RIVERTON.

Southland Times, Issue 1023, 18 September 1868, Page 3

RIVERTON.

rf Biiio sqesthkj in fayos m local SBUNOO'VERWMENT, • : ; . A piiblicr meeting on the above ones* tion wa* held in the Oddfellows Hall, Bivertoa, on the evening of Monday last, the iftih ioat. Shortly after the hour apptiurt..i (7 o'clock), upwards of a hundred persona had assembled in the spacious hall, Amongst those present were nearly all the leading commercial uaen of the town, and also a fair propor. tion of the agricultural and paatoral classes of, the district. Business was introduced by Mr Iflstonej who proposed. Capfc. Howell as chairman, a proposition which was carried unanimously. On assuming his seat the chairman said he was not often guilty of making long speeches, and he did not think he required to say much on this occasion. The meeting had been called by an advertisement which very clearly indicated the nature of the business which would be brought before them, as follows : — The inhabitants of Biverton and the •western district of the Province who are favorable to the cause of Local SelfcGbvernmeht, are requested to meet at the Oddfellow's Hall, Riverton, on Monday, 14th September, at 7 p.m., for the purpose of considering the propriety of memoralising the General Assembly on the subject. Thkophhtts Danied. j He was aware that there were several gentlemen, in the room who were much better prepared, and much abler to speak on the subject than he was, and as the signature of Mr.Daniel followed the advertisement he thought that gentlemen was the one he should first call upon to address the meeting. Mr Daniel acenowledged that the fact of his name appearing to the advertisement might natually have lead them to expect he would be prepared with a lengthy speech, and some well elaborated scheme for their consideration. Such was not, however, the case, and he regretted that the duty of making the first speech on the subject of their meeting had not been entrusted to better hands. He confessed that he was not so well up in the matter as he could wish, and came there more for the purpose of hearing than speaking. He considered that, as one of the members of the Provincial Council for the district, it was his duty to take part in all questions affecting their interests, and to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the tone of public opinion. It was wrong in any man to jump- hastily to a conclusion on any subject, but on important matters such as those they were met to discuss, it became still more necessary that consideration should be given to what might be said on both sides of the question. There was an old adage which said there were two classes of hearers who erred in opposite ways, yet both were equally wrong. One class heard T>ne side of a question, and immediately jumped to a conclusion ; the other came with minds previously made up, and ears closed against all argument; between these extremes was the_ proper course, and he trusted the meeting would thus act touching the business before them, it had been asked what portion of country Was meant by the "Western District. His opinion was that all that part of the Province lying to the Westward of the Oreti Hiver should be included in the district. He was gratified to see such a large meeting, as it showed they were begin bag to take that active interest in political matters which it was their duty to do. He thought every man should study carefully the working of the Government underwhichhelived,andifthepeople had manifested the same spirit in public matters in years past that they did now, he was certain it would, to a great extent, have prevented the waste of public money which had everywhere taken place. Had the constituencies given free expression to their ideas on public questions, their representatives thus instructed and supported would have gone into the Council Chamber and boldly withstood the system of reckless extravagance indulged in. He had always been in favor of separation, and believed that had separation been obtained the expenditure of the whole revenue of the province should never have been left to twenty men in. Invercargill. A system approximating to shire councils would long ago have been in operation, and every district in possession of its fair share of the revenue. As it was the apathy of the outlying districts had allowed the pressure of public opinion in the chief town to influence the members for the district. He remembered one instance of this. Aftei the starting of the Bluff Railway scheme, a great public meeting was held in Mueller and Geisow's store, at which public opinion regarding the railway question was very strongly expressed, and the consequence was that when the matter came before the Council immediately after, the town influence was powerful! enough to make several members, known to be opposed to the scheme, leave the House, honest Matthew Scott and another, heing all that remained. He would be quite satisfied with the provincial system in a modified form. Take away its legislative powers and it would work well enough. He must say the Council had dealt very fairly with the district during the past twelve months, but in former years it had been very much wronged. There had .heen. great neglect somewhere on the part of their representatives, as he had seen again and again large sums voted for the Biverton district,* while in reality very little of that money had ever passed the Oreti. Large sums had been squandered on the various roads near town. It had seemed as if some people could . never have enough to spend in such localities as the Bay Eoad, and the North Road, and he beleived that the names of those roads would be found written on some of their hearts after they were dead. (Great laughter.) An old friend of his from Victoria had once said to him that he could generally tell where councillors and such like lived from the

