THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, September 25, 1858.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 77, 25 September 1858, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, September 25, 1858.

Journals become more neeesnavy as men hecorae more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they lerve only to lecure liberty: tliey maintain civilization. De Tocqubvillc, Of Democracy in America, vol. T.,pi*23o,

Next to the equable climate of Nelson, and its facilities fov communicating through Australia with the rest of the world, which the possession of an available coal field will immediately increase, the Auckland arbitrators rank the gold diggings as sources of wealth, and as giving to our province a great additional importance. Before, however, we dismiss the two former subjects, we may mention that our attention has been again called to the necessity for sanitary regulations in the town, if we expect to maintain its character, or to avoid the fearful consequences which, sooner or later, must inevitably follow from continued neglect and inattention.

Not aware that the subject had been already under discussion, our informant, whose professional duties and position require and guarantee his thorough acquaintance with the subject, expressed his decided conviction that, before long, and more especially if our population and buildings went on increasing at their present rate, crowded together in the business part of the town, we should be roused from our apathy by the visitation of disease ; that dysentery and low fever would become prevalent ; to be followed, in all probability, by some fatal epidemic, such as typhus or scarlatina. In corroboration of this opinion, we may mention that exactly the same ideas were expressed by another late visitor among us, who, in his capacity of Civil Engineer, has had considerable experience in sanitary arrangements ; and that both these gentlemen, without any concert, and one three months after the other, indicated spots within a hundred yards of each other, as already under the influences which they described. We have not heard a single voice raised, nor seen a single sentence penned, in opposition to this view of the case ; we believe that the doctors, who generally disagree, to a proverb, are on this question unanimous ; and we therefore trust that they whose duty it is to take the lead will bestir themselves in earnest, and now that the evil is recognized on all hands, vigorously apply themselves to provide the remedy, and not wait till the enemy has entered our gates and firmly established himself in the midst of us, ere they arouse themselves to the necessity of taking precautions against his arrival, or determine on the most effectual methods of foiling his attacks. Again, with reference to our becomiug the point of arrival and departure for the steam communications between Australia and the southern provinces of New Zealand. It is a time at which we should exert all our energies to secure that which still trembles in the balance. Wellington, taking advantage of the dislike which Melbourne has shown to the arrangement by which Sydney is fixed upon as head-quarters, has at once guaranteed whatever sum may be required in' addition to the ,566,000 already offered by their friends of Victoria. Our Chamber of Commerce has already taken the first step in our behalf; the next and most effective would be to make our possession of coal, good, cheap, and abundant, a fact beyond the reach of doubt, cavil, or contradiction. Had our Government done their duty, the question as to the character of the Pakawau coal would not still have to be decided ; were they still inclined to do it, they would supply all the deficiencies of private enterprise and co-operation by their own energetic activity. Let us once be in a position to coal a steamer in twenty-four hours, and this crowning advantage will turn the scale in our favour, and insure us the preponderance. Lastly, we come to our gold-fields ; a subject which we approach with some reluctance, so gross has been the mismanagement, and so unblushing the misrepresentation by which that mismanagement has been bolstered up and an attempt made to conceal or palliate it. Nearly two years have now elapsed since the existence of gold in considerable quantities has been a recognized fact ; but it was too large for the grasp of our local authorities ; they neglected to avail themselves of the finest opportunity possible for showing themselves equal to their position ; they neglected that tide which, " taken at its flood, leads on to fortune ;" and now their power has gone from them, and passed into other, and, we trust, more capable hands; and they are left high and dry,

stranded and dismantled hulks, of which people with inquiring minds are already beginning to ask the use and significance. Indeed, we were rather puzzled the other day to find a tolerable answer to one of these troublesome questioners, who coolly asked us what were the duties of our Superintendent and his Executive: "For," said he, "they have nothing to do with the town, which has its owu elected board ; or with the country roads, which are under their own local committees ; or with education ; or with the administration of justice; or with the police; or with the sheriff, or the postal service ; and they caunot alter the Land Regulations, or even make a pretence of altering them ; and so how they manage to fill up their time I am at a loss to imagine." We, of course, stood up in defence of our revered and venerable institutions ; we pointed out the advantage of having a recognized head; one who, selected for his knowledge of public affairs, his proved ability, and his previous services, would maintain the interests of the province and give weight to its representations or its demands on the General Government ; one whose information we could depend upon, whose leadership we could unhesitatingly follow in all cases of difficulty or public emergency; and who, as "public host" of the province, might fittingly do the honours to its guests, even should they happen to own the proudest names of the English peerage, as had happened more than once already, or be members of its Legislature. Our questioner, upon this acknowledged his error, for which his imperfect knowledge of our real state must serve as his apology. We were glad at once to revert to the subject of our goldfields, which is part and parcel of our present subject. They are now in the hands of the General Government. Although the bill which was passed for their regulation is not yet in our hands, we know the two most important provisions, the main enactments which give a character to all the rest : the first is an export duty of 2s. 6d. an ounce, assimilating our practice to that of Melbourne and Sydney; the next a power of making all such arrangements as may be necessary for the full and complete development of the gold-fields. What are they at present ? A field of hard labour, undue privation, unhealthy exposure, and uncertain gains, to one or two hundred adventurous diggers ; of whom, probably, not one in fifty has a single tie or interest in the neighbourhood beyond the few square feet which constitute his temporary claim ; the greater part of whose earnings must be spent in maintaining themselves, when the mere carriage of food amounts to £25 per ton ; who, in case of failure, have no resources to fall back upon ; no steady or remunerative demand for labour by which to support themselves uutil they acquire means and spirits for another venture in the lottery ; whose very uncertainty and occasional prizes have a decided demoralizing effect on a great number, producing that recklessness and -wide-spread intemperance to which the Judge has pointed as the fruitful source of ever-increasing immorality and crime. If the growth of this branch of industry is to be accompanied by a corresponding lawlessness and tendency to crime, we shall never rank it amongst the advantages of Nelson ; but we hope better things. We have the ever-accu-mulating experience of other countries to assist us ; to teach us what to avoid-, what to anticipate, what to aim at ; and we shall look forward with no little interest to see what line of conduct will be followed by the General Government ; and trust that the expectations we have a right to form will not be disappointed ; but that, having taken the question out of the hands of our Provincial authorities, it will j prove the wisdom of this step by the prudence of its measures, by its decision, and by its activity.