gale from the N.N.E., on Saturday night, accompanied by heavy rain; but, as yet, I have heard of no damage having been done."

The ' Daily Times' gives the following cheering piece of information:—"Mr Sheath, the Telegraph Engineer for the General Government, is expected to arrive here, from the North, in a few days; and tenders will then be at once called for for putting up the wire between Tokomairiro and the Wakatip." The 'Wellington Advertiser' defends itself from the charge of furnishing imperfect reports of the proceedings in the Assembly, and says : "When journals like the Otago * Times* make sweeping assertions to the effect that ' the local Press of Wellington has failed to be reinvigorated,' they should, if practical men, make allowances for the peculiar circumstances of the case, and they should not insist that the proprietors of the Wellington newspapers be compelled to incur a ruinous expenditure for the purpose of gratifying the vanity of particular individuals,"