The Standard AND PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1876.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 425, 4 November 1876, Page 2

The Standard AND PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE. (PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1876.

“ We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny to no man justice or right: We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

In a recent number of Hansard before us, we find the debate on the “ Castle “ Point Harbor Board Bill,” during which Mr Andrew, the member for Wairarapa, in moving the second reading of the Bill, dwelt, at some length, on the advantages that would accrue to that part of the East Coast if the Bil 1 became law, and proceeded to show', with some force, the reason why it should have the support of the House.

Now it will very naturally occur to most of our readers —supposing such a project had not entered into the parliamentary brain of the member for the East Coast Electorate —that it was an eligible opportunity for him to follow suit, and, if not in the direction of a “Harbour Board,” at least, with a view to securing a measure of justice to the ports and harbors within his own Representation But no ; nothing of the kind. Captain Morris on the hustings, and Captain Morris, the member for the East Coast, in the House of Representatives, are two very different individuals,at anyrate, if we may judge by promises made before election, and the breaking of them after it. We would ask, what has Captain Morris done, since taking his seat, to redeem the pledges made to the electors ? We ask the question, and there we leave it for the present, for the reflection of those who like to think, as we shall recur to the subject, probably, ere long. In the meantime we ask the electors to consider the matter, and remember when the proper time comes for discussion, why, taking one instance, Captain Morris allowed himself to be sent on an out-landish “ Kaitnai ” expedition, at the very critical time of the session, while the Estimates were under discussion, instead of remaining at his post and obtaining, if possible, grants of money to which we are, undoubtedly, entitled. For the present we give, in juxtaposition, the speech Mr Andrew made in the cause of Castle Point; and the speech Captain Morris might have made on behalf of Poverty Bay. This is what Mr Andrew say ,— ■■ Mr Andrew, in moving the second reading, of this bill, said he might explain that the anchorage at Castlepoint was exceedingly good ; that there were facilities for landing in all weathers at one side or other of the Hoads ;

that there was a very considerable trade; that two steamers called in there regularly each week ; that -on® of these steamers was subsidized by lhe Government., which at once showed that this Government considered it a place of considerable importance; that it was the outlet of half a million of acres, which might he made us productive as any lan I in the neighbourhood of Timaru, or any other part of New Zealand, but, owing to the state of the shipping accouin.o lation at Castlepoint, this land was allowed to lie comparatively waste. He would point out that the bill hud a good deal to recommend it. In the first, place, it was not obj cted to by the Private Billscommittee. In the next place,it contained no borrowing powers. There was one clause to which some exception might be taken—-the clause relating to a landed endowment; but lie was by no means anxious to insist upon the clause. If it was objected to in committee, he should be quite willing to withdraw it. The real object of the bill was to provide a harbour and landing-place at Castlepoint, which was the only outlet to a large tract of country, and which, moreover, hail not beneHtteil and would not benefit by Sir Julius Vogel’s scheme of railways and public works. The main object of the bill was to place a reserve which was now in the hands of the General Government at Castlepoint in the han Is of a lord board, to be constituted foe the purpose of managing the reserve and providing shipping accommodation. If lhe reserve were placed under the controlof such a Board, a machinery would beprovided which would be of immense advantage tc the district. If any honorable members were at all dissatisfied with the bill, and felt inclined to go into the lobby with the “ Noes,” he would only ask them when in that lobby to look at the map on the wall, and repent: they would see that Castlepoint was the only sheltered place between Wellington and the Kidnappers. He trusted they would vote for the bill, aud in that hope moved the second reading. This is what Captain Morris did not say : —“ ‘ Mr Speaker, though ’tis “ ‘ late, I must lengthen this debate.’ “ The subject I now beg leave to in- “ troduce, is one of such unusual im- “ portance to this House, and of a “ most decidedly unusual importance “ to the district directly interested, “ that, without further preface, I beg “ to move That a respectful address be presented to the Governor praying that His Excellency will be pleased to cause to be placed on the Estimates, the sum of 34,000, or other such sum or sums as to the Governor may seem meet, for the public requirements of Poverty Bay, viz. : £4OOO for harbor aud wharf improvements ; £20,000 for trunk roads, or laying down a line of railway from Gisborne to Ormond ; £6OOO for the Waipaoa bridge ; and £4OOO already promised aud voted for public buildings." “I make this motion, Sir, iu d'efer- “ ence to, and in support of a gener- “ ous sympathy with, the feelings of “ the electors comprising a large por- “ tion of the district I have the honor “ to represent. All the works enu“merated in the motion I now make, “ are of the most urgent character; “ the speedy undertaking of which is “necessary to the well-being of that “ portion of the colony. It will be “ in the recollection of this House, “ Sir—at any rate by the older mem- “ bers of it, of whom you are the “ honored, and patriarchal chief—that, “in former sessions, the justice I now “ seek, ’has been in part promised, “ but, ultimately, wholly denied. It “cannot have escaped recollection “ that tenders have been twice called “for the erection of the Waipaoa “ bridge, but no contract has yet been “ entered into for the work. That “ both it and the sale of the Patutahi “ Block have been most injudiciously “ delayed, in consequence of which, “•many thousands of pounds sterling “ have been lost to the district ; and I “ am sure, Sir, that little as I ever “interested myself in the affairs of “ Poverty Bay, until later days, the “ delay—useless, unnecessary, as I “ believe it to be—has been the means of “retarding settlement there to a great “extent. Sir, I hear subdued objec- “ tions from the ministerial benches, “ but I can assure bon, members that “ if ministers had included that much- “ maligned, and neglected district in “ the programme of their official visits “ and had made themselves per- “ sonally acquainted with the true “ facts of the case ; had there existed “ a sincere desire in the minds of the “ Government to mete out justice to “a population that had subdued at “ once the wilderness and the natives, “ by an indefatigable energy, and the “ exhibition of a noble example, and “ determination to conquer or die in “ the attempt —the graves of many “ resting there are proof of what I “state—l say had the Government “ but entertained an infinitesimally “ small remembrance of the dangers, “ the sacrifices, and the glories of its “ past history, they would not —nay “ they could not have been guilty of “the charge of injustice with which “ they now stand accused. Their error “ has been that of forgetfulness of “ faithful service ; while pain at the “ losses of the settlers is increased in “ remembering the cause of them, and “ the subsequent ingratitude of those “ whom they served faithfully and “ well. “ Sir, I cannot command language “ sufficiently denunciative to express “ the feelings of the settlers of Poverty “ Bay with regard to the public “ buildings, and roads in their district. “They, (the roads I mean), are a dis- “ grace to the Government, and an “ obstacle to the progress of the plstfle': “ Locked up years ago by a proclaina- “ tion of the Governor, under the “ Public Works and Immigration Act, “ which precluded the Provincial “ Government from granting assis- “ tance, they have become a bye-word, “ and reproach, and, but for the “ efforts of the Road Board, would “ have been perfectly impassable. Sir, “ I feel, that if I did my duty in this “ matter, I should move the House to -‘-a . consideration of this question, “ thap—which, none that has come be“forethisllouse.has been fraught with “ greater, or more important results. “But, as 1 don't exactly understand, “ the matter myself, I think it beat’Xb

