West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 570, 23 July 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1867.

The session is concluded ; the Appropriation Ordinance passed; the -land question, so far as the Couucil has anything to say about it, disposed of. Tomorrow, the return of our representatives may be looked for, and at an early date each will be giving a history of the disastrous campaign, and the part he took in it. There will be little to tell that is not already known with tolerable accuracy. What has been done may be summed up in a few sentences. First, we have the miserable Estimates of the Stewart Government, the proposed expenditure many thousands of pounds within the revenue, at a time when every available shilling is required to open up the country aud improve the harbors. Then there is the attempt to seize those thousands for the purposes of Eastland, and the barefaced proposal to cut down the expenditure so as to bring the sum to be handed over up to L 26,000. The abominable scheme fell through, for the simple reason that it was provided against by the Goldfields Act. The Assembly had foreseen the temptation and averted the theft. Next comes the passing of the Estimates, every Westland vote being reduced to such an extent that, allowing the revenue to have been placed at a moderate figure, and presuming for a moment that it will not be touched for Eastland purposes, a sum of something more than L 30,000 will remain in the Treasury to Westland 1 s credit at the expiration of the next nine months. If our assertion is doubted, we would only remind our readers that the estimated expenditure was more than L 13,000 within the estimated revenue, to which amount must be added LI 5,000 cut off from the proposed vote for public works, and a number of smaller deductions by which almost every vote suffered. To complete the story of the session, so far as it concerns Westland, we h,ave only to allude to L7OOO of

Westland revenue being appropriated to pay the interest on Canterbury's bverdrawn bank account'; to the appointmeut of Mr Bonar as Goldfields Secretary (an almost worthless concession, and not calculated to set matters right) ; and finally, to the passing of certain restrictions bearing on the Land Question, the "right of entry" principle being studiously ignored. There is no important feature in this session which should be regarded with satisfaction by this community. There is scarcely a point on which the mind can dwell without a feeling of indignation. It has been one long struggle between our representatives and the mercenary charlatans of Eastland. The issue could not be doubtful. Our destinies were in the hands of a majority not outy ignorant of our wants, that would have been a comparatively small matter, but savagely hostile to the district, and determined, right or wrong, that West-

land should pay a heavy tribute for the right to exist as a settlement. Can it be doubted what the intention is with regard to the surplus revenue. "Would Eastland members have shown themselves so averse to legitimate expenditure unless they had hopes that what was saved on one side of the range would be placed to the credit of the other ? Have we not positive proof of tho intention in the abstraction of the L7OOO to pay the interest. on the overdraft. . • Westland people have no great hankering after " politics." It took a long while to rouse them to a sense of the unjust treatment they were receiving at the hands of Eastland, legislators. Their -apathy was remarkable, and can bo accounted for in no other way than by supposing their prosperity to have been so great in the early days of the goldfields as to have blinded them to the evils of bad aud defective government. Those times have passed away for ever. If we regret that wealth is not so easily amassed as it foi merly was, let us at least be tlamkful that the change has had the effect of awakening the community to a sense of its duties and responsibilities. We can no longer afford to be misgoverned. So surely as we write, unless the work of reformation be quickly begun, the hour of Westland's decline will not be delayed. Are we jesting? Wait till the lauds ' shall have passed wholesale into the ! hands of Christchurch speculators ; wait till tho miner finds himself shut out from following the occupation which brought him here ; and then see the result. A Government which refuses to open up the country by the judicious expenditure of revenue collected here, which throws all manner of obstacles in the way bf those who would even do the work at their own costs. A Government which deliberately purposes to blight the industry which has made Westland what it is at present, is hurrying us fast on the road to ruin. There is not a" trader or a [ miner on the Coast, whose interests are not seriously endangered by the events of the session which has just come tn a close. It is useless — worse than useless — to look for redress to our representatives. They are utterly powerless to. help us, either in or out of the Council. A Christchurch contemporary charges them with " want of argument ;" but those who have read the debates, will see against whom this could be best substantiated. It was not for want of good reason shown to the contrary, that the House accepted Mr Travers' view of the Land Question. Mr Travers, whom a fewmonths smce the whole of Canterbury was laughing at as the author of a ridiculous land scheme devised in his own crotchety brain. He might have spoken a very long while before the House would have given him its ear, had the question been an Eastland one ; but, as the proposer, of an amendment intensely hostile to Westland Interests, he was assured of an attentive and willing [ audience. The poor man himself may | have been honest, but his fluent and superficial sentences displayed his utter ignorance of the subject he was talking on. The Council must have been well aware of it. We turn from the wrong to the remedy. What that remedy is has been agreed on— Westland must sepa[rate f.om Canterbury. There is no ihope of justice but in taking the decisive step. There are vested interests kere which arc well worth protecting (Sgaiust the injustice and selfishness of the other side of the province. We should be sorry to tax the recently formed Association with any spirit of trlifling with the great work which it) has professedly taken in hand, and yo;t it is difficult .not to believe that thjere has been some remiesness. It is prjssible that the fears we formerly expressed, with regard to the plans of thU Association not having been explained with sufficient clearness, may have been well founded. Wo implore those gentlemen who have taken the lead in initiating the movement to remedy this defect without delay. We have repeatedly said that,, in our opinion, the only separation, worth trying for — the only separation which would give us self-government — is by theAejcection of Westland into a new Province. But the Association should express tllJs clearly, if it means it, and if it wishes to carry the community along with ;it. Of one thing we are certain, that after what has occurred during the rkcent session of the Council, the number of those in Westland who vill oppose the attempt is A^ry small indeed ; a \ast majority will give it their cordial support.

