The Press. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1870.

Press, Volume XVI, Issue 2191, 27 April 1870, Page 2

The Press. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1870.

Mr Mooriiouse has more than once alluded to the state of Westland as one of the principal difficulties he had to contend with auring his late Superintendency. allusion is unfortunate ; for the fact is that the management of the Westland affair was an egregious failure. He had then an opportunity, such as rarely falls to the lot of a provincial ruler, of distinguishing himself by a display of statesmanlike ability and capacity for government ; the circumstances too, were propitious, for he was at the height of his popularity on the East side of the province, while there was an almost equally strong disposition in his favour on the West. Yet he broke down completely. And it is worthy of notice that he broke down in a precisely similar way in dealing with both East and West Canterbury. In each case his inordinate self-assertion raised expectations that were never realised; and the public favour which had been gained by a profusion of promises abandoned him when the result proved that the promises were never meant, or at all events never were, to be fulfilled.

Mr. Moorhouse was inaccurate in saying that when he took office West»land was in a state of mutiny. Such was not the case. There had been a great deal of discontent and ill-feeling on the West Coast against the Provincial Government, verging on a demand for separation, but at the prospect of his election it at once subsided. For at that time he had a high reputation among the people of Westland; as was shown by their electing him, in his absence and in preference to a local candidate, as their representative in the Assembly. They had heard much of his go-ahead character, and knew too —a point likely to carry great weight—that he had had some practical experience on a goldfield. So that whatever thought of separation had been entertained was laid aside; instead of being inclined to mutiny the people put full confidence in tho new Superintendent, and looked forward hopefully to deriving great benefits from his administration. For a time it seemed as though these hopes would be justified. Aβ soon as possible after his election Mr. Moorhouse paid a long visit to the West Coast; in the course of which he travelled over the country, receiving deputations wherever he went, held forth in his usual strain about himself and hie schemes, promised everybody everything, and left the district under a thorough conviction that he was the man it wanted, and that it was about to be poshed forward to its heart's

content. Tho Executive pursued the same sort of tactics in the Provincial Council. They professed themselves much impressed with the importance of the "West Coast, spoke flatteringly of its "enormous interests," and hinted at the great things they intended to do for it next year. Iα the meantime they undertook to appoint a Commission to devise some more satisfactory means of administering public affairs on the "West Coast, and to settle that much disputed question, the allocation of the debt. Thus during the earlier part of Mr Moorhouse's Government, West-land was well contented, and joined heartily in chanting the praises of " Moorhouso and progress." But tho time came; when the pledges so lavishly given should have been redeemed ; and then the disappointment was severe indeed. Scarcely anything that had been promised was done. The Commission, from which so much had been, anticipated, proved little more than a farce. The matters referred to it wero for the most part trivial, and it was absolutely prohibited from considering what the Government had repeatedly declared should form the main subject of its deliberations, the question of the debt. The system of administration which had been so strongly objected to was continued, without the slightest alteration. When the Provincial Secretary made his financial statement, the promised advantages to Westland resolved themselves into a sequestration of some £20,000 or £25,000 of its revenues towards public works on the east side of the province. Lastly, when one of the Westland members moved a resolution to the effect that a Gold Fields Secretary should be added to the Executive, the Government, although pledged to such an arrangement, voted against it.. They gave way afterwards, on learning what a commotion their proceedings had raised on the West Coast. But it was then too late. The public indignation had been fully roused ; monster meetings were held, a Separation League formed, an appeal made to the General Government, and the result was the passing of the County of Westland Act, and the entire severance of the district from Canterbury.

The West Ooast Times, the organ of the Hokitika separationists, distinctly ascribed the whole movement to the action of the Provincial Government, and especially of Mr. Moorhouse himself. "Which," it exclaimed, "of the numerous promises made by Mr. Moorhouae has been fulfilled ? What feature of the bright picture created by our Superintendent has been realised ? What public work has been accomplished, and what public word has been Icept?" This is plain speaking, but is fully warranted by the facts. Westland was beyond doubt shamefully paltered with and deluded. The Government could not have acted more effectually had they wished to force it into breaking off the connection. Mr. Moorhouse is not entitled to refer to to the separation of Westland simply as an unlucky accident, still less as the result of his predecessor's mismanagement. Whether indeed the division of the province could, under any circumstances, have been ultimately averted is another matter; but that it occurred when and as it did was entirely Mr. Moorhouse'a fault. It was his own conduct, and the irritation caused by the non-fulfilment of his promises, that drove Westland into revolt.