The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 141, 17 June 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1868.

Although the conference which took place last night, oft the adjournment of the Council, between the Members and Mr Morrison was understood to be altogether of a private character, and therefore no reporters were .present, we have been enabled to place before our readers some of Mr Morrison's replies to questions put to him in reference to the proposed Railway to the West Coast, which will, doubtless, be interesting to them. Mr Morrison expressed himself as entirely coinciding with Mr Wrigg in his opinion that the making over the Brunner Coalmine to any company contracting for the construction of the railway would be absolutely essential to the success of the scheme. He thought that Mr Wrigg — as being the engineer who had gone over the proposed line — would be of service io bringing the project forward at home, provided that he had no direct interest in it ; but that if he had, it would detract materially from his influence. Mr Morrison stated that he had taken Mr Wrigg's and Dr Hector's reports as his authorities, no documents with reference to the Mount Rochford or other coalfields having been laid before him by the Government. He considered that very much would depend upon the provisions of the Act to be passed by the General Assembly, and could not say whether the scheme was likely to succeed or not, but it was worth the trial. It was a novel one, for though similar ones had been carried out in America and Canada, those schemes had been floated in England, but much of the* capital embarked in them had been furnished on the spot, and alternate sections were reserved along the line, the company also obtaining a guarantee from the State through which the line was to be carried. Mr Morrison said that, in preference to himself undertaking the starting of the project in the money market, he would wish that the Government should send some duly accredited agent to England, to whom he would give every assistance in his power. We give the above simply as reported to us, without vouching for its verbal accuracy. Whilst experiencing some disappointment in finding that Mr Morrison, whose advent has been so eagerly looked for in relation to this project, does not share in the sanguine anticipations entertained by some of our public men as to the triumphant realisation of our hopes in this direction, it is yet satisfactory to know that he is willing to lend his valuable aid in floating the undertaking in the home market, though we have not been informed what price Mr Morrison puts upon^this partial service, which, considering the large figure to which colonial commissions have been known to amount, might be a matter of some consideration.