THE COLONIST, NELSON, TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1859.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 162, 10 May 1859, Page 2

THE COLONIST, NELSON, TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1859.

For the benefit of all those soi-disant patriots, who can see all soi'ts of inaccuracies in thefinan. cial statements of our Government, as well as of her matters for the expression of simulated ; grief and bathos, and to whom the picture of our province presents nothing but a scene of retrogression and failure—let us present a close approximation of the revenue since 1854, and see how far., we have gone back in prosperity since our present Government has held office. Facts and figures are dry things, and when briefly stated are not to be set aside or forgotten through the sophistry that creeps into any discussion relative to them. In 1854 our revenue was .£25,300; in 1855 ,516,400; in 1856 it was £15,300. The latter part of that, year was under the direction of our present Superintendent, who was elected to give a representative of the people to the proceedings of the Provincial Government. Well, what did this innovation do for us ? Why, in 1857, getting into working trim, he shews us an advanca of £2000/ the revenue for the' year being alto* gether £17,300; in 1858 his "mismanagement " is so clear, that the receipts rise to .£42,600, less .£15,000. debentures ; and: for the year 1859 the estimates shew a probable receipt of £58,800, or more than £10,000' greater than 1855,. 1856, and 1857 put together. It may be said that the land estimate is a rather sanguine one, but contrary to that, applications are now lying before that department - that justify us in believing that that amount will be exceeded during the year rather than diminished. In the face of figures, we have those amongst us who will test the public patience, by gravely trying to shew that the province has been bene- . fitted so little, that a tax upon a few hundred dogs will account for everything. The foregoing figures, however, will shew how desirable Fact is, to silence the petty bickerings of those who pretend to see a difficulty in everything that is not conducive to their own narrowminded policy ; and a Superintendent who dares to hold office by the voice of the commonality shall be maligned and annoyed by measures that not only are unable to boast of one particle of public spirit, but on the other hand, are so evidently imbued with spleen,, that the most inexperienced, can see the hand of enmity so unblushingly at work, that it is no'wonder the public .good is neglected. '■ .. We wish for those representatives who are playing with the esteem of their electors, that there was a court of conscience in! existence y the business of the Council already gone over would furnish them with a sufficient number of mental subpoenas to keep them busy for the remainder of it. This session, by-the-by, the next generation will have to chronicle as the Grass era, wherein the overtures of a company (that up to their time they know nothing aboijt) had been refused, and the consequent ruin of Nelson followed, although it might have been avoided by the small sum of £640, which a company worth £30,000 could not make forthcomiag. We are afraid that our children will . not give us much credit for patriotism, if they believe that a vital point of success was allowed to go by, when a few of their parents could have subscribed the money, and presented the future redemption of Nelson to the all-powerful app>

cant; indeed, some of the land-owners there, who object to having Government land sold cheaper than what they expect to get for their own in the same district, will bo doubtless blamed for their greed and want of public spirit in not helping us to that panacea for all. evils—the ground to work the machinery of Mr. Gibbs—superior to any. other existing process for the development of our gold-fields. Considering that there was a stipulation to the effect that if granted, the leased ground would not be proceeded upon until the expiration of a year, which is not yet up, we may be pardoned for not being very clear upon the benefits that would have by this time accrued; though when the Executive are legally qualified to grant small leases of land to bodies of diggers, we shall be as glad to record it as our Government will be to grant them. But to do so in the absence of law, and to an extent that required subterfuge to bring it within the probability of success, is so repugnant to the breasts of Englishmen, that we might well have looked with suspicion upon an Executive, who, under existing circumstances, would have favorably viewed such a flippant application for land, when the result might have involved us with consequences of the gravest character, and rendered the conduct of our Government as truly deserving of blame as it is now undeserving of anything but credit for wise precaution and common-sense foresight. j