Southland : in RE. Mementa.

Southland Times, Issue 1318, 7 October 1870, Page 2

Southland : in RE. Mementa.

' Now that the last act of the reunion drama has been played out, and Southland no longer sustains an independent part in the political constitution of New Zealand, reflections are called up, which, to use the mildest form of speech, are of mixed character. We frankly admit we cannot endorse the propriety of the measure, still we are not of the number who indulge such vain regrets for the past as are only calculated to mar the harmony of the future. Happily it is not with the policy of the past we have to do, but with the varied associations to which it gave birth, consequently political acrimony may for the moment be waived, and a united voice raised in memory of Southland's political independence. Of all the nine Now Zealand provinces, the province in question was the youngest. It was brought into existence under the operations of the New Provinces Act, a measure suitable for the period at which it was introduced. Its provisions enabled provincial districts, not exceeding three million acres in extent, and remotely situated from the seat of government, to claim a separate political existence. In virtue of that power, Hawke's Bay seceded from "Wellington in the year 1858. Marlborough from Nelson in 1860, and Southland from Otago in 1861. Unlike the majority of the New Zealand enactments, the New Provinces Act remains unaltered to the present day. "We make this observation with a knowledge of the fact that in its application a slight change was made in the case of Marlborough, but the spirit of the ordinance remains intact. Meantime the circumstances of the Colony changed, and the restricted character of the territorial provision operated as a check to the new provinces. This was more particularly the case with Southland. "Within a few months of the proclamation, of its independence, fields of auriferous wealth were discovered on its borders, and while nature evidently designed Southland to be a leading artery for their commerce, the political boundaries of the country excluded her from participating in the benefit of their development. Acting in ignorance of the limited character of the constitution, the Wabilipu miners made an effort during the early days of the district to secure annexation to Southland. That effort proved abortive from the very fact that the province held the full extent of territorial estate conceded by the Act. The provinces from which secession to<">k place were much to"> conservative in their policy, and powerful in their influence, to countenance the idea that any attempt at enlargement of boundaries would prove successful, hence the Act remained as originally framed. Had matters been better ordered, and the constitution of tho new provinces kept pace with their progress, we should not now have been engaged rakinr up the dying embers of one of New Zealand's youngest political progeny. Had nature's plan been adhered to in 'the aijustment of Southland's territorial righ\s. she would hat c embraced all that additional area of land situated south of the "Molvneux, the river Clut.ha, and thence by Lake Wannka to the West Coast. These were the measure of her natural rights, but they were sacrificed to provincial jealousies. Before dismissing this branch of our review, we may be permitted to add that wo hive had occasion to examine the records of the seceding movement, and the names of the parties more intimately associated therewith. Like every other society of men, a few years have brought numerous changes. Some remain amongst us rejoicing in the step that has just been accomplished, while others deplore it as false and futile. A few are scattered over the four quarters of the earth, and the remainder, like the province whose swaddling bands they wove with so much tender regard, now live in the memories of the past. So much then for the mutability of humanity and its affairs. Southland, at the very outset of its career, contracted a very bad odor in connection with the safety of its ports. Shipping casualties were of frequent occurrence, and those who were interested in damaging our harbors were only too eager to make capital of the fact. i No allowance was made for the absence of such facilities as the buoying off of channels, an organised pilot staff, the establishment of signal stations, &c, without which no port in the world would be deemed safe. Furthermore, there is much reason to suppose that a Bpecies of felo de se — so far as the verdict can be made to apply to shipping disaster — was at the bottom of not a few of the mishaps. The circumstances of the ports were in many respects eligible for transactions that would not bear too close scrutiny. A number of worn-out barks from the neighboring colonies were impressed into the trade, and Southland being looked upon as an outskirt of civilization, catastrophies of this nature were not so liable to be narrowly examined into. Be that as it may, the majority of these marine adventures found a last resting-place juat in the nick of time to save an Admiralty order for their condemnation. No sooner were proper requisites provided than Southland, even as a stripling, outlived this evil repute, and at the present, day her ports enjoy a reputation which, in nautical parlance, ranks A 1 at Lloyds. These remarks apply more particularly to the latter end of 1862, a memorable period indeed in the career of Southland. Down to that time a slow but steady progress had been made. In a survey report dated January, 1857, Invercargill is described as consisting of three buildings, .viz., a fern-tree edifice used as a survey office, a store, the property of Mr James Macandrew, the present Superintendent of Otago, and a house of accommodation, understood to be the prototype of the present Albion Hotel. In the month of February, 1861, we read

