FIELDING.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 91, 1 September 1877, Page 3

FIELDING.

[FBQM OTTB OWN C6eEEBPO_?DENT.] Robert Ward, Esq., R.M.," "who was commissioned by the Governor to investigate the allegations of the Chair- < man 'of the County- Council against the petition re separation, brought his- task to a conclusion at the adjourned meet- - ing of the Court held at Feilding, on Wednesdays "the 29th inst. The allegations that Mr Ward was commissioned to investigate were three* in* number : — First, that some of the signatures "to such petition were false ; second, that some of"the persons signing such petition were "not entitled to" sign ; third, that the statement that the said petition 'was signed by not less than three-fifths of the County electors for the ridings comprised within the proposed county is not true. The labors of the Court here, consisted m investigating the challenged, names, which had been adjourned to Feilding for further evidence. In reference to the names that have been purged from the Roll of Electors, they were of two classes. First, those persons whosenames appeared "more than once on the two ridings, were reduced to one insertion, as they were only entitled to sign once; second, evidence on oath was taken .as to the age of some who were alleged tobeunderage, and where proved under age, their names were also purged from the Electoral Roll, and the complete roll appeared 'at the close of the investigation, to stand at 481, which is about the number stated m the petition, to be the number that were entitled to sign it ; and it will be m your recollec- • tion 'that the Chairman of the. County Council alleged that , there were 514 elector^ entitled to sign the roll, and that it required three-fifths of that nam- , her to carry the petition. ' The investigation of the challenged names on the petition was continued at Feilding, and as Mr Thynne, the challenger of- the names, was not present, ■ - the: evidence was taken on* oath m re«spect to the names that he challenged as 'false, but which were, all-proved to-be , true signatures, .written at 'the request •and by. the authority of , the electors whose names were challenged as false ; '. . so that the allegation of false' signatures bejng on the petition was rebutted after /_W^trictest investigation. r Aiber the petition was pnrged of all .. names that were not entitled: to remain

on it, the number of signatures stood at ' 289, r so that'it is proved that fully threefifths of all those who were entitled to' 1 sigh the petition actually did sign it. The, Chairman of the County Council has rendered this -district good service, - by forcing the , representatives -of the petitioners to. memorialize the Governor to appoint a commission to investigate the matter, as it sets at rest charges that might be made at some future time, if there had been no such enquiry. A ' number of those whose names were (, struck. off the petition, were fully entitled to sign it, as they have acquired' an interest m the district since the • valuation lists vrere compiled; and there is no doubt if those persons had not signed, that an equal number of other signatures could have been got. But as it is, there is the number required by law remaining attached to the peti- . tion, and the settlers of those ridings will be sadly disappointed if they have ' . to continue foranother year the agitation , , for separation. It is not good for any community' to have to contend so much - m opposition to a neighboring district, as the. Northern ridings m this County have had to do m opposition to the Southern ridings. It is well to remember that feelings of this kind do not subside so easily as they are kindled by the injudicious conduct of those who are responsible for . them ; and m this case there can beao doubt, as, the Southern ridings could command six .votes m tile, Council against the four votes of the Northern party, that it would become

the representatives of these stronger ridings ;ijp^be 'a) little conciliatory to the Weak* 7^, fe^ voting power goes 7 ' ; The j -.policy of the stronger South /has "led to and . however possible it' ■ iiight have b. eh for the two Northern' ridings to rest satisfied with things as itl^ey were before their Palmerstpn allies got themselves incorporated into a borough, it would be madness now to rest satisfied until complete separation is secured. - „ We wonder what opinion' the Foxton electors will. give on the matter when electing m the place of the gentleman that has resigned. Will they endorse the policy of the party that has made uncompromising opposition to this end of the"C ounty the cardinal point of their policy ?-; . / :