PUBLIC MEETING AT ARROWTOWN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 805, 12 September 1864, Page 5

PUBLIC MEETING AT ARROWTOWN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

3rd September, 1864,

A public meeting was held at the New Orleans Hotel, Arrowtown, on Saturday evening, Sept. 3, to afford G. Brodie, Esq., Member for the Gold Fields, an opportunity of addressing his constituents. About 100 persons were present, the large majority of whom were electors. Mr Richmond having been called to the chair, opened the proceedings by explaining the object of the meeting. Mr Brodie, one of the members for the Gold Fields, was on a tour through this part of the country, and was very desirous of meeting his constituents and hearing from their own lips the requirements of the district. He had great pleasure in introducing Mr George Brodie. .

Mr Bro'Jie : I always feel it a dufcy as well as a pleasure to meet my constituents. I had hoped to have been able to give a longer notice, but knowing it was very desirable—as the Provincial Council meets next, month ■ to hear any grievance you may have to allege, an-l to answer any enquiries you may think right to address to me. 1 was anxious to have a meeting in order that I might lay before you a brief sketch of my conduct iv the Provincial Council and General Assembly, since I have had tbe honor to represent you; and althoush I have not visited you before, that you may know that I have not forgotten the interests of this important Gold Field^Your representative had to direct attention to a reform of a practical character, rather than attempt to redress RTJeyances which, although the gold fields might legitimately complain of, yet, were of a character requiring for their remedy more enlarged representation and a greater number of vote 3in the Provincial Council-for after all votes, not mere opinion, are what we vant and what we find most difficult to obtain. You must recollect that in addressing you as inhabitants ot the Arrow district. I am only speaking to a section of the gold fields, and that ray first duty was to endeavour to remedy those evils whicb most prominently presented themselves Before the meeting of the Provincial Council in Aug, 1863, a contract had been given to Mr Hill, conferring upon him the riiht to place puuts upon the various: rivers which lay in the way to the various diggings. The Ferry Ordinance, under which this power was granted, contained provisions of an obnoxious character, enabling the lessee to prevent miners crossing iordable river s

within a distance of two nrilea from ihe site at which his b at or punt had been- placed ; tfaa charges permitted to be levied were too high, and at many places where a miner with a pole might l*ap over the stream, lie had to pay to me lessee Is for the privilege of crossing. This grievance, I tm happy to tay, with the assistance of my colleague aud other members who took an interest iv the subject, was redressed, and Mr Hill's contract cancelled. (Applause.) As it is impossible for the miners to carry on operations extending over niauy months without having their expense!) reduced to the lowest possible limit, cheap food is of the greatest importance. To lower the cost of livinor, facilities for the transmission of goads to the interior had to bo provided, and in the construction ot a main line of road two advantages must steadily be kept in view—the construction of aiy line of roai of the greatest amount ot population, as well as, consistent with the accomplishment of that object, the minimum ot distanci and expenditure. Impressed with this vi«w, ! endeavoured to secure the construction of a main line of road by the Valley of the MulyDeux, through the Dunsfcan, thence by the Kawarau and Arrow to Q ieenstown. This road has been commenced, and want of funds alone has postponed for the present its completion. Mr Brodie here made reference at some length to the unnegotiability of the Provincial Loans, and the causes which had led to this result.

The hon. erectleman then resumed: On my visit to Auckland to atteni the Legislative Assembly, three subjects before the House particularly engaged my attention The first was a more extended representation; the next, facilities for appeals from decisions in the* Warden's Court, and generally for a more economical and speedy means of having these decided. In thi* I was so far successful that you have now the means of appealing against any decision in a Warden's Court, instead of, as formerly, only haviog a right, of appeal in cases where damages were awarded to the amount of L2O. lam sorry to say that I was not so successful in the endeavour to obtain for you a more extended . representation, the attention of tb.9 House having been entirely taken up by the Maori war, so that domestic legislation of any other character was indefinitely postponed I may also say, that although I prominently brought under the consideration of the House the unfair principle on which the customs duties were adjusted, the inequality of iheir operation, and the harsh manner in which they press upon the miners, I found it impossible, for the same reason, to effect any reform. A promise was however given me that something1 should be done during the next session, and I can only say that I hope this pledge will bs fulfilled. In Auckland, al?o, I found that I had to contend with a prejudice against the class whom I represeted, especially on the subject of representstinn. It is to be hoped this feeliag will die away, but it is to this I may attribute my want of success. There is scarcely any other subject which I need allude to transacted in the last General Assembly, and I will therefore pass to the proceedings of the Provincial Council in their last session, in April of thh year. The whole of that ssssion was taken up with the consideration of the financial difficulties in whi.di the Couocil found the Province plunged by, to say the least of it, the want of prudence on the part of the late Executive. This subject was the all absorbing one, and may be said to have swallowed up every other question of legislation. An attempt wns ceriainly made by one of the members of Council, Mr Vogel, to give you what appeared to be a more extended represeation, which though proposing to confer a member for Queenstown, the Duastan, and Lawrence, yet left the balance of representation unadjusted, Litidis stii keeping one* member for fifteen electors, the Wakatipu a member representing four electors, and tb.3 Manuherikia a member for a number equally ridiculous; the preposition, therefore, I felt bound to oppose, as this half measure might tend to delay further and more comprehensive legislation, which I am convinced must be carried out before many months. Fublic works of great importance to yourselves and other portions of the gold fields, have been necessarily delayed owingl to the temporary financial difficulties of the Province. I have always advocated the opening up <■! the interior by means of roads and bridges, and I confidently hope that when I again, come to see you it will not be my fate to travel over the same difficult ftnd dangerous road I did yesterday. I regret exceedingly, that in any difficulties you have had you have not p!ac3d yourselves in communication with, your representatives. ' So long as I have the honor to represent you, it will be my duty to see your reasonable wishes carried into effact, and do not, therefore, hesitate to make use of my services on any occasion on which I can be of use to you, lam very glad to have had this opportunity of meeting you, and express my thnnks for the patient manner in which you have listened to me.

