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FREE PORT COMMITTEE.
On Tuesday last a meeting of the Free Port
Committee was held at the Rose Inn, Maitland,
to receive the report of the deputation appointed
to wait upon his Excellency the Governor with
the petition. E. C. Close, Esq., was called to
the chair.
The CHAIRMAN read a report of the proceed-
ings at the interview between his Excellency and
the deputation on the presentation of the peti-
tion, which will be found in the report of the
committee.
Messrs. Doyle and Lang were appointed a
sub-committee to audit the accounts. These
gentlemen proceeded at once to examine the
accounts, and reported that they were correct.
The Secretary then read the following report,
which, on the motion of Mr. Doyle, seconded
by Mr. Keddie, was adopted :
"REPORT OF THE FREE PORT COMMITTEE.
" The committee appointed at a public meeting
held at Maitland on the 13th May to obtain signa-
tures to the petition praying his Excellency the
Governor to recommend that Newcastle be
declared a free warehousing port, and otherwise
to carry out the object of the meeting, in closing
their labours deem it expedient to lay before the
public a brief report of their proceedings.
"Immediately after the meeting was held
copies of the petition and signature sheets were
forwarded to Black Creek, Cassilis, Dungog,
Hexham, Hinton, Jerry's Plains, Lochinvar,
Merton, Morpeth, Murrurundi, Muswellbrook,
Newcastle, Paterson, Raymond Terrace, Scone,
Singleton, and Wollombi, and were likewise left
at various places in East and West Maitland.
Several gentlemen also volunteered to ride
through the country districts for the purpose of
obtaining signatures.
" About a fortnight was occupied in procuring
signatures, and during that time 2460 persons
attached their names to the petition. In this
number were included the names of parties
residing in every portion of the district, from
New England to the Wollombi, and from New-
castle to the Namoi River.
"On Thursday, the 30th May, the gentlemen
appointed to wait upon his Excellency the
Governor with the petition, viz., E. C. Close,
Esq., Captain King, R.N., W. Brooks, Esq.,
A. Lang, Esq., H. Dangar, Esq., and Captain
Russell, met at the Royal Hotel, Sydney.
Arrangements had previously been made that
his Excellency would receive the deputation at
twelve o'clock on that day, and accordingly they
proceeded to Government House ; and on their
way thither were joined by E. Hamilton, Esq"
M.C., who accompanied them. The substance
of what took place at the interview, and his
Excellency's reply to the prayer of the petition,
is given in the following report, which the
deputation have been kind enough to prepare
for the committee :
"GENTLEMEN-We beg to inform you that his Excellency
the Governor received the Newcastle Free Port Deputation
on Thursday last, the 30th ultimo, in a very gracious and
satisfactory manner. He regretted that it was not in his
power to make Newcastle a good harbour as well as
a free warehousing port; and said he conceived there
would be no possible objection to its being made a free
port, but considered that when such a harbour as Sydney
Cove was within sixty miles, direct intercourse, he was
afraid, would not be established with other places. He was
quite ready, as far as he was concerned, to afford every
facility, and should transmit the petition home, an assent to
the prayer of which he looked on as a matter of course.
The only difficulty with him was, that the inhabitants of
other places, such as Geelong, Port Fairy, &c, would be
claiming similar advantages, and he did not see why they
should be withheld. He remarked that importation would
be chiefly what we should require, in which casewarehouses
would be necessary ; however, those things would naturally
spring up.
"'June 4th, 1844.'
" From this it will be seen that his Excellency
has been pleased to comply with the wishes of
the inhabitants of the district, and has promised
to recommend to the authorities at home that
Newcastle be forthwith declared a free ware-
housing port.
" From the treasurer's account below, it will
be seen that the expenses attending the getting
up of the petition have been inconsiderable, and
that a sum more than sufficient to meet these
expenses has been subscribed. The trifling
amount of expense is chiefly owing to the dis-
interested and zealous exertions of those gen-
tlemen who undertook the onerous task of
obtaining signatures to the petition; and the
committee feel bound to acknowledge the obli-
gation which all who have exerted themselves
in this service, and who have thus directly and
mainly contributed lo the success of the move-
ment, have conferred upon the inhabitants of
the district.
" On behalf of their constituents, the com-
mittee also beg to express their gratitude to the
deputation for the handsome and able manner
in which they have discharged the important
duty imposed upon them.
" The committee have likewise to acknowledge
the zeal and industry of the secretary and
treasurer in the performance of their respective
duties.
" In conclusion, the committee beg to con-
gratulate the inhabitants of the district on the
success which has crowned their efforts to obtain
the privilege of direct commercial intercourse
with British and foreign states ; and venture to
express a hope that the same temper, vigour,
and unanimity which has rendered the present
movement successful, will in future mark all
their exertions to promote public objects, and be
attended with similar results.
" 'Mr. Lipscomb in account with the Free Port
Committee.
Ds. £ s. d.
To collected at public meeting on ISth May .... 4 14 0
To collected at Newcastle subsequently . 1 15 0
£6 9 0
Cs. £ s. d.
By paid for advertising. 0 16 3
Printing . 0 16 6
Paper and parchment. 1 1 11
Engrossing petition. 1 0 0
Postage and carriage of parcels .... 1 7 8
Balance in hand, June 4th. 1 6 8
£6 9 0
^E. C. Close, Chairman."
A vote of thanks was then given to the
proprietors of the Maitland Mercury for the
manner in which they had advocated the claims
of the district to the privilege prayed for.
The following resolution was then moved by
Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Keddie, and after
some discussion carried :-" That £1 5s. of the
balance in hand be transmitted to Messrs.
Hannell and Hudson, Newcastle, towards defray-
ing the expenses incurred by the public meeting
held there on the 22nd April; and that the
treasurer retain the trifling surplus to meeet any
casual expenses which may arise connected with
the proceedings of the committee."
Some conversation took place on the ex-
pediency of immediately obtaining a survey of
the port of Newcastle, with the view of neu-
tralising the unfounded prejudices which appear-
ed to exist against it; and Mr. W. Skinner
moved the following resolution:-"That this
committee beg to impress upon the inhabitants
of Newcastle the importance and necessity of
taking immediate steps to obtain a complete
survey o£ the harbour, and that a chart upon an
enlarged and comprehensive scale, founded upon
such survey, be as speedily as possible published."
Mr. Lipscomb seconded the resolution, which
was adopted.
The committee then separated.
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