The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 274, 17 June 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1868.

A series of letters have appeared of late in the West Coast Tlmss, written apparently for the express purpose of, as far as possible, damaging the Nelson goldfielda. The singular pertinacity with which the journal in question does, and always has, cried down everything north of the dividing boundary is really worthy of a better cause, and it must be rather provoking for him to find that, notwithstanding his hostility, the district is not depopulated nor likely to be; the yield < f gold is greater by far in proportion to the population than that of Westland, and that so far from our goldfields decaying, payable new ground is constantly being opened up, and on the older fields lately introduced appliances are working the vast and beneficial changes that might have been expected. Not contented with depreciating our fields as far as possible, the West Coast Times has recently engaged a professional libeller, who has drawn fancy sketches, to suit the requirements of his employer, in a series of letters on the Nelson goldfields. The reckless audacity of assertion, and the absolutely naked falsehoods that bristle through these valuable communications are positively marvellous. At another time we shall have more to say respecting them. At present we content ourselves with an extract from a letter which appears to be the conclusion of the set. The writer ends thus cheerfully—" Summing the whole matter up it amouuts to this, the whole of the gold-fields from the Karamea to the Buller, with the exception of the Caledonian diggings, are either worked out, or worse than useless. Westport ia merly a depot, dependant upon its surrounding gold-fields for an existence without them it would be abandoned. The prospects of Addison's are gloomier than ever, now that tunnels and races have failed in subduing the water, and there only remaius, as a set off", Charleston, and even this must soon show signs of exhaustion. House property in Nelson's principal goldfields port is all but valueless, and numbers of the inhabitants would only be too glad to clear out if they could see the way to make only a tithe of the money they have expended. Its streets are empty, and its stores all but deserted. In fact, the only people who seem to fatten and thrive are the Government officials, who scarcely have anything else to do than to eat, drink, and sleep. Such is the present condition of the Nelson goldfields ; and as the facts I have stated can be borne out by anybody who has the slightest acquaintance with the districts I have referred to, they need no further comment from me."