MONTHLY ' SUMMARY.

West Coast Times, Issue 97, 9 January 1866, Page 2

MONTHLY ' SUMMARY.

West Coast Timks Office, Tuesday, Jan. 9th, 18G0. W e publish th is morning our first monthly summary for transmission to the Australian colonios and to Europo by the outgoing mail, which closes this day. Tlio xmccrtainty of tho existing arrangements for tho despatch of newspaper mails from Ilokitika has rendered the preparation of tho present summary necessarily hasty and incomplete. On future occasions wo purpose to publish the full story of the month, printed in a double sheet of Tiik Timks.

The English October mails J wero delivered in Hokitika on tho 30th ult., newspapers having been fovwnrded direct from Melbourno by the Rnugitoto and letters by tho overland mail from Christchuvch. The outward m\il, closing here to-day, will be despatched to Melbourne, from which plaoe'tho P. and 0. steamer is appointed to leave on the 23rd of the month. ShouU the steamship Wonga Wouga bo punotual td her sailing engagement as published, she will carry the mail to Nelson for transhipment. Should any accident detain her, tho mail will be forwarded by the first steamer sailing direct to Melbourne, which, according to present announcement, will bo the Gothenburg, advertised to leave the Roads tomorrow. In our other columns wo publish full details of tho occurrences of the month. Those who caro to read the story will find that commerce ,is prosperous, that tho goldfields aro steadily and increasingly productive, that a' population consisting of many thousands are finding remunerative employment, and that Hokitika and the cluster of diggings townships of which it is tho capital are rapidly advancing iv civilisation and in tho accessories of comfort. This is, of course, true, moro particularly of tho central town itself. Although its ago scarcely covers a year ; although it has been denied all privilege of municipal Government' ; although not an inch of land has yet been parted with by the Crown, and ths whole ocoupauts of sections are occupants on sufferance merely ; although there is no " Government" within a hundred miles, and the only gentlemen exorcising authority are, a" Commissioner under tho Goldfields Act, with powers perfectly Undefined, but to the same oxtent perfectly arbitrary ; a Warden who exorcises a somewhat equitablo jurisdiction in deciding the rights of parties to ** clnimß ;" and a Resident Magistrate, who i 3 a species of Supremo Court judgo-cum-jury, and has an absolute sovereignty in all civil cases ranging up to Ll oos the town, has grown and flourished, and its inhabitants have waxed prosperous. It has, indeed, many of tho inconveniences incident to new'places. But it is rapidly overcoming,' these, and what with improved hotels and now tliontres, nnd imported luxuries of various kinds,' Ilokitika is becoming a very tolerable placo indeed to live in.

It has a cortain mild public opinion of its own. It h indignant at tlio wrongs inflicted on it by the East Coast Government, which claims Westland as one of its outlying districts ; but not indignant according to the moasuro of tho wrong. It sees its revenues confiscated to make tho road across tho rangey to establish an escort sorvico which cost tho district many thousands of pounds, and after all never took an ounce of "•old to Christchuroh — tho Banks here being simple enough to prefer shipping it direct for Melbourne — without rising in rovolt and demanding separation. Tho fact is, the people, as a rule, are too well-to-do to inclino to agitation, and would ratlior put up with a good deal of mismanagement than trouble themselves with resisting it. Wo havo o\ir small matters of local controversy. One day tlio insufficiency" of tho gaol accommodation is attacked ; another, tho hospital administration is made tho subject of criticism ; and thon, again, tho postal authorities aro rebuked for not caring as thoy might do for tho public convenience. But a glance at our other columus, which wo havo endeavoured to mako a reflex of lifts in Westlnud, will show that the community ;as v rule nvo quietly and contentedly — not without sufficient cause — enjoying tho better phases of colonial expedience