THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 263, 1 November 1873, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The Returning Officer for the districts of Nelson and ita surroundings appears, to have eown his seed of election advertisements on very fruitful ground, for a most luxuriant crop of candidates <is springing up in all directions, and the harvesters will have some difficulty, or at least require some perspicacity, in deciding wbich shall be gathered into sheaves and stowed away in the barn, in the hope that some good may be threshed out of them, and which shall be looked upon as tares, and as suoh doomed to destruction, politically speaking of course. Two only have yet aspired to the honor of being the elect of tbe province as its leader and chief for the next four years, and although rumor hath it that a dark horse is in training and likely to be entered on the iast day on which nominations will be received, I am iuclined to think that he will not put in an appearance, and that what it was at one time anticipated would be a race between a large field, will ultimately resolve itself into a match between the present chstnpion and one other who deems bimsel. worthy of the belt. This new aspirant has noy yet visited us, and we are totally in the dark as to his merits, if he /nas any, but it is said that he is to blow his trumpet aloud among us during the ensuing week, and we shall then have an opportunity, if not deafened and dazed by the blare, to judge whether any of the notes he sounds strike sympathetically on our ears. I doubt it, but we shall soon know more about him and be able to judge lor ourselves whether, during the four years he has held a seat in the Council, he has oniy been hiding his light under a bushel. Those whose ambition is confined to a desire to occupy seats in the ciai Council are of course more numerous, and, for my own part, speaking impartially and without any political bias, I should like to see them all seated within the bar of the Council, for I am sure, judging from their addresses, that immense and immediate prosperity would al onoe be ensured to the province by their elevation to the posts of honor they covet. They are all going to " develop our vast mineral resources " — that is a matter of course, because everybody is looking just now to the proccsß of development; some are going to do all in their power to push forward the railway without delay, others are going to improve the port, encourage public works, open up the country, and retain the laboring classes in our midst, and so on. On the whole there seems to be a general desire to push ahead. The present holder of the office of Superintendent proposes if elected to come down with a policy providing for the promotion of public works, and to fortify himself with an Executive composed of progressionists, and possessing tbe confidence , of the majority of the Council, and everyone who hasioffered himself for election as a Councillor professes to be actuated by a similar desire, so tbat for once unanimity on tbis head prevails throughout the length and breadth of the Nelson Province, and theref e~for or on our own energies depends our future, whether for good or e\*;il — we may look forward tb a period of greater prosperity than we have hitherto enjoyed.'; The Diocesan Synod has been opened during the week by Bishop Harper, tbe Primate of New Zealand, who for the purpose of presiding on this occasion has undertaken the rough and wearisome overland journey from Christchurch. Such active exertion on the part of one who is far from being a young man deserves, and receives the hearty acknowledgement of all in Nelson who are interested inlthe work of the Church. His opening address will by this time have been very widely read, not only by those of bis own Church, but by men and women of air persuasions, and from it many valuable suggestions may be extracted. vV'e hear much at times with reference to the religious teaching of the young. Tbe Primate grapples with this subject boldly. He admits thj^gxistence of many and. great difficulties in tbe way of imparting religions instruction ih our public schools, and shows how the work may bo done in another way. In this paragraph of his address alone there is much to be found worthy I>f earnest consideration by those who believe that we are neglecting one of odr gravest duties to the rising generation by omitting to provide any means whatever whereby they may obtain some higher knowledge tha*a that to be obtained in our public schools. ! The printer tells me that he cannot afford me any more apace, as he has a great deal of other matter to set up including telegrams from all parts of the world. I cannot say how much I regret this, as it was beginning to dawn upon me what an excessively lively week this has been, and how much I might have said &boufe ifc. However, his word is law, and I must obey, . F,