The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 138, 10 June 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1880.

I •-— - ■ — " ■ -*-^ A few weeks ago the Wellington Evening Post devoted an article to denouucing the people of Nelson for clamoring for the completion of the trunk line of railway, and for threatening opposition to a Government that declined to keep a promise made by itself and by more than one of itß predecessors. The following will serve as a sample of the lecture administered to us— our contemporary is referring to the resolution passed at the meeting held on the 12Lh May: — "One is not accustomed to look to 'Sleepy Hollow' for energy or originality, but here we havo a new path struck out with the utmost vigor and^a principle (?) boldly-we might say shamelessly — enunciated which hitherto, if sometimes acted upon, has rather been understood than expressed. Observe, the resolution is 'to strennously oppose any Government till justice is meted out to Nelson in the matter of public works.' Ifc is therefore not directed against the Hall Government in particular, for the Grey Government was denounced with equal bitterness by various speakers for their neglecting to • mete out justice to Nelson.' The plain meaning of the resolution is that the Nelson members are to offer themselves and lheir constituents to the highest bidder; that the only political maxim recognised by that upright constituency is to grasp aB much public money as possible, and that whichever party in the House 'will bid highest is to have Nelson support irrespective of all considerations as to fitness or measures." Now as the force and value of a lecture depends to a great extent upon the honesty and earnestness, as well as the capacity, of him who undertakes to deliver, it, it will, be interesting to see whether the Post was, by ■ the possession of these qualities, in a position to set itself up as a censor, and to prououuee judgment upon a community which has for years past been endeavoring to obtain from successive Ministries the honorable fulfilment of promises that should have been regarded as binding, but, as we were told with a merry chuckle by that highly moral and respectable journal the Christchurch Press, were only made to be broken. The Post, it will be observed, is horror-struck by the idea of a constituency ' threatening to oppose a Government on the ground that it did not carry out its public works undertakings in their district, but, four months ago, our virtuous contemporary wa9 not nearly so sensitive on this subject, indeed, it is not too much to say that it then preached in vigorous language the very doctrine that it now condemns. On fcbe 23rd of February last it had an article on " Wellington and Public Works," in which, after referring to the '• utter neglect and indifference with wjiich the interests of Wellington City and district have been treated by successive Governments " ; comparing the dull state of Wellington with the prosperity in other parts of the colony, and attributing the cause of this amongst other things to the apathy of the people of Wellington, our contemporary goes on to make use of the very arguments so often used in favor of the extension of the trunk line to Nelson, and actually concludes with the very threat which the' Nelson people so shocked hiun by making use of at the meeting which he so severely criticised the other day. This is an extract from the article of the 23rd of February which compares so very awkwardly with the article of the 18th of May :— " Surely it is high time that the people of Wellington awakened from this wretched apathy, and showed that they are determined to have justice done them, that they will not be satisfied with having a few men and' wheelbarrows employed on one small section of the West Coast railway, while all other places hare public works showered on them with a liberal hand; that they will not accept as satisfactory a statement of comparative Provincial expenditure, which Wellington with vast sums spent for colonjaj

purposes, ana in no way for the local benefit. It is absolutely necessary that the West I Coast railway should be pushed on at once 1 with all possible energy. . That line is a work d of colonial value, and certain to, prove repro- r ductive. The completion of this railway r affords the only prospect of this city recover- c ing from the depression which so long baa b effected it, and attaining permanent pros- ( perity. This we must have, and if the peo- i pie of Wellington display proper energy and t determination in pressing their claim its t justice must render it irresistible. Let them i therefore not rest satisfied with having made j a good beginning in to-day's , deputation, but keep up the agitation until their efforts are ] crowned with success. The present Ministry < enjoys a reputation for fairness and equity, ] and we refuse to believe they will forfeit thafc ] character by denying to Wellington that j justice on which Us welfare, or all but ruin, i depends. If it wen possible that they could do < so, they would utterly alienate many of thet. w i wannest supporters, and sooner or later woul I \ inevitably pay the penalty by loss of office—a ] consummation we should give our heartiest aid in bringing about. We hope better things, : however, from the Hall Ministry." The italics are our own, of course, our reason for thus treating the words so marked being that unless special attention were drawn to 'them those who had read the article of the 18 th May might refuse to believe that, less than three months previously, the Pest had actually done the very same thing which it could not bring itself to suffer to "pass uncondemned " in the people of Nelson.