TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1860.

West Coast Times, Issue 127, 13 February 1866, Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1860.

" Tub Forthcoming Election " is tho heading- of a good many paragraphs and report j in tho Christchurch papers. Tho province is called on to elect a new Superintendent and a novy Provincial Council, and already on the ether side of tho range wo hear the din of battle. With the election of Superintendent Westland lias indeed little to do. It is virtually disfranchised. It can merely mark tho progress of tho strife,' as the outside disfranchised classes are accustomed to do at home. It is only left to us to hope that the right man will bo put .in the right place, and that the now Superintendant, though elected by others not by ourselves, will btill remember that this district is an integral part of tho province over whoso destinies he is called to preside. With tho election for tho Provincial Council our concern is more immediate and direct. Under the Increased Representation Ordinance Wostland will have the right of sending up five members to Christchurch. Those . will constitute n small numerical proportion of the .House. But they will bo a political power, if they are wisely selected, capable of materially influencing tho deliberations and decisions of the Council,. Wo need not remind the people of tjiis district, what substantial service has been rendered to it by tho two members it bad the privilege of electing prior to the late session. It may be safely asserted, that tho requirements and chums of Westlmtd are far better understood than they were before. This may be plainly peon in the altered tone of debate in the House, and the altered stylo of tho public press. For tho first time in tho history of the province Westland is being treated with consideration. That the district has been harshly and ungenerously used is admitted ; and it is not " denied that somo amended system of Government is necessary, to assimilate in any measure its political condition to that of the other side. The question is being considered, how to avoid Separation by conciliatory measures; and if, whilst this temper prevails, a Superintendent should be elected like Mr Moorhonse, having acknowledged sympathies with tho diggers as a class, and of thoroughly enterprising and progressive tendencies, the increase of our representative power in tho Council will enable us to command reforms which have hitherto beon utterly unattainable. It ill becomes tho people of this district, therefore, to . watch tho approach of tho coming elections with apathy. During tho contest that resulted in the return of Messrs. Prosscr and Barff, considerable political excitement prevailed. A largo number of candidates entered tho field, and their opinions and claims were closely scrutinised by tho electors. Tho struggle at tho polling booth wat asovere one, and the authentic announcement of the result was waited for with great interest. lias anything since transpired to deaden the political vitality of tho community ? Havo such largo reforms been conceded to Westland ns to render tho people

system of government 1 Have grievances been sp freely redressed, wants so liberally supplied, as to stiil ihe voico of complaint ? Or have any circumstances transpired to beget a belief that the cause of reform is more hopeless now than it was then? So far from either of those surmises being true, it may be affirmed with certainty that never in the history of the district have the fruits of misgovernment culminated as thoy do now, and that never in its history was it so entirely within its power to compel tho Executive to do it justice. What has been effected during tho past session should inspire a feeling of public determination, and of confidence in the result. At once the sense of wrong and tho senso of a new power should stimulate the peoplo to political action. The district has begun by taking its place in the Provincial Council, by making it self heard thero as an appellant against injustico, by asserting its claims to fair and liberal treatment, and to protection against selfish schemes. Has tho result been discouraging ? So far from it that great advantages have accrued to tho district, which would havo been lost to it if it had remained without representation in the Provincial Council. With a larger number of members in tho llouso during the next session, tho West Coast will acquire a far more than corresponding increaso of political power.' With five, or with even ten representatives, it would bo at any moment liable to bo outvoted, if any question directly bringing the two divisions of tho province mlo i antagonism were pressed to a vote. It is not so much to numerical preponderance ia tlio Council that Westland has to loolc as a guarantee of justice, as to the fair and free opportunity of setting forth its case. In proportion as the number of its members is enlarged, tlie chances are multiplied of its being efficiently represented in debate. This is, under present circumstances, tho grand desideratum. As tc counting votes, tho attempt would bo a' futile one. But to convince and persuade the llouso, to inform its intelligence and to gain its sympathy — this is a task which it is not Utopian to aim at, if tlio right men arc present to undertake it. Tho special valuo to tho West Coast of its enlarged representation, is the chance it affords it of correcting and compensating for electoral blunders. In communities newly enfranchised thero is always tho liability to somo mistako. A hundred special influences operate to secure the return of 0110 man and the rejection of another, apart from questions really connected with their respectivo merits. But out of five members, it will bo hard if the district does ndt rctnrn two or three of the sterling stamp — honest in conviction, earnest in labor, faithful to trust, able and eloquent in expression — who shall oxort a commanding influence in the Council of tho Province.