atftie of the ft»&£ he {Mv 3)0 had' replisd tlnil; he would not find it so in thia district, ns not one of their members had derived the slightest direct benefit from their position. " Before Bitting down he would refer to some remarks made hy a jrtond of his in the 'Southland Nev?a. ! He had nor, as there insinuated, got up the meeting himself alone^ he had not taken oven a great share in the move- j meni . and he certainly never dreamt of aspiring to the dignity- v of- Lord Mayor. (Laugther.) He was requested by Dr Hodglrinson to express his regret that sickness prevented him from being present, The meeting would not, however, be altogether without the Doctor's views on the subject, as he had stated them in a letter, which would be read. Mr Daniel resumed his seat amidst hearty cheers. At the request of the chairman, Mr Surman read the letter alluded to, as follows : — Deab Sir— ln the Southland Times, of the 7th inst., I see an advertisement with your signature, calling a public meeting of the inhabitants of the Western District for the purpose of memorialising the General Assembly on the subject of local self Government. As a strenuous supporter of local self-Governmeht, in the best and widest sense, and to the utmost extent compatible with the existence of a strong Central Government for the whole colony, I should very much like to be present at this meeting, but the indifferent state of my health may prevent my leaving home, and in the event of my absence, I shall be glad if you will cause this letter to be read to the meeting, as I am reluctant to be altogether Bilent on so important a matter. lam anxious to impress upon the meeting the exercise of the greatest caution in the wording of any resolutions which may be passed, and to urge that the attainment of our wishes should be sought for in a constitutional way, and not through any such revolutions and destructive changes in the Government of the Colony as are unhappily sought to be accomplished by Mr Stafford and his colleagues. Unless the Colonial public are on their guard they will find out when it is too late, that which apparently obtained through the policy of the present New Zealand Ministry, concessions in the direction of Local self-Government, they have in reality lost the substance and obtained only the shadow, and that all that they have gained, or rather retained, is nothing more than what is possessed by the pettiest parish in England, viz., " the power to make rates for mending their roads." Supposing that one of the objects the meeting will seek to secure, is the 'endowment of districts with a certain acreage of the Waste Lands within itj and the apportionment of a certain per centage of the proceeds of land sales to be spent for the benefit of the district, under the control of a Land Board, I wish to point out that this desirable object can, if attainable at all, be attained under the present constitution of the colony without the necessity of our parting with those much larger powers of self-Government which the various divisions of the colony now enjoy through their Provincial Governments. Admitting that in the various provinces there has been a disposition to lavish an undue share of money or patronage upon the centres, and to neglect the outlying districts, a vice which I fear is owing to the inherent selfishness and evil of human nature, and one which will exist more or less in all political organisations, yet it is easy to shew that under the present constitution of the colony, a remedy may be found without the necessity of having recourse to organic changes in 'Jhe form of Government. The 19th clause of the " Constitution Act " prohibits the provinces * from legislating on the waste lands of the Crown, and reserves to the General Assembly the power of legislation. As a matter of convenience, the provinces have been aJowed to frame hind bills, but in the event of such acts being unjust to the outlying districts it is obvious that the General Assembly can provide a remedy ; besides which, according to the constitution, the General Assembly can over-rule by its own legislation all or any Jegislation of the Provincial Councils. If the Provincial Council of Southland, or any other province, was willing to comply with the fair and reasonable demands of outlying districts, I must be allowed to point out that the policy of the present General Government must render it impossible for the Council to do bo, inasmuch as the whole proceeds of land sales are in some cases required to meet the interest of tlie public debt, and to provide for 1 the cost of provincial departments. On reading the Constitution Act it will be seen that its obvious intention was that the legislation and government of the colony should be done chiefly by the provinces. The act first provides for the establishment of