ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 752, 15 September 1876, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

... sfCi ■ -*-■ [We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents.] v ! -:r. (TO THE EDITOR OF THU DUIfSTAN TIMES.) Sib,—l see by the newspapers that some people are finding fault with Mr Pyke for voting, against the Separation resolutions. Now, I think that any unprejudiced person who has read his speech in Hansard must acknowledge that what he has done is for the heat, under the circumstances, as it must be evident Vo every thinkiW man that the resolutions were brought forward to prevent Abolition. Alexandra has been the first to pass a vote of censure on Mr Pyke, but I am not astonished at that, as I never gave the good folks of that town credit for much intelligence, but I am astonished at the proposer of the resolution, as 1 always thought him to be the only thinking man about the town. I would have looked for no better from the Tarbert-street Detective, but aftar all it is not to be wondered at, as breathing always in a fetid atmosphere would undermine the best constitution. ilt is a pity that Alexandra is not an electoral district in itself, so as to return a representative of its own, in the shape of a Conroy’s gardener, or a Speargrass cockatoo. Now, Sir, instead of censuring Mr Pyke. I think he deserves our most sincere thanks. I, tor one, would never have voted for him had he voted with the Provincial party after the speech of Mr Macahdrew, where he says that the introduction of salmon into Otago would be of more benefit than all the goldfields. Now, will any sane man tell me tliat Otago would be as prosperous as it is, or have a population like it has, for the next fifty years, or that, there would have been a settled population on the Nevis of 80 Europeans, with 24 children fit to go to school, had it not been for the goldfields. I think not. Now, Sir, I ask you what has "the Provincial party done for the goldfields—Mr Macandrew says they have spent L4s,ildo'a year on them, but, as Mr Pyke says, there is nothing to shew for it but mud tracks. We haveJoutheNevis 6miles of asmuddy a track as you would find in Otago, which cost L 340, and that is all the Government ever spent on the Nevis proper, and that is thrown away, wHile they receive from us yearly LSOO as gold duty, and Ll3O in publican’s and business licenses, besides miners’ rights and other fees. I think that it the Counties Bill passes it would be the best thing that could happen for the outlying districts, for the goldfields cannot he worse off under any system than the present, and let who will censure Mr Pyke, I am sure he has the confidence of the Nevis miners. I am, etc., A Nevis iIiNEK.