In our last issue there was a requisition to the Mayor of Armidale, asking him to convene a public meeting, for the purpose of taking into consideration several important matters in connection with the Armidale Railway Question. He replied by calling a meeting for Tuesday evening, 8 May, in the Town Hall.

On the evening named there was at first a good attendance, and subsequently it became much larger. Still, at the maximum, the Hall was not filled.

We suppose it was the case on Tuesday evening, as on many previous occasions of public importance, that some persons said, "Oh ! it's a cold night; I like the fire; but there will be plenty there to give a good cheer, and form a Committee, with out us. I shall, therefore, remain at home."

Apathy of this kind seems to be prevalent in all the country districts of New South Wales, except upon extraordinary occasions, in connection with elections as a rule, and thus meetings some times upon matters of vital importance to a district are not so large as they should be.

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In our opinion, a meeting on the railway question is more important than one as to whether Mr. A. or Mr. B. shall represent the electorate-the one being perhaps six, and the other half a dozen.

Distant parts of the district should be represented on such an important occasion -those portions of the district being as much interested in the trunk line of rail way from Tamworth to Queensland going over the table land of New England as Armidale is- but, on the occasion referred to, there was no speaker from outside of Armidale except Mr. Cleghorn. We, therefore, give that gentleman great credit for taking an active part in the meeting, and making one of the best speeches of the evening.

It is not the first time that he has acted in a similar way. May it not be the last!

The Mayor of Armidale (Mr. W. C. Proctor), on taking the chair, was cheered.

After referring to the important business they had to transact that evening, he alluded to the late deputation to the Minister for Works on behalf of the proposed line of railway from Tamworth via Barraba to Inverell, and as to it he said it was considered necessary by many influential residents here to refute certain state ments made by the members of that deputation.

In consequence, a requisition was sent to him to convene a meeting. (He read from the ' Express' the requisition, and his reply.) He said he need hardly ask their careful attention to the import ant resolutions to be submitted to them that evening. There would be some very able speakers, and he would ask for them fair and impartial hearing, and careful attention to what they said. There was no doubt that the question of railway ex tension here was a most important matter.

He would now call upon the mover the first resolution, the Hon. John Richardson (cheers). Mr. Richardson said it was quite a mistake to assume that he had promised to move the first resolution.

The Mayor said he understood that Mr. Richardson had promised to do so. Mr. Richardson said he was strongly interested in the extension of the railway to Armidale - still, he had not promised to move the first resolution. It had been remarked that there would be plenty of other speakers, and, therefore, they would be at no loss in getting a speaker to move that resolution.

The Mayor read the resolution. Mr. John Moore said that he certainly understood, from the Mayor, that Mr. Richardson would move the first resolution. And he hoped, still, he would do so (loud cheers).

Mr. Richardson said he had not promised, and he was not prepared. He had said, when told of this meeting, that he should prefer waiting until the surveys were laid on the tables of the Parliament.

He was unprepared. There were -as the Mayor had said - plenty of other speakers.

A pause ensued. Then Mr. John Moore, J.P., came upon the platform, and was received with loud applause.

He said that he was placed in a very awkward position, because he was not prepared to speak to the particular resolution that was now assigned to him. He was a little surprised to find that Mr. Richardson was not prepared to move it. The plans and specifications of the line via Armidale would, he was informed, be laid before Parliament very shortly.

It behoved us, therefore, to rise to a man,and put our shoulders to the wheel, to further the interests of the railway to Armidale (cheers). He had lately been a member of a deputation from Armidale to the Minister for Works, in favour of an extension of the N. railway to Armidale. Subsequently a deputation waited upon that gentleman in the interests of a line to Inverell, whose statements were a tissue of falsehoods (cheers).

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He was surprised particularly by the statements of Mr. Abbott - and he severely censured that gentleman for his ungrateful conduct to Armidale. He (Mr. Moore) had great pleasure in proposing the resolution that had been placed in his hands, although he had been suddenly called upon to do so. He hoped that the people would unanimously, in one strong body, determine to carry out the objects of the meeting. Their interests were his, and his interests were theirs (cheers).