provinces, and afterwards provides for a General Assembly and Government, reserving only thirteen subjects for its particular and exclusive attention, all other matters being left to the provinces. Consistently with the above, the 66th clause indicates the source from whence she provinces were to derive funds to meet the expense^f legislation and administration, by providing that all surplus revenue accruing to the General Government should be distributed among the provinces. At the time the Constitution came into force, but fifteen years ago, it was understood and expected that the expenses of the General or Colonial Government would be but small, and that the bulk of the Colonial Revenue would be distributed among the provinces. In all new countries it is very difficult to raise money by direct taxation, except in the way of local rates of a moderate amount, and the most convenient and eligible mode of raising money is by indirect taxation. The design of Mr Stafford and his supporters in depriving the provinces of the Customs Revenue, and urging them to have recourse to direct taxation, is simply to starve them into submission, and compel them to accept his centralising policy — under which the whole powers of legislation and administration would be collected into one focus. They also bribe the outlying districts to conform to their views by specious promises of local self-government, accompanied it may be, for a few years, with the apportionment of a per centage of the Land revenue for the use of the district. This however, though a most desirable advantage, is obviously only a temporary one, and one, I repeat, which is equally attainable under the present constitution, which after a few years will cease — when the whole of the Waete Lands have been sold. And what, it may be asked, will then remain worthy of the name of local self-govern-ment. The Provincial Councils, according to Mr Stafford's policy, are to be deprived of legislative powers, and reduced to the state of mere administrative boards, under the control of a General Government officer — a sort of French prefect, such as we see in Westland. The police, gaols, lunatic asylums, harbors, &c, are to be assumed by the General Government, so that if we look for the residium all that we shall find left to us wiU be, as I have before said, nothing more than is enjoyed by the smallest parish in England. In conclusion, I will again advise the meeting against being induced, either through want of caution, or from bad advice, to seek the attainment of its views by bartering away privileges of the greatest value, which we in this distant end of the colony now possess under the provincial system, and to frame any resolutions in such a way as to make it apparent that the advantages sought for, are sought for in a constitutidnal way, and not through the destruction of the constitution. I am, &c, (Signed) S. Hodgkinson" Mr Simpson said he had also come almost unprepared to speak, but he had collated a few facts with regard to the revenue raised, and the manner in which it had been expended, since the establishment of the province, which he would

\ submit to them, He would begin by quoting from A speeoh of the first -Sajp^rttifcendeftti at the opening of fciis first session, of the first Provincial Council, in 1861. Dr Mexwies then said{— (< The proceedings of tl\is the ftrat Provincial Cbunoil of Southland will stamp the character of the Province. If the measures of this Council, and the manner in wbioh they are subsequently administered, are characterised by intelligence, integrity, and prudence, our province will prosper, and we shall gain the confidence and respect of our fellow-colonists elsewhere. The 88 attributes are our main requisites, ( for, with wisdom in its Councils, a province combining such a variety of natural advantages as Southland does in an eminent degree, must have a brilliant future.'* Mr Simpson continued. Now, gentlemen,- you have seen that future, and what is it? Instead of brilliancy, clouds and darkness are round about us. . He would now quote the figures to which j he had alluded. In 1861 the imports were £71,652 ; exports, £8,548 j customs revenue, £5,433; ordinary revenue, £591 j land revenue, £20,160. In 1862, they stood respectively thus : — £260,139, £20,097, £11,958, £2,992, and £54,691. In the following year the imports reached £866,726; here began, the unhealthy state of things, the exports were £91,698 ; customs returns, £64,399; ordinary revenue, £16,432; and laud revenue, £50,254 In 1864, imports, £505,757 ; exports, £101,362 ; customs, £46,644 ; ordinary revenue, £10,247 ; laud revenue, £69,488. In 1865, imports, £111,656 ; exports, £113,606; customs, £26,052; ordinary revenue, £5,201 ; land revenue, £2,271. Tor the first six months of 1866 the imports were £95,570 ; exports, £94,240; customs, £18,141; ordinary revenue, £6,244 ; land revenue, £142,909. He had not got the figures for the last half of 1866 and for 1867, but would put them down at a fair estimate. For 1868 the revenue approprated was £71,869, how it was to be raised he did not know. The population of Riverton was, in round numbers, 2000, and its customs returns for the six aud a half-years ending in June last was £26,788, three eighths of which would be £10,045, 10s. It had been said that England was the heaviest taxed country in Europe, and