“ let it Test until the settlers take “ further action themselves. “ Now, Sir, I have listened with “ pleasure to the eloquent appeal of “ the hon. member for Wairarapa in “ support of the interests of Castle “ Point, and I think the hon. gentle- “ man’s argument fully illustrates the “ case of Poverty Bay ; and I can “ only, and humbly, express my regret “ that the same reasons had not “addressed themselves to my mind at “an earlier period of the Session. “ Where I am unable to lead, I am “ satisfied to follow; and in the wordsof “ the hon. member, I beg leave to say “ that the holding ground for vessels “ in Poverty Bay is far better than is “ usually to be found in the Colony. “ The facilities for landing are good, “ but, ou account of the supineness of “ the Government, the bar is still dan- “ gerous from the proximity of sunken “ rocks, &e. Like Castle Point, there “ is a very considerable trade done at “ Poverty Bay, (the Customs receipts “ alone being about £lO,OOO a year) “ But, unlike that place, several “ steamers call in fit the Bay during “ the week, three of which are sub- “ sidized, which, of itself, ought to show “ that the Government ‘ considered it “ also, a place of considerable irnpor- “ tance.’ Poverty Bay is an outlet, “Sir, of, not half a million, but of “many millions-of acres, which, to “ borrow an expression of my hon. “ friend, might be made as productive as any land, in New Zealand, “ but, owing to the state of the ship- “ ping accommodation, and the pretence of an iniquitous land ring,— “ of which the Native Minister is not “ wholly ignorant —is allowed to lie “ comparatively waste. “ Sir, the real object of my remarks “is to move the Government to ‘ pro- “ vide a landing place at Poverty Bay.’ “ It is the outlet to a magnificent “ tract of country, and I can confi- “ dently say, it has. not benefitted, nor “is it likely to benefit, in the next “decade of generations, by .Sir Julius “ Vogel’s scheme of railways and “ public works; therefore, if that is “ a recommendation, I claim a pre- “ ference to the favorable considera- “ tion of the House. If the Govern- “ ment, or hon. members are not satis- “ fled with my statement let them go “ into the lobby, with the “ Noes “ but I would beseech them when in “ that lobby to look at the chart —at “ the handwriting on the wall—and “ if their political sins are not too “ deep rooted, let them repent ere it “be too late, and resolve, in future, “to deal more liberally with Poverty “ Bay, than which there is no place in “ the Colony more entitled to the “ grants of public money, which I “ have considered it my duty to move “ for.” •