'A special meeting of the Municipal Council was hold last evening, to appoint a collector of rates and inspector of nuisancci. There wero twenty-five candidates for tho office, and the choice ultimately fell upon Mr P. Clayton, a gentleman who had previously been employed by the Council as assossor.

Wo arc informed that upwards of thirty cases for tho non-payment of Municipal rates are set down for hearing at the Eesidont Magistrate's Court to-day. An oxtvmioiv of the Woodstock ■= digging!

has taken place lately, and we are very glad to hear that the ground opened is likely to turn out well. Directly ahead of the old workings down the river, a patch .of holes are in full work in sixty feet ground, and it is stated that 1 dwt and 2 dwt the dish are not uufrequent prospects. The washdirt, however, is not above a foot thick, and rests upon a sandstone bottom. Another patch of payable ground has been struck just below the township, and is also giving good wages. Here the stoup of washdirt is from four to seven feet thick.

Return o.f cattle and sheep driven past the Eangirii-i Police Station, on their road to Hokitika, during the week ended I7fch July 18G7 '—Cattle, 162 ; sheep, 130.

Despite the unfavorable weather, for the night was dark and stormy, and at intervals the rain fell in torrents, there was a capital house at the City Theatre last evening, when Mr and Mrs O'Neil, supported by a good company, made their re-appearance for a short season before a Hokitika audience. The pieces selected were " Barney the Baron" and ,"More Blunders than one," in both of which Mr O'Neil convulsed the audience with laughter by his broad humor and inimitable fun. In the former piece the took the part of "Barney," whilst Mr G, Ingles rendered the character of " The Bailie" with that amusing quaintuess which marks most of his impersonations. Mr F. Towers made a capital " Carl," and Mr Percival appeared as "Augustus!', Mrs O'Neil (Miss A. M. Quinn) looked and acted the part of "Edith" well, and so did Miss Buckingham that of " Lady Matilda." " More Blunders than one" went, if possible, better than tho former piece. O'Neil's "Larry" occasioned the most uproarious mirth, and the other characters were exceedingly well sustained. This evening there will be a change of performance, and to-morrow evening Mr G. Ingles takes his benefit.

