The Westport Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 648, 21 April 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1870.

If we are to accept the resolutions unanimously passed at the public meetings holden at "Westport and Charleston in connection with the proposed Miners' League as embodying the sentiments of the large body of the community, there need be little apprehension as to the ultimate attainment of the proposed objects of the League. An opinion appears to be prevalent that the sole intention in forming the League was to initiate a system of Mining Boards, which it is supposed would be found to lead to the forming of rules better adapted to the working of the various districts than the present code. We notice, in connection with the remarks of the AVardon of the district, that a meeting of the various Groidtields' Wardens will be held shortly, for the purpose of suggesting improvements in the regulations, and what is of equal importance, to determine as to the interpretation that shall be put upon various clauses that are ambiguously worded, and the meaning not clearly defined. Nothing can be more perplexing and unsatisfactory to the miner than to find the decisions of one "Warden reversed by another, to find that what may be advantageously done in one district is vetoed in another and, as a means of rectifying these contradictoiy interpretations of the regulations there can be no question as to the advisability of conferences being periodically held by the Wardens. In addition, however, to the passing of an amended code, the promoters of the Miners' League hope to acquire for it no insignificant political weight and importance ; they desire to infuse among the community generally a political spirit which, when firmly expressed, cannot be safely disregarded. It has been somewhat ingeniously suggested that the intelligent and industrious miner is too remuneratively employed to devote time or trouble to the remedying of the alleged defects, leaving it to be inferentially deduced that they who arc promoting the present movement can lay no claim to the qualities of industy and intelligence. The very unanimous expression of opinion given at varioiu largely atteudedpublic meetings sufficiently justifies the promoters of the League, and we scarcely think that tho application of a little flattery to the great body of the miners will bo successful in the present instance, and lead them to withhold from the movement their hearty zeal and co-operation. The dissatisfaction that is felt towards the Nelson Government has arisen out of the injustice which has characterised their dealings with the people of the western portion of the Province. The representation accorded to us in the Council has been utterly disproportioned to our population and the amount contributed to the Provincial revenue ; and when, after much difficulty, our representatives ImA succeeded in placing sums on the Estimates for tho carrying out of public works, the Executive, disregard-

ing those votes, have tailed to carry out tho wishes of the Council. It lias been constantly urged iu excuse of the disproportionate sum expended on the Coast, aa compared with the amount of revenue contributed, that "the claim could not bo recognised of a district to have expended on it a sum equal to its contributions." Wo could understand such arguments being made to apply to the more settled portions of the Province, where public works cannot be so urgently required, and where immediate returns in the shape of increased revenue would not so directly follow upon the execution of public works; but we altogether fail to see how such an argument may be reasonably applied to these goldfields, where every pound spent would prove more productive of beneficial result than two pounds spent on tho eastern portion of the Province. The action of the General Government in its dealings with the various Provinces presents a marked contrast to the course adopted by the Government of Nelson. The vast expenditure entailed in the carrying on of a native war on both Coasts of the North Island never served aa a pretext for discontinuing the payment of the three-eighths of the Consolidated Revenue for provincial purposes or for diminishing such allowance. Neither can it be explained on what principle it has been customary for tho Colonial Government to return in its entirety the sum derived from tho export duty on gold unless it was deemed that such revenue should be applied locally and in no other way expended. In no way can the Nelson Government justify the modo under which the revenues that rightfully belong to the Groldfields, and should be expended iu their development, have been systematically diverted to purposes in which the mining community have no interest. We are unacquainted with the precise nature of the petition that it is intended to present to his Excellency, but if it have for its object the abolition of Provincial Uovernment, so far as regards the present Nelson SouthWest Goldiields, and that the General Government should take over the administration of affairs, the mining community, in the event of tho General Assembly acting in conformity with such petition, would secure to themselves an equitable distribution of their revenues, in place of their being diverted to purposes antagonistic to our ultimate and permauent advancement.