nobody disputed it, but it was far outstripped by New Zealand, which bore heavier burdens than any other country in the world. The interest on the National debt of Great Britain amounted to eighteen shillings per head of the population. The interest on the debt of Southland was £3 3s 3d per head of the population. How had this enormous debt been incurred? la April, 1863, when Mr Tarlton left office, he told me himself that there was no money in the provincial chest, but that everythiug was paid up ; he resumed office again in May 1864, and in one week from that time accounts came in against the G-overnment to the amount of £400,000, and during that same year, 1863-4, Dr Menzies himself had stated that £100,000 over the estimates had been expended. With such defalcations on the part of the G-overn-ment, amounting ultimately to upwards of £600,000, was it any wonder that the Province was depressed, that it was not progressing at the rate its resources would warrant us to expect. The total revenue for the first five aud a half years Avas, deducting the five-eighths of the cus tom 3 for the General Government, £450,215 2s 6d. The debt was £422,000, and by adding the average income for 1866-7 and 1867-8, we have the sum of one million of money. Now, what is a million of money ? It is very easy said, but our powers of calculation almost fail to comprehend its amount. It would take two accountants, paying away each thirty sovereigns per minute, during the usual Bank hours, eleven and a-half weeks to pay it all out. If they could imagine ten powerful teams toiling along the road, each laden with a solid ton of gold, that would be a million of money, that would represent the amount of money spent by the Government in Southland, and if the meeting could further imagine two men with a wheelbarrow-load toiling along after the ten drays, it would have • an exact representation of the proportion that had fallen to the share of Riverfcon. Now the object of this meeting was to get a more equitable share of what money there might yet be to come in. He would advise them to nail their colors to the mast, to insist on having their just rights, to ask no more aud take no leas. He would now propose the first resolution, viz. : — That considering the public funds expended in the Province since its formation have amounted to upwards of one million sterling, the amount expended on Riverton and the Western Districts of the Province has been utterly disproportionate to its fair share, whether estimated by its rights, its contributions, or local wants. During the delivery of his address, Mr Simpson had irequently to pause until I the cheers had subsided. Mr Cuthbertson had great pleasure in seconding the resolution just read. It was one which commended itself to every individual in the room. His imagination had been fearfully excited by the illustration of the drays and the barrow loads, given by Mr Simpson, and he felt that nothing he could say could put the question in a stronger light than that, nothing need be added to it. He would relate a circumstance, of which he should ! probably feel a little ashamed, in illustration of the manner in which country members were generally treated iv the Provincial Council. When he came to the province oats were very scarce, he had only something like half a bushel on his station, and consequently had to be very sparing of them. His practice therefore was, when he wished to catch his horse, to put a few oats in his hat and hold it out to the animal, which accordingly came up to him aud was caught, but no sooner was the bridle safely on its head than the oats were withdrawn. In other words, the oats were voted for a purpose, and that purpose secured, they were never expended. But what was the consequence? why, the horse became so knowing that

he would iiot b» caught at any briee, &ud ; lis was obliged to got ft paddock iWed : In thar, he might be able to secure the animal when wanted. It was precisely similar in the Councils. Both here and in Otago money had been voted again and again for particular districts, and the representatives of those districts had thereby been caught, but no sooner had their support been secu*edtothepassingof somepet scheme for the benefit of the towns, than the vote was quietly ignored and the money never spent, at least in the district for which it was originally voted. In their own case only some £25,000 altogether had been expended in the, Riverton district. The Invercargill; people, ne doubt, would regard this move- i tnent with great disfavor, because it j would deprive them of a considerable j sum which they would like laid out in j their own neighborhood. They (the townspeople) were in the habit ofi counting all the money spent in their suburbs as spent in the Riverton district. He (Mr C.) could'ntsee it. The greater portion had been spent on the other side of the Oreti, and they had to pay a toll, at the bridge, to get to where the money was said to have been expended for their benefit. He did not feel it necessary to make an elaborate speech, but he might say that he found feeling in this matter very strong in his neighborhood, even more so than in Riverton. This district had contributed to the land revenue within two years, no less than £80,000, out of which they had got really nothing. This bad been stated by his brother at the last session