THE PREMIER AT CHARLESTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 43, 19 February 1872, Page 4

THE PREMIER AT CHARLESTON.

We give the following extracts from Mr. Fox's address to the deputation that waited upon him at Charleston : — His present visit was not made with the intention of expressing his own opinion upon matters generally, nor was it to ventilate those held by the Government ; he had not come to instruct, but to gather information. It had become the opinion of himself and his colleagues that they should be more fully informed upon the" requirements of the important miniDg districts of the West Coast ; and with the; object of being made personally acquainted with their grievances and desires this visit was made. His desire was, therefore, information, and he had to thank the deputation for their plain and straightforward exposition. * * * * " * * In answer to a suggestion from Mr. Donne, that if the Government intended to remodel the constitution and to absorb the functions of the Provincial Governments, that then would be the proper occasion to seek an addition to to the representation of the district, the hon. the Premier replied that the Government was not at all inclined to sweep away provincial institutions all at once, and as had been said, with the besom of destruction. Provincial Governments had done an immense good, and had been a great benefit to the colony, in many ways performing duties it would have been impossible for the General Government to have undertaken, but as the country became more populous and the intervals filled up, it waa desirable that they should not remain endowed with such great powers. To attempt to do away wholly with Provincial Institutions, would be too sudden a step, and would create too great a revolution in the existing state of affairs, which would be rebelled against by the more prosperous provinces. The Government would be going past its duty in attempting to so completely reverse the constitution, though it might from time to time be considered desirable to relieve the Provincial Governments of some of their functions. • * *■•*::* * The General Government expenditure of money upon Roads, was the next question brought before him. The sum the General Government had control over, and which might be spent in the Goldfields district as the share of the sum apportioned to Nelson, was about £24,000. Now, this money is borrowed money, upon which interest is payable, and the object with which it was to be spent, was not in the construction of petty roads and tracks, but on works permanent and reproductive in themselves. They must be reproductive in order to pay the interest, and the Government was bound to ipend the money on great permanent works. In the expenditure of the £24,000 on this coast, there had been a great deal of consideration, and much con'Bultation with Mr. Curtis, the goldfields representatives, and the engineers, and the conclusion arrived at Was the connecting the .Buller with the Grey through the two valleys. There was no doubt that this would be a permanent and reproductive work. Looking at the map, it would appear as if in reference to it, nature had said '* do this." It would run through a splendid agricultural district, in which Mr. Dobson estimated there were 40,000 acres fit for cultivation, and ran past the reefs, which, if expectation were fulfilled, would be a permanent source of wealth for years to come. There was therefore every probability of this being a great permanent and productive work. Mr. Dosine had been misinformed as to the' probable cost of the work, for Mr. Dobson]s estimate was, that, if carried through" properly, there would be no surplus whatever — rather otherwise. The sum of £6000 which it was said Mr. Curtis was desirous of withdrawing, and expending on the Waimeas, after discussion, it was found it was- not the intention of the Government so to have expended. It was contrary to intention that any of the money appropriated to the Nelson South West Goldfields should be expended north of the northern, boundary of vthe Buller electoral district. Regarding the distribution of the Road Board subsidy, I see at once the great difficulty this part of the coast labors under, in having its portion of the subsidy reserved by the clause, which states that only so much shall be apportioned in proportion to the rates raised by the Boards, and I will bring the matter under the consideration of my colleagues, in order to see whether the money cannot be otherwise applied. It might with justice be applied to the formation of such a road as that to the Inangahua and Addison's, and to tracks ; and the expenditure on these should also be supplemented by the Provincial Government. There incidentally arose out of this, the tenure of land on 1 Goldfields. He could ;quita see the impossibility of their taking upon themselves the hurden of Road Boards, unless there a large agricultural population. 1 There was

a difficulty in inducing raeh to cultivate ground unless it became their own property absolutely, as there jwos also an objection to building on other than freehold land, and he would be glad if the Provincial Government could see its way clear in offering their lands for freehold sale. It was a matter that did not come within the province of the General Government, but he should do all in bis power to induce the Provincial Government to sell out all their lands, except of course that which proved of an auriferous character. Before concluding, he must allude to a point aJduced by Mr. Donne. Mr. Donne hod spoken as if the General Government had absorbed £13,000, the property of Nelson, under the capitation allowance. This was an error. The General Government had not absorbed it — simply, the money did not come in, aud therefore they had it not to pay. The revenue last year did not come up to expectation owing to the great depression, and finding this great falling off, it became necessary to reduce the capitation allowance to nil the provinces. So therefore what they (lid not receive, they could not absorb. To alleviate, however, the loss the provinces might experience through this, the£IOOOOO was voted for Road Boards.