The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 49, 1 May 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1866.

On Thursday last a very singular discussion took place in tin Provincial Council, upon jV;", Akersten's motion, that a re-adjustment of the southern boundary of this province might be made with advantage to both the provinces of Nelson and Canterbury- The mover stated that the motion was only made for the purpose of exciting discussion upon the subject. But supposing ie was carried, of what avail would it have been, unless it had been followed up by some action on the part of the Council ?

The p iuciples upon which the subject was treated were singular for a British community. Throughout the whole debute there was not the slightest allusion made to the wishes of the inhabitants of cither of the two districts whom it was proposed to dispose of in so summary a manner. It was not attempted to be shown that the people of the Amuri were dissatisfied with their position as a portion of the Province of Nelson, or that they had ever in any manner expressed a wish to form an integral part of the aristocratic Canterbury province; neither was it stated that' the inhabitants of the country between the Grey and the Teramakau had expressed any desire to belong to Nelson. One speaker dwelt upon the importance of the Amuri district ; another would not dispose of it for any land on the West Coast ; a third was willing to receive portion of the West Coast, but would nob give up any portion of the province in lieu

thereof. When the Emperor of France annexed to that country the districts of Nice and Savoy, he, recognising the modern principle that the government of every country should spring from the wishes of the people, went through the form of the ballot box; but in the discussio.n the other day in the Council the name of the people was never mentioued. Yet it is upon these principles that these subjects must be considered, if the members of the Nelson Provincial Council believe that the inhabitants of the Amuri are not properly treated, it is their duty to endeavor to remove any injustice under which they may suffer; but not to speak of disposing of them as serfs upon a Russian Estate, but if those people consider that the governmental duties which are deputed to the various Provincial Governments, can be more efficiently performed for them by the Canterbury authorities, then it may be the part of our Council to offer no undue impediment to their reasonable wishes, also, if the inhabitants of any portion of the West Coast express a desire to enter into a political partnership with Nelson, our Council then have to consider if such a movement would be to the advantage of those whom they represent, but every movement of this sort must originate with the people whose political destiny it is proposed to alter, and any Provincial Council which discusser the question upon any other principle, will greatly lower its own dignity in so doing.