Rockhampton Bulletin and Central Queensland Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 - 1871), Saturday 22 June 1867, page 2


1 MKuri.va OF ur, EC rom. 1

; _ i

? A ruuLTC macing of Hi« eleni ort of Hork- ¡ I li'imjii.ui wis h.'l I hst night, io the Sch >ol «»f 1

Arts, l.tr the of d'ipi*.nun 14 01 ;i fit ! I and proper perron r»reprtf-enMhe tutni in rVrlù- í j meiiL J1!." lull wi« dens-lv crowd'd. On tile I j muli.ni ol Mr. S|Mw, seconded liv Mr. Cook, Í I (lie eh iii- A taken hy Mr. Albrech« l-e.z amid j

|ge:u-ilfl...-riii. ' |

The CuuitUiV faiJ (hit several gentlemen ?

j hid calle 1 on lum ihe div before, and r*pie«1cd

J hull lo prc-.díat a ni-eiiiiii of the town-mien. :

lo h- h dd io die S.-h ? »I of Ari«,. M j .u one ' , fita'.-d i h.u -I,tí M.vir -ho. dd pr.-ile nt *u«dj a

meenie;, h ir on b. inj <,,lltl>.t il,,- M ivor re- ! fu.ed t.» ,t-.-.-i l« at the n^tio^. -nu h.. I r l'u-r I to '-ii! i', 'ie ¡it oi.-i -xi.re-'I lu-i «ilti-iguc«to t .k- thr :» lir i-'.-) lie WI« IM,,« iv h 'I III.' .'J'.'tor l..eui*eli"g wi«, nil iv-i'll I leiv-l'ic -n-oring !> d.-'ermi 10, Imf lie w.M do I.M -i.^ ti pu; wo it wi- pr.»p;--d 1,-f.,-.' the o. ( Y--rs.)

\| ?. M: UV. in pr» . » ¡nj to.- first ivolotioi

Pilli- wt- n-qii-it- M nv ! I'.-.v worL-* nulli'

ß..'I purp we of the mee" ¡11« aul IV ]

nec-'-i'v n-'u !l evitiel ("ir «liing it. JV

,-o.|lt'i.:i ol' i (lairg wi« «tu »li that it w 1* the | duty of every elect ir l > int.Tj.it himself m the j p oh ti«:-il stile of the ouutiy and express his viowá boldly. Tile object of this meeting was t » propose the most. fit. and proper person to represent the. interests of ííoelih t upio-). Before he won'*! rend the résolution entrusted to him, he would read a

few re nark 1 fr un the work nf Dr. Lang on Q iceiif-lanil, woich were very uppmpriire. to t heir rireu -nuances. .* Whether A colony extends ono hundred or one tlmmud miles in lene-iji is really a matter of no consequence, p-ovidcd it bi* throughout well and equitably governed. B:it no colony ever is well eororii«-d thi-oui;liout that h is mi unreasonable extent '»f country inter-vening bel ween its UMiropnlis and it« outer limits. Tue metropolis inevitably sucks thc very life-blood out of the remote portions The

outlying parU may bu unable to get ordinary I road* constructed, or bridges erected, or j harbours looked after; but the metropolis is -certain to be improved, ant beautified and enriched, ot I hq expense of tho cou dry Wherever, therefore, th« mero distance to be travelled, or the nature of the intervening cmntrv, nr any other insuperable cause, renders the influence of tho outlying inhabitants of little practical weight in tho councils of tho eoloni.d government, first or la*t aseries of gross inju-lie.** :tt'e sure 10 oecur, ami sure to came a demand for government il sep intion. It would neither surprise nor grieve IH if, supposing wo live ni iuy j ears more, wc should successively wit-ness tin's process repeated until th* present, New South Wales ÍB cut np into several distinct colindes. Local eelf-government, although it often exhibits ludienus errors of management, and creates still oftener absurd itchings for personal distinction, invariably works out the real advancement of a tract of country. That ha« been iM result all over the world : in islands, sm ill and Urge, au.I equnlly on comment*; ami there i« 110 reu «on whv it shonhl n »t take plies io A'i-trilii .il«.i" Hie case Dr. Ling-mpnosed wu« exaetU t'ieirs, ami his remark« appeared a« if written for to-day. Krcry thinking elector inuit Imve arri red at the eonelupion tint tlie time for temo iri-u-u; h 11 |im«.;d, that their Ftying« and doing* had resulted in nothing. Tue timi» fir action had arrived, their resolution slum M be finn to deliver themselves and lo submit lo be oppressed no loucer. (Cheer".} (herc was a great principle involved in the resolut inn he was about to read to them Thev did not want a member to represent them in the Parliament of Queensland, for any mem-ber tliey got could not represent the real inthreats of Roeklrimplon : he proposed to go further than lïoekhamplon to find a représen-tée. He proposed to Great Britain (Tre-mendous cheering ) They may depend uoon it if they carried th"ir case to the foot of the throne they would get that justice which they could never hope to t¡et. from the Parliament of Queensland. (Cheers.) They did not want a representative for one class; they wanted one who could impartially re-present all the different interest- of Rock-

