THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, January 27, 1855.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 705, 27 January 1855, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, January 27, 1855.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would ie to underrate their importance to-suppose -that they serve only o secure liberty : they maintain- civilization. 1)k TocausyiLLß. Of Democracy in America, vol. r., p. 230, The Provincial Council having wisely, or unwisely (and opinions may differ on the subject), thrown out the bill which would have provided for the drainage of the town of Nelson, we must put, up, we suppose; for another year, with that abominable nuisance, the open drain in Trafalgar Street, as well as with some other nuisances, equally injurious to health, in the same neighbourhood. It is a fortunate circumstance for the inhabitants of that part of the town' of Nelson which lies between Trafalgar Square and the mouth of the Maitai, that our climate is not of a character to readily generate disease from noxious and decomposing bodies, otherwise we might before this have been taught one of those painful lessons which seems everywhere necessary to be inflicted upon men before they will rouse themselves to take any steps of a sanitary character, or make any effort to remove abominations from the doors of their dwellings, which poison the atmosphere, affect the piblic health, and too often shorten the period of life. But if the inhabitants of Nelson have hitherto enjoyed in a remarkable degree an exemption from epidemics, beyond even what has been experienced in other similar towns in the colony, all of which by comparison 'are healthy spots, it is not safe to go on, year after year, neglecting every precaution to guard against the introduction of diseases which, when once they obtain a footing in a cpuntry, are not easily got rid of; nor will it be wise to shut our eyes to the consequences of this neglect, until they shall become painfully apparent to us.

The debate on the second reading of the Bill for improving the Drainage of the Town must have taken the Provincial Solicitor very much by surprise. In drawing up that bill hecould hardly, we think, have satisfied himself that, in giving the powers he proposed to an irresponsible officer of the Government, he was carrying oat his own principles. But, as a terrTp'orary arrangement, he perhaps considered it might be made to serve ; and as the great outcry last year against his Roads Bill, when he proposed to vest the power of levying a rate for making and repairing roads in Commissioners elected- by the people, was, that he was creating a cumbrous and expensive machinery — that the GovernmenTitself could do the work best and most economically — the Provincial Solicitor no doubt thought that, in the Council at least, the manner he proposed of carrying the bill out would meet with general support. But, like the soldier sentenced to be flogged, who complained always of either being struck too high or too low, so does our Conncil, when it is proposed to touch their pockets by a rate, disapprove of its collection, whether by Commissioners elected by the people, or by a Commissioner, a servant of the Government.

Although we are to have no Drainage Ordiuanco this year, we hope some of the money to be voted for public works

will be spent on the abominable ditch in Trafalgar Street, and if this is not to be covered in; that we may at least see it cleared out, and. its contents have liberty to flow off; and that it will no I longer be suffered to continue in its present offensive state — a half-stagnant puddle, the receptacle of every kind of filth, poisoning the pure atmosphere with its foul exhalations.

The Earthquake. — CSince Tuesday evening last, when the whole of the Blind Bay. district was startled with the shock of an earthquake fully as severe as that experienced by us in October, 1848, t!.e earth has continued in a more or less tremulous state, but -no further shocks of any great severity have occurred. The first shock took place about f quarter past itine in the eveuing, and appeared to come from a N.E. direction, -and is believed to have lasted froni^ree to four minutes, but not with the same uninterrupted violence, for it rose and fell' several times, and instead of being one shock was probably a succession of shocks, but so closely following one another as not to be distinguishable. Although from this 9hock a few brick buildings have sustained grea f damage, they are those which were injured in the earthquakes of 1848, and ought to have been repaired^fter that event ; instead of which, by being to remain as then left, -they are .now so far du'naged as to require in part taking down. This applies to the premises in* Trafalgar Street, occupied by Mr. Nicholson as a warehouse; the premises in the same street lately occu pied by Mr. Foy ; Mr. A. Aitken's residence in Bridge Street ; a small building adjoining Mr. Hargreaves's, butcher, and the Wesleyan Chapel. The three first named are two- storey buildings. Beyond the demo liiion of several chimnies, we are not aware that any other buildings have suffered, except a pi?e house, the residence of the Rev. H. F. Butt; all the remaining brick and cofo houses in the town aud neighbourhood being uninjured, while ihe wooden and lath-and plaster buildings are not of a character to be affected by such an oc currence. In three or four stores property to the amount of from £20 to £50 was destroyed by breakages, but in private houses little if any loss of this kind was sustained. It is satisfactory to be able to •late, that no personal accident occurred of a serious character, and the only instance in which an injury was sustained was by a little boy, son of A. M'Donald, E^q., Manager of the Union Bank of Australia, who, while lying in his cot, was slightly struck by some falling bnckwork/V