West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 642, 15 October 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1867.

We furnish the substance of Mr Moorhouse's evidence before the Select Committee appointed to report upon the Westland petition. With reference to the allegation of the existence of certain navigable rivers on the West Coast, Mr Moorhouse says : — I have visited the West Coast rivers with Dr. Hector and the heads of the departments. Between Milford Haven and the Grey, we saw no harbor or river which any seaman would at ordinary freights attempt to trade to, unless in vessels propelled by steam or assisted by tugs." The statements contained in the clauses which recite the Customs and Revenue Returns, Mr Moorhouse does not challenge, having

no reason to think that the amounts mentioned in them are over-stated.

Our representative pleads an ignorance of" all manufactures worth mentioning, except very good beer and cordials/ He says the soil varies very much, but he has a high opinion of its fertility ; although all the good land is at present overgrown with bush. He thinks it would be suitable for grazing purposes if the bush were cleared, but not likely to be available for agriculture to any extent for many years. Mr Moorhouse states his belief that the adoption of a system of land regulations protecting the interests of the miners would procure permanent settlement. With reference to the coal deposits of the district, he considers that the mine on the Nelson side will prove valuable, but " has not such a high opinion of that on the Canterbury side." He admits the substan- J tial accuracy of the 13 th clause of the petition, and states " nearly all supplies with the exception of live stock are brought from the other New Zealand Provinces and Australia." Mr Moorhouse, however, considers that no seaborne stock can compete with those driven overland. "Canterbury will always supply stock cheaper than any other place." Mr Moorhouse says the population is very migratory, and gives it as his opinion that the temporary character of the buildings argues strongly against a general belief in the permanence of the settlement. He has himself no doubt of its permanence, but affirms that the principles on which trade is conducted imply that traders are prepared for the place being only temporary. He refers to the Tramway Companies as affording marked evidence of this want of faith in the permanence of the settlement. " These Companies," he says, " almost invariably, when asking concessions from the Provincial Government, disclose calculations of profit at the rate of not less than fifty per cent, as being a requisite inducement to enter upon them. When asked how such profit is justified, they reply that there is no security for their being required fov more than two years.' 7 In connection, with this statement, Mr Moorhourse says : — The mercantile class are " exceedingly vigorous and enterprising." He admits that there is great ground for dissatisfaction in the delay of the sale of town lands. Clause 17 of the Petition, alleged that "large and costly buildings had been erected by nicn of business, whose interests were permanently identified with the district, and that a large amount of the capital was lying idle, owning to the want of the opportunity of investment in freehold security." With reference to this allegation, Mr Moorhouse says :—": — " The Banksf are the best, and pretty good buildings, and most of the rest are temporary. It is notorious that there is very little capital lying idle. I have received my information on this subject from the most reliable authority." He endorses the statements in the pstMon as to the sufficiency of the revenues of Westland to defray all - costs and charges of local administration, and all necessary public works within the district ; and as to the occasional isolation of Westland from the seat of provincial government, owing to its remoteness and the liability of the communication both by road and telegraphy interruption. He retains his faith, hoAvever, in the practicability of railway communication between Hokilika and Christchurch being effected at a reasonable cost. He states that the necessary outlay is estimated by competent engineering autkorities at L 600,000, to which he adds 80 per cent, for contingencies, making a total of a million of pounds sterling. Mr Moorhouse admits the allegationthat the representation of Westland in the Provincial Council has been disproportionate ; and for the first time within our knowledge, he excuses and defends this gross political anomaly, and adopts the usual cant of those who have systematically objected to every scheme for granting to this district an adequate representation. He says :—": — " Tt is disproportionate ; but that is accounted for by the migratory character of the population. I believe that rich diggings breaking out in any other part of New Zealand, if sufficiently extensive, would in- all probability take away a majority of tho population within a month." In the same spirit Mr Moorhouse replies to the statement of the 26th clause of the Petition, which set forth that five members, representing Eastland constituencies — a number equal to the total representation of Westland — -were elected by the aggregate votes of 233 electors only, whilst the great bulk of the mining population possessed the elective franchise. Mr. Moorhouse's attention being called to this clause, he said — "The registered electors are very few. The miners generally do not exercise the franchise ; hitherto they have been practically indifferent to it.

We come now to something very characteristic. The 29th clause of the petition alleged as follows :— " That all votes for Public Works, the construction of Roads, &c, which in a newly settled country are matters of vital importance to its progress, have been reduced and cut down in a manner which justifies your petitioners in anticipating the worst results. That these votes were reduced under the pretext that a rigid economy was necessary, in consequence of the existing financial depression of the Province ; and that your Petitioners are fully justified in stating that this depression exists in the Eastern side of the Province only, and has been caused to a great extent by the lavish and useless expenditure in that part of the Province, on certain of the Public

Works there, which when completed, have been found to be for the greater part entirely uusuited to the purpose for which they were intended." Mr Moorhouse replies, " This is not correct."

Speaking to the next paragraph, he says :—": — " It is untrue that the Provincial Council improperly and unjustly deprived Westland of its own sources of revenue for the purpose of expending the same on works for the benefit of Eastland. The' 1 reason for reducing the Estimates was, that they did not think the revenues would be sufficient for the proposed expenditure." To this we may reply, adopting Mr Moorhouse's own formula — " This is not correct." He appears to have been singularly in possession of the mind of the Provincial Council. He undertakes not only to attest their acts, of which alone he could have had any constitutional knowledge, but to certify to their motives and intentions. Mr Moorhouse seems, however, to be totally oblivious of the fact, that after the Westland Ordinary Estimates had been ruthlessly cut down, a vote on the Supplementary Estimates for public works here, was proposed with the condition added — "provided the revenues should prove sufficient to defray the same ; " and that even with this proviso, the vote was not allowed to pass. It is a pity that on this point especially, there was not a Westland delegate present before the Select Committee, to tell his tale !

We shall resume our notice of Mr Moorhouse's evidence.