The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 176, 30 July 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1867.

Our readers have probably participated in our surprise aud disappointment that, with the exception of a letter published iv the Colonist on Friday last, no attempt to analyse or discuss the Prospectus issued by Mr Stevens has yet appeared in the columus of either of our contemporaries. We shall not presume to find cause for this reticence on a subject of such general importance, nor can we attempt adequately to supply the deficiency. But as Mr Stevens has, it seems, expressed himself ready to explain any points which may not seem intelligible, and as such an inquiry clearly comes within the legitimate province of a public journal, we shall make no apology for adverting, in the cursory manner which our space necessitates, to a few statements which seem to us to be irreconcilable with previous conclusions on the same subjects. We are well aware that the license to embody in such documents statements portrayed iv the most glowing colors possible is pretty generally recognised; but we are inclined to believe that in the Prospectus before us Mr Stevens has been induced, probably by his want of personal acquaintance with the localities to which he refers, or by his sanguine anticipations of our future prosperity, to offer as facts what are probably rather the creations of his Lopes aud aspirations, but which, when regarded through the medium of sober truth, tire unquestionably calculated to mislead and throw discredit on the whole undertaking. We are met, not far from the commencement of the Prospectus, with a case in point. It is stated that "from Nelson the railway will pass through the settled dis. tricts of the Waimeas — a perfectly level country — to a mineral district, where not only gold, but copper, tin, lead, and silver, are known to exist." Now it is notorious to those who have watched the gradual development of our mineral resources, that neither copper, tin, lead,, or silver are Jtnozvn to exist in that part of the country to which allusion is made. Indications of copper aud lead have been found in the Wangapeka River, some 30 or 40 miles from the nearest point of the proposed line of railway, and these are mere indications, no lode of either of these metals having been discovered, at all events, as far as it is known to the Government or the public generally. It has, we are aware, been reported that Mr Travers discovered silver somewhere beyond the head of the Lake Eota-rua, near the Spencer mountains, at a distance, we will say, of 20 or 30 miles from the nearest point of the railway, and that distance through a very wild country. We now come to another statement of somewhat similar character. It is confidently stated in the Prospectus that " there are coal-mines at the Buller and the Grey, and other mines within 60 miles of Nelson, that could be worked." Mr Stevens is evidently not aware that the only true coal known to exist " within 60 miles of Nelson," is on the saddle at the source of the Wangapeka, Karamea, and Mokihinui Rivers, about 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, and at least 40 miles distant from the nearest point of the pro-

posed railway. So that, ia order to make this coal-field available, it would be necessary to construe fc a branch line 40 miles iv length, 20 miles of which — up the Wangapeka Eiver — would be enormously expensive, if a railway for coal traffic was contemplated. Moreover, all that we know of this mine is, that a seam of good coal, five feet thick, crops out on this saddle, but with every indication of its being very much broken and confused. We know absolutely nothing of its extent or working capabilities, even supposing that it were in an accessible situation. Such bei^g the case, we presume that the 100,000 tons of coal which Mr Stevens proposes to carry to Nelson for 10s per ton and sell for 15s, "leaving a large margin for profit." must be either from the Grey or the Bulier. Here again a difficulty meets us: the distance from Nelson to the Grey is about 200 miles, which, at a freight of 10s per ton, would amount to a little more than one halfpenny per ton per mile. Our readers will at once see that it is simply preposterous and absurd to imagine that this — almost the minimum rate for the carriage of coal on the magnificent railways ot the mother country — could be possible on such 9 line as can be constructed from Nelson to the Grey, a a most difficult aud expensive country even for alight tramway, not ouly difficult and expensive to make, but also to work, by reason of the steep gradieuts aud sharp curves to be encountered. We had intended devoting some further remarks in this article to a discussion of the probable route which Mr Stevens proposes for the railway; this however would occupy more of our space than we can afford to-day. We shall therefore hope to continue the subject in our next issue. At the same time we beg to assure Mr Stevens that we have no desire whatever to raise up unnecessary or factious obstacles to his scheme, but simply to point out statements aud defects in his Prospectus which, if allowed to pass uncontradicted or undetected, would uofc only militate against its success, but might also be used prejudicially on a future occasion to the credit and good faith of this community generally.