Referring to Inverell, he said he saw, in the 'Herald,' the other day, a list of the farmers on Brodie's Plains, near Inverell, and of their yields in wheat this year. Now, he knew that Brodie's Plains was a very rich locality as to crops. Still, if he sat down for an hour, he felt perfectly assured he could show results from certain localities near Armidale that were quite equal to those of Brodie's Plains (cheers). This year was an exceptional one.

Last year, in Inverell, in December, there was not a bag of flour to be had- he could call upon Mr. Wm. Drew to witness that- and not a lb. of butter. That was the state of things at Inverell-and yet it was represented to be a better place for agriculture than Armidale!

When was Armidale in that state (laughter and cheers) ! The fact was that the people in the Armidale district could supply flour sufficient for the maintenance of half the people in the colony (cheers). The resolution which he had to propose was this :

"That any railway policy having for its object the equitable claims of the various portions of the Northern district, as well as regarding it as a national policy for railway extension, should include a line by Armidale and the important towns in its vicinity."

He had very much pleasure in moving this resolution, although, suddenly called upon to do it. And he hoped that every person in the district would do what he could in furtherance of the object, if it were only to get half a dozen signatures to the petition that would be submitted shortly (loud applause).

Alderman Fitzgerald (loudly cheered) said that, as the resolution had been so very ably dealt with by the mover, he did not think it necessary to supplement his remarks. He should, therefore, not inflict a speech upon them, and would simply second the first resolution (cheers).

The Hon. John Richardson, M.L.C., then came on the platform. He was received with cheers. He said that, to prevent misconception, from what had occurred, he wished to make a few remarks (cheers). The extension of railways was highly necessary.

There were nearly 200 millions of acres of land unalienated in this colony. Could purchasers have access to it without railways! Great efforts had been made in the W., and also in the S. districts, for railway extension, but surely the N. district was quite as important. Why not, therefore, the latter receive similar justice to that accorded to the W. and the S. ? (Cheers.)

He had repeatedly, in the Legislature and here, advocated a railway line from Tamworth to Tenterfield (cheers). The speaker next referred to Mr. Abbott. It had been reported that he (Mr. R.) had given Mr. A. the lie. It was not so. There was now present a gentleman reporting who was not the reporter on the occasion referred to. The reporter of his former speech must have made a mistake as to his (Mr. R.) giving the lie to Mr. Abbott. Still, Mr. Abbott had gone beyond what he should have done. Ho was justified in praising the district he represented, but he should not do so to the detriment of the Armidale one (cheers).

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From Tamworth to Barraba, about 65 miles, was agood pastoral country in favourable seasons, but nothing else, so far as he (Mr. R.) had heard. He understood that Mr. Abbott had stated that the railway route from Tamworth to the Queensland border was shorter via Barraba than via Armidale.

If so, such was not the case. On the contrary, he was credibly informed that the difference between the two trial lines of survey N. of Tamworth towards the Qd. border - to lnverell, and to Armidale, on the way-was a saving in favour of Armidale of 30 miles. He had seen lately in print, from one person at Inverell, a statement that there were about three and a half millions of acres there fit for cultivation. But, by another account, this area was reduced to two millions. (Mr. John Moore : Yes, and the greater part of it dummied, Cheers.) Probably. It was represented, that 37 1/2 bushels per acre of wheat was the yield of the Inverell district- or, at 'least, that seemed to be the inference sought to be impressed upon the people of the colony from a letter that appeared lately in the 'S. M. Herald.' How, he believed there were 274 wheat growers in the district of Inverell. Well, why not take the average from the whole of them, instead of but 19? (Loud cheers. Mr. Moore : Read what the ' Herald' says about it. Cheers.)