hampton. (Cheers ) Now th-y had four dine- j

rent intereste-the mining, the agricultural, the ,

mercantile, and the squatting-til centred in the , town; and if a squatter were returned, he

would favour one iu'erest lo the detriment of another : they wanted a mm who would repre-

sen», not only all the different inlereBts of Rork- j hampton, but of the North generally. Until they j found such a m in they never could or would be ,

heard. The résolution he had to move was

That tn tlie opinion or tM* avering of electors of

Rock liam [iton, Joan Urigla, tsq., of En-'lau '.is a Ul aaa . proper person to represent tim ei»ii*titiie»ey in Varita- ; meut (great cüeerinKi ; milt lim iniviiuií liereby pledgee Itself to vote for hun ut tue ca-uini: election.

He need not tell them who John Bright was, for ! be had a world wide reputation as the champion *?* -* J reform ; they had

cried out far it for four years, and could not get it ; what lie proposed wan that they should send home the Séparai ion petition to john Bricht; it had already received upwards of 3030 signatures, and request him to use his influence to obtain that justice which they could never get here. (Great cheering) He might be told that John Bright had not tb» necessary electoral qualification to sit in tho Parliament of Queensland ; they did not want him to sit there, for it Wrie admitted that it would be perfectly useless to send him or any representative to that Parliament, for there waa not a shadow of a hope that any justice would be done them by that Parliament ; but if they elected John Bright, if he represented their case to the Home Government they might jety upon it that the future Governor of Queensland would be eo instructed that instead of contriving means for fostering the interests of tlie capital, he would be instructed to devot« hid attention and care ta the interest*

of tho whole colony, and especially the outlying districts, which were now fleecod for the aggrandisement of (he metropolis- They might rely upoa it that such would bo the result of (he I influence which John Bright could

e ie reine on their behalf. Some might a*k where was the necessity for such a course. There were several good reasons for it-first, they had no adequate representation, and though a bill was promised on (he subject he felt cer-tain, judging from the past, that they would receive no good from it, and that if they got one I member in the North the South would receive I one to counterbalance him, and their case would

be in no way bettered, therefore, he considered any appeal to their Parliament perfectly useless. Again, even if they got adequate representa-tion, they could not find men qualified to re pre; sent them who would undertake to go 500

hundred miles to Parliament, «nd, therefore, no good would follow. Mr. FiiK*imnvma and Mr. Pilmer hid told large meetings lately that all their efforts in Parliament were useless, and they themselves were treated with insult; that they never raised a question affecting Northern interests, however just, but that they were hotted down nnd re-ceived with nunleiaant and insulting remarks. Vow, th<;y ought to submit to no such insult« any longer. (Cheers.) They were nol repre-sented in Parliament and it was batter to have no member fir ono notion. (Great Cheers ) And before another was'tou arrived they may calculate on a change for the better. (Cheers.) It was his honest ronvirfiou that (he course recommended in (he resolution was the best to follow; he would be sorry to raise any factious opposition, but he considered that their heat course was to el<ict Johu Bright. (Cheers.) Ile J had great pleasure in moving the resolution, j (Cheers.)