The Chairman : You have » heard what Mr Brodifl has said, and the lucid detail of the history of the gold field*), with which he has favored us. Most of you are miners, and an opportunity is now afforded you of making any suggestions or asking any questions. Mr Hay (a miner): I would wish to refer to ths large duty on gold—ls there any chance of a reduction I We are getting a very small amount for our gold, much less than its real value. Mr Brodie : This is a matter which, as I attempted to explain before, in speaking of the customs duties, is not under the control of the Provincial Council, but rests with the General Assembly. Many pressing circumstances prevented the matter being taken into consideration last session. I think it most desirable that the gold duty should be reduced. Your representatives labor under great difficulties, and have never been able to successfully combat the prevalent idea in the Assembly, that the gold fields are a nuisance, and. co3t more than they are worth. I myself am of a contrary opinion. I know no body of men who are eroverued so cheaply, and it is entirely a fake idea that the gold fields cost more than they pay. I used all eWiJiis in Victoria, and I shall do the same here to reduce this duty on gold, and all imposts which press upon the ininer. W. Haughton: As you all seem afraid of cuttin* out each other, and being the first to speak, and a dead silence (which is not satisfactory) is the result, I will express the opinion which I think we all feel, that we are much obliged to ouv worthy member, Mr Brotfe, for paying us this visitrand-thatjve feel bound to thank him for what he has done for the god fields in the Provincial Council and General Assembly, (applause.) I have been necessarily a steady reader of the papers, and I can fully bear out what the hon. member has stated, and bear witness to what he has attempted and completed on our behalf. To his exertions we owe the extension of a franchise which gives a vote to the holders of business licenses, and to miners who have held a right for six months. Mr Brodie lias alluded to his effortsvin the General Assembly to obtain a re-adjustment of the Representation of the Province. It is indeed a crying shame that the miners should only be represented by three members, while Dunedin, and what we may well call its suburbs, return forty, and Bwamp the Ooaneil. What can be more ridiculous than the Lindis. Wakatip and Manuhenkia, with their twenty eight electors in all, returning as many members as the 15,000 miners of Otago *? You have, however, yourselves to blame; so long as the present political apathy exists amongst you. « long will the revenue derived from the gold fields be expended on the improvement of Dunedin, the widening of its streets, the deepening of Us harbor, for the aggrandisement and enrichment of the selfish Old Identities—and so long will all expenditure upon the up-country districts, ba indefinitely po tponed. What we want is increased representation; every gold fielc should have its member in the Provincial Council ; and every gold field is entitled to this, contributing as it does, so largely to the revenues of the province. You have only to move in the matter, take care and renew your miners rights, so aa to retain the franchise: and your just demands must be concedei We shall I hope, have no more elections like the last, when four votes were polled in the Arrow District, with a population at that time of 1500 miners, and one vote on y at J rankton, which was appointed as a central point for a considerable population. I hope we shah look to

this matter, and send good men ito the Council and Assembly-practical men who onderaand the gold fields and their requirements, and vMio have the intelligence and education to expie.s what they think, and give weight to their expression. I have great pleasure iv moving avo > thanks to our representative Air Brodie, tor ins conduct in the Provincial Council and liberal Asssmbly, and for the explanation he lias given us to-night, ot his opinions on matters affecting1 our interests, and of the policy he lias endeavored to carry out for the- benefit of the gold fields, (Applause) Mr Hay: I have great pleasure in seconding Mr Haughton's resolution; it is a very rare thing for us to have an opportunity of meeting one ot our members. lam sura iam much pleased with what he has said, and most of the miners are of the same opinion. We are very happy to see him now, and shall always be again whenever he can find time to pay us a vi it. Mr Brodie: I beg to return my thanks for the kindly feeling shown by the meeting. I must again assure you myself and my colleagues will always be glad at any time to give our best attention to any subject placed before us by you. Much trouble might be avoided if you would at once communicate with us in any emergency. I trust you will never hesitate to do so. I beg to propose a vote of thanks to the Chairman, whom lam sure you all know and respect. (Applause. Mr Richmond spoke a few words in acknowledgment, and the proceedings terminated.