In the Legislature, and here, he (Mr. R.) had said nothing against Inverell - he had simply spoken in favour of the Armidale district- and he conceived he had just reasons for so doing. But, as to the two railway lines towards Queensland, the Armidale was the shorter one. Then, as to the country on either line. He admitted that, from Tamworth to Barraba, in good seasons the country pastorally was very fine ; but from near Barraba to near Inverell it was barren (cheers).

As the interview of the deputation in favour of Inverell was reported, it appeared that Mr. Abbott had left the impression that the land was good for agriculture the whole way from Tamworth to Inverell. But it was not so.

As to the proposed railway line from Tamworth to Armidale, he (Mr. R.) did not pretend to say that all the land along it was good. But he would say that the most of it was good for pastoral and agricultural purposes. He (Mr. R.) had been assured, by competent and thoroughly disinterested gentlemen, that the land and climate here were better than they were at Orange for wheat growing.

Well, if even a little poor land had to be gone over N. of Tamworth towards Armidale, by a railway, it led to a place where land and climate were unexceptionable (hear, hear). A very good test,also, was the taking up of land. Well, according to the rate maintained here during the last quarter, we could set own the land revenue from the Armidale land office at £70,000 to £80,000 a year. (A voice : Even more-and I can" prove it.) A great deal had been said as to getting over the Moonbies in coming towards Armidale. He had spoken to several engineers on the subject, and they had assured him that there was no difficulty in getting over the Moonbies - or, at least, in getting from the low country on to the table land. By turning a few miles to the E. of the present mail road, all difficulties were obviated.

But what were any difficulties that would be encountered in bringing a railway from Tamworth to Armidale compared with those that had been overcome on the W. line ? (Cheers.) The country here was a fine one, but it was not a salt bush country, and the quantity of salt consumed was enormous. If a railway were here, there would be a great saving in the expense of that article alone.

A gentle man in the late deputation to the Minister for Works, in favour of a railway to Inverell, had said that in the Armidale district the population had fallen off nearly 800 in the last five years. On the contrary, he (Mr. R.) believed that,the population had increased by nearly a thousand.

The question of railway extension was intimately connected with that of immigration. He referred particularly to New Zealand and Queensland as having gained a great increase to their population by means of immigration. And, in fact, New South Wales would now have two and a half millions if, by immigration, her population had increased as was the case in Queensland! But we had little more than 600,000. He felt assured that this magnificent country could never be properly developed except by means of railways.

Perhaps no country in the world had made greater progress in the time than this one had done. Commencing with a very small number of sheep, its sheep now were about 23 millions. He spoke in a highly favourable manner of the climate and territory of New South Wales, and also of the social advantages we possessed.

He concluded with an eloquent peroration on New South Wales, amid loud applause.

Mr. John Moore said that the Inverell deputation that had waited upon the Minister for Works had stated that the population in the Armidale district had decreased during the last five years. On the contrary, as might have been expected, it had largely increased. He would prove this by referring to the number of births and deaths registered in the Armidale district from the 1st January, 1872, to the 31st December, 1876.

In 1872 there were 419 births, and 62 deaths. In. 1873, 414 births, and 109 deaths. In 1874, 517 births, and 167 deaths. In 1875, 394 births, and 124 deaths. In 1876, 454 deaths, and 141 deaths. The total during these years of births was 2198, and of deaths 603. Thus the increase in five years, as shown by births over deaths, was 1575 (loud cheers). This made an average increase per annum of 319.

And, besides, there was the number of persons who had arrived in the district, which was, as they all knew, large. How, this increase was not a fluctuating one; it was steady and sure. Mining population was a fluctuating one; we desired a population that, once we were possessed of, should remain in the district, and that we had (loud cheers).

A speaker objected to statistical accounts, and said he believed, from his own personal knowledge, that persons wishing to make this district their home should agitate for railway communication.

He said he was the first Inspector of Railway Works that had been appointed by the Commissioners in New South Wales.

