29/ 7/1870
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PUBLIC MEETING AT GOBUR
\A numerously attended public meeting was held at the American Hotel, Gobur, on Saturday evening last, Mr O'Callaghan in the chair. The -Chairman having stated the object of the meeting, called upon Mr Villeneuve Smith to address the meeting.
Mr V Smith said that the people of Alexandra had discover that the Shire Council have not done justice to Gobur. The uniting of main roads and easy communication ought to be the first object of every shire. All of us must go to Melbourne - all of us get our supplies from there. The nearest and best road to the capital is therefore of importance to all. It has become evident that the nearest point to the North-Eastern Railway was at Longwood. Every effort must therefore be made make a good main road to that place.
Whether they travel by coach, on horse, or "Shanks's pony," the saving of 10 miles was important in reaching the railway. Longwood can be easily reached in one day, whereas the road via Tallarook would take two days. No one would think of going five miles to catch a horse to ride, and by ?, the road by Tallarook was occasionally made impassable from floods. The worthy Chairman and Councillor Coyne were no more fit for the office of Councillors than he (the speaker) was to be an archbishop or the head of a nunnery. (Laughter)
They had allowed advantage to be taken of the people they represented, not from any dishonesty, but simply because1 they did not know how to insist on their right, and now some designing individuals were trying to make a cat's paw of Gobur by taking advantage of the disaffection that existed through the maladministration of the Shire Council, and were trying to dissever the shire. Gobur was the fairest portion of the Alexandra Shire. Good gold fields had already been found in it, others would yet be discovered, and no doubt Mansfield would be delighted to get the large revenue of the district for ornamenting their small country village with double streets and a fine Shire Hall. As for making a main road through Gobur, they had no such intention; Benalla was their road, and as that was already partially made, there would be no other. This, however, would not benefit Gobur, and they were not such fools as to be led astray by such hollow promises as were being made.
The nearest road for Alexandra to he railway was to Longwood via Gobur- that is the road they must make for their own interest, rand that was the best guarantee they could have for the road being made. The annual elections were close at hand, let them return men pledged to the road to Longwood, and the whole difficulty was settled. He would now move tho adoption of the following memorial against separation of any part of the Merton Riding: -
To His Excellency Viscount Canterbury, Governor, &c., &c.
'The Memorial of the undersigned, ratepayers in the Riding of Merton in the Shire of Alexandra,
Humbly Sheweth –
1. That a petition to your Excellency has lately circulated through the above-named riding, praying tat the said riding shall be dissevered from the Shire of Alexandra, and annexed to the Shire of Mansfield.
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