of the Council as a prelude to asking a grant of £500 for a bridge at the Otautau. The money was granted, but no sooner were the Council doors shut than, like his oats, it was withdrawn. If Riverton got its proper share he need not stretch his imagination very far to see a dredge at work in the harbor, a steamboat discharging or loading at the jetty, and ships at their moorings in the roadstead. They might even have a railway, for he felt certain their money would be judiciously expended. They would make it go as far as possible, and not do as they did in Invercargill, squander it on swindling engineers and idle government clerks. Even taking the lowest and worst view of the case, suppose they were a Set of asses who could not lay it out to advantage, suppose they could turn it to no better account than producing something like the Mokomoko Jetty, they would always have the benefit of its being spent in the district ; a collateral advantage which appeared to be about all the Invercargili people cared for. He felt that the^ present system could not go on /nuch longer, people had borne it until they were tired, and now that an open door was presented to them, that an opportunity of bettering themselves was afforded, they would be great fools if they did not avail themselves of it. (Oheers.) The Provincial system stood like a wall between them and their just 'rights ; aud a £.ir share of public monies would never be obtained while it existed in its present form. The pressure of public opinion in the town had a most injurious effect on the country districts. It certainly did not deter him from doing what he conceived to be his duty while in the Council, but it might frequently deter more timid men. There was no doubt that the Railway measures were to a great extent carried by this town pressure, that members who were in reality opposed to the scheme were so wrought upon by this kind of influence that they gave their support to those jobs. The Railway was not made for the benefit of the Province, it was made simply to spend money in Invercargill, that some of the golden stream might be caught in passing, and there were men candid enough to admit that such was the fact. The tribe of needy adventurers who infested the place in 1865 and 1866 had brought such a pressure to bear on the Council that even such men as Dr Menzies had been led astray. Who had ever heard of anything to equal the extreme folly of the manner in which such immense sums of money had been expended — these ten cart loads ? How completely had the prospects of as fair and promising a province as could be found on the face of the earth been ruined ? "What a wreck had been made of her career. What was there to show for all this million of money? A Mokomoko jetty and a few miles of unfinished railway. There was another matter lie would mention to show how loosely the most important affairs had been conducted. Mr Marchant had made the Bluff railway, and a precious mess it was too, and then he was requested to make the Oreti railway. He did so, so far, and then, to his intense astonishment, sent iv a claim for the work, and, on its being objected to, quietly stated that he was simply engaged as engineer for the Bluff railway, and not for both, or for any lines the Provincial Q-overnment might wish to undertake. The Government of the day instead of saying, wtll, anything you get out of us you must get through a court of law, as we look upon you as our servant— consented to a comfortable arrangement in the shape of arbitration. When in office shortly afterwards, he (Mr C.) had enquired for Mr Marchants engagement, and found there was actually none ; thus was money thrown away. Another case occured to him. Some railway plant supplied was reported as of an inferior description, and to satisfy himself he wished the contract to be turned up, but in this case also he found no contract forthcoming, he was informed that probably there had been a contract drawn out. but that most likely the contractor had it in his possession, and that they were too busy to look after those trifling things. He could go on multiplying such cases till he would weary them. (Cheers.) He would now quote a few extracts from an article in a recent number of the ' Southland News,' in which the sapient writer tried covertly to throw ridicule upon the action they were taking, this was only what they

hiight expert fm& feftftfc Mite aad fVolri fchw* Invereargill frfamfe .gttj&feli?) but what they tveye < now agitating for was something very different to what the 'News 1 pretended it to be. They were not particularly anxious to tax themselves, but they were • certainly 86 to secure their share of ths land *evenue yet to acorue before it all found its way into the capacious pockets of Invercargill. If it was necessary to levy taxes it was surely better they should have the power of imposing them themselves, and expending them when raised, than that someone else should do it for them, and the money be spent elsewhere. They were not there to petition for the creation of a county similar to Westland, which was a defective experiment, but rather for the creation of a Board of "Works similar to. that of Timaru and Gladstone, which enjoyed the benefits of its own revenue i and yet remained an integral portion of the province of Canterbury. He was glad to find that the movement