The Invercargill Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 106, 26 October 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1863.

The news that the Oreti Kail way Bill has been passed by the Provincial Council of Southland, will be received with unqualified approbation by the inhabitants of the Lake District. Scarcely less will they rejoice that a well appointed line of coaches will be started almost immediately between Invercargill and Kingston. The policy hitherto pursued by the Otago Government towards the raining populations, has engendered: a strong feeling of mistrust and discontent, so much so, that a large majority, despairing of redress under the present regime^ would gladly see the Government at Auckland step in aud take the management of the goldfield& into thdir own hands. We have no such wish, but .have no hesitation in saying that the miners of the Lake district would benefit largely by another change, which we are not the first to advocate. That portion of the Province of Otago comprising all the diggings more easily reached from Invercargill than from Otago, should, without delay, be annexed to Southland. That isthe proposition which we are bold enough to advance, and we do so on the ground that a large and wealthy part of the Middle Island community would be greatly benefited by the alteration. Ever since the memorable day when the Arrow and Shotover begun first to yield up their untold wealth to the en«r»y of the miner, the people of Dunedin have watched the proceedings of Southland men with a jealous eye. They knew there was a real danger to be apprehended to the commerce of the so-called metropolis of the Middle Island, and every occasion has been taken by the Otago press to underrate the natural advantages onjoyed by this Povince : nor is that all, we have been plainly told we had no right even to such a share of the Lake trade as we were able to command. Each ounce of golJ which found its way into Invercargill \ was the result of a deliberate robbery] of the Province of Otago. To new j arrivals it may seem we are exaggerating, but a reference to the njwspapers published a few months since, will show at a glance that we are confining ourselves strictly within the truth. Looking at the question on far broader grounds than is agreeable to Dunedin eyes, most of our readers will have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that our neighbors liave keen making a very great mistake in this matter. The mines ought not to be considered merely as a source of wealth to Dunedin, the miners have to be considered. They have an equal right to good legislation with any other class of the community; they are entitled to have justice dealt out to them with an impartial hand, and in order that that may be done, it is necessary, in the first place, that the seat of Government shall be as easily accessible as possible. Now Queenstowa is nearer to Invercargill by more than one hundred miles than it is to Dunedin. Nor is the difference in the distance the only thing which gives Inverca^rgiU the right to be considered as the head quarters of the Lake District. The one road (the Dunedin oue), passes through a mountainous country which. ! forbids the idea of a railroad, or even a really good highway of any description, being made between the two places, whereas the other route (the Invercargill one), is almost the entire distance as level as a plank. Why then should that part of Otago, which can be reached more easily from Invercargili than it can from Dunedin, be governed from the latter town ? There is only orie answer ; the people of Dunedin would lose by the change. The money which is now squandered in reckless profusion in a thousand different way 3 would no longer be forthcoming to suit the whims and fancies of the men who contributed the materials for the late grand expose in Dunedin> It would be expended on • works which* have long been wanted on the goldfields and in their vicinity. This, of course, appears a mere assertion on our part — a sort of hustings promise. An inquiry into the facts, however, will show that the most incontestable of all arguments — self-interest — would induce the Government of Southland to pay more attention, to expend more money in the Lake district were it annexed to us, than the Government of Dunedin. Nature has so identified our interests, that in opening up and developing the resources of the Lake district lies in a great measure the future prosperity of the port towns of Southland ;~the secret of the present large expenditure in roads; bridges, and railways. To keep open the communication with Queeiistown last winter every nerve was -strained, and money -seemed to be no object^ The projected Oreti Railway is constructed solely for the purpose of securing the , Lake, trade. Thus, to develop to the very utmost the resources of that" district, to secure the trade on which we are expending such large sums, is natural and our interest. By annexation we should obtain a larger

revenue from the gold duty and other sources, and thus be Jn a 'better position ,to opeu ui> that than we are at present. -We have' done all we could, and only wish- we could do more. Queenstown and the. Lake Diggings stand, however, in a very different position to Dunedin, aud so long as they remain part of Otago, will con tinue to do sq. Every shilling Dunedin expends in opening up or developing the resources of the Lake District,, is spent grudgingly, for the benefits to 'fesu.lt "from sHch expenditure are to be sharedjhori rather more than shared^ with a rival and not over-loved Province', 'this is the secret of the neglect which the diggers" at the Arrow 1 and Shotover, the merchants and inhabitants at Queenstown, complain of 7 to drain that District of as much money as possible to be be expended elsewhere, to look upon it as the spring from which the water is to be derived wherewith to irrigate and fertilize other fields, is not unnatural on the part of Dunedin, however unjust it may be. No outsider can compete with Dunedin as regards the trade to the Dunstan, Tuapeka, Hoj»burn, &c, diggings, thus the Lake digyings,although the riehest,are treated with the greatest neglect. Duuedin will I not fo:get to take all she can get from them, but she will return as little as she can help. The same arguments apply to the Nokomai and Switzer diggings, which have and will share the same fate as their richer neighbors at the Lake, as long as they remain part of the Province of Otago. The question of annexation to Southland has, we believe, been mooted for some time at (Jueenstown, and we' believe active steps to obtain it have hitherto been delayed, pending the result of Dr Hector's exploration, the inhabitants naturally preferring to be created a separate Province, with a port of their own. The resulis of that exploration will, we fancy, set that matter at rest. Meagre as are the accounts we have received — much mystery seemingly having been thrown over the subject — it wou'd appear that a very indifferent port for veosels of light draught has been discovered, with, a very bad bar, on a very stormy coast. This leads to a pass to the head of the Lake, which, though not so precipitous as was expected, must be pretty high and covered with snow in winter, the road for miles having to be cut through dense bush. In the present state of matters, with Separation staring them iv the face, it is not at all likely that Dunedin will spend a miilion in making a breakwater, and thousands in opening up 10 ids. Should the District be created a separate Province, with this port on the West Coast, and Queenstown as a capital, before a Government could be organised, a pilot service in operation, the road cut and mettaHc'd, and, in fact, the whole coasplex machinery set in motion, the Oreti railway will ba finished. To do the former would require at least two years — the latter, six months. Nature has evidently intended the New River and Bluff as the liarbors and outlet to tbe Lake Country, and long before this port on the West Const can be made useful, the channel of trade will have so fixed itse if. We have left the question of money, to meet immediate expenses were the Laks District to become a seperate Province, out of. the question, as we do not see where that is to come from. We invite, therefore, the diggers and merchants of the Lake and Nokomai Diggings to petition the General Assembly to be annexed to Southlmd ; in doing so, we do not ask them, because they are dissatisfied with King Log, to try a King Stork. We fancy we have shown clearly that it is as much our interest to push and develop the Lake District as it is against the interest of Dunedin to do so ; this is the best security that District can have that every justice will be done them by usj and that they will be greatly benefitted by the change. Were that accomplished, Queenstown, commanding the navigation of the Lake, would become the most important inland city in New Zealand — in fact, the Ballafat of the Middle Island; her extraordinary natural resources, not merely of gold, but copper, tin, &c, be fairly and fully developed, and the day not far distant, when she could boast of being the largest manufacturing city in New Zealand. If annexation is the general wish of the mining populatiou at the Lake, a petition to that effect must be immediately got up, signed, and presented to the General Assembly during the present Session — and no time lost iv accomplishing this.