Mr. L- SANDEL, who was loudly cheered, had v»ry much pleasure in seconding the resolution. Th Ve wu very little left fir him to say on the subject beyond stating that he was of (he same opinion ns Mr. Shaw. Their late member tobi them tint it was useless sending a member to Parliament-and it was useless to send a mem-ber down-(lie best in Queensland could do no j good, ant supposing they sent, down thc candiI date proposed, they did not know how he \ would turn out. Ho might do good or lu1

might do harm, they did lint rightly know what the family who were , here long before any of (lioso present cain« to I Rockhampton, had done for the town r (u voice : I "nothing,") .pito right; hut. they hal sup\ ported the. i awi league. (Cheers) Ile would I make iiH-uti m of an installée in which OOH of 1 them had a rh moa of showing his intyre.*! in the

j town, lie wis elected pre-id-mt ofthi Hospital, j and ho I\Pvcr 6howod his face near it

' (Chcerr.) After ho had been in (h¡ office or puiihn n* pr-i lent for nine mmths, ho sent in lin roigmition, ( lijers.) staling Hint he had no tim-* to attend io any . ot ber huain.'sí l'i.i.i tint of hid nl.itioM I (Cheer*) Ile wijiiio ri ¿lil, for they .-mil I

riot 0X|)c 'I bioi to in tko Iii- private > itu i ie«;, i Huffer f.r p-rdi : limine*«. Hi» fancy hil led ! bi rn iii ,vi* ve. rv hap iv tlut he li 11 got

to kn rv H i Li u'it-r") Well, they anne nv I

?.j agree -o tv.-'i .ii lirie.eiuere among IUÍMII-"'|\VS t'ul li'1 .1: I n t -ec why one of thom should l ili» * r III'.I-! ol l-xrhig tin* ol har* to repre

- ?ut. «lie . hvMr- io Parham IP. for month*, when ih'ot1'-" e mid mt ii id i wo to <-,me HIM lo-.vn iSout on v er.'iv hil) nionl'i", hi the interior of

1 i heir h « if al '{'.'iiLvrs nud laughter) It wa*

^i.llbil gool men hal tried to doth "ii some : good, but tint g »od men could liol do ir. lt *.v e

nut onlv tho ministry of the Sou'h agiin.it ih.nn, but it wa* the people of the South oppoded to tlie pe »pie ol' the North. Thu Sxith thought, from (he beginning, that R >ckhami)tou would Uko thc lead nf them, und threw i h» dirt!Hihiei in tho wiy nf ils getting on. fhey i were, therefore, of opinion lhat th-'yhad w.iited

long e:i HIgji to seo what wh it would tuen up, and uo to the present tim« ih*y hal seen n »rhiu». They ehoulJ, therefore, pursue some other course to try and get a better nhoiv of (luir right*. If, as their member* hal (old them, they could do no good in thy Parliament, it would, perhaps, be belter fur the electjrs if (hey were out. (Laughter) líe did not soo what they did in. Ile heard it cipr< eai 1 here in Rockhampton that it w;%p best not to do unyt'iiug in (ho way of proposing a member; but they were nil aware that they should h iv j todo something. They should stick out for their rights. (Cheers.) Ile coull not speak of John Bright ns he sb mid wish to, for n it only in langland, hut over tin wbjle world wv* he known HS tho friend of the people. (Cheers.)

And if anv, he was the mau to look out for the

rights of the people. (CUnenc.) He was so long before the people and was so well known tint there could be no doubt nf Iiis being a good representative. *They should sli-:k together and agitate for separation, and if John Bright in England was ask e. i to took at thc state of their alt'iirs in the colony, lie would eee that they were endeavouring by everv mearía in their power to get their fair share of justice. He would take their part and do more for them than all th* Knights of Sr. Michael in tho colony put together. (Cheers au i laughter ) They would see (hil if th-y got John Bright be would settle (he mt"»r for t he n. (Loud cheers and cries of " bravo.")

Mr. ß RODNITZ said it might nppnar strange in Iiis co'uing fir ward to a (dress th« meeting, tho mure so as he hal pledged to support Mr. Archer; bul

nt the time: thu he was aske 1 to allow bis nam ; to be put amongst th-ve of tlie eomrnitteo of tint gent Wt m h" had heard hin) address thc tdeetors only mice, and he waa then not fully able to nipren? hi-» views on certtiu points ; an 1 amongst those unexplained view* were sonia winch touched closely on the welrare of Rock-hampton. Mr. Archer took orcu'ion to address them a second fim*\ and when asi?d his opinion respecting the establishment of Provinci tl Council* he Mated lint he would first try to get increased representation, and if he failed he would push ahead for separation. Respecting the es-tablishment of provincial councils he said he would support the measure, but was not pre-pared to introduce a bill for the purpose. (A voice: He's no good. Cheers) They one and alt, no doubt, had a high opinion of his private character and abilities, but his opinion on tba* tac a «ure did not euit them exactly ; if ho went

