MARLBOROUGH.

PUBLIC MEETING AT BEAVERTON. A public meeting of the inhabitants of the Wairau and adjoining districts was held on Wednesday, the 9th instant, in the old Court House, Beaverton, "to consider the steps to be taken in reference to the Pro* clamation constituting these districts a new province." The meeting was numerously attended, it being known that W. Adams, Esq., would be present — the gentleman who had been selected by the Separation Com* mittee to carry the. memorial to Auckland, and to whose advocacy of the measure, both in the district and at Auckland, the success of the memorial is to be attributed. But the object of the meeting was but imperfectly stated in the words quoted from the placard which summoned it. Rumours had been freely circulated at Beaverton that Mr. Adams had proposed to the General Government to borrow a large sum of money, to enable the Government ot the Province of Marlborough to construct a tramway between Beaverton and Picton (Waitohi), the proclaimed capital of the new province ; and a sensation was thereby created, arising from an apprehension that Beaverton would be robbed of its Custom House, Post Office, Resident Magistrate's Court, constables, and all the parapher* nalia of government, which it now enjoys, to say nothing of its prospective Council Chamber, Land Office, and other necessary appendages.

W. H. Eyes, Esq., J.P., was called to the chair.

Mr. R. Dodson briefly addressed the meeting ; and, referring to the rumours referred to, enquired of Mr. Adams whether they contained any truth.

Mr. Adams denied that he had ever suggested to the Government at Auckland that it should allow the Province of Marlborough to borrow £16,000, to make a tramway to Waitohi, although he was of opinion that, were it possible to get the work done for such a sum, and the money for it could be procured, it would be most desirable that a loan for it should be obtained. It waa absurd to suppose that he would 'have attempted to negotiate anything of the kind with the General Government. He had no power or authority to do so, being Bimply an elector of the province. The story had been got up for personal ends, to endeavour to prejudice the public mind against him. The meetings which had been held to promote separation, had been called hole and corner affairs ; but no meeting had ever been held without the greatest possible publicity being given to it, and the question of separation had been agitated in the district for two yean. The Wairau, having got separation, he was now anxious to see local government wisely carried out ; and, in order to smooth away difficulties, he had called nine or ten days since upon Mr. J. Sinclair, the head of Beaverton [no, no], well, then, the king of the Beaver, as ho w .a called, to explain to that gentleman all that had passed, in order to get over all ill feeling. He had spoken to Mr. Wemyss, with the same object. He had no desire to work Beaverton against Picton, or Picton.against the Beaver. His wish was to avoid 10-al jealousies, which, once aroused, would only produce mischief. Picton was not made the capital of the province at his request, and the first intimation he received of it being done was on seeing the Order of Council. The only voice he had about the matter was giving it its present name, as the Governor was willing ,that it should be called Blenheim, but objected to retaining the native name of Waitohi. The people of Beaverton, he thought, were taking a narrow view of their own interests, by evincing such jealousy of Waitohi ; and, if they could lift their eyes from their own doors, they would see advantages to themselves in the advancement of other portions of the province. The {complaint against Nelson was, that she spent the larger portion of the revenue of the province at home, and he hoped the Government of Marlborough would not follow the example. He would spend the revenue on roads, which should open dp the country, and as small a sum as possible on salaries [hear, hear]. Mr. E. Dodson submitted a number of questions to Mr. Adams, and the following is the substance of the replies given —

Mr. Adams stated he was sent to Auckland, by the Separation Committee, to present the memorial asking for separation ; and the second memorial, praying that Waitohi might be made a port of entry, was presented Along with the first. If he continued Land Com* missioner, with a salary of £400 a-year, and was elected Superintendent, he would take no salary for the second office. He considered a tramway between Beaverton and Waitohi the most important work in the province ; and, if means could be found to do it, he would support such a work. He had been informed a tramway between Waitohi and the Wairau river could be laid down for £1,000 a mile.

Mr. Dodson produced a rough estimate of the ooit of a railway to connect Picton with the Wairau, prepared by Mr. Budge, which made it appear the work would cost little short of £70,000. Mr. Adams said, if the cost of the work would approach Mr. Budge's estimate, it was useless to talk about it, and the idea must be abandoned.

Mr. Dodson, after condemning the course taken by Mr. Adams, proposed the following resolution :—

"That tlu's meeting ignore the existence of any Committee, appointed by the inhabitant* of this district, with power to delegate a deputy to proceed to Auckland with the petition for separation, on their behalf."

