UPPER HUTT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIV, Issue 1442, 27 July 1860, Page 3

UPPER HUTT.

[from our own correspondent.]

July 25, 1860. A meeting of the Volunteer Rifle Corps called by the Committee, was held on Wednesday evening, at the new store of Mr. Plimmer, at the Upper Hutt. Mr. Freelaud was called to the chair, who opened the meeting by stating it had been called to hear the reply of Major Trafford to a communication which had been made to him for his attendance at the Upper Hutt to swear in the members of the above corps, and to hear the Major's reply respecting the issue of arms, &c, and he, the chairman, begged to refer the meeting to the Secretary for tb.9 information he had to lay before the meeting. The Secretary, on rising, said he was sorry to say, as he then stood before the meeting, he did not think he was in a position to make any statemout.' He was sorry to say, he having formod one of the deputation who waited upon Major Trafford from a former meeting, and had with his colleague received a subscription for so doing, to defray their Bxpeuses, they were both publicly accused with fraud and falsehood, or in other words of having brought a fabricated statement before the meeting, aud accepted the money without having fulfilled their commission, and be stated until the meeting had by a resolution cleared him aud his colleague of this charge, he did not think he was justified iv bringing anything before them, and trusted some one would make a proposition either one way or the other, that he may know how to act. His colleague also made similar remarks.' Mr. Cruickshank said he was exceedingly sorry suoh a report should have been made public,, as he was well aware there was not the slightest foundation for it, and he was convinced the deputation had in every way carried out tho wishas of the meeting. The Chairman then calltfU upon tha Secretary to lay before the meeting the communication he bad lately received and he knew-that would be quite conclusive that there could not be the slightest grouads for the charges which had been laid to them. The Secretary road tho whole of tho correspondence from the commencement of the meetings, and called the meeting's particular attention to the reply of Major Trafford with regurd to the swearing in of the Corps. The Major had sent word, that if the whole of the Corps would . name a day and hour, lie would himself come to the (Jppai Hutt aud swear them in ; and as to the issue of arms they would have to be fetched by the Corps as opportunity offered to each individual member from Wellington, any other way of issuing would be coutrary to instructions. After the correspondence had been read, the meeting expressed themselves satisfied that the charges were eutirely unfounded, and Mr. G. Browa proposed that this meeting pass a vote of confidence to the committee for the honest and truthful manner in whioh they had conducted the affairs of the corps ; also that Mr. M'Hardie's statemeut agaiust the deputation, who waited upon Major Trafford, was i unfounded; and untrue, motion seconded ! by Mr Henn, and carried unanimously. \ One of the membei g jf the committee was then appointed to visit each member who was not then present, and arrange with them a time to meet Major Trafford, and; as -soon as arrangements were made the Secretary was to communicate with the Major upon the subject. The meeting was again challenged if any wished to withdraw iheir names, when Mr. James Brown, of tho Criterion Hotel, said heobjected to serve for tho distriot of Welliugiou, but he would serve for the ais-

trict of ihe Hutt ; but as there Was no district for the Hutt, he requested his name to bo scratched from the list. A vote of thanks being passed for the chairman, the meeting separated.