Who are tho new men to bo "? By what process are they to bo selected 1 By what machinery brought into tho field ? It is to be feared that few candidates of tho right sort will come forward to volunteer thoir services. Tlio position of a member for tho Goldfields is ono involving many sacrifices to a business man. Wo must bo neither surprised nor discouraged at tho indisposition displayed by our leading citizens to public service. The conditions are noecssavi.y inconvenience and possibly loss. With tho local Council established which the " Press " suggests, the case would bo different. But an absence from business for some months at Christclnmsh is a very different affair. It is not, therefore, in a spirit of impatient resentment wo must recoivo the demurs or refusals of those whose services wo would gladly secure. Tho absence of a leisure class with a com petence secured, and a taslo and inclination for public affairs, is ono of tho greatest drawbacks to tlio successful working of free institutions in young communities. Westland experiences tho disadvantage in excess. And it should bo a question not of angry disputation but of calm and friendly counsel, how tho present representative requirements of the district may be best met. Many men who cannot afford tho 'leisure necessary to a political campaign in Christchurch, may find time lor a posing thought to bo given to this question: Fortunately the district is not divided by party strife. Thero" 1 is a general unanimity of view upon Westlaud., affairs. The political creed universally accepted by tho people of all degrees contains but few articles, of which the chief is, that Westland revenues should be religiously dedicated to the promotion of Westland interests, and expended under its local diroc.tion. It is not men of particular party views that have to bo elected, but men of sufficieivfc intelligence to understand, and sufficient ability to enforce these just claims of the district. Entire harmony prevails between tho mining and the* town populations. Their interests are felt to be identical.

Wo commend the subject to publio consideration, as tho necessity of action is imminent, and as the people will not be true to thcmsolves if they neglect to make tho best use of the opportunity nfforded them of securing an effective hearing in tho Council of tho Province.

Tho Gothenburg yesterday took on board 8000 ozs of gold for Melbourne-, nud the Barwon, which leaves this morning for tho Gh'oy, Sydnoy, and Melbouruo, will tuko 5500 ozs. Those quantities innko tho total nmouut of gold exported from tho port of Hokitika since tho first of January — a poriod of six wcoks — upwards of 41,000 ozs. At tho ' Groy wo boliovo tho Barwon will tako on board an additional ■ quantity of upwards of 11,000 ozß, now awaiting shipment thoro. In our advortisjng columns will bo seen tho offloial eonlo of charges for tho tmnsmiision of tolographio moasagos botwoon Ilokitikft and

Tho renowned Y/iznrd Jacobs will arrivo by tho Wonga Wongn, which may be expected from Nelson to-morrow, and will commence his magic performances at tho Corinthian Hall on Monday next. Wo understand his stay in Hokitika will bo limited to two weeks, The wizard is tho most accomplished conjuror that has visited the Australias, far excelling in skill and dexterity oven tho celebrated Anderson, tho Wizard of iho North.

Amongst the other improvements and attractions to public buildings lately" offocted, wo notico with pleasure tho addition now being mndo to UlO Custom llouso, of which it stood vory much in need, ns it wis a grent deal too small for the inoroaso of business caused by tho oxtendod commovco v of tho port. When tho alterations nro completed, tlio Custom House will be just twico its originnl size, nnd although it is anything but a protentious building, nioroly consisting of a frnino work of wood covered with galvanized iron, and in form a simple parallelogram, it answers nil the purposes for which it 'wns erected, nlboit wo must confess it gains nothing by a comparison with its noighbor, tho Supremo Court Uouso. Shcuild, however, tho trado to Hokitika increnso still .fuiihor, it will s doubtless bo considered advisable to, croct a different stylo of building allogothor — ono that will bo no less ornnmontnl than useful.