was much deeper seated than he was previously aware of, as it gave him hopes that they not now be easily disheartened, or turned from the course on which they had entered. He wished them to dispel the idea that it was not worth while to press the matter now, that it was too late, that there was little more territorial revenue likely to come in. Such was not in reality the case. He had already said that within a short period Riverton had contributed £80,000 to the land revenue, and where had it gone ? Certainly very little of it found its way back to the district ; but he could tell them that there t was rejoicing in Invercargill the night that these large sales were made. Champagne had been drunk that night in more than one house over the head of it. (Laughter.) He did not know what had become of all that money, but he supposed they paid their clerks with part" of it, and probably sent the balance home for more railway plant. It was generally understood that squatters were not much in favor of the land being sold, or of publishing where good land was to be found, but he would make a clean breast of it and tell them there was yet plenty of good land in the district Unsold. There were still over 200,000 acres available, and no one knew how soon some of that might be disposed of, and unless they were then in a different position to what they were in now; nineteen and" elevenpence of every pound received for it would go to Invercargill, and they might possibly, if the Invercargill people had a generous fit at the time, get the odd penny. (Laughter). The alarming figures brought forward by Mr Simpson, were absolutely correct, and his comparisons truthfull. They must not be driven from their course by ridicule or anything else. They would be told it was too late, but they must not listen to that ; that they wese inviting the tax gatherer, but they must not believe it ; that there would T?e no land revenue, but that was untrue ; the land would yet sell, and there would be a golden stream flowing past their doors to Invercargill. They must try and stop the stream ; retain* it amongst themselves ; in short, they should stick to their object in spite of either ridicule or argument, and take such steps as were necessary to move the General Assembly in the matter. Mr Cuthbertson was loudly cheered at the conclusion of his address. Mr J. L. M'Donald proposed the next resolution as follows : That this meeting feeling satisfied that the system of Provincial Government as hitherto administered in Southland is not conducive to the interests of this district — resolves that a system of Borough, or Shire Councils, with territorial endowments resembling those vow in operation in Victoria, would suit the requirements of the Riverton and Western Bistrict of this Province, and that a Committee be formed at this meeting for the purpose of drawing up a petition to be presented to the General Assembly through our representatives . — He said the question submitted for the consideration of the meeting was this, had the Provincial system been conducive to the interests of country districts? If they concluded, it had not, then the next consideration was, what is the best mode we can adopt for this object ? He was not personally thoroughly acquainted with the operation / of the Shire Council system, but was informed that it worked well. He knew that in Victoria, previous to the introduction of that system, the outlying districts had been very unfairly treated. Immense sums of money was spent in Melbourne in the erection of magnificent buildings, and onf town improvements, while necessary public works in the country were totally neglected. The question which should always have greatest weight, when a revenue was once raised, was, what work most urgently requires to be done ? He was no c going to quar: el with any government for spending money, but for squandering it, as had been done in Invercargill, where vast sums had been lavishly scattered on such things as the Mokomoko jetty, while it was impossible at times to traverse the country for want of roads. He had no great wish to be further taxed, but, if necessary, he would prefer having the power of dealing with the rate himself. If the money was judiciously spent in the district he would contribute his quota willingly, but if the tax was imposed and spent by people at a distance he, should object most strongly. If the tax were to be raised per head of the population, it would fall heavily in thinly settled localities, but he believed it was the custom, under the Sbire Council system, to levy a rate on unoccupied land, for the construction of roads passing through those lands. He thought this but fair, otherwise speculators in land escaped contributing to those works which enhanced the value of their property, and at the same time derived all the advantages arising from the progress of the locality. He believed the system was an unexpensive and efficient one, probably entailing in their district no greater cost than one engineer. A Board of practical men, farmers] and others, having each an interest in the district, would make the

