WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 3907, 7 March 1881, Page 2

WEST COAST RAILWAY.

[vtsteltox MM^aiiioH 2.] : A. ri amber of influential gentlem.ejK amongst whom were Messrs George Goura» Johri Anderson, senr., MurrayVjfoglav' BethßU;! Wickes, Thqmaonj Thomtoii/arid tytfn met yesterday at the office <of Mr T f SLnWeatop, solicitor, to confer 'with the Hop E. Richardson (ex-Miniater for upon the East andiVfept Coast Railway scheme. *',".'-- p*>Ms&"thornton explained the f °rouie marKeflupon the plans, and the^Varldns .Upwsnrveyed by the respective GoWrn. 7 menta were discussed. It seemed' 1w be generally admitted that Messrs Thonktob and Browne's route would take intb oonsiderable quantity- of agricultural and pastoral land, not the' least impdrtM of which beingthe Aniurf/iind Maruia Pltflns, besides bringing within the reach of Ohristoburch a large . extgiit of : treJU timbered land: > ' ' ;^^T Mr Richardson, in the course ( pf conversation, aaid" that personalty^ j^ioth in and out of the; House, he hia&ftlways warmly a^yjbcated connecting uih& two coasts.' Injhis, opinion eve^^rfagiihould be done, in the interests of the Colony, to bring the Weat, Coast nearer to the Test . oi New •■. arid" that>'iii 1 the shape of cheapo living, with raptts and certain ©omnwnicationy indtt6§trient should be offered to miners; $o settle there He had no doubt that a, large amqunt of gold was yet to be brought ti^iKed^t&oe. and he felt that the mlnerafa^Jooal deposits of the coast were i^iuiansilble. The real question which, in h(sjiJ^alviEiual opinion had to be considered, was not the practicability of Messrs Thornton and Browne's route, but whether it was actually the best procurable. Mr Blair'* route he thought to be quite' out of the lueation. He had heard a route well ipoken of which the Government £n lineara had recently disoorered, and lpon whioh, he presumed, a report woold

belaid before the "House next session. He, however, knew nothing more abo;ut it. If Mr Thornton's line was de facto the best, then if a company could guarantee its construction and its workLag, he did not see how the Colony could refuse its sanction to the scheme, and withhold a concession of a reasonable quantity of land as a bonus. At the same time the promoters must be prepared for a struggle with North and South alike. He certainly thought the promoters' Engineers should accompany Mr O'Connor^ whose report wjuld be looked for by himself and ereryone else with bo ordinary) anxiety and interest. In Mr O'Connor he 3 placed the most implicit con fidence ; te #as a mail incapable of deviating from the strict line of duty. ; Ultimately it was agreed by the Committee that, pending the Government Engineer's survey, no further steps towards theiormationof the Company should be taken. It was also determined to collect subscriptions to complete the survey from the head of Cannibal Gorge to the head of Maroia Plains to connect with existing Government surveys. The individual subscribers, however, will be credited with their contributions, against the value of Bhares they may eventually take in the Company (if formed). After thanking the Hop E. Richardson for hisattendance and assistance, the meeting dispersed., -