The Invercargill Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume 3, Issue 102, 17 October 1863, Page 4

The Invercargill Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1863.

Ij? there is one thing more satisfactory than another to behold in this selfish world of our's, it is patriotism. " Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" has been sung for many a day, and never yet palled. It was sung lately in Italy; its cadence may even now be heard in Poland; it has given strength to the weak, and armed the serf against his oppressor. History teems with instances of patriotism, and, in the palmy days of ancient Rome, the senators wisely encouraged the feeling, and took care that the risiug generation Bhould be made acquainted with the deeds of their ancestors. Brutus sacrificed his two sons for the sake of his country; Marcus Cuuius rodq. -headlong into the gap in the Forum to benefit Rome; Mutius Secevola burned off his hand to intimidate the enemy of his country. But noble as these men proved themselves, it seems that the Province of Southland can produce some equal, if not superior, in nobility of action, and. in our future hi-itory, the name of John Clarke M'Kay will be found in latters of gold, as the biightest of this glorious band. Let Brutus sacrifice a couple of sons for his country, Mr J. C. M'Kay is lealy to sacrifice has country for himself— the interests of the Province to enhance the value of his three or four hundred acres at "Wallacetown. Let Marcus Curtius sink himself to benefit others ; our patriot cries, sink the country, let me be benefitted. Let Mutius Scoevola burn his hands for othera, burn me if I do, says pu* Brutus. We have long watched the career of this gifted, eloquent, polished, patriotic statesman, and Tuesday night was his culminating point. Would that our space enabled us to report him verbatim, with all those little expletives with which he garnishes his speeches- — the spice, so to speak, to the pudding of his thoughts. It would form an interesting addition to the volumes textant cf " British Orators." We cannot, however, refrain from expressing our admiration at the cool crafty manner in which Mr M'Kay has used the lliverton public and the members who supported him, in working out his own disinterested purposes. It vividly recalls to our re collection the celebrated picture of the monkey using] the cat's paw to get the chesnuts out of the fire. How, after hearing the. evidence given by Mr Heale | and Mr Dunflas, Mr Bogers and the other gentlemen could support Mr M'Kay, on the. supposition they were benefiting Riverton, is a mystery, unless indeed it arose from being overpowered and carried away by the wonderful eloquence of the gifted orator. If such , weie the case* they should, in deference I to the interests of the Province, have adjourned without dividing, until balmy sleep had soothed their overwrought nerves. They could have found a precedent in Parliamentary records, when the House, electrified by Mr Sheridan's speech on the,trial of Warren Hastings, refused to decide while under the influence of the charmer. The facts of the case were most lucidly detailed to the Council by the Chief Surveyor, but, as all our readers could not ye present, we will state the most prominent features. The entire length of the str/ight line of railway to Win ton, is 1 8 rni&s 1 5 chains, to diverge to Wallacetown, \would make it 20 miles — 1 mile and 65 mains longer, or a difference of nine percent. ;^ The absolute descent being 15 eet 7 inches lower than by the directlino If a branch were taken off the mainline ir the benefit of lliverton, the distance to Wight's bush from the line at Wallacetowt is 5 miles; from the north of the Mlkerewa, as proposed by the Governmeit, 6 miles and 15 chains. Thus, to slprten a possible branch by 1 mile Isjehains, you lengthen the trunk line 1 m|e 65 chains,

besides carrying it over worse levels and I curves; A branch to join the Riverton 1 road north of Wallacetown, as proposed by the .Government,' would 1 "be; ove£ excellent ground,' cost considerably leas than the" proposed divergence to Mr M 'Kay's property, and Baye 15 per ceht. ' traffic expanses to Wintoh^ Supposing i that the Northern railway were to present. 1 on the map the pleasing and symmetrical fignre of a dog's hind leg by goiaWto Wallacetown, we do not see how it coulcf benefit Biyerton half so 'much as>xKeJ branch north :ofWanacetpwn/^he ground below the terrace at Wailacetown to. .the 'Ortt'J ie at least 1 30 feet lower '^an' the terrace itself, atfd it Is 6n]j- a: few; yjears *bo«fe'n'ce ; th el Whole 1 was under water 15 feetdeep, ; by the over flo wing of the Oreti ; ? thus, 'were an exteiisioh of the'Tailway, hereafter to be* carried^ ;t tb Eiveptari by ttiis rftute, ; it^wol^^mh;4Kerisk'of, being submerged* once in jfive years, ~%tfd;;; in all probability, i the embankmeht be carried awiay. M • Ther^^s^ oertainl.y pne oomperisatiugfeattirie-iii this jpicttire; ; the land from ; Waltacetowja $6 ; the ; Greti/ tliroug^ Wliich the liiie would go.beltjngs to Mr iT'Eay, and he-would naturally require a sriall (?) compensation, whicU a .graiefuli country would be ; only top; hapfjyto give to our modern Brutus. By adopting' the branch to the north of; Wallacetown, all risk of Bubmersion woul(l be avoided ; it would meet the Riverton road, and be the outlet and means of opening up a large and fW tract of country. This matter is of far too serious moment to be lightly and hastily treated.; it is the one great feature" of the present Session. , With Dunedin making all haste to- construct a light line of raU^psihe Dv*nstan, with the recently discovered.) outlet to the "West Coast staringeus in-- the face, it behoves all wellwi-hersrof this Province to use' every exertion to construct a railway to the North, arid allow nothing to impede the rapidity of that construction. Time in this matter is of vital importance. Of the ultimate prosperity of the Province, independently of any gold-fields, we never had much doubt; but we have now reached that stage when we must either seoure certain great advantages nature has offered us, or see them usurped by a Province which has Tenfold difficulties to contend against. The Estimates to be brought j. before the Council are prepared; in the; belief that we shall be able^o feep that (Which we have already, graspecl. Our < pasteexpenditure, our present Qutlay,;ha3 kefen,' and is still, based on that sttppQSitjfjns?t and, to enable us to maintain ;the pos.Ujdn < we have already taken up, <it is- absolutely necessary that, we, should, have this railway to Wintott'made as sojn as possible, and by the shortest route. We are sincerely glad^tbsrefore, that the members of Council! vgho, supported Mr M'Kay in the first instance .hAYe* |on : reconside-ation, seen the necessity jp£ withdrawing their opposition, and^not influenced by a false. shame of recantation, have adopted- the nobler course, and acknowledged ■^hat;. they erred from a too hasty inspection of the subject. -As for Mr M'Kay himself, we; must cangr4tul.ate.him on having distinguished himself in the annals of all Legislative Assemblies as a most barefaced patriot. If any doubt existed in our minds as to his unblemished patriotism, or right to be considered a second Brutus, it has been dissipated by the report that he has lately pur chased largely in the vicinity of Wallaeetown — of course, with a view of benefiting the Province.