The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 18, 21 January 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1870.

The weary inaction and ruinous depres- I sion of trade ia Nelson consequent upon tbe Wangapeka deadlock has, up to the present time, been quietly borne by the public at large, but a general impression | seems to be getting abroad that it is high time some steps were taken towards unlocking the door that has for so long been closed upon the golden treasures that are known, or believed, to exist in that district. Hitherto but four interests or authorities have been represented in this unhappy dispute, but there is yet one more that has to be heard, and when it does speak, it must be with no uncertain sound. The General Government, the Provincial Government, tbe purchasers, and the miners have up to the present time been the only parties who have interfered, or shown the slightest interest in the matter, and .the General Government may well be pardoned if they have come to the conclusion that the public at large are indifferent to the delay that has taken place in the working of this goldfield, for as yet they have made no sign. This apparent apathy, however, cannot last for ever, and it is with considerable satisfaction that we find that some of our business men are bestirring themselves, and that a public meeting is contemplated for the purpose of petitioning the General Government to proceed with the survey of the disputed land with a view to proclaiming the whole district a goldfield. This, it will be remembered, was the intention of the Provincial Executive when first the dispute arose, but it was delayed at the request of the Colonial Secretary, and the consequence is tbat the whole of the miners have been idle for the last three months, whereas, if such a course had been pursued, the only ground withheld from the public would have been those miserable 130 acres, for the sake of which the progress of the whole province has been retarded. Now is the time then for the business portion of the population, and such of the miners as are not individually interested in this particular little patch of land to make a move ; let them lay before the General Government the wretched state of things which prevails in Nelson at the present moment, let them point out that the cause of such depression is that the right to work a paltry hundred and thirty acres is in dispute, and let them ask whether it is fair, whether it is just, whether it is conducive to the public weal, that the interests of the province at large should be overlooked while the proprietorship of this small block of land is being decided. To those who are stirring in the matter we would say, do not be satisfied with merely discussing the desirability of holding a public meeting, but put your ideas into some practicable working shape without delay, call the meeting, and that soon, and depend upon it that never yet was there such a crowd collected in the Provincial HaU as will be the case on that evening when the public are invited to take part in discussing a subject of such vital importance to the province as the opening up of the Wan* gapeka diatriot, with all its vast mineral wealth.

The Flying Squadron is expected to arrive at Wellington from Lyttelton on Sunday nest. Pkesbyterian Chuec&.— The Presbytery met on Wednesday last, when the Rev. John Bannatyne, minister at Takaka, was elected Moderator tor the ensuing twelve months, and was appointed to induct the Rev. Mr. Sheriffs to the pastoral charge of Blenheim. Mr. Calder gave notice that at the next ordinary meeting, he would move thatthe General Assembly be requested to establish a theological lectureship in connection with the meetings of that body. A meeting was held in the evening at the Temperance Hall, the Hon. Dr. Renwick, M.L.C., in the chair, when, after the transaction of the customary business, addresses were delivered by the varioj3 ministers, and the proceedings were varied by readings and the singing of anthems. The financial statement was most satisfactory, showing that half the balance of the debt existing a year ago had been paid off.