He had also carried his swag to Inverell, and to Armidale. From Bendemeer to Inverell, he had met with nothing but barren rocks and sand. But when he came towards Armidale he found the country very different, having cultivated fields and rosy-cheeked children. He urged that every person at Armidale should interest himself strongly in favour of railway extension to this place, and all should determine to carry out their object. He retired amid loud applause.

Mr. J. H. Turner said he considered that the people of the Armidale district had been insulted by the remarks made by the deputation in favour of railway extension to Inverell. And particularly was that the case in some members of it stating that the population of the Armidale district had decreased. As the question of railway extension to Armidale could not be opposed by fair means, it seemed it would have to be done by the most disgraceful conduct (cheers).

We here should put our shoulders to the wheel in favour of railway extension to Armidale. If we did not, he was afraid we should lose the railway. Mr. Moore had shown clearly that the population in the Armidale district had greatly increased during the past five years. He (Mr. Turner) believed we should never be beaten on the railway question if we stood to our colours (cheers).

The resolution was carried unanimously (cheers).

Mr. Wm. Clegliorn, J.P., ascended the platform, and was heartily cheered. He said he had come to the meeting under a very strong sense of the urgency of the people in the Armidale district doing something now to secure railway extension via Armidale. He was pleased to witness such an enthusiastic meeting as had assembled that evening, in response to the call of the Mayor. The resolution which he had to move was this-

"That, for the purpose of impressing the Government and Parliament with the superior claims of the district of Armidale, in terms of the previous resolution, a petition be prepared, for presentation to Parliament, setting out the respective claims of Armidale for rail way extension over all other routes, grounded upon statistical and other in formation."

He had already, on that platform, stated his strong impression and belief that the Armidale railway line should be the trunk line from Tamworth to the Queensland border, unless some good reasons could be shown to contradict that view.

"The claims of this district for railway extension were so good that there would be no difficulty in obtaining it but for the Inverell people.

In one way he commended their zeal, but trickery and deceit had been used against us, and we should be careful, even with such a good case as we had; we should show - which we could do-a superior claim over every other district in the North to railway extension. The Inverell people presumed, apparently, on there being a large amount of apathy here on the railway question.

He compared the state of things here to that of a railway train heavily laden, but deficient of motive power for the drawing of it. All the other residents of the district looked to the Armidale people to act for them and themselves on the railway extension matter, and many did not feel a sufficient degree of interest in the subject; they would not put themselves to any personal inconvenience about it.

He would now refer to the late deputation to the Minister for Works in favour of rail way extension to Inverell. The members of it evidently presumed on Mr. Hoskins's ignorance of the table land-but they I found they were mistaken. He (Mr. G.) had already described what he had seen, of the barren tract, of country between Tamworth and Inverell.

Mr. Richard son had very properly referred to it.

But there was another important matter which had not been touched upon. Mr. Abbott was represented to have stated, in the recent interview of the deputation for Inverell with the Minister for Works, that it was but a short distance from Inverell to the Queensland border, at Bonshaw.

But no one expected, even if the trunk line to Queensland went by Inverell, that an extension thence would proceed to Bonshaw. And, in fact, Mr. Abbott contradicted himself by subsequent statements, showing that he did not expect the line would go to Bonshaw.

He censured Mr. Abbott for the statements he had made to the Minister for Works. The duty of the people re-siding along the proposed railway route from Tamworth to Glen Innes was to represent matters as they stood; if they did so, we should be successful in obtaining railway extension.

He could observe nothing said by the late deputation Mr. Wade's survey, as had formerly been done; he supposed they found now I would not answer to say anything about it.

One of the strongest claims we had for railway extension here was one notice by Mr. Hoskins - it was not merely Armidale that was concerned, but several other important towns. Railway extension via Armidale would benefit Walcha, Bendemeer, Glen Innes, Vegetable Creek, and on to Tenterfield.