meats generally went about things ift. 1 the most expensive manner. J?q* w most trifling work they would ;**ptycostly engineers,, draw out eiatowt* plans, and then probably have th* fob let to some eate contracto*before inoßt people knew anything aboui it, whereas a Local Board^ttUi make the money go as far ai poßuhle ia actual work, dispensing wit V.the rcUiimwi* official preliminaries. They need not look beyond their own Province to M» that the question with Governments wa# not, generally, how to spend, bat where .to spend P Money had been spent by Government moat recklessly, that Inver* cargill might obtain the collateral advantages of its circulation ;. not that it might produce the greatest good to the Province. (Cheers.) -rn-.. Mr Ireland asked if presenting the petition proposed would imply they had cast in their lot with the Centralists. Mr Cuthbertson, said their action did not imply adhesion to" any party, and 1 did not in any way ran counter to the present constitution of the country. The position they wanted was one similar to that of Timaru and Gladstone, simply to get the control of their owifc money. Mr M'Donald would just further point out the excessively expensive nature of the provincial system, by stating that Southland, with a population of little over 6000, employed a staff of thirty officials, at a coßt of £6,600 per annum, or £1 per head of the population. The county system was managed at very little outlay ; the councilmen did not generally consider it troublesome to attend the board sittings, and the chairman often managed the greater part of the business. He took it for granted there would be no pay attached to the position of chairman here. „ Mr Lyon seconded the motion. Mr Armstrong Baid he was not a member of the Western District, therefore he had no right to speak on the subject before the meeting, but he might give them a little intormation of which they seemed ignorant, viz. — that -a bill was being passed- by the General Assembly which would exactly meet their requirements. This bill.- would provide for the expenditure in districts, of sums of "money in a proportionate rate to the revenue derived from^Buch districts. Much had been said by previous speakers of past mismanagement, &c. t he would remark that had those present been as active and earnest in; endeavoring to prevent, at the time, the lavish expenditure they referred to, as they now seemed in looking for the redress of a supposed grievance, they "might have done good service. If he had no right to warn them of the consequences of adopting the resolutions, he might at all events advise them not to pass the on* last tabled without a little more discussion. On being put to the meeting i)y the chairman, both motions were carried, the the .first unanimously, the second nearly so. * ! . . . . ■: ... ■ Mr-. 'Austin moved, and Mr Garden seconded, that the committee for drawing up the memorial be composed of the following gentlemen, viz.-Messrs Howell, Daniel, Cuthbertson, Instone, Surman, M'Donald, Bath,! Lyon, ' Simpson, Ireland, and Austin, with power to add to their number. 1 __ Mr Cuthbertson, referring to Mr Armstrong's remarks, said it was wonderful that no sooner did they evince a desire to have the handling of-their own money, than the InvercargUl: people took an affectionate interest in them, quite unprecedented. (Great laughter). It would have been well had such a regard for their welfare been displayed a little earlier. ?• ]*;l\ Vf\ Mr Armstrong must explain that he was there by the merest accident. He had not come to take part in the proceedings, but rather to hear what was said— to be enlightened. Hewould further remind them that he was not an Lxvercargillite, but belonged to a country district, in which he believed there were: a hundred people, and it was q 1 "* 0 possible that if the. country system was introduced and benefited Eiverton, he might want his district made a county as- well, what suited the one would mostlikely suit the other. Mr Ireland would like Mr Cuthbertson to explain what was implied by the County System. Mr Cuthbertson replied that he did not wish for the county system as ia Westland. That system did not work well, and w,ould never be extended. If the Koad Board Bill passed, they would of course come under it, but if not, then. i they must continue the agitation until a measure was passed, either for themselves or for the whole colony. The nominated head, and the want of control, of the funds by the representatives of the people, was the great objection to the Westland system — now being amended. He had already said they simply wanted to be placed in the same position as Timaru and Gladstone.* 'All that stuff about Counts and expensive .officers in the ' Southland News' was merely a bit of claptrap leader writing, to which, of course, they would pay no attention. In reality they would not require more than one paid officer, to look after the roads. The whole change effected would only amount to the election of a board of eight or ten members, with power over a portion of their land revenue— and perhaps over a portion of the customs — and of local assessment for local [purposes. He could see nothing hazardous in this-^-frqm a Biverton point of view at all events — although it might appear a very dangerous -experiment .to Ipvercargill people, who would loose by. the arrangement. . - Mr Instone was elected chairman of the Committee, and Mr Lyon Treasurer and Secretary; " - On the suggestion of Mr Cuthbertaon, a subscription from each of the members of committee was raised on the spot, for immediate wants.

acre.