CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Southland Times, Issue 2165, 13 August 1875, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

-•• — ' There was a specially caliocl general meeting of members of this Chamber at noon on Wednesday. Present — The President (Mr MTherson), the .Secretary, aud Messrs Macrorie, Dalgliesh, Tapper, Hannah, Hare, Fraser, Watson, Macdonald, Pratt, and Brodrick. The minutes of the last meeting, which had been held on the 11th of February, were read and continned. The President said that one of the reasons for convening the meeting was to consider what might be done in the way of repairing the Quarantine Barracks at the Bluff. Ships were coming to the port with immigrants and cargo, but the barracks were not fit lor putting immigrants in quarantine. The Government proposed in the event of quarantine being necessary to take the immigrants to Port Chalmers and then convey them back by steamer to Bluff. This would be a cause of great inconvenience and expense, apart from tho immigrants, for the vessels had cargo for Invercargill. The Invercargill District Board of Health were taking steps in the matter, and perhaps the Chamber might co-operate. Mr Hare thought the Chamber should, in conjunction with the Board of Health, subscribe the funds necessary to put the barracks in repair, aud trust to the Government for repayment. Mr Macrorie moved that the President and Messrs Pratt, Tapper, aud tb.e mover, should be empowered to co operate with the Board of Health, and to spend £25 in contributing towards the repair of the Quarantine Barracks, such expenditure to be an after charge on the General Government. This was seconded by Mr Hare. The motion was objected to on the ground that it involved a wrongful diversion of the Chamber's money. Mr Pratt moved as. an amendment that the Minister of Immigration should be tele^raohe 1 to, informed of the circumstances, and requested to take immediate and effectual steps in the matter, aud also that Mr Cuthbertson be requested to support tha motion of the Chamber— the Minister to be advised that all the cargo is for the Biuff. Mr Macrorie withdrew iiis motion infavorof the amend*.! out which then became the motion. The motion was carried, and it was resolved that it was not expedieut that any funds of the Chamber should be expended on the Quarantine Barracks, The meeting then terminated,