Whereas, if the claim of Inverell for railway extension were given preference to, it would only benefit Inverell (cheers). He reminded them, moreover, that a good railway line was available for Inverell starting from near Armidale.

He had pointed out that while lately at Inverell. But he was answered that the people there would not wait for a branch line - that trunk line of railway would be first constructed and, therefore, the Inverell people were determined to have a main line.

They said, let Armidale have a branch line. But no branch line from the proposed railway to Inverell would suit us. On the other hand, there was a good line open for Inverell from near Armidale.

People who knew the country on both the proposed lines of railway were well aware of that. Mr. Abbott's statements had been already referred to, so he would say no more about them.

Our object was to show that the proposed line via Armidale was the shortest, and that along it was the largest amount of good country for settlement.

Of that, he thought, there could be no doubt. He repeated that, if the Government granted railway extension via Barraba first, there was no point upon that route whence a branch could be brought here to be of any value to the Armidale district. If the proposed extension to Inverell were granted, and Armidale was to receive any railway, it would have to come direct from Tamworth.

He did not seek to disparage the value of the Inverell district, but certainly, in maintaining that, our rights should not be lost sight of. (Mr. Richardson : Only let us he honest.) Just so. Let the Armidale district rely on its just claims, and there was no occasion to over state them.

Mr. Hoskins had noticed that that was done by the deputation in favour of railway extension to Inverell. He (Mr. C.) was certain that, if fair grounds were relied upon, there could be no question as to the respective merits of the two lines proposed.

It would be found that the Armidale line was decidedly preferable to that to Inverell. He had much pleasure in proposing the motion he had read. The speaker then retired amid loud applause which also was freely accorded him during his address.

Mr. Jas. M'Lean was called upon to second the resolution, but it was stated; that he was not present. Mr. Wm. Drew came forward, and was received with applause.

He said he had much pleasure in seconding the motion. He had always been an advocate of railway extension, and was present lately in a deputation, with Mr. Moore and others, to the Minister for Works, as to extending the N. railway to Armidale.

He believed that Armidale would be done justice to in regard to railway extension. He referred to the answer which Mr. Hoskins had given to the deputation in favour of railway extension to Inverell, and said he was much pleased to read it.

It was well known that all the towns in New England were progressing, and the district also. The selections here were numerous, and settlement was rapidly advancing.

To assert that this part of New England was retrogressing was, he believed, a gross misstatement. He had had no intention of addressing them, but nevertheless he had much pleasure in seconding the motion.

The second resolution was carried una nimously.

Mr. Geo. Allingham, J.P. (who was received with loud cheers), said that, if the question of the extension of the trunk line of railway from Tamworth to Queensland were properly represented, we of the Armidale district would have nothing to fear. He moved the third resolution :

"That the co-operation of the inhabitants of Tamworth, Glen Innes, Walcha, Uralla, and Bendemeer be invited to ; urge upon Parliament the comprehensiveness of the scheme of railway ex- tension via Armidale and Glen Innes to the Queensland border.

And that the undermentioned Committee be appointed to carry out the resolution - Messrs. J. Richardson, J. Thompson, J. Trim, W. C. Proctor, W. Cleghorn, B. A. Moses, W. Drew, John Moore, Henry Roman, F. Jackes, Jas. M'Lean, G. Allingham, Henry Pearson, T. Rafferty, John M'Lennan, Geo. Faint, John Hiscox, P. M'Kinlay, and Jas. Moore - with power to add to their number."

Mr. E. M. Butler (cheered) said he had great pleasure in coming forward to second the resolution.

He thought it was the duty of every individual in the district to advocate the extension of the N. railway to Armidale. An attempt had been made from Inverell to vilify both the inhabitants of this town and of the district generally.

He was glad - and they all should be - that the Minister for Works had humiliated the deputation so much as he had done (hear, hear). He should certainly not have liked to look at Mr. Colin Ross when he came out after acting as one of the deputation (laughter and cheers).