The following is a sketch of some of the provisions of the " Municipal Bill," brought into the General Assembly by the Government :— " The Local Government Bill "—such is its name— consists^ of 391 clauses. It is framed very much after tho fashion of tho Victorian Act. Upon the petition of not Ics3 than ten inhabitants of any present road district, the Governor may bring such district under the provisions of the Act. These districts nuy afterwards be divided on the petition of twenty ratepayers into two or three sub-diviaous. In the same way, upon petition, several districts may be united. Now di6tricts, outside the present road districts, may bo constituted upon tho petition of not less than ten persons liable to be rated. Such Districts to have areas of not less than a certain number of miles — forty, we believe — and propei-ty of not less than LSOOO annual rateable value. The Governor may, with or without a petition, constitute any single or united district, possessing an area of not less than sixty square miles, into a county, The government of counties is to be similar to that of districts, excepting that the Chairman of the Board is to bo called, in the case of a county, President of the County Council, and the members of the Board are to be called Councillors. The revenues of both districts and counties are to consist of rates, supplemented by grants voted by the Assembly. For the first few years the Assembly gives tWO pounds for every OllOjCollected fi-om-rntco j during the second five years, one pound for every one ; and during the third five years, 10s in the pound. There is an addition to be givon — a proportion of the lands sold within the district ; the proportion to vary according to the quantity of land saleable within the district at the time of the passing of the Act.

At the Eesident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Alexander Farron was fined for drunkenness.— Bernard Suigh, charged {with a similiir offence, was discharged. — Peter Owen, charged under the Vagrant Act, was remanded until to-day. — Edward Davis, a lunatic, was ordered to be sent to the Lunatic Asylum, Hokitika.— William Eussell aud Israel Pollock, were fined L 2 each, for obstructing a public thoroughfare, by erecting buildings on the sea-beach. — George Holmes was fined 10s, for using abusive and insulting language to Henry Kirwan. — An information against Fairy Msitson, for assaulting Henry Franklin, was dismissed.

We observe that lamps were placed last night at the drain cut across Tanorod street, and also at a similar cutting at the corner of Weld and Tancrcd streets. This is as it should be, and wo arc glad that such prompt action has been taken to remedy an evil which we thought it to be our duty to bring before the public.

A number of men are gold-washing on Moeraki-beaoh, between Shag Point aud Hampden, in Otago. The " Times" says they succeed in making at least 15s per day. The gold has to be retorted, quicksilver being used in its extraction. It is worth £3 8s per oz. We sco by the " Otago Times" that the hou. Jno. H. Harris has taken his seat as a member of the Legislative Council of the colony.

A sad accident ;occurred under somewhat singular circumstances at Saudfly-beach, near Dunedin, on the Blh inst. Wo gather from the Dunedin " Times" that a father and son named Buskin, were scatod on the bcaoh, playing with Uic shingle, near to where their boat was moored, when suddenly an enormous wave rolled in, and carried the young man out to sea. He was not seen afterwards. The fathcvJiarrowly escaped a like fate.

The "Otngo Time*'' says, that the last crushing of the Great Scandinavian Quartz Company, at Skipper's Gully, resulted in the production of lOdoz. of gold from 50 tons of quartz.

W<? see that Mr John Hyde Harris", late Superintendent of Otago, is again a candidate for the Dunedin mnyorality. A meeting held on the 10th inst., to promote his electiou, was not very numerously attended.

The " Southland News " hns the following with regard to the- acclimatisation of wild rabbits in that province :—": — " The wild rabbits introduced into this province somo two or three years ago have proved a great acclimatisation success. Originally landed at Sandy Pomt — on ' the peninsula lying between the New Eiver and the Ocean Beach — they have spread many miles inland and along the coast as far ns Eivcrton, their further progross westward being thoro checked by the Aparima Eiver. At present they are found in certain localities in such numbers as to make their capture the irregular employment of several parties. It is quite a common thing to see men about tho town with largo and well filled baskots of wild rabbits for sale. They are just now in prime condition, thoir plump bodies and comfortable-looking fur, amply proving thorn to have found a congenial habitat."