CANTERBURY SUPERINTENDENTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 232, 1 October 1870, Page 4

CANTERBURY SUPERINTENDENTS.

We abridge the following notices of. the past and present Superintendents of the Province of Canterbury from the Lyttelton Times : — The announcement that another of the leading men of Canterbury has withdrawn from active political life will be received by the public with a feeling akin to disappointment.' . It was only yesterday — comparatively speaking — that Mr. FitzGerald left the province and. buried himself in the recesses of the Comptroller's Office. And now we arecalled upon to part with one who for years divided the interests andregards of theprovinca with the first Superintendent. In parting with Mr. FitzGerald, the older portion of the Canterbury settlers felt that they had turned over a page in life's history, and in parting with Mr. Moorhouse a still larger section of the public will experience the same feelipg. It is owing to the indomitable will of Mr. Moorhouse, and that alone, that we have now a railway between the Port aud the Plains. Beneath the name of Sir Christopher Wren, on the screen over the nave in St. Paul's, is written — Simonumentum. qua? is, circumspice. With equal truth might it be written over the mouth of the tunnel as a memorial of Mr. Moorhouse. Besides this great work, to Mr. Moorhouse is due the only real effort at immigration that has ever been carried on in Canterbury. During his reign, many thousands of people were introduced yearly, and settled upon the land, which was opened out by an extensive system of roads, bridges, and culverts. By a judicious use of the borrowing powers of. the province, Mr. Moorhouse opened the gates of Canter;bury to the world, aiid rendered a large extent of its country available for settlement. That the two most prominent public men of the province should be removed from among us within a few years is certainly somewhat remarkable, and that they should enter the service of the colony, and meet again at Wellington makes the concidence still more peculiar. If Mr. Rolleston can only manage to graft the brilliant talent of Mr. FitzGerald, and the vigerous energy of Mr. Moorhouse, on his own hard-working stock he may yet become more eminent thaa either of; his predecessors.