The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 682, 12 June 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1867.

The recent session of the Provincial Council has been a mostunfortunate'one for Southland. The p'ettjr iritrigues arid narrow-minded, selfishness that' characterised^ the. conduct', of some. of. its members shows ;plainlyi the course" that' is invariably; pursued when any subject ofj vital importance- comes "before it. No thought of the duties- that -are entrusted to: the local representatives^— iio desire to straightforwardly pursue a line ofj conduct in accordance- wjth the wishes anjd interests of. their . constituencies. — appear to have animated- the majority of the members ; of the. provincial: Council, ■■ -With* the exception of some honorable contrasts, ■ the policy pursued during tiie late sitting'^; uppeered 'to bemostiy dictated by. the worst of! all passions— Vanity and. Selfishness. Diiring the Council proceedings, the | same desire for notoriety— -< the same weakness to be cajoled ;by ' those wjiose interests are not identified with the mass, of the people, characterised the actions* of those members who hitherto prided themselves "on their disinterested patriotism. ¥c : are told that inj the days of ancient Greece the patriotism •of her citizens was lauded alj ove all things— tablets were, engraven with the heridc ' deeds of self-sacrifice, and happy was that citizen esteemed th>t successfully aided the advancement of his •c6iintry-T-and'"w'nd thereby^ gained tb!e esteem and approbation of -his fellowmien. How different and degenerate. has th(e -high standard/of political morality become since those days, history affords ample instances, but seldom has been '■ witnessed' such utter political depravity as was unblushingly set forth at thje late Council gathering. In order to put our readers in possession of the history of the proceedings connected with th[e calling of ; the?; Council at the ea-rly period it was convened, it "'.will:, be necessary to revert back to the lame that th|e great outcry was raised against the apathy of the ; Grovernment and Superintendent in not making roads and I pushing forward public worjjs. His HplroE, feeling keenly the awkward position that he was placed in-— deprived of fundsT-^and. seeing no likelihood of the revenue increasing- to an extent that would warrant him in holding out to the numerous deputations that waited on him for assistance, any-positive hopethat their prayer f6r road-making wduld be granted, commenced drawing the attention of the Q-eneral Groyernment to the urgent necessity /that, existed for aiding; this Province. The straightened pecuniary circumstances of the Colonial G-overnment itself would not admitof any favorable reply, and ; it was only after some time had elapsed, and Dr Knight had been sent to the * and from numerous interviews which that gentleman had with His HoiroE, wherein the most forcible and urgent arguments were put forth, in order to induce theAxiditorGeneral to represent to: the G-enerai Government the position of, affairs, that a favorable light appeared on the hitherto dark ; horizon of the Province. It was ait thjs very time also that the most virulent abjase appears.to have been heaped upon th£ .head of ' the very man who was actively andunceasinglyadvocatingthebest interests of the Province; 'A. considerable period elapsed — -the Bluff line of railway wais 'bpened-^-there was plenty of metal at the Green Hillsr-rthe . money allowedly the General Government, in the shape of proceeds of the pastoral rents, &c, were at bnije devoted to the making of a viable road to :the |3astern district as well as to "Wkllacetown. Seeing that these sums were altogether inadequate for roadmaking purposes, His Honob set about developing the railway scheme. He evidently saw that unless a comprehensive system of internal communication throughout the most important districts of the Province was at once pushed forward, the position of Southland would bs miserable in the extreme. With this object in view lie commenced a lengthy correspondence with the General Government, and indeed, arrfone who takes the trouble to read it will be mosfc favorably impressed

with the vigor, lucidity, "and ability displayed throughout. No one point' that couldpossibtytend to advance the cause for which ho labored was. omitted, and ultimately success attended' his efforts. He obtained from the General Government a promise of the" required land necessary for the construction of. a line to .the,Mataura, and sufficient to finish the Northern Line with iron rails as far as ' "Wiinton. Naturally gratified with the success of ; his negocia'tioris, the next 4 thxng to be done was to convene the Council to pass the necessary_ affirmatory resolutions of the desirability of setting asijde^he land. We all know the result; A jshufllirig, hood-winking, selfish policy intervened. The desirability of making railways was admitted, but the cry. got up! by its real opponents was " we have no confidence in the ■ GrOTernment. We will have another compensation affair. The question must be shelved at allhazards." Tile party wlio got up this cry knew very well that the General Government would assume the sole control of the making of the. railways,, but- it ' did ! not suit their purpose to say so. Unfortunately this view was seconded by thbse who ought to. have known better. The Blacklock Ministry offered- and promised to resign if the " measure was affirmed' in a proper manner, but the trkp was too skilfully laid, and a headlong, rush was made to it - with whatf success we are all acquainted. 'We hope, howevjer, that "the, question -will not be allowed to drop— the salvation of the Province depends upon ifc — ;but> that -His Hpis'OS tie SuPEiirN-XEKDENT will think fitjto ! use :the,,.whoie. of his personal influence with the Colonial Government to Wert so dire a calamity. If the new Executive 'cordially co-operate with him iii sujch a course, there v is ' hope that the machinations of an • interested ; class may yet be defeated, : and the prosperity of the Province restored with fresh vigor. To all those who have made this Province their tuture horne — :\rhose rise will be their rise— and whose fall will also be their fall— the importance of this question cannot be overrated. '■ •