THE LATE PUBLIC MEETING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 22, 26 June 1880, Page 4

THE LATE PUBLIC MEETING.

The following is a copy of the petit'ons which have been drawn up by the | committee appointed at tlu public meeting held on Saturday night. Every settler in the county should attach his signature to them :—: — To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, in Parliament assemlilccl. The Petition of the undersigned residents of the County of Patea, in the Colony of New Zealand, Humbly Sheweth, — That the Provincial Legislature of the late Province of Taranaki duly considered and passed Ordinances with the intention of providing harbor accommodation for the then Province of Taranaki, and considered the most advantageous site would be in the neighborhood of New Plymouth, and constituted the New Plymouth Harbor Board for the purpose of giving effect thereto. That the General Assembly, by an Act intituled the New Plymouth Harbor Ordinance 1575 Amendment Act, 1877, in support of this proposal, and for providing funds for the ptirpose, sanctioned the raising a loan of £200,000, granted an endowment of one-fourth the landjrevenue of the provincial district of Taranaki, and authorised the levying of a rate not exceeding one shilling in the pound on the rateable value over a certain district defined in the said Act, forming part of the said provincial district. That in pursuance of the said Act, after the expenditure of large sums of i»ionej r in preliminary surveys, and the consultation of eminent engineers, plans, specificatious, and estimates prepared and sanctioned by Sir J. Coo-le, were submitted to the Engineer-in-Chief, and upon his recommendation were approved by the Governor in Council. That in pursuance of the said Act, the New Plymouth Harbor Board negotiated and raised a loan of £200,000, and proceeded to cany out the said plans. That, in course of proceeding in execution of Sir J. Coode's plans, it was found impracticable to carry them otit, and in or about tli month of November, 1879, the Board abandoned the said plans after an expenditure, as your petitioners are informed, of a large sum of money. That since the said month of November, 1879, the New Plymouth Harbor Board has expended large sums of money from the said loan upon works not included in the plans aud specifications ax>proved by the Governor in Council as aforesaid, and not otherwise authorised bylaw, and contrary to the provisions of the Harbor Act, 1873. That, without authority of law, and contrary to the Harbor Act, 1878, large liabilities have been incurred in England for new plans prepared by Sir J. Coode, | and for plant and material for carrying out the same, amounting, as your peti- I tioners are informed, to nearly £ 10,000. Your petitioners believe that it is utterly impossible to construct a harbor at New Plymouth with the means at command, and that the whole scheme should be abandoned, and the lands of the Patea should be relieved from the rate charged by section 15 ot the New Plymouth Harbor Ordinance 1875 Amendment Act, 1877, and the land fund released from the charge created by section 19 of th 'New Plymouth Harbor Board Ordinance 1875 Amendment Act, 1877. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your honorable House will favorably consider the matters aforesaid, and will grant such relief in the premises as to your honorable House shall seem meet. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled : The petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the County of Patea in the colony of New Zealand, Humbly Sheweth, — That your petitioners view with dissatisfaction the slow progress made in the survey and administration of the waste lands of the Crown in the Patea County. That your petitioners believe that the most effectual means for lessening taxation, ending the native difficulty, and finding employment for the working classes will be to open up and populate the large area of Government waste lands, now lying in an unproductive state, and that that portion of the Waimate Plains which has already been surveyed should be thrown open for settlement without delay. That the eager desire recently manifested to obtain land in the Ngaire district, and the number of applications in excesss of land offered, clearly demonstrates the necessity for more activity in j the survey of waste lands. That with a view to this your petitioners would respectively urge upon the Government the necessity of increasing the present survey staff, and the prosecution of the surveys of the waste lands in this county with more energy and despatch than has been hitherto practised. That your petitioners believe that every encouragement should be offered to the public to take up and occupy the large area of forest lands in the Patea county, and that tiris can be best effected by

classifying, putting a moderately fixed price upon, and disposing of the lands on a liberal deferred-payment system. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honorable House will cause such action to be taken in the matter as will eupure a speedy settlement of the lands aforesaid. And your petitioners will ever pray. To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of the colony of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled : The petition of the undersigned residents in the County of Patea, Humbly Sheweth, — That your petitioners believe that the residents of the Patea county labor under great disadvantages through having the lands thereof administered by land boards, the members of which, with one exception, are residents of other counties ; and that, consequently, the boards are . composed of persons who have, generally I speaking, no interest in, or knowledge of, ' the requirements of this county. Tli at applicants for land in this county, are put to great inconvenience in consequence of the lauds being administered by the Taranaki and Wellington Land Boards. Your petitioners are of opinion that the lands in this county should be placed under the control of the Patea Council, or some other local body, or that a separate land board should be established within the couuty, under the control of which such lauds might be administered. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honorable House will grant the praj r er of your petitioners. And your petitioners will'ever pray.