NORTHERN ASSOCIATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2676, 13 February 1866, Page 4

NORTHERN ASSOCIATION.

The Council of the Northern Association met yesterday, at three o'clock. Present .—Messrs. P. Dignan, A. Clark, R. J. Oreighton, W. Swanson, W. Lee, McKelvie, E. J. Cox, G. Graham, T. Ball, W. Fraser, J. Cadraan, Machattie, B W. Gee, C. J. St-me, Kelly, W. Battray, J. M. Clark, H. Hardington. Mr. Dignan, President of the Association, vras in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman reported that, in accordance with a resolution adopted at the previous meeting of the Council, he had taken the necessary steps in reference to petitions from the Provincial Council, praying for Sepaiation. He now laid before the Council a copy (which the Secretary read) of a letter from the Speaker of the Provincial Council to his Excellency the Governor, transmitting the petition to her Majesty. He had brought under the notice of the Provincial Council that it was desirable that petitions should also be forwarded to both Houses of the Imperial Parliament; and the Provincial Council had at once acceded to the suggestion, and acted upon it. By the last mail, therefore, a petition to the House of Lords was forwarded to Earl Russell, and a petition to the House of Commons to Mr. Gladstone. A letter was read from Mr. William S. Grahame, the Honorary Secretary of the London Committee. A letter was read from the hon. secretary of the Middle Island Association, thanking the Council of the Northern Association for the full manner in which they had replied to the several questions proposed for their consideration. A letter was read from Mr. George Graham, urging the necessity of the gentlemen who should be elected to the General Assembly giving certain pledges to their constituents, viz., in favour of Separation, and promising regular attendance at theAssembly, and to abide in each case of importance by the decision of - the majority of the Auckland representatives. The Secretary read the draft of an address to the electors of the province. Mr. A. Clark, M.G. A., moved that the address a3 read be adopted. This motion was seconded by Mr . Cbeightok, M.P.C., and carried unanimously. The address is as follows :—: — " TO THE ELECTORS OF THE PROVINCE OF AUCKLAND. " The Council of the Northern Association desires to bring under the notice of the electors of the province of Auckland) some ' considerations having reference to the approaching elections to the General Assembly. - In doing-so .this Council does not at all .

assume the function of dictating to any constituency, but invites ft special attention to suggestions that will, the Council is confident, commend themselves to the judgment of the electors. "1. It is fitting that each representative should be pledged to the support of Separation. It is so for these reasons ; — Because the people of this province have shown themselves to be unanimous in favour of Separation, and because the necessity for a combinpd effort still continues. A beneficial change, it ia true, has been already effected. A Colonial Administration, incompetent to manage aright the affairs of the colony, and hostile to the province of Auckland, has been replaced by th<? able and impartial Government of Mr. Stafford ; the colonial finances are consequently in process of being restored to a healthy condition ; and an important instalment of selfgovernment has been acquired by this province, in the present posit. on of its provincial administration. But a much further extension of selfgoverument is yet to be attained, while for the continuance of what we as yet possess we require guarantees. As former experience proved that we could not bo well governed from Downing-street, so also we have found that we ctnnot, in the existing condition of this island, be rightly governed from Wellington. The affairs of the native population especially are of such a kind that they cannot with safety be administered from a distance, or controlled by_ the people of the South Island. The electors of this province are now called upon to show that while they were prepared to support, as far as practicable, tie Government of Mr. Stafford, they •re at the same time determined to prosecate their claim for complete self-government. It is therefore requisite that at the forthcoming elections each representative should be definitely pledged to the support of Separation. "2. Another pledge requires to be given by each representative to his constituents. The first has reference to the great object to be gained, viz., complete self-government; the second pertains to the means of gaining that object. The success which has resulted from the action taken in the past year is due to the fact that all our representatives attended in their places in the Colonial Parliament, and that in their parliamentary proceedings they were unanimous. In private deliberations they jointly determined upon the course of action to be adopted, and harmoni<»n co-operation was effected, because whenever the <flfca<«i m required a minority of our representatives wmce willing to defer to the majority. It is at this juncture extremely desirable that each of our representatives should give the following pledge to his constituents :—Fir-t,: — Fir-t, that he "will attend throughout the session of the General Assembly, unless in the event of his absence being approved by a majority of sthe Auckland representatives ; and-secondly, that in every case of a majority^pff^he Auckland -representatives deciding that ascertain course of parliamentary action is requisite, the individual representative will concur in carrying out that course. "The exceptional circumstances in which the province is placed require exceptional remedies. The pledges above indicated amount simply to a promibe to abide faithfully by a method of procedure appropriate to the crisis, aud alt eady found to be beneficial. "Northern Association Office, " February 12, 1866." Mr. Crbightox moved, "That the President (ufr. Dignan), the Vice-President uresent (Mr. Kattray), the Treasurer ( Mr. Swanson), and Mr. J. M. Clark be appointed a committee to report upon the financial condition of the Association." Seconded by Mr. Kelly, and carried unanimously. The meeting then terminated.