NELSON.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 65, 29 October 1864, Page 2

NELSON.

v.. The mdst important item .pf ,mtelli^nc^)7fr^Smvy7< this Province, arid brie iri which^ eveiy-'Pro-tdnTOiniiyy: the Colony is more,or less, interested is the . .' . . DECISION OF THE SEAT 6w GOVERN-' y7.Yi:Y> IMENT CQMMIBSIpNERS>^^ .S Jt The following is the report which wasjifiadej-by-i- t the Seat; of ' Government Cbriiniission'ers, vthe Honorable Joseph:Dbck'efA*jMeim,ber r 6f>thel3JWgitfr A'/ lative Council of New South Wales ; the Honor- . able ' Sir Francis Murphy, - Speaker" : 6f- th"e7liegisla-c ' J five "Assembly of the colony of Victoria ; and Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esq.,.,pl -^asn^nia f :Try 7. 1 .,^ \ Goverriirient B'uildirigs^Nelsori;' *■* I «-;■ - ,7 -y o<?lPher ; 3,lß6^;77 fo . ;V/; ,_. Siri-r-^We Have : .thelionbr tb7tTaris^iriit J 'tb^^^ yojir" ExceUency a repbrfupon^the" Bite D bf th.e £! Bea.t*6f " -' A Governmedt of New Zealand, in~Cook. Strait ; a subject wliich was submitted for our consideration . in the commision with wMch your ExceUency'-' • hbnoredus on,the 29*l^:iil'uly^ty ,t .7"CYKYY" v- We have the .honor to be, &c, r }•''"■ ""A - : FEA^'ci8 t MTTBPHX, JOSEPH-DOOEBB^ '■> RoNAiD'p.GTOrK. Commissioners for selectirig a;Site for the Seat of Government. -7 ' Hia Excellency .Sir George Grey, G\C;B.i y^ -■■■ a. &c., ■ -*. > i &c.y.7* y w. ic.::: V y y

, : 7.. ; Goverriment^BuflolirigSi'lTelson,' "> vf .. }>K. ' v,, ,-.,,.;.., , i October i 3V1864r..,,v.-, oyy,o yy, - The Commissibners, acting under the - ' above'" ' recited instrument," have agreed, to thevfoUowipg, report : — ; * '"'' ■' _*';'"'*. ■."".' """_ _ .'"'' Y77 Y'' 7Y "" ? " 'In order --tOj guarantee . a ;full : inquiry.7ah.d-an.. - •< . impartial jdeeisiori,- founded Solely UpOH & COh-YY, .Bideration l of-the^ advaaitagea j ±whl«hthe-differentLi -™: sites in Coiok Straits present for, the ; ,adininistra« Jtion of the; Government of the whole Colony, the Commissibners determined to" lay -down a principle ,of inquiry; which should'be'Mgi'dly applicable in the examination of* every" JBite'subniitted to -their';^.7 investigation. This principle comprised mquiries 71htO — ! „./....,-..■,.',;- .. - ~X,:..<j A-.-.-.y Ist. The central position of the site: Its "accessibility either. by land or; by sea from the adjoining -.^ provinces jof New Zealand, .from, -the rvaiioua) ,'< British settlements in the southern heriusphere, and from < Europe - and America, and also the — existing and .projected lirieans of communication., i ' 2nd7 The water capabilities, comprising character of the; harbor,; the approaches ; depth of water ; nature of /anchorage ground ; protection - from prevailing winds; rise' and "fall xjfstides ; currents,, their direction-- and- velocity; -dangers, - whether 'hidden 'or visible.' YIYYtXYI'-D m-1 a Aa..-A:.A 3rd. Land; capabilities,. comprising— rthe. extent - ■ of "proposed site • r natiiralfbrmation of ihie land; v.--water supply for drainage arid sewerage;, facilities for the construction- Of- wharvef* — and piers ;; the sanitary condition eofc of ,the7site;and 7 neighborhood.: v .0.7 Ar-s .-yyy--A . V Yv-:7 4th. The resources of the surrounding country, -.7" its extentj and-. character;. .quantity of „ available land (whether r aHehatedCorv;unaKenated); for-ripasf'r"rl toral or agricultural* pursuits ; jits for building purposes and fuel ;V. other* building; mate- ..; rials, mineral products; roads, and ; facilities, of ;t communication with proposed capital.-*^ __ - - ..----«- Sth. Capabilities of defence : .frpm^attack by land, from j attack by sea^ _" : *-"-j- . -^ 6th. Natural^"disadvantages :v^ether capable of removalfrointhe appliances of acienceivwhether beyond control pr removaL . 7 ? 7>Y „. ,-.,-,..-, • The Cpmmissidriers comrneric'ed "their * labors" at : -"'■' .Wellington, orithe , sdut:herri .coast' of;. the NprthY V Island. They' collected all the information that- - could be laid before them; on the several heads' of ; inquiry, and tested the information so obtained by / personal examination, "wherever such, a course was The Commissioners then proceeded; along ithe southern coast to Wanganui, arid personally examined the harbour ,. and the surrpunding country. - '-■' ?- '- *- : -- '■"•'..'"■> '*" '"■*- AJi . '■> TheCoirimissioners then; passed; to the opposite y shore of the strait, and directed their attention to Picton, in; the Proyinee of Marlborough, •- and minutely examined „Queen Charlotte Sound arid the Tpry Channel; They then proceeded inland s tb Blehlieiirijjand descending by the River) made a personal inspection, pf r 7Port.Hnderw:ood, represented to be the -riatriral: Harbor* of this din---■trict. ; - They abo examined.- the-, pastoral, .districts lying to the south' arid east of the Wairau Talley; v ; yiAXXXA^yAx:;^;;; V Leaving ; Picton, the Commissioners examined i carefully : tha7 'Pelorus cSouridl^Ytovthe* . town--.of Havelock, in the same province, and frorivthencevproceeded through the French, ; Pass ?; to,. Nelson.- ; ; „-,.y,- A-.aa They made a personal inspection of Blind Bay, with its various harbors, including Croixelles on , the east shore, and Jkfassacre Bay and Astrolabe Roadstead '-upon the west, and visited portions of, . the interior of the country. 7. Having ithus made themselves acquainted, as far as was practicable,- with, the, characftr7.and ; capabilities of both shores of Cook Strait,* the •" Commissioners have arrived' at" the '■> unanimous •"- conclusion \ that Well ington, in Port Nicholson, is ~ the 7 7 site7 upon t^ presents the greatest advantages for-the administration of the Government i of the colony. " 7y" *"' The Commissioners v cannot i conclude v the important mission wluch has been entrusted to them without recording their high sense of the valaable assistance afforded to them in pursuing their investigation by the authorities of the various provinces, and also of the spirit of candor and impartiality which has been displayed by tho gentlemen -furnishing the information they're- ' quired. ' " J < ' ' *«' They; are desirous, also, of placing on record - their aclmowledgmerit" of the courtesy and personal kindness received by theiri in every" distiict which they visited. ?*_ ! . FBAjroia. T-xrorar. ■* ,-y - Joseph Docxeb. RoKAirD^C. Oumr.