OTAGO SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 43, 13 March 1852, Page 2

OTAGO SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Monthly Meeting of the Otago Settlers' Association was held in the Odd-Fellows' Hall on Monday evening, the Bth instant. John Cargill, Esq., in the Chair. The minutes of former meeting were read and confirmed.

The following letters, forwarded hy the Colonial Secretary through the Resident Magistrate, in reply to the Memorials of 27th Dec. and 27th Jan. last addressed to His Excellency Sir George Grey, were read : — Resident Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, 2nd March, 1552.

Sm, — I have the honour to transmit for your information copies of two letters I have received from the Honorable the Colonial Secretary, embodying the reply of His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief to two Memorials bearing your signature, upon the subject of certain financial arrangements, and other matters connected with the affairs of this settlement. I have the honour to be, &c, A. Chetiiam Strode, lI.M. John Cargill, Esq., Dunedin. Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 10th February, 1852.

Sic, — I am instructed by the Governor-in-Chief to request that you will inform Mr. John Cargill, that a Memorial bearing his signature has been received, and laid before His Excellency; and that His Excellency has given directions that a reply be forwarded to him expressive of His Excellency's regret that he (Mr. Cargill), and those persons who may have authorized him to sign the Memorial in question on their behalf, should be dissatisfied with the two Ordinances to which they allude, which have recently been enacted t>y the Local Legislature.

I am further to desire that you will acquaint Mr. Cargill that the nature of the Municipal Charter which His Excellency is empowered to grant is. set forth at length in the Royal Instructions and Charter of 1846 ; and that if the inhabitants of Dunedin are'desirous of having such, a Charter gvauted them, it will afford His Excellency much pleasure to comply -with their wishes. In which case, however, I am to remark, it' will be necessary for the settlers tj) forwards a "Memorial to- the Governor-in-Chief, signed by them generally. Put it -will be observed,

on reference to the Royal Instructions, that His Excellency has no power to concede to the Corporation any control over the Revenues of the Otago District ; and that, therefore, any provision of that nature would require an enactment by the Colonial Legislature.

With regard to the reduction in the Police Force . at Otago, which the Memorialists pray may be made, • you will be good enough to inform Mr. Cargill that a large number of the 1 Otago Magistrates having < certified to His Excellency that the Police Force is, '. if anything, insufficient for the wants of the place, ; His Excellency does not feel justified in reducing • the force at present below the strength authorized by the Legislature. The statements which are made in the Memorial on the subject of the Hospital, not being in accordance with' representations made to the Government upon a previous occasion from other sources of very high authority, when it was urged that the appointment of a Surgeon to the Hospital at Dunedin would be a boon to the community at large, His Excellency regrets that he cannot at present promise to comply with that part of the prayer of the Memorial signed by Mr. J. Cargill which relates to the Hospital. I I have the honour to be, &c., j (Signed) Alfbed Domett, Colonial Secretary, j The Resident Magistrate, J j Otago. I Colonial Secretary's Office, j "Wellington, 14th February, 1852. | Sir., — I have had the honour to receive and lay before the Governor your letter of the 12th ultimo, covering a Memorial from Mr. John Cargill, as Chairman of the " Otago Settlers' Association,'' having reference to certain financial arrangements in that settlement. In reply His Excellency has desired me to request that you will acquaint Mr. Cargill that the necessary enquiries will be made into the subject to which the Memorial relates. I have the honour to be, &c, (Signed) Alfred Domett, j Colonial Secretary. A. C. Strode, Esq., Resident Magistrate, Otago. The following reply was then proposed, and i unanimously adopted :—: — I To the Honourable Alfred Domett, Colonial j Secretary, &c., &c. /^^4^i^^fs r Sir, — I have the honour to express, on behalf of j ! the Otago Settlers' Association, their thanks for His | I Excellency Sir G. Grey's courteous recognition of i their opinions on the subject of the Provincial Coun- i I cils' and Land Claimants' Ordinances. i i I have further to remark, for His Excellency's i information, with reference to a Municipal Charter j which His Excellency is empowered to grant under I the Royal Instructions and Charter of 1846, that the i object of the Society being to obtain the means of i i making necessaiy local improvements, such a Char- j ter would not meet their wishes unless power was j given under it over the Surplus Local Revenue, or } all bums voted by the General Legislative Council of I New Zealand for local improvements, instead of { these latter sums being, as at present, expended by i Justices of the Peace irresponsible to the public ; ' and, therefore, unless an Ordinance were passed living such powers, they would prefer waiting the issue of the proceedings of the ensuing Session of Parliament. I I am further to express their regret that, with reference to the appointment of a salaried establishment to the Hospital, His Excellency will not at present promise to comply with the request contained in their Memorial. They are at a loss to i conceive from what "other sources of very high. i authority" His Excellency can have received representations not in accordance with the prayer of their Memorial, that document having been unanimously ' adopted at a public meeting : and I am directed humbly to submit for His Excellency's consideration, whether, in terms of Earl Grey's despatch of Bth August last, any other authority than the wishes ! of the settlers generally should be listened to. I am further directed to state, for His Excellency's information, that there are now not fewer than six medical practitioners within the Otago block. I have the honour to be, &c. Mr. Thorburn brought forward the motion referring to the letting on lease by the Crown Coramisioner of the r |own Belt. Mr. Thorburn, in support of the motion, took occasion to re- | fleet on the conduct of the Crown Commissioner, i which he characterized as unjust in the extreme, and mentioned several instances in which he attributed the ejection of parties from the Town Belt to personal motives. Mr. Shaw followed on the same side. Several speakers explained the injustice reI ferred to. Mr. Clark objected to the proposed resol ution, and contended that neither the proposer nor seconder had any arguments in its favour ; the acts of the Crown Commissioner complained of did not affect the question. He moved as an amendment — That the original motion be dropped. Seconded by Mr. Harris, and carried. Mr. Macandrew gave notice that he should move at the next general meeting of the Society that the names of the members of the ■ Association.be published, and that they be ; allowed to vote by proxy. It was moved by Mr. Langlands, seconded by Mr. Macandrew, and carried — That it be referred to the Committee to consider what is most expedient to be done in the matter, and ' report to Special General Meeting to be held this day week. . ; ' . The meeting then separated.