Mooting of the Sons of Old Colonists.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2168, 15 December 1875, Page 3

Meeting of the Sons of Old Colonists.

A large meeting of the " Sons of Old Colonists," convened by advertisement, was held last night at the Pacific Hotel, Grahamstown. On the motion of Mr McVay--Mr J. Macky, sen., was called to the chair, and briefly opened the business of the meeting, which was to more the Government Ito grant to sons of old colonists land upon the same terms as j those given to the Katikati Special Settlers. T V .;,'_. -. "■ , ".. - ' Mr Bruce" proposed that Mr Robert Macky act as secretary of the meeting, and take minuies,so that they might know what they were doing. Mr H. Shepherd, from Auckland, at this mpment entered the room, and was requested to address, the meeting. He said-that a meeting had been called at Auckland on the previous evening for the same purpose as that for which they had assembled there. The object of that meeting was that all sons ot;colonists of 25 years standing should form themselves into an association to co-operate with those c on the Thames and elsewhere to secure their 'object.' The action was a purely provincial one. A committee had bee.n.«formed in and had deferred tf^rther action in the matter until Monday undeir the expectation that a committee wouid be formed at the Thames whp.might.meet them on Monday night, or? writeiitheir wishes to them. As regarded the time which was necessary to entitle them to be considered old colonists* it; had agreed that a 25-years' residence should constitute a person an old colonist, though he himself thought it should have been 30 years. By the Katikati land having been assigned to special settlers' in the way it had been, a greatinjustice had been'done to old colonists,''for not only had 10,000 acres of land, which at 30s an acre was worth £15,000, been taken from.them, but besides that a sum of £5000 had been spent to bring these special settlers to the colony, whereas; the old colonists would rhave made far better settlers in every way. They ought therefore to agree to sink all other que.stions,and send to the Assembly no men but those who would see justice done to them in this respect. This might be easily done, all that was needed was to. have printed papers of questions which every candidate ought to be required to answer and attach his signature to before he was supported, and by this means they might get justice done them. «. Mr Otto here asked what the conditions were on which the Katikati settlers had got their land. Mr Shepherd detailed the conditions. (1.) Each adult got 40 acresi eachnon-adult 20 acres; (2.) A fifth part of this was to be cultivated, and the holder was to reside on the block—though not necessarily on his bwn land--for three years, after three years each settler got his crown grant if these conditions were complied with. It was agreed on the motion of Mr A. Bruce,Vs€Conded by Mr P. Nolan, that the " ions of old colonists " should mean the sons of those colonists who arrived in the country previous to the year 1850 —or of 25 years' standing. A committee was then formed, consisting of Messrs. McVay, J. T. Mackay, Bruce/ J. Scott, Nolan, Otto, Burgess, Lawlbr, Hargreaves, Donovan, Goldsworthy, and T; Black, for the purpose of carrying out the object of the meeting, and to work in connection with the com-mittee-already formed in Auckland. After a vote of thanks to Mr' Shepherd for his attendance from Auckland, and a vote of thanks to. the chairman, the meeting separated. A meeting of the committee was held immediately after. It was resolved to forward a copy of the resolutions agreed to at the meeting to the Auckland committee, and to take combined action with them to forward the objects of the meeting. ■■■-.•■■' _