THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 669, 3 May 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1870.

The first session of the present Nelson Provincial Council commenced on Tuesday last. The usual opening address was then the Superintendent. As it ffcoo long and generally uninteresting to rSwmblish in its entirety, we will confine ourselves to a notice of its most salient points. The " general depression " which, he says has prevailed, has materially affected the receipts of revenue, and the estimates of last session have not been realised. Instead of ,£IOO,OOO at which they were estimated, they have amounted only to £82,000, and this is given as the reason why a large number of necessary public works, for which nominal provision was made, have not been carried out. This may be considered a satisfactory explanation for those districts in which the revenue has fallen off, but it is unsatisfactory in the highest degree in the Grey District which has been most neglected, while at the same time its revenue has increased. Referring to this subject, His Honor says: — "I refer to the port of Westport, where the receipts of Customs duties have amounted to only against £26,200 in the previous year. On the other hand, the returns from the port of Greymonth show an increase in the receipts of 1869-70 over those of 1868-9 of £6600, but as only one-fourth of the duties collected at that port are credited to the Provincial share of the consolidated revenue,, the improvement does not so greatly affect us. The amount received for duty on gold exported from the Province shows a considerable decline in the production, the receipts for the year amounting to £18,000 only, against £25,250 in the preceding year. The miscellaneous Gold Fields revenue derived from miners' rights, business licenses, and similar resources has, on the contrary, increased from £16,000 to £38,000." Those facts ought to have caused the Superintendent to think that it was necessary for the p*esent session of the Council to take some steps to aid in the removal of the obnoxious boundary-line, which at present only permits the\n to reseive one-fourth of the revenue collected at Greymouth, but of any movement in this direction no mention whatever is made. Mr Curtis then expresses his fears that he will be unable further to reduce the departmental expenditure, because of the extension of the gold fields, and the consequent increase in the number of officers ; still he will propose a few for the Council's consideration. With all the hard times, however, the overdraft at the Bank of New Zealand had been reduced during the year from L 6,800 to L 4,100. The largest portion of the address is taken up with a vindication of the coutso pursued by the Government — of which Mr Curtis is the head and moving spring -—with regard.to the much-vexed dispute as to the sale of auriferous land at Wangapeka to Nelson official speculators over the heads of the miners, and he blames the miners for what he calls "their forcible resistance to the survey," as by that means a great injury was inflicted upon the Province, and a greater still upon the miners themselves, by the long and wearisome delay which it occasioned in the settlement of the dispute. We must say we fail to see the force of this reasoning, as the result proved the miners to have been right; but perhaps Mr Curtis would much rather have seen the qu&r'vz reefs in his own hands and those of his brother officials, than being held in claims in the ordinary manner by the hard-working and industrious miners, from whom the Province of Nelson has derived so much benefit. A carefullystudied silence pervades the address as to the intentions of the Government in carrying on any important public works on the gold fields as the result of the present session, nor is any reference made to the large balance (some L 7000) of last session's votes for the Grey District, which remains unexpended. There is ample scope for the representatives of the Grey District to protest against the system upon which their district and constituents are neglected, almost ignored ; and if they do not perform their duty well, they will most assuredly be called in question. If the programme, as set out in the address is all the business for which the Council has been called together, the present session will not be either a prolonged or very interesting one, as the bills announced appear to be principally technical amendments to existing Ordinances. " ' . There are, however, some satisfactory features of the address, to which we can refer with more pleasure! The first is the hopeful tone assumed by his Honor with regard to the successful carrying out of the Nelson, Westport, and Cobden Railway. Although negotiations hitherto pending have been broken off, yet he has grounds for saying that the scheme is becoming better understood in London, and is now looked upon with much more favor by capitalists than it was in the

first instance. He thinks that the terms which have been offered by the Provincial Council for the construction of the line are now sufficiently liberal, and he considers that they would not be justified in granting any further material concessions. In addition to this, he says : — " The Colonial Government having kindly offered the assistance of the New Zealand Commissioners, now in England, to assist in r&movinp; any obstacles which may exist in carrying out this important work, which is perhaps rather of a Colonial than of a Provincial character, I gladly accepted the proffered assistance. The Government have further intimated the possibility of includiug the Nelson and Cobden line in a general scheme of railways for the Colony^ which, it appears, is now under their con? sideration." The next subject is a re^ commendation to the Council to pass a resolution with regard to the construction by the Government of large races and reservoirs on the Gold Fields, for the supply of the miners, in order to strengthen the hands of their representatives in the Assembly when the question comes on for discussion, as it most assuredly will, during the ensuing session. The Provincial Council is debarred at present by Acts from either constructing these works, or guaranteeing interest upon privats capital invested in them, so that the only possible course to be adopted is that proposed by the Superintendent. The next, and last cause for congratulation is a recommendation to the Council to re-appoint Mr Kynnersley Commissioner of the Nelson Gold Fields. As this is a subject in which a very deep interest is taken by the residents in this district, we append his Honor's words : — . "On the opportune return of Mr Kynnersley from England, I had the satisfaction of obtaining his valuable services in the settlement of the complicated and irritating disputes then existing at Wangapeka, in the capacity of Warden of that district. Mr Kynnersley's judgment on the principal points submitted for his decision was remarkable not only for its clearness and ability, but for the fact that it appeared to give almost universal satisfaction. I trust that you will agree with mo in the desirability of re-instating Mr Kynnersley in the position which he formerly filled with such distinguished ability and success — that of Commissioner of the Nelson Gold Fields, in combination with the offices of Resident Magistrate and Warden, in the Wangapeka and the Upper Buller. I believe that this appointment would tend to remove much of the dissatisfaction which undoubtedly exists on the West Coast, although the dissatisfaction arises chiefly from the diminished revenue of the Province, and our consequent inability to continue the large expenditure which we were at one time able to devote to promote the development and progress of the South-west Gold Fields. It will also, I think, meet the views of the late Council, as expressed in their resolution of the 25th May last. I have the satisfaction to inform you that Mr Kynnersley and Mr Collins have accepted seats in the Executive Council. Mr Kynnersley will more especially represent the wants and wishes of the South-west Gold Fields ; and Mr Collins, although not representing the district in your counsels, possesses in a high degree the confidence of the miners aud othsr inhabitants of Golden Bay." There is very little doubt but that the Council will endorse these views, and act upon them without delay, so that, at last, there maybe some connecting sympathising link between the mining population aud the Nelson Government.