in as a representative he should go in, not for thc squading interest, but, in tho cliping divi-sion in the opinion of n art hern and southern in-terests, ho should go in ai a member for the g-neral interest of the north, and the benefit of Rockhampton in particular. (Cheers.) In th.! present state of the co'o\v, the iargrst ca pitah'sts would bo t tie great est gainers hy any land system in I rod uc *d, but thc poor man should not. be precluded from enjoying advantages under it. Tim lands should be divided to meet the means of every man, and he (Mr. B) entertained a strong objection to Mr. Archer's pro j wed plan of fencing. It would ruin the small capitalist. (Hear, hear.) Its requirements would make the price of (ho Jand far es reed its present rate, lie would suggest that the land should be Bold at a nominal price, say 2s. Gd. an acre for emull portions as well aa large, so that the occupier would be able to make certain improvements upon it.

Mr. PATTISON" asked if Mr. Brodnitz was a j candidate, ot her wiso he should confine himself]

more to tlie resolution before tile meeting.

Mr. BKODNITZ then proceeded to t-ay that I

the Ute mouther «ûd he tried to do v\\ in his *

no wer for ihein, but without success, and he (Ur [ R.) thought that with the existing state nf thing? they had little prospect of doing tnu-h better. They had, at present, six Northern members to contend against eighteen in the South, and supposing they were : u^cetslul enough to get two members for htjekharanton. they would he stilt outvoted. Mr. Pjhn<*r Ind told them the other night that they would most likely get increased representation, but while

Rockhampton might receive an additional one, ¡ they would Jure nine additional men for the South, and that would only make matters worse instead of better, As they had Kittie to expect from the Government, they could not be worse oft" if, instead of sending one representative

they Bent no one from here. lie begged to [ to support the motion (hat Mr. John Bright be nominated as their representative. (Cheers )

Dr. IIODEBTSON said that although he was not , pledged to support any man, yet lie could not

agree with the remarks that had fallen from (he preceding speakers relative to returning Mr. Bright as their representative. They would be wrong in doing so ; they could not return him < as lie was not qualified to be -orne a ; candidate. (Hear, heir.) If they returned ¡ him they would stultify themselves, and

by not Bending a man from th« electorate give their assent to everything that would be carried in the Assembly whether for or against I them, and when a settlement of accounts be-

tween North and South was called for tiley would have no claim to make, because by not I sending d *wn a representative they w mid i actu illy gire their cms *nt to whatever had passed

tho Legislature. (OrieB of no, no. Hear, hear.) fie begged to move, as an amendment, that Mr.

John Bright is not a fit and proper man to rep"es"nt the electorate of Rockhampton. (Vof no, it won't do. Hisses )

I Mr. W. O. HODGKINSON had great pleaanre

in rising to second the amendment, (hisses and j cheers), an i he would tell them why. II** i did not care one half-penny who was

returned, but he was sorry to see that they should trouble themselves to t ru m net themselves forth as such fools. John Bright was a min who could not. be. returned by them (Oh, oh \ Confusion ) If they would wait he would elnw th^m. Ile had not tho requisite qu iliiication. (Confution ) Was h* to speak or vanare tho platform*? (Coi fusion. A voiee : S ' down ) Ile was, without, donut., a man *h > had a - pured apolitical celebrity which the world admired ; but if they returned a mm at home, let him be one who would do them good ; let him he * man who hell the confidence of the Govern* ment-which John Bright, did not. (Kisses ) John Bright was not the man for them in his Opinion (A voice: We don't want your opinion ) In returning John Bright, in preference to ti Ioctl man, they would he placing themselves in a ridiculous position, and would bo onlv laughed at. And how was it that two of their Ute members were anxious lo again enter Par-liament, one of them for another constituency ? They should remember tint at the dissolution ol Parliament thc Macalister G »rerument wa* in H very insecure position, and they (di idowed forth a policy favourable to the towns, and in opposi-tion ta tue squalors, and that was the reason why squatters were so anxious in coming for-ward, as representative?. Macalister was more itt ached to hi? Balary than tu the squatters and thought that hy giving to the towna more liberal land law than th« one in exist-ence, he might: r dy upon their support in opoo-ition to t!iii squatters. He would not. comment upon Mr. Archer's political opinions, but if thej returned him they would regret it. It wis. tc say the le ist of it, suspicious in a mm wh » had never before ti ken the leist intere-t in their poIii i cul or soci il matters, coming for v:ml nu tin ere of a vital «¡mnge in (he land li*s un i ask i in . t i bc returned as their representative

