POLITICAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 233, 18 June 1866, Page 5

POLITICAL.

Politically, the past month has been the most important in tho history of the district. There has been a change of Superintendents, and the new head of the Provincial Government is the gentleman who was lately chosen by tho electors of Westland to represent them in the General Assembly or Parliament of the colony. To enable readers at a distance to appreciate the importance of this change, a few explanatory remarks may be necessary. When tho Superintendent who has just rotired from office — Mr. Bealey—was elected some four years ago, the discovery 6f rich goldfields on the western sido of tho province was undreamt. Canterbury, in .fact, consisted practically, at that date, of tho country lying to the east of the dividing Alps, which was dedicated exclusively to pastoral and agricultural uses. The discovery of the goldfields took the Provincial Government by surprise, and found it totally unprepared to deal with a state of things so novel and alien to its accustomed sphere of duties. It could devise no means of providing a scheme of administration lor a district destined rapidly to spring into the first importance as a wealth-producing country, but to copy the temporary expedients resorted to in other gold colonies, and appoint a " Commissioner," with little discretionary power. For a few months this system was endurable, as a practical, however clumsy, provision for a sudden emergency. But Mr Bealey's Government has never since attempted to improve upon the system. It is "the Commissioner" still, a gentleman acting without local advice, responsible to no local public opinion, under instructions to refer the most trivial matters of administration to the authorities at Christchurch — a distance of some one hundred and seventy miles. During the whole of tho time in which Mr Bealey held office, subsequent to tho discovery of the Westland goldfields, he displayed his marked indifference to tho welfare of the district by never visiting it until a few weeks ago, when ho came over to superintend the first haul to be made by the Government out of the public land sales. His administration has, not unnaturally, been regarded here as one from which no active and comprehensive measures for the advancement and satisfactory government of the West Coast could bo expected, and all men have been looking forward to a change as tantamount to the introduction ot an entirely new and 'a better system. Mr Moorhouse, whilst visiting tho district, as a candidate for its representation in the General Assembly, made promises of reforms which would bo most acceptable to the people if carried out. He recognised the existence of the grievances and anomalies, that existed ; he expressed his readiness to endorse and support a scheme which would besiow upon .Westland the substantial benefits of a local government. Such is the gentleman who bus now teen elected by an overwhelming majority to tho, highest office in tho province. The polling took place on tho 30th ult. Three candidates had been put in nomination the previous week — Mr Moorhouso, Mr Lance, and Mr Travcrs. Mr Moorhouse had twice filled tho office of Superintendent previously and in almost every district ho visited in tho course of his canvass, was found to have retained a very largo measure of his old popularity. Mr Lanco was supported by a poworful and active party, and made many friends even amongst his opponents, who paid homage to his high character and his talonts, but declared their preference for a man of whoso administration they had had many years' previous experience. Mr Trayers stood specially as the representative of a proposed reform in the land regulations of the province. Most of those who voted against him admitted the soundness of his views, but held that these alone afforded too limited a basis on which to rest his pre-

tensions to the Superintendency of the province. The following is the result of tho poll as officially declared by the Eeturning Officer at Christchurch, on Friday week last : — Moorhouso 1604 Lanco 981 Travors 186 Majority for Moorhouso over Lanco 623 „ „ over Tracers 1418 „ Lanco ovovTravors 795 Tho day following the declaration, Mr Moorhouse (who had, on the previous .evening been entertained at a public banquet by his friends) assumed the reins of office. The old Executive, as a matter of course, resigned, and tho following appointments, which must bo regarded as temporary, pending tho opening of the new Provincial Council, were at once made : — President, Mr Taucred ; Provincial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works, Mr Stewart ; Provincial Solicitor, Mr Garrick ; Mr Cass also holding a seat without office. , The next event of political importance we are looking forward to, is the election of tho members of the Provincial Council, of whom five are to be returned by Westland, divided into tho following electoral districts : —Hokitika to return two members, Greymouth to return one member, and the Goldfields to return two members. The West Coast elections are to como off early next month, the nomination day for tho Goldfields being fixed for the 2nd, and that for tho Hokitika on the 3rd, prox. A requisition, signed by a large number of influential citizens, has been presented to Mr._ Thomas L. Bright, Mr Richard Reeves, Mr Edmund Barff, and Mr Michael Cassius, and those gentlemen have announced themselves as candidates, the former two for the town of Hokitika, and the latter two for 1 the Goldfields' district. It is not unlikely \ that other aspirants to legislative honors i will enter the field, but no names havo yet been announced. The General Assembly is summoned definitively to meet for despatch of business at Wellington, on the 30th inst. In the House of Representatives, the lower branch of the New Zealand Legislature, "the electoral district of Westlahd" is now vouchsafed one member. As wo have already announced, Mr W. S. Moorhouso, the now Superintendent of the Province, enjoys the distinction of having been returned as the representative of this district. In accordance with tho provisions of the Municipal Council Ordinance, the town of Ilokitika has been proclaimed a municipality, and will soon bo called on to elect a Couuoil of nine, presided over by a chairman, to conduct tho local administration. The meeting of qualified voters to receive the nomination of candidates, and to fix tho day of polling, has been convpned for Wednesday week next, the 27th inst. The establishment of a Municipal Government in Hokitika, armed with all tho powers of a corporate body, within the next few weeks, may be anticipaf ed ; and we shall be in a position in our next summary to announce tho names of tho gentlemen elected to the first. Municipal Council.