NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 919, 10 July 1869, Page 10

NELSON.

(tfBOM OTJE OW OORBBSFOKDBKT.) 26th June.

At present, publio feeling respecting the future of : what is very unjustly called "sleepy Nelson," has received a Blight fillip, by the announcement of some progressive steps having been taken in London in the matter ok the much talked of question of a railway from Nelson to the West Coast. Par parenthese, I must enter my protest against the accusationof Nelson being "sleepy." It is a quiet, sunny, picturesque little city— admittedly the most beautiful in New Zealand, and enjoying the best climate in the colony. An admirable sanitarium, the best place for invalids, inasmuch as throughout the winter— unless during the rain, which visits us for three days, say once a month in the seaßon, and is succeeded immediately by the customary clear blue Italian sky— there is always five or six hours of fine warm sunshine daily ; and there is no lack of enterprise, which is only checked at timeß by reason of what touches other provinces and other cities as much as this— an occasional scarcity of ready money. We have a cloth manufactory, now celebrated for its products. A private company has started, with excellent promise of success, the opening of a coal mine at Oollingwood, and is, unaided, making a tramway from the mine to the sea. This work has been going on for some eight or nine months, and its projectors are sanguine of success and handsome dividends ; and there ib good reason to anticipate both. A settler m this city has sent home for one of the celebrated india-rubber tired road Bteamers ; and as Nelson possesses the best roads in the colony, this machine will work well, and it is expected will reduce the cost of carriage of timber, and other produce, by at least one-half . In politics wo are not sleepy, lo it not ■written that Nelson city did what the House of Representatives did two days ago— effectually request Mr Stafford to resign ? " Sleepy Nelson !" Perish the calumny ! These are not the ordinary fruits of lotus-eating. And now, having gracefully given vent to my natural indignation at such a frequently repeated lniustice, I hope the slander is slam for ever ; and I return to the railway question. . , ■... A letter has been received from Mr John Morrison, the London agent for the province, enclosing letters from Colonel Maude, of the Royal Engineers, who -with some other gentlemen of some note in London have taken up the proposal favourably and propose to float the scheme. Mr Wrigg, the Civil Engineer, who last year made » preliminary survey of the line, estimated the probable cost at about a million. Colonel Maude think, this an tinder estimate, and proposes that the capital of any company undertaking the work shall be two millions. The terms proposed by the Government are exceedingly liberal. The construction of the line is to be paid for in land at the rate ef— acres per mile of railway, which, as the line is to be about-miles long, will be a tract of land in fee simple to the company of — acres of land, which passes through country rich in minerals and especially in gold. Colonel Maude *" b8 very favourably of the scheme, and propSs that 2000 labourers and artificer. l^be sent out to construct the Une, a proper working detailed survey by the surveyors sent from home being first made. Colonel Maude requests some modifications in the scheme, and these wanted, be s.ys he and his friends will Be ready to issue the prospectus of a comSuy, of whom the gentlemen named E shall act as Provisional directors — H. Burnett, Esq., MJ\ (of Hoare and Company), Robert Bator, Eaa (this gentleman must not oe SSounSSTwiS. Mr WE Baxter «ie Secretary for the Admiralty), Sir Charles Clifford, His Oraco the Duke of Manchester. Major J. H. Sharp, Ex-Governor Sir George (Jrey, Lord Bury. M.F., L^htly Simpson, 7&q. t Lord Colchester, MajorGeneral Alexander, Sir Andrew Wau K h, Sir William Wiseman, Major-Genorai Cftvaoach, The Hon. Reginald Oapel, EdwTn Clarke, Eaq., C.E and T. Brigw, Ew Besides these Lord Alfred Churchhufis spoken of as taking an interest in the affair, with other gentlemen ; and Messrf BaVnZt and Ellis, stock-broker., are it is said, to have the floating of the SL. ihhe matter goos on successffi 5 the labourers are sent out, and witf them the capital, a most necessary, Sltelynece..ary,condmon thesoheme will doubtless prove a good one for tfellon »t least while the money » being