j Tiiey would yet find the different vf h *r a¿

tn 1 not ha vint* u lotal man as ri*m*.*sf>nl:itivc :

i tue colony was not sufficiently ulvaiirel U. j a I »nt the cmi-se suggested hy Cu* resolution

i'heir community consisted of three claresj tlie (jqii'iltcrs, squatter's agents, and the labour i ing mm, and th ir interests enid I not he a-pre ! coiled hy such u course. There wrr maui i men in the town well adapted to disch irg- iii

dut ici ni' (bc p.isdion. mid it wns th-' opinion u j ul my in town, hut they could not he rs.iecten

to leave their business on thc ven i uncertain chane« of the nec*ss-irj I support, and under such circ im-tancei ; the certain loss of their livelihood. (Voices

" pav him.") Ho thought thal, in Ttoekhamp ton they could find a fitting representativo, i thfy ilid pay him, instead of sending Iß,O0( mile-) to a mau who would only d-chno tin honour wh<*u they chose him

Mc. MAJ0UIIUNK8 was [.'lid to sen Rock ham pta u arising from the sleep that hud to lomj beset her, and was becoming alive to interests s< lon;; forgotten. (Cheers.) l'h oro was ni mai in the colony moro undi ted to represent Rock lumptou thin Mr. Archer ¡ there was no in tcrest more diametrically opposed to tho in tere'W of Roi-kh-iropt ni than his. (Cheers. Wh lever was returned, thc first I hing thej

should do was to advocate th throwing open of lands * wit bin lift cet miles of the towns, within fifteen mile j of K.?eU hampton for free ide;tion. (Cheers. /

voice: Wha' would Archer do. Liughter

[ He then trusted that the only ono pltcard nov

displayed at the court-h míe would disappearI " Impounded from Gracemere "-and that th I owners of a milking cow which had strayed i ¡ little dis:an -e for a bite of gool grass would no I find their property only in th* poun 1. (Cheer*

The CHAIBM&N suggested to the Bpeikcr that » the meeting had only reference to M\ Archer* litucBS or unfitness as a representative, an \ thit I like personality might bo left anide) He eouh

sm?ak more of the Laud League, but did uo ' wiall to hurt the feelings of any one pr-sent I but the Northi-rn La id League was a vi luinou 1 curse and would rob the people of (heil hir ii right J They could not get worse treidnen lr »mt hi , Government than they had received. If tnei I Bunt, a mail to Brisbane he would be uselesa ; le

them, thin, of two evils, choose the least, am return John Bright. (Cheers,)

I Mr. J. DitUEHY thought the timo had arrivei ! for every elector, hiwerer insignificant hi might be, to raise his voice, and have his say oi the pubüc alTtirs of the eo'ony (cheers) ; am although he denied thc right of tho Brisban. Government to further trample upon them, h did not c«e what they could benefit by roiurniof Mr. Bright. Thpy could gain as much by send ing home their separation petition to hun a well as taking tho round-about nm unnecessary w.iy of rc" urning him, an defrauding themselves of their rights in Brie bane. A Mr. Fitzgerald had been named fo the electorate, lui anything been done witl respect to bringing him forward? Tho elector had not used due diligence in the matter ; the; should find a local man, und if he had not th means pay him. (Cheers.)

Mr. G ANDERSON cluraeterispd the electio: of Mr. Bright as a mere electoral farce, am urged that a local man should be Bought ont, an if necessary, supolied with means to enable hie to disci large the duties of the position.

