ARARIMU HIGHWAY BOARD. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Daily Southern Cross, 11 April 1868, Page 3

ARARIMU HIGHWAY BOARD. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

j A KKKtyjra of the electors of this dirtrict vu held -at Maxwell's station, on Thursday, April 9, con i vened by public notice, to take into consideratiox i the division of the present district, and in pursuance •of a resolution pasted unanimously at the meeting > held on the 14th January, as follows :— " That s .respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent to diride the present defiaed district iof Ararimu. That the i>reient meeting, being duty impressed with the importance of adopting the , Highways Act, 1867, in this district, is at the same time convinced that it is at present much too large ', and thoroughly unworkable, and therefore prays hii Honor to divide it into two districts, and that one oi i the two main trunk roads, viz., the one which run! to Helensville, the other to Kaukapakapa, be in i separate districts." The Chairman (Mr. Samuel Frost), in opening i the meeting, said : Gentlemen, I am glad to see you once more on the subject of the roads, and hope that as kindly a feeling may pervade this meeting as was manifested at the last one. In pursuance of the resolution passed at our last meeting, praying the Superintendent to divide the district, I will lay before you the result of my interview with the Superintendent* I sent the original resolution signed at the meeting, and, upon waiting on his Honor, I was gratified at the courtesy and attention given to the subject by Mr. Williamson. He said that he should be willing to meet the wishes of the electors in every possible way that may be judged best to promote the interests of the settlers and the working of the Act,- and, thereupon, gave me a note to Major Heapby, in order to consult together upon a boundary line. Gentlemen, I now lay that rough sketch before you, and will read Mr. Heaphy'a remarks, endorsed on the back of it, as follow :— •« Mr. Trost,— The sketch on the other side is intended to serve as a basis for any proposal for a dividing line of the Ararimu Highway District.— (Signed) Chables Hjsaphy;." Weproceeded therefore to examine the plan of the whole district, in company with Mr. Isaac McLeod, who said that he thought the Eaikai block should be fixed the boundary at Kaukapakapa end, as he knew all the parties there agreed to that. This, therefore, was fixed upon, and Major Heapby pointed out a continuous line which would serve as a boundary line to Eiverhead, and which was agreed upon by myself and Mr. MoLeod, with the exception of a piece of land (91 acres) belonging to Mr. Lamb, as he thought the line should be brought to the Roundhouse Bridge, and that the whole of the land on Mr* Lamb's side should be included in Kaipara district ; if divided on the other hand, I thought it was of importance that Kuukapakapa should hare * right of one of the landingplaces in their district, as the one at the Roundhouse was of no practical use to them. However, he would now tell the meeting that, so far as he was concerned, he would place that piece of land on the Kaipara side in order that the thing may be agreeably fixed upon. Here an interruption occurred by Mr. Lamb asking the Chairman if he had a written answer to the resolution passed at the last meeting. The Chairman said he had no written answer personally, but a verbal assent by his Honor, and authority in writing to Major Heaphy, and which resulted in a plan showing how the division may be effected, and also the note at the back of it, signed by Major Heapby ; and which was, of course, equal to an answer ftorn the Superintendent. And, as the appointed agent to Consult in the matter, he could scarcely think Mr. Lamb would wish to repudiate what had been thus]done, simply on the grouud that his Honor had not personally written an answer to this meeting. Mr. Lamb proposed that it should be put to the meeting whether it was satisfactory to those present to acknowledge the verbal answer which had been given through the chairman in answtr to the petition forwarded to his Honor the Superintendent. Mr. Jsaao MoLeod seconded the motion. It was unanimously agreed that the verbal answer was not sufficient to justify them to proceed. The Chairman said Mr. Lamb's remarks and also the vote reflected discredit upon his statements; that he bad clearly and distinctly stated that he had an answer of approval from his Honor if it was practicable, and that a letter given to him to take to Major Heaphy was to be considered an answer, and which was perfected to his mind, and to every other reasonable man's, by the plan with Major He»phy's note attached. He could not help thinking it an insult to the Superintendent, and he felt it to be no less to himself, after all the time, trouble, and expense he had had in the matter. They had no right to repudiate the resolution passed unanimously last meeting, as they had done by stating they could not proceed to divide the district. Of course, there was no other way open to him but to vacate the chair, as no other business could be legally transacted at that meeting. [The Chairman thereupon left the meeting.] Mr. John Lamb proposed that, as Mr. Frost, chairman of the adjourned meeting called under the Highways Act, had left the meeting before trustees were elected, the electors present suould constitute themselves into a public meeting. — Agreed to. Mr. Vjsbcoe proposed, and Mr. Isaac McLbod seconded, that Mr. John Lamb take the chair. Mr. Isaac McLeod moved that the following petition be sent to his Honor the Superintendent :— " That as Mr. Frost, chairman of the adjourned meeting called under the Highways Act, had hit the meeting before Trustees were elected, we, tbe electors present and representing by proxy, submit, for your consideration, the following five names of gentlemen eligible to act as Trustees of the Ararimu Highway District: — Mr. John Lamb, Mr. John Walsh, Mr. E. Sinclair, Mr. E. Houlton, Mr. Isaac McLeod." Seconded by Mr. John Walsh, .and oarried unanimously. The petition was signed by tbe electors present, and the names of those who were represented by proxy. Mr. D. Hickey moved that one'penny per acre be the rate levied. Mr. Houlton seconded the proposition. Mr. Isaac McLbod moved, as an amendment, that the rate should be fixed at 2d. per acre. Mr. Vebcok seconded tbe amendment. The Chaibman (Mr. Lamb) put the amendment to the meeting : — Ayes : Messrs. Vercoe, Isaac McLeod, William McLeod, Andrew Brown, Joseph simoox, and John Walsh. Noes: Messrs. D. Hickey, and E. Houlton. The motion was consequently lost by a majority of four. The four gentlemen present who were nominated as trustees in tbe petition to his Honor the Superintendent pledged themselves to expend the money collected as nearly as possible in the locality where it was collected. Mr. Vercoe proposed, and Mr. E. Houxtok seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. M. H. Frost for the trouble he had taken in recording the minutes of the meeting, after which the meeting terminated.