The Westport Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 513, 5 June 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1869.

It is the remark of some great writer who was, no doubt, himself initiated into the mysteries of the pleasing, if vulgar, game of " Aunt Sally," that the greatest amount of moral satisfaction to be derived from the achievement of knocking a pipe from the lips of the sable statues by which that lady is usually represented is the sensation of "feeling free-and-easy for five minutes." The comparison may be odious, but we appreciated much that writer's description of moral satisfaction when we found that the billet which, in our last number, we directed towards the head of the Nelson Government—Mr Oswald Curtis —was directed in a manner which excited the sympathetic approval of others, and which, in brief Saxon idiom, had hit the mark at which it was aimed. We take this for granted, because we find, in the Nelson Colonist, two well-penned letters emauating from members of the Provincial Council—Messrs Barnicoat and G-ibbs—written simultaneously with what we had written, and expressing, in almost the same language which we ventured to use, precisely the same views which we took the liberty of disseminating. This is the more gratifying to us because, whatever opinions were formed on the subject of the Superintendent's last public appearance were formed entirely from a reading of his speech as reported in the Examiner, and from a comparison between it and speeches he had previously made. We had no reason to suspect, from written or other evidence, that we were so thoroughly representing the views taken by the community in Nelson, and by men having opportunities of judging of Mr Curtis, and having the spirit to thinkand speak for themselves. We were not prepared to find in Nelson itself, and amoug the leading spirits of its Council, sentiments so similar to those entertained in this district, and, taking the opinions of the writers cmnijrano salt's on account of their probable political or party proclivities, we imagine the circumstance is somewhat gratifying, as indicating that there is really more sympathy between the people of the two places, or between their representatives, than there is between the Superintendent's tastes and the interests of the West Coast. AVithout apology or comment we quote a few passages from the letters to which we refer:—

SIR. BARNICOAT. I was much astonished at what some will consider the amusing, and others the degrading exhibition of Friday evening last, when the Executive head of the Province vilified the Provincial legislature before the electors. There are always those who are ready to laugh at such displays ; but. no doubt, the enemies of Provincial institutions will greatly rejoice at such an unseemly spectacle. The motives and intentions of those who attempted to strike out of the proposed reply to the Superintendent's opening speech the passage affirmative of the approbation of the Council as to the intended action of bis Honor in tho House of Representatives, have been (though repeatedly explained) persistently misunderstood. The next subject of angry comment, on the part of his Honor ia the further reduction of salaries by the Council. The reasonableness of the reductions themselves is one question ; the propriety of the. elected head of the Province indulging in abusive language towards the members of the Council for doing what they deemed their duty, is another. I may at once say that I did not approve of most of the reductions made by the Council rmd voted against them accordingly. I claim to myself the right to differ ; but not the right to attribute discreditable motives to those whose opinions are different form my own. Of the West Coast members his Honor blandly observes that they will join anybody to do anything to serve their own political ends! I must do the Superintendent the justice to say that he has never before exhibited such execrable taste as to summon a meeting of the electors of the Province in order to characterise, in language such as I have quoted, the public conduct of a body of men who may

fairly claim to be actuated by a sense of duty as pure and as lofty as that which actuates his Honor himself.

The strange and unprecedented prorogation speech of Thursday was a meet preface, in more ofEcial language, to the less guarded language of the speech to the electors on Friday. Although the language of a few members of Council may from time to time have been open to some reprobation, the Council as a body has never forgotten itself, and its communications to the Superintendent have always been marked by decorum and self-respect. The Superintendent may boast of being the first to resort to the official use of insulting language.

MR GIBBS. Although not intending to argue on the question of West Coast Separation I am of opinion that, if the Superintendent is sincere in his opposition to the Separation, he takes a most singular mode of working it out, doing all that would appear possible to turn the waverers on the Coast in favor of the scheme. He says, " I think there is danger in granting them representation, for have I not seen it in our own Council ? I see that, although inhabiting the same Province, the goldfields members are not of us ; their representatives sit in our Council, but what do they represent. Their own districts only; they have no interest beyond." Now, Sir, I consider that no remark our Superintendent could have made, is so likely to be quoted, and to have the effect of inducing the Assembly to listen with favor to this petition, than the above. He tells them, in fact, that they are a separate people, whose interests are in no way identical with ours.

Again, his Honor accuses us of having said to the West Coast members, " We will not touch your part of the estimates, if you will help us." I say most distinctly tbat nothing of the sort occurred. Most of the reductions of which the Superintendent boasts, were made on the West Coast part of the estimates; and we thought it expedient to make further reductions in the departments in Nelson; and to insure doing so, after the experience of last year, we thought it better to consult together without the usual formality of debate as to what reductions could be made.

I hope the electors will consider seriously the present state of the country, and take no heed of such sensational speeches, but next opportunity elect representatives who they can feel confident will not only preach but practise economy, and consider that the remedy is in their own hands. I will conclude by saying that I think the so-called explanations of the Superintendent were unsatisfactory and insulting, through their representatives, to the electors of the Province.