Wo lonrn (says tho Lyttelton Times) that her Majesty's Government havo offered tho dignity of Knighthood to Dr. Monro, who has been Speaker of tho Uouso of Representatives of this colony sinco the year 1861, and that tho olFcr hns been accoptcd. Tho learnod gentleman will boar tho title accordingly of Sir David Monro.

His Honor the Superintendent roturndd from Wellington to Ohristohurob. by thoPhcobe on Tuesday last. By a lato Govornment Gazette, all animals from Europo, including fowls, avo prohibited to be landod in this colony. Mr Porcival, a pnssongoi' by the Himalaya to Ohristohurch lnst week, brought out somo splendid Dorking fowls j theso havo beon seized and dostroyod. A quantity of sausago skins havo nlso boon placed undor soi/.uro, as being portions of ■animals thus prohibited. It is very satisfactory to note the marked decrease of crime in the district during the last few' weeks and the only renson we can* giw for the immunity we are at present enjoying is that in consequence of tho flourishing state of the country, there is an abundance of remunerative employment for all who choose to labor, and consequently the temptation to transgress tho law is much lessened. The' gaol calendar far tho week ending February 10th is an illustration of tho truth of this, as in tho Magistrate's Court during that period ordyono was committed for trial, and ono seutonsed ; ono lunatio was confined for medical treatment, and ono man imprisoned for debt. As a sot-oft" to this, five men whose seutences had expired, wore discharged, and one debtor. The nninbor of con* finees nt thojnbovojdato were two committed men, twenty-two sentenced, two debtors, and one lunatic — total, twenty-seven.

Information was sent us by Mr Alcorn from Okarita that a new terrace, situated a few miles south of thotown, a littlo distanco back from tho beach, had beon opened and rushod, and 801110 vory good prospoots obtained. Thoro was only room, howovor, for a limited nunibov of- minors, and tho ground had beon almost immediately .takon up. No further intelligence of tho supposod now rush, to which wo, havo before alluded, wns brought up by tho Bmco, tho good folki of Oknvita being quite in tbo dark about it. Another prospecting party had oharterod tho cutter Fanny, nnd started for Bruco nnd Jnokson's Bays. They mustered botwoon thirty and forty, so that thoro is a reasonable probability 1 that tho country in that dirootion will bo thoroughly tried this time, as only tho other clay an equally largo party started for the samo district with a similar intention. Wo trust theso men will bo successful in their search.

Wo tako the following from tho Lyttelton Times 1— " Wo learn that it is in contemplation by tlio Customs authorities to direct tho speedy closing of tho branch establishment in Christchuvob, and to confmo tho transaction of tho business in passing ontrics to Lyttelton. This step is no doubt prompted by a desire to cconomiso in tho oxpensos of tho department 5 but tho public can hardly havo oxpectcd any such stop to bo lakon . beforo tho oponing of tho railway between tho two towns.