many people who^arderitly, desire,. to see, them brpughfc r interactive play are, .much ! pleased with the prospect, and I sincerely wish they may see its realisation. \ A somewhat unusual and unexpected termination to the - proceedings of the Provincial Council occurred, as shown in the character of the closing speech of Hiß Honour the Superintendent, who, it appeared, had disapproved of some actions of the Council— in the ,way of reducing salaries— and bluntly, told them so in proroguing the body. He charged them with making "vexatious reductions in the salaries of public servants, without enquiry, and apparently without regard to the duties required, or the remuneration deserved." Respecting one of the Acts of which the Executive were the parents, that for the reduction of the Council from 26 to 19 members, an Act which was passed by a large majority 1 and without any attention, he took occasion to employ a covert sneer by remarking : " I think the operation of the Act cannot fail to effect a marked improvement in the conduct of the business of the province." The tone of the closing speech throughout, was such as took the Council by surprise ; but that surprise was doubled, when the day after, at a public meeting of the electors called by His Honour, he repeated and amplified these charges and accusations. He accused them of havinc done nothing but grumble and growl every day during the session ; of log-rolling on an organised scale, and especially charged the West Coast members with joining " anybody to do anything by way of political combina'ion ;" and that a party of members had decided to cut down certain salaries " regardless of facts or arguments." There was last year an endeavour made to reduce certain salaries, but without effect, in consequence of the subject not having been fully considered. This year, before the estimates were discussed in committee, a number of the members talked them over in private, and various suggestions were made which in the main were agreed to in Council. This meeting, which the Superintendent denominated a "caucuß, ?> was strongly denounced as unconstitutional, and indeed the whole tenor of his speech seemed to point to the idea that the Council's duty was to pass the estimates as he sent them down. Some of the members replied to his arguments on the spot ; and since then the Speaker of the Council wrote to the papers strongly condemning the proceedings of His Honour, as "degrading" and "unseemly," as indulging in " abusive language," and as exhibiting "execrable taste" in thus attacking the Council, adding that the Superintendent " may fairly boast of being the Jirst to introduce the official use of insulting language." The Superintendent replied to this letter of the Speaker, denying the use of abusive language ; and the Speaker, who is a calm moderate gentleman, briskly rejoins by quoting chapter and verse, and showing the inevitable meaning of the whole. Hib Honour's claimed savings have also been disputed, and he has written letters to the papers on the subject, but these have been left unanswered. The whole proceeding has rather damaged the Superintendent, both politically and regarding his character for tact ; but perhaps the resuscitation of the j railway question may help to win back | some of the lost popularity. Some time since a movement originated on the West Coast for separation from Nelson province, and ita formation into a county. A petition was got up and circulated amongst the miners, many of whom signed it under various extraordinary mis- representations, such for example as that, if separation wero granted, a miner's right for the county vould give a right to di«? in every goldfield t in the colony. Efforts wore made by a body of the diggers in the Upper Buller, and on the Matukisaki, and Manglos river, to prevent this separation, and through thoir action a email body of gentlemen in Nelson formed themselves into an anti-separa-tion committee. Another was formed at Cobden j petitions were framed and despatched to the Uppor Buller and to the Grey. At tho former placo 250 signatures were obtained, and tbo Cobden Committee succeeded xn obtaining about 200 signatures against separation. Mr W. Lightband wm despatched by tho Nolaon Committee to the Btillor. Charleston, Brighton, and certain part* of the Oroy district, and secured 640 signatures. Whilo on his way to Addison p * Flat, and other digging* near Wwtport, MrLightband had to stay in that town for * night, and hero his bedroom was ontorea, hit courier bag torn open, hie papers scattered on the ttooy, and the petition, s gnatures and all, stolen. Mr Xightband made affidavit to that offect next day, before the Residont Magistrate. Jfc >s a iudiorous story, but it it one which will toll strongly against tho Separationist* if their petition should bo rooolvod. M „ There U no good rouon for Separation,

iorfe.fe^ treated by. the Council. TThe appropnakitfns by*'Uh"e l -Cdutioil this-"yea*iire-L 105.691, of which in round nnmbers L 60,0,00 is to expended r on the West Coast gold^eldsi, and L 45,000 in other parts of the' province,, the r latter Bum including about L7OO for education, in which the Weßt Coast participates; and including all Executive and some other charges.