THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

Southland Times, Issue 679, 5 June 1867, Page 2

THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

(to the editor op the southland rrrsnss). - I am afraid that the importance of tlwresolutions by of the late Government for the. allocation of land for railway pur)3ose» has not been fully realized by the irihabitaiitpof Invercargil or surely some action would have been taken to enlighten the minds of our representatives— is it another illustration of their chronic indifference? • cr are the people not sufficiently indepenr dent to take part in the affairs of the province; in either case the franchise is Wasted upon such a community. ; Our waste lands are held in security for past liabilities, and are being gradually sold to squatters in such nice patches, knowingly solicited, by that disinterested portion of our population, that by a pur- '*" chase of 200 or 300 acres each, they hare virtually monopolised the balance . of our public estate, besides which the process of bucli land sales must go to discharge pur debt, and cannot be applied to any reproductive works until our past debts he liquidated, (a responsibility equally bind- ■' ing on posterity as upon ourselves) unless > indeed by such an exceptional proposal as that received from bur trustees just now, whereby we have 200,000 acres land put at once into the ta&vketr and sold, 'arid the proceeds • applied torailway works in the. province, hj \" which we receive the double advantage^ as^the lands bought must be improved, and the works- undertaken must -be - pros©-, cuted. So labor would find remunerative employment, and population nrasfc set in. The farmer would have ajmarketand access to it for his produce, highways : and byeways could then be made at a reasonable cost, our sold and unsold wastelands would be marketable at their" proper value, seventy^ miles :of railway traversing the main portions -of our province, and virtually annexing" a large" portion of Otago, would attract capitalists amongst us. Commerce, would receive an impetus which lam sure would have a steady and increasing growth, in fact the compound advantages, if the phrase be. allowed, of this scheme are neither uncertain nor deniable. How has iff come about then that the whole project has been indefinitely postponed? By the bane of provincialism — contemptible party squabbling, and selfish considerations. The squatters, whose monopoly, indeed whose very existence as a classy would have been. seriously endangered by . the' subtraction of 200,000 acres from their sheepfolds, to a man, declared themselves against the measure, . oiie remarkable instance of their unity,- whieb - 1 illustrates their evident motives. Br - Menzies, the father of railways in tiiis province, when speaking: on the subject invariably P'ecame hazy on the "consolidation of the provincial loans," bat voted in favor of,, the amendment,. Secure in there own undivided opposition to the Government resolution, this squatting fraternity (being in the ■ minority) sought to divide the Grovemment supporters," and for that purpose braised' tlie 'party cry "dissolution," the bait was too well set and savory for our • pursuing and place seeking adullamites, who, belying their own ; expressed c'onvic--. tions, and thereby prostituting the trustconfided to them, were' entrapped; of" course : the Blackloek Executive Wer©d'efeat.ed, and .with it, the -railway movement ; now whatever may have .been the-past-failings of the late Executive y in. this matter they have acted with a frankness, and conciliation .enough to; have satisfied the most fastidious opponent. - In apology for such unaccountable conduct, Messrs '; Clerke; Lumsden and. 8055,.. r6fain the plausible arguments, of . tlie • member for Longwood— " ascertain the route ■ and; probable -cpsf, of your railways,, and then we will think over it," '"the more ' Haste the le.a'st „gp'e ed," and they •^ant : "' rush lights' Ji to 'see the way before them ; poor little-things, when will t&ey ever be able to walk alone. I maiatain the province has sustained a greater l<iss by such", conceited and " narrawniinded : delay than any sacrifice they could refer to ; why not first redeem the:;. lands from trust by the adoption* of tbe resolution, and then allow them to remain till satisfied with' all the nbcessary details ? This unfortunate ; delay, and its bearing on the ultimate, abandonment of the whole scheme, has been-denied, . but any one at all familiar with the state of colonial political parties will have no doubt that should the Stafford Ministry be defeated this sessibnj which is in every way probable, bo other political party would grant this .. offer, which beara more the appearance of a favor, than a right, and our throe squatting representatives and our Ibvstcargill nondescript in the House -of Representatives, with Dr Menzies and Matthew 'Holmes in the Legislative *■ Councl, will speedily reason Mr Stafford to alter his policy in respect to ear "Waste Lands ; delay therefore alone can be the only sure means of ultimately mis--1 carrying the whole project. ~Why lose

the certainty for the uncertainty ? What possible injury to the Province could have arisen from the alienation of these lands for such great public works? None ■whatever. -Unless some unmistakeable action of the inhabitants of the Province should be taken against the present position of affairs, this crisis must appear to the world as the wish and opinions of the, people, and of course, all our subsequent rights will avail us nothing, but obtain for us such contempt as our conduct now so well merits. Invercabgilite.