Largo parcels of gold continuo to arrive in town from the different diggings on tlio beach to tlio north of Ilokitika. Yesterday two mon brought in 130 ozs to Mr Proctor to bo smoltod, and several smaller parcols were also sijbmitted to him for tho snino purpose. Tho out works of the now Bank of New Zealand wore commenced yesterday, a party of men boing employed in excavating the foundation for the smelling house, on the site granted by the Government on the Camp Reserve. Mr Tienery, the contractor for this work, submitted the plan of the building to our notice, and according to that it will bo when finished, a most creditable structure,' combining great strength witlt no mean pretentions lo architectural elegance. In size it will bo 21 feet long, by 14 feet wide, with walls 12 feet in height Tlio furnaces, three in number, will occupy a space 7 feet wide by 0 feet in depth, and no expense will bo spared to render them ns substantial as tho best liro-brjcks and skilled labor can make them. Tlio back of tho building, which will contain tho flues from these furnaces, will le built up wiih solid brickwork, and on the top the three fines join, and will be connected with a high iron stack, provided to carry off tbo noxious fumes from the metal far above tho surrounding buildings. We shall give a detailed account of thostructuro when itis finished, but from what wo have already seen, we feel sure it will bo comploto in all its arrangements, and bo no small acquisition to tho town, for in a gold district like Westland, it is of tho utmost importance thoro should, bo a woll conducted gold smolting and refining establishment, woro the difforonco in tho quality of tho various samples of gold brought in can bo at onco ascertained, and their oxact valuo calculated nt ouco. Wo shall thus, to a very great oxtent, bo rondorod indcpondonl of tho Sydnoy mint, and tho prosont vexatious delays nttendont upon tho transmission of gold thoro to bo nssaycel \sill bo avoided.

Tho Lytlelton Times says :—": — " Wo have received some particulars from a correupondont nt tho Waitoln Gorge, Ilurunui. A mob of cattle was recently takon through by way of tho Wniau. Miyßead, tho owner of tho cattle, is killing llioni somo distanco up tho Groy river. Wore a road mado by Lnko Brunnor it would savo all tho orossings of tho Toromakau, and cattle owners would drivo thoir mobs by tlio Hnrunui. Undo'r tho, present oiroumstancos, they hnvo to travel their cattlo down to tho Toroinakau, nnd then ovor ten miles of a sandy reach destitute of feod, and up tlio Grey river, so that they arrivo at theiv destination in very poor condition. Mr Saxton lias also drivon a mob of sheep through tho Waiau Pass. It was a great mistako not to improvo Mr Howitt's track, ns by it cattlo could bo drivon from Oliristcburoh to tho Groy diggings in ton days, in favorable weather. From tho 19th January to tho 27th, eightoon'mon and sovontoon horses havo passed through tho Waitol\i gorgo to and from tho West Const. Our correspondent supplies tv few notes on tho woathor at tlio gorgo. From tho beginning of the year to January 20, tho weather was fino and bracing -, from tho 21st to tho 2dth it rained hoavily, cleaving up on tho 25th. During tho rain tho air was mild, and vogetation luxuriant. ' A roturn of West Coast traffic foy tho weok onding Jan. 2,7 has beon roooived, which, says tho Lytlelton Times, shows that 40 persons,

goldfiolds, and 70 havo roturned, with 15 horses. Resident at Boaley, 84. By tho Hurunui route, via Waitohi Gorgo, wo find that on Jan. 28, 7 men, 10 horses, and 103 head of cattlo passed through, and also, on tho 3rd inst, 3 mon, 8 horsos, and 50 head of cattlo. During tho weok onding tho lastmentioned dato, 8 men and 8 horses havo returned.