Seconded by Mr. Soper. Mr. Goulter defended the Committee which had been appointed to carry out separation, in the course taken by them of sending Mr. Adams to Auckland to personally enforce the prayer of the memorial. Had such not been done, it was more than probable that depuration would not have been obtained. Mr. J. Godfrey hoped the meeting would not pass the resolution, which had been got up solely from ft fear that Waitohi would share in the public expenditure of the province. Mr. J. Sinclair supported the resolution. He criticised with severity the getting up of the memorial for making Waitohi a port of entry, and calling it a memorial from the inhabitants of the Wairau, when it bore the names of only six Wairau settlers.' Mr. C. Elliott said his sentiments on separation were well known, as he had publicly opposed the -neasure in the room they then etood in and in the presence of most of the present company, only seven .nonths ago. One of the reasons assigned by him for bis opposition to wparauon waa, that m bit

opinion the district was »ioi in a~c-m<iition to receive locrtl «ol<-gov»»rnraent, and they were now Irving to demonstrate the truth of that assertion. Had not nearly every man present signed the memorial for separation, mid were they now sorry that their prayer had been grant d? If they sincerely wished for the measure, why quarrel with the men who had been the instruments in getting their wishes granted ? The resolution not only asked the meeting to stultify themselves by ignoring an act which it was notorious they were parties to, but to cast a censure upon a publicly appointed committee for doing the very thing which practically it was their duty to do. A committee, called the Separation Committee, had been appointed at a public meeting, to promote the separation of the Wairau from Nelson, and in pursuance of that object had drawn up a memorial which nearly all present had signed ; and because that committee at their own private expense had sent a gentleman to Auckland to more effectually secure success for the memorial, the meeting was asked to censure those who had thus served them. By passing such a resolution as that before them, they would render themselves a laughingstockforthe colony. It' they were going to allow personal feelings and petty jealousies obstruct the working of their new institutions, it would be a pretty beginning of local government, and offer a fair prospect of the opposing parties, like the Kilkenny cats, Bghting and scratching eaoh other until nothing was left of either but their tiiils. There was a grave evil also to be apprehended from the course they were asked to take. It would be admitted that it was a most desirable thing to get the best men in the district to come forward and take part in public affairs ; but what men of spirit and independence would serve the public if their conduct was to be censured on such frivolous pretences. As one who had a deep interest in the welfare of the Wairau he would recommend them, instead of quarrelling over their new institutions, to unite together and strive aud work them beneficially for the district. Although he had opposed ' ■eparation before it was obtained, having got it, he would wish to turn it to the best possible use.

Mr. Goplteb proposed the following amendment:—

" That this meeting hereby thanks the committee (appointed at a public meeting of the inhabitants of the Wairau to carry out the objects of separation) for their, exertions in bringing the matter to a successful issue." Seconded by Mr. Wbatt. , On & show of hands being taken, the Amendment was declared to be carried ; and the resolution waa therefore lost. Mr. Litchfield proposed— 11 That this meeting is of opinion that the Proclamation constituting the Waitohi the capital of the Province of Marlborough, is contrary to the spirit and prayer of the Petitioners for separation."

Mr. Sinclair seconded tlte resolution, and commented upon the manner in which signatures to the memorial for separation hid been obtained of the Waitoni residents, aud the promises held out to them. He had no objection to see Waitohi progress in prosperity, but not a.t the expense of the rest of the country.

Mr. Adams again denied that he had ever held out to the people of Waitohi any such promises as he was oha gen with having made them. Mr v Elliott thought there was an unnecessary degree of anxiety respecting the simple declaration of the Governor, that Picton was to be the capital of the Province of Marlborough. People forgot that the substantial power of deciding where the Government of the Province should be carried on rested with themselves, and that if the Superintendent and Council willed that the Government should be carried on at Beaverton, it was not in the power of the Governor to direct otherwise. It was most necessary, however, in his opinion, that such a road should be made betweon the Wairau and Waitohi as would affoid facility for the transport of goods from that port to the plain, otherwise when their land fund failed they would be without a revenue ; for so long as the goods they consumed were imported over the Wairau bar they would continue to draw their chief supplies from Nelson and Wellington, and the larger portion of their Customs duties would go to one or other of those provinces. The resolution before the meeting was little leas than an insult to the Governor. The resolution was put and carried. Proposed by Mr. Sinclair; seconded by Mr. Collib, and carried : —

"That the Cliairman be instructed to convey, in the name of this meeting, a copy of the last resolution to the Colonial Secretary."

Proposed by Mr. Pictont ; seconded by Mr. Wbatt, and carried :—

"That a vote of thanks be given to Mr. Adams for the straightforward manner in which he answered all the question)) which had been put to him."

▲ voto of thanks wai then given to the chairman, and the meeting broke up.