Mr. COOK said that the time should not b frittered and wasted away, aud the moinen had arrived when they should decid what had better he done ; lot then get the right idea, and work it out They were not represented in a manner proper tioti'ite to their numerical strength, and b; sending only one representative to Brisbanes the only sent him to be laughed at amongst hi enemies. He could not act in unison wit friends there. Ile did not believe that th

question was BO much North versus South a towns versus country, and they would receiv more aid from thc people in Brisbane than fror their so called Northern representatives. Th elements opposing each other were the grazier or squatters, who swept tho country fiom «nd t cud and monopolised the larger portion of th lands and the ru rmi öd interests : and th second the working interest, with whic they at Rockhampton wore nearly all identifiée Rockhampton was now out of it* childhood an bsd gained sufficient importance to go inf

business on its own accouut (Bear, boar.) It hal been sail that they "ai no man from tlie tiwn fii to send down as their re presen tat i re,tlmt he denied, they had amongst them men epiat in qualifications to the best in Brisbane <ir elsewhere, (clleers,) they hai the Ability and the will to Ho so, but they could not afford it. Now, suppose the seat of government had neon fixed at Rockhampton instead of Bri-bane, whet sort of men would they be able to send from Brisbane as their representatives (eivers) Tivy would be in as bad a plight th°ie upon the matter as the electors were here. No do'i'»I if (he seat of Government were here

t'tey would bo a* grasping and as centralising as they were in (he south (laughter) ; the weakness was a human one, and no doubt they would be troubled with it. (Laughter.) AU legislation should spring from the people, and ßhould be in accordance with the wis iee of the people whom it governed. If the fountain were cleansed, they would get clean water. He did not see anything ridiculous in returning John Bright to keep a bad man out. In the British House of Com-mons he would do them much good. Separation was their motto, and wou'd be better advocated by him, than by a conservative

member. He believed his ideas were more

looked to, and had more weight ia the House of Commons jlian any Conservative member. (Cheers )

Mr. W. REA was loudly called for, and on coming forward, said that bo had moved in tho Separation question, two or three years ago, and also suggested the plan they were ROW pursuing, to let them know at home the injustice they eu if-red from, but when the Electoral Bill passed, they committed themselves by sending down a member. But the present coutte had

been adopted at too late a date. IrSsbould

have been done before thi elections

at Bowen and Gladstone had taken plaoe, where now would be the unanimity of *lhe Norih ? if they carried the motion they w*ld bc etjltifring themselves, and what »Otí)d b¿ Raid of them in Brisbane? It would be highly disrespctful to tile sifter electorate of Port Curtis, and as a very great blunder would ba at Once taken a Ivantage of by their enemies.

Mr. SHAW, in reply, said that the remarks that had fallen from the différent speakers made him more finn in thc opi lion that the course they were about to purdue wis the most correct one. He then instanced the return of Mr. II er he rt for Brisbane, w th out the six months' reside c a« H qualification, and the re-turn ot Mr. John Wilke-« for Westminster, es an argument in s tippo it of the resolution. If they were una limuus in saying that John Bright should ba re'urned, no power in Queens-land could aller it. lie regarded his return as a finn protest against (he treatment they had hi-therto been trnhjeced to by the Government. Sir. Rea tali diem thnt th« idea had been pro-mulgated before, but if it had it struck him that (he electors were taken by surprise the other evening, when at u meeting called for tho purpose of hearing explanations from (heir exmembers, a resolution, for which they were not prepared, was submitted, dedaring Mr. Archer a fit and and proper person to repre-sent thora. They were token by surprise (lien, nod he maintained that the present meet-ing was the first and only one called for the ex-pression of opinion by the electors of Rock-hampton. If gentlemen chose to come forward forearmed, ns had been done in Mr. Archer's r;f»e, he could only say that the town was not committeed hy (he conduct of those gentlemen to support Mr. Archer.

Mr. COOK reminded the meeting of a pre-cedent for their present action in the return of ICari Grey by the people of Melbourne. Mr. Bright was ul so nominated for another Victorian constituency.

The amendment, was then submitted, and negatived, only fire hands being held up in support of it. The resolution was carried enthusiastically, there being only twp or three hands held up in dissent.

Mr. REA was then voted to tho chair, end a rote of thanks to Mr. Fees was carried with continual cheering.

Mr. FEEZ in returning thanks for the honour done him, observed that ho not only believed the meeting had adopted an unconstitutional course, but that the steps decided on would not fully meet either the views or the interests of

the electors.