We extract the following from the Canterbury Times of tho 3rd instant : — A good deal of correspondence has found its way into the publio journals on the subject of the Grey River Coal Company, and the course pursued by Mr John Hall, tho Seoretary of Publio Works, with regard to, that scheme. From a caroful consideration of tho facts it appear that the promoters of the company; after sponding somo years and a good deal of money in attempting to obtain the privilege of risking their private means in developing a valuable resourco of the province, havo been thrown over at the last moment by tho cap|ice of Mr Hall. A letter from Mr Buckley, chairman of the company, gives a vory temperate and truthful account of tho particulars of tho case f and deserves tho paitioular attention of the public. Wo understand that Mr Hall indignantly denies that any personal, or political feeling on his part caused him to act as he has done. We sincerely hope, for his own sake, tu at this is the caso ; but it is evident that any person liable to act in such a manner, without sufficient moaive, is quite unfit to be trusted with the grave responsibilities attached to high ofh'oial position. Mr Hall has given no reason for his conduct in this matter, and the publio have a right to know why their interests should bo so lightly considered as to be taken up and thrown aside just as it suits the caprice of tho Secretary for Publio Works. On January 26, his Honor tho Superintendent gavo his usual dinner to the mombors and officors of the Provincial Council, on the close of the session, The dinner took place at tho Town Hall, and was provided by Messrs Morton and Robertson in their usual excellent style. Tho attendance was rather limited, influenced, no doubt, (says the Canterbury Times) by the wretohed weather experienced that evening. ' The Timaru Herald rolates the following tale of a box :—": — " About two years ago a young man named M'Guiness arrived at Timaru in company with another young man, from Ireland, bringing with him a box or ohest, with his initials ingeniously formed upon the lid of it by screws. He was going, we believe, from Timaru to tho Otipua'station, whon he fell from the dray and was killed, The police took the matter in hand, and sold the deceased's watch, clothes, and bdx to defray his funeral expenses. Mr Robert Taylor bought the box, and shortly afterwards sold it again for a small sum, and wo believe it changed hands soveral times, until it camo into the possession of Mr Wedderoll, at Arowhenua. The polico received a letter from the parents of tho deceased, a short time ago, describing tho box and containing a plan of the lid of it, which showed that if four screws marked A.8.0. and D. were undone, they would- disclose a small secret drawer, containing sovereigns wrapped in paper. Tho polico traced the box to tho possession of Wedderell, and purchased it from him for the gum of 10s ; and on opening the lid as direoted, Sergeant Ramsay discovered soventeon *g unds secreted there." Tho Lyttellon Times supplies the following particulars of tho Westland telegraph :—": — " Tho length of tho wire is about 169 miles, of which distanco 101 railos lie to tho eastward, aud sixty-five miles to tho westward of tho dividing rango. Tlio formor portion, as our raaders are awaro, has boon completed and in operation, with soniQ temporary stoppagos, for a long time. But tho western portion has givon a great deal of trouble, owing to the want of a road to transport tho material upon, the impassable naturo of tho country, tlio rain which delayed operations, and tho continual frcshos in the rivor which from timo to time destroyed; somo of tho work which lifld been constructed. Groat credit is duo to Mr G-. Bird, tho Proviucial Telegraph Manager, for tho ultimate suecoss which has been attained, and tho mannor in which tho work lias boon constructed. Tho wholo cost may be put down at £7500 from terminus to terminus, or loss than £45 per milo ; aud this includes all the offices and xponsos of whatovor kind. There are now six telegraphic wires loaving Ohristchurcli : two to tho north as fur .ns Pioton, having a station at Kaiapoi within tho provinco 5 two to tho south to tho Bluff, with a station at Timaru within tho province ; one to Lyttelton, and ono to tho Boaloy ans Hokitika." Tho Dunodin Escort roturns for tho fortnight ending tho 26th January amounted to 5865 ozs.

Wo extraot tho following from tho Southland News :: — '• Wo find that in carrying out tho principlo of economy to tho utmost length possiblo in the Folico dopartmont, it bus boon decided to dispense with tho sorvices of Mr J. B, Thomson, dcteotivo "officer, who, wo understand, will leave Invoroargill immediately for tho West Coast. We aro sorry for this, a 9 Mr Thomson has bocomo used to the locality, and on this account is moro offoctivo than an inoxperionced person could bo. In a community liko that of tho West Coast, wo havo no doub t ho will bo found an acquisition. As an active, energetic officer ho has, during his rosidoncc in Southland, obtained favorable testimony from all. As a oitizen, in tho oxorciso of the virtues of social life, ho is no less esteemed j and wo hopo that his future may bo successful. " What's in n namo ?" Wo notico that tho s roport of Dr Berndfron the state of the Hokitika gaol, which was read by his Honor Mr Justice wesson to the Grand Jury, is quoted by tho Southland News as tho production of a Dr BernQt. Dr Borndt was ■ long resident in' Invorcargill, and might hayo calculated upon boing saib from such a blunder. Lady Don has arrived in Dunedin, and inado her first appoaranco on the boards of tho Princess Thoatro. Tho lioubo was orowdod from floor to coiling. v