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ANTI-DRAY TAX LEAGUE.
The adjourned meeting of delegates wai held yester
day (Thursday) at the 'White Horse,' Currie street.
Before the commencement of business, Mr Anderson
?tatMl that, whan ho amiirn »t the last meet'ne of Mr
Stephens being the chief clerk to trie uovernor, ne
meant to say that the Colonial Secretary was his chief
clerk. Ho made that explanation because he did not
wish to make improper reflections upon any one, as it
would do no good to the cause.
After the minutes of the last meeting were read, Mr
Norman, stated to the meeting that two of their body
had been summoned for payment of the tax. It had
come to his knowledge before he left town, and he called
upon some delegates and proposed a meeting on Mon
day last, but they decided upon treating it with silent
contempt
- A desultory conrerRation then ensued ; after which
Mr Wilson proposed that notice of the summonses
served on Messrs Oliver and Bennett be given to Mr
Fisher, and that he be instructed to defend them ; if it
were too late to do so, then let the same course be
pursued with regard to the next issued.
Mr Wells thought that the Commissioners would
hardly proceed to try the questions after what had
transpired from his Excellency and the Colonial
Secretary.
Mr Anderson considered that the conduct of the
Commissioners at Willunga, under existing circum
stances, was most disgraceful ; he could not have
supposed that any body of men would have done so
much to render themselves unpopular as they had, and
contrasted their procedure with tbc honest and manly
conduct of Major O'Halloran, than whom he believed
no better man was in the Legislative Council.
Mr Norman said that the circumstances under which
the summonses had been issued made it stiil worse.
Too speaker, together with Messrs Loud and Colton,
had boen invited by tho Commissioners to meet them,
and make any suggestions that might occur to them as
to the line of conduct to be adopted. This meeting ter
minated by the Commissioners threatening to tako out
summonses against their guests, and but fur the inter
ference of the gentleman in whose house they assembled,
they would have done so. Ultimately it was determined
to proceed against Messrss Oliver and Bennett. His
proposition was that they should let judgment go by
default, and if a seizure took place, they would then
have grounds for an action of trespass iu the Supreme
Court
Mr Wilson considered that they ought to defend the
outposts with as much vigour as if the citadel itself
were assailed. If summonses were iajued in a Court,
in that same Court they should be defended.
Mr Anderson supported tho proposition. It was of
no use appointing legal advisers, and framing rules,
unless they intended to act up to them. His intention
all along had been, if any seizure had been made, either
on himself or hi* neighbours, to have immediately com
municated with Mr Fisher. The gentlemen at Willungn,
although doubtless actuated with the best intentions, had
not dono as the League required, by taking no notice
nf tfifi lfiiral nrnneedinfrs on the Dart of tbe Commis
sioners.
Mr Norman explained that they had acted at Wil
lunga in ignorance, aud would, of course, bow to the
decision of tho League.
Mr Wilson embodied his sentiments into the following
resolution :—
'That Messrs Oliver and Bennett, of tho Willunga
division of the League, being summoned for the land
tax, their case be put into the hands of the legal ad
visers of the League.'
Mr Wells seconded the motion, and it was carried
unanimously.
Dr Schomberg in formed the meeting that the Hun
dred of Moorooroo had joined the League. This announce
ment was received with applause.
It was then proposed by Mr Wells, and seconded by
Dr Schomberg, that a deputation, consisting of Messrs
Norman and Watson, should wait on the solicitors of
tho League for the purposo of acquainting them with
the proceedings of the Commissioners of the Hundred
of Willunga, and request them to take such steps at
they deemed expedient.
Messrs Norman and Watson accordingly waited on
Mr Fisher, and during their absence the meeting was
adjourned. In the interim, a gentleman named Lan
celots entered and presented the worthy Chairman,
Alexander Anderson, Esq., with a song set to music,
and dedicated to him. It met with a warm reception
from the Leaguers present — so cordial indeed as to
induce the author to announce his intention of having
it published. The words are as follow :—
We'vo sever'd ourselves from our friends and home,
And far over the ocean we've come, my boys !
To re.ip from our toi', on this sunny toil,
A befer reward thin nt home my boys !
But sorrow cloud* Hope's tunny face ;
Our autocratic rulers base
Have tax«d our road*, and taxed our drays,
And coward slave is he who pays.
Then down with the road and the dray-Ux, (o»,
And show to the minions of tyranny,
Bold Britons are we, who dare to be free,
And die for our rights and liberty.
To direct taxation we'll not submit,
Without representation, 1 tiow, my boys !
'Tis base, and. what's worse, 'tis the moutter curse
01 Turkey and Russia, e'en now, my hoys I
We'll dare to brave oppression's brand.
Hurt denpotism (rum the land ;
We'll wear no ch tins of slavery—
We will be liee— we will be free !
Then down with, Ac.
Shall we ta ourselves play the traitor knive ?
Shall we who for freedom came here, my boys 1
Resign all our ri 'ht-, like a dastard slave,
And be ruled like a serf through fear, my boys *
Oar itivea, and sons, and daughters see,
Racked by the stings of poverty ?
Oh, no, by Heaven, as men we'll die.
Ere we to despot rule comply !
Then down wits, &c.
When the deputation returned they informed the
meeting that Mr Fisher had said that it would be ne
cessary for him to look closely into tbe subject, and he
would communicate his determination to them the next
moruing.
Mr Darby, the secretary, thought that, as only one
case would be tried, the other party should bo indemni
fied from all loss in the matter.
The meeting generally coincided with this opinion.
Dr Schomberg felt glad that thia piece of misplaced
zeal had been evinced by the Willunga Commissioners.
It would servo to show the Government the power and
determination of the League.
The Secretary then read the letter announcing that
the hundred of Moorooroo had joined thorn. It would
have reached him sooner but for its being addressed to
the Chairman of tho Anti-Dray- Tax League, the writers
not knowing his name.
This letter was received with applause, and Dr
Schomberg deputed to express the gladness with which
tho League would receive the Moorooroo delegates.
Mr Norman proposed the following vote of cen
sure, which received the unanimous assent of the as
sembly, one or two gentlemen regretting that it was not
expressed in stronger terms :—
' That it is the opinion of the meeting that Messrs
Hewett, Atkinson, Hillings, Lovelock, and Logan, the
Commissioners in the hundred of Willunga, in attempt
ing to impose payment of the rates from Messrs Oliver
and Bennett, have shown a zeal to enforce the payment
of the universally obnoxious Act, known as the Road
Act, in opposition to the expressed wish of the colony,
a vote of censure is recorded against them by the as
sembled delegates.'
' Mr Parker feared that Mr Hewett had fallen from
grace. He had known him do considerable good in the
pulpit, but he had more than undone it by his political
conduct. Miserable and wretched as was that day
would be the estimation he would in future be held in
by his fellow-colonists.
Mr Norman made a motion to the effect that the
meeting be adjourned till it appeared necessary to the
Secretary that he should again summon it; there was
but little wisdom in meeting when they had nothing to
discuss, and in the present state of affairs, when some
alteration of the existing law was on the tapis, it might I
be necessary for them to assemble any day, he thought
it better to leave the question thus open than to appoint
any positive time for their reassemblage.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr Wells proposed that the League do continue its
organisation to watch over the new Constitution.
Mr Norman felt that, though his own feelings would
induce him to support the proposition of Mr Wells, still
as Delegates chosen by Districts for a certain specific
object they had no right to enter upon so wide a field.
This appeared the general feeling, and Mr Wells
withdrew his motion.
The meeting then adjourned sine die.
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