NELSON RULE ON THE GOLD

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1275, 30 August 1872, Page 2

NELSON RULE ON THE GOLD

I^We extract frorn^Han«aj#the#lll r©^ '■- 'port of the speech made by the member for the Grey Valley on Mr Curtis's motion regarding the administration of public

\ (Sir/ |l^aM; ; yerJri ]muc|^ pleased, and I believe a great many members will share in«thaHeelingrthat°ttaH^^ at last recognised 'atafrue position in regard to this question. Although virtually brought- forwards as ariiabstract ciueation, there is no doubt that the motion is intended as one of censure on the present Government. Upon that ; subject, however, I do not intend, to, speak, but I do'< mean to say a few words upon certain points in connectiDn with the motion whicli present theniselves to nry mind as affording valid reasons for opposing it. IC there is one reason more than another which influences me in taking this course] it is that the resolution is brought forward by thei Superintendent of : Nelson;! Having had ample opportunities of-ob-serving the. results of {the honorable member's administration of the affairs of his own Province', I am perfectly certain that I shall be representing the opinions of my constituents and of a large number of the inhabitants • of the Province which is under, his rule when I say that this resolution has been brought forward by a gentleman whose ; whole , administration has beenoiie nnmitigated failure.#|rhat' fact is sufficient" in' itself 'to justify my, c opposing this resolution in the. eyes of my constituents. The honorable gentleman said that it was impossible effectively to ad miniater the public works policy from ome centre, buthe did not adduce a single' argument in support of that proposition,; nor. did he Bhow one instance of failure that had resulted . from^such^administra"frbn. Kis therefore quite open to honorable members' to refer to the administration of works of this kind in other countries, on the Continent for instance, where railways and other works'*- of a kindred nature are entirely in the hands of the central authorities, and in England, where the desire; is rapidly gaining ground that the administration of all those works which affect the people at large should be taken in hand by the Government. . It is only recently that ; the Imperial Goytrnraent has taken over the' management of the telegraph^ arid a stVong desire id; generally expressed that they should also takeover the railway system throughout the country. The honorable gentleman

did not adduce one instance to show the impossibility of administering the railway policy from one centre, andl noticed that he omitted all mention of the immigra- ; tion policy, which is •so intimately connected with it. lam not here to say that the General Government have not 'made mistakes, that there has not been delay in carrying out these works, and r tMt a feeling of dissatisfaction has not' been caused in consequence ; but T I do say that, whatever Government may be upon those benches, having to carry out a policy so utterly different from the old, easy, quiet method of administration, and having to undertake the management of such, large and complicated works, it_ m.ust_be_,expeeted that af'firsT delays and mistakes .will occur. ,1 say,; moreover, that whatever mistakes and delays may have occurred^ thsCJoyernment are entitled to best with -the iheans at their disposal. The honorable' member endeavored to induce the House to; believe that his re. solution was Rartly compulsory ... and partly permissive — :. permissive iriasmuch as delegation; to. the Provincial Governments must' not necessarily follow, but that the General Government might, on their own responsibility, withdraw that delegation and make other provisions; land , compulsory, inasmuch as the General' Government would .be bound: to consult the locil •authorities' as to what works ought to be .carried on. Sir, I believe- the Govern, hietot Have con? suited the looal authorities^ and I may instance jinore particularly a case which occurred in. the Province over which the honorable membpr rules, I believe that, in regard to the expenditure of a certain sum of money, in tlie Province of Nelson, ,the,Goveriiment did consult the honorable member atthehead^of that Province, and because ■Bis-": recommendation' 'did not accord with the views of the General GoNrernhWnt, '•anWthey - thought" lit to^tdkri action in a different, way, he seizelHhe opportunity of! addressing his Provincial Council, ( tp ( ,niake jeripus changes against the Government; : I feel certain ftfaf £am correct in what I state ; but if not,ittnere are honorable, members ! present who can; contradict me if they choose. The House will , } remember that last year ascertain .suniJoLinfln.e.y_w.a3_v,oted»by.thisJlouse for the construction roads on the: Nelson Soutn^es^* GoM Fields, but 1 there/was no definite understanding as, to • the expenditure of that money. The General Government therefore consulted 1 the honorable gentleman is to the djree : tion in which the money should be apent, but his views did not accord with theirs,; and so they acted on their own responsibility. There is, no doubt that the honorable gentleman felt aggrieved in the matter, for the tone of that portion ,ojLhis "address tb"lKe~Oouhcil [ whieff related to the subject— which,^ I: may 's*ay> was not responded to by the .Council, and was carefully avoided in the reply— showed i that he admitted that the aid vice he gave was intended by him to be binding upon the GenerarGovermnent. "' to my mind, exactly what the result .would .be in .alniost 'every case if this resolution were passed ; for putting aside the idea that delegation should be compulsory, and assuming that the Government wore only bound to cOfJsjjJt the Provincial authorities, if their advice of the niatter- were ftQ* ij taken; it would' be Made' .flie; basis of a ;j quarrel between the Provincial aud General Governments. As I said whe^l , rose to 'speak, notluug strengthens my determination" to oppose ' this resolution more than tlie fact tUafc >it ejjjanatgs from ' that honorable gentleman, When J com- : pare the administration of the General Government dwring the last two years with the utter and disgraceful failure of the honorable member to administer the affairs of his own Province during; some six or seven years, which resulted in there beiug large tracts of land with not a road in them, and not a bridge made except what has bj.^n done -by the General Government, I leel tliat I am fully jusfciljpd in opposing this resolntion k > On the part of my constituents, I may say that if this resolution were agreed to, it would carry dismay and discontent through all parts of the gold fields on the West Coast.