He (Mr. Butler) had known Mr. Ross for 31 years - he respected him and his family - but he was sorry that Mr. Ross had connected him self with such a deputation. He then referred to Mr. Dangar, who, it seemed, had a large property near Inverell.

"What he had said, when a member of the deputation in favour of railway extension to Inverell, kept him in mind of a lesson in his spelling book. (The speaker then gave the well-known lines about stone, oak, and leather, amid much laughter and applause.)

The fact was that some people did everything for their private ends. He had travelled over the road from Tamworth to Barraba on two occasions.

The land was merely fit for pastoral purposes, and he did not think it would grow a cabbage which would be worth placing before an Armidale person (laughter and cheers).

There was another thing - it would be unfair to give Liverpool Plains three railways. One was being constructed across them to Tamworth; another was authorised, from Werris Creek to Gunn nedah; and, if Inverell succeeded in its endeavour, there would be a third one crossing the Plains.

As to what had been said about the barrenness of the S. part of New England, he would assert that the districts of Armidale, Walcha, and Uralla contained a sufficiency of good land to grow cereals to supply two millions of people. And, supposing there were a railway open from Tamworth to Inverell, would it pay.? He believed decidedly not.

There would be very little demand for traffic along the line, and only a little from Inverell. He believed we should have justice from the Minister for Works, and, if that gentleman ever asked for his election here, he believed he would be elected without one dissentient voice (cheers).

The resolution was carried unanimously.

Mr. J. T. Brown moved that the Mayor leave the chair, and that the Hon. John Richardson take it. Seconded by Mr. T. B. Fitzgerald, and carried unanimously, amid applause. Mr. Brown proposed a cordial vote of thanks to the Mayor, for his efficiency as Chairman.

Mr. John Moore seconded the proposal. Mr. Richardson cordially approved of the compliment to the Mayor.

The motion was carried by acclamation.

Mr. Richardson presented the thanks of the meeting to the Mayor, in complimentary terms. He also remarked that the meeting was a good one, though not so large as some meetings that had been held at Armidale. He relied greatly upon the justice of Mr. Hoskins with regard to railway extension to Armidale, and he was pleased to observe how he had rebuked an over-statement of their case from the deputation that had waited upon him to urge the extension of the Northern line to Inverell (cheers).

The Mayor thanked the meeting for its vote. As for Mr. Abbott, he, and a friend, on a former occasion, gave him a dressing. But Mr. A. now appeared, like another class of sheep, to require another dressing (laughter and cheers).

He criticised Mr. Abbott's statements, while forming one of the late deputation on be half of Inverell to the Minister for Works; and decidedly objected to them. Mr. Abbott had quoted statistics, but in a manner that made him (the Mayor) think of Mrs. Gamp, when she put the bottle on the shelf, to take it thence " when so dispoged" (laughter and cheers). Mr. Abbott had said that the land near Armidale was nearly all alienated. Well, if it was so, it was a principle in political economy that that very thing should ensure us a railway (hear, hear).

The fact of the large number of conditional selections that had been taken up in the Armidale district would prove the progress of this place, and its increase of population, which the members of the Inverell deputation were so anxious to deny (hear, hear).

The great object, in political economy, was to do the greatest good to the greatest number (hear, hear). And, if that were regarded in the present case, Armidale would have a railway. He was astonished at Mr. Dangar, in making the statements he did ; but, as for Mr. Abbott, he was not surprised, knowing, as he did, his unblushing effrontery (laughter and cheers).

He need hardly go over the ground that had been gone over by previous speakers. But he might remark that it was decidedly not a fact that the population here had decreased. Lies had been told to the Minister for Works against the Armidale district on this railway matter ; but let us endeavour to put the matter to rights, by petition and otherwise.

He regarded Mr. Abbott as one of our greatest enemies, although he ought not to be from the manner in which he was treated while a resident of Armidale.

The Mayor concluded amid loud applause.

This terminated the proceedings.