that the number of houses had increased from three to two hundred and ten, and that the "house of accommodation" had given place to a couple of hotels, at each of which some thirty or_ forty guests could be provided for " with excellent living, and clean and comfortable *bed-rooms." The population of 1857 is set down at forty, and in 1861 it had Increased to one thousand. A wharf, twelve hundred feet in length, had been built, and every branch of colonial trade said to be represented. Direct communication had been established with Melbourne, L-mnceston, and FTobarfc Town, and friendly relations maintained with, Dunedin by means of several coasting steamers. Complete as this picture may seem to be, the memories of many of our readers can recall blanks that were filled up between 1861 and 1862: The town at the first-named date was confined exclusively to the plateau or terrace skirting the west bank of the Puni Creek, and known as Tay street. " The buildings were strangling, irregular, and disjointed. Dee street, now the centre of commercial activity, was little better than a track, feeling its way amongst dense scrub and flax. The numerous streets and purlieus intersecting the bush, which, thea extended to the borders of Tafy street, could only be found by reference to lithographic plans and survey pegs. In short, lavercargiil had just completed the first step of commercial. enterprise planted ia the heart of a primaeval wilderness. la November of 1862, an event occurred which brought about an entire revolution in the prospects of the settlement. Referring to the Times of that date, we find it described as follows: — "Rumors of extraordinary finds of sold were rife en Sunday last. It is alleged a digger brought into towu 31bs. of very rich gold. Later in the day a person named Macgregor brought down from Lake Wakatipu I7lbs of the precious met-il, and he furnishes a glowing account of the richness and extent of the field. A member of Fox's pirty has also arrived in town with 260z5." These statements are followed by the annexed commentary, " How does this affect Invercargill and Southland^ generally ? The fact of both Macgregor and the others coming here for supplies is not without significance. They are all strangers to Invercarjiil ; they went up to the Dunstan by Dunedin, and they were consequent! v better acquainted with that route than the road by Southland. Their interests are connected with Dunedin, and yet on finding a ' lob ' they make f>r Invercargill to secure supplies." After giving details of the district, the writer conflud^s with the pert interrogatory — " What may our position not be twelve months hence ?" In" less than that time the question was answered ia a manner that must have astonished the writer, sanguine as he appears ti have been. Population came rushing in, town properties realise \ fabulous prices, section after secHon of land was cleared, and buil t upon, and in less than twelve months a dense bush gave place to an urban centre bustling with commercial life. The Bluff Harbor and Invoroar^l~'T i alTway scheme, previously mooted, was taken in hand energetically, and now commenced the retrograde movement. Schemes, rash and inconsiderate, were taken in hand without the slightest hesitation, and the result wa<* thousands of pounds were lost demonstrating the utter worthlesane^ of projects for which in a complete forn there did not exist the smallest necessity. Public works and G-overament contracts speme I to become so many pleas in law for public plunder. Indeed a more ' reckless state of maladministration could hardly have been imagined, and the consequence was the broad road to provincial bankruptcy was opened up with marvellous rapidity. Meantime Otago was not idle. Considering the amount of engineering difficulty with which that province is beset, roads were formed with astonishing quickness. This done, a vigorous competition ensued for the goldfieh'a trade. Our retrospect is now approaching the spring of 186 i, a period memorable for a chapter of accidents which tended to accelerate the downfall of the province. In the firct place a number of disastrous fires occurred, which completely baffled the ingenuity of Coroners' juries to fathom. Tay street in particular suffered dreadfully, and down to the present time she has never rallied. When fire* became so conrnon that extreme vigilance was resorted to, they were to a great extent superseded by that peculiar mode of locomotion vulgarly known as "French leave-taking," so that from commercial depression the place drifted into a state of commercial mistrust. The number who sought judicial release from their engagements was something considerable, so that trade became so completely crippled that competition with a powerful rival like Otago was left out of the question. An empty exchequer rendered the suspension of public works necessary, and not a few current liabilities of the Government were backed up under the file of deferred payments. In the interim the "West Coast goldfields of Canterbury broke out, and. their early attractions, caused the population to leave as it were *en masse. Indeed, one shock succeeded another in such rapid succession that the place became thoroughly shivered, and Southland's blighted fortunes brought on that settled gloom to which, yesterday, the 6th inst., she succumbed. With Southland as a province we hare now done. In the public calendar its name must henceforth rank as a dead letter. Still Southland has not expired the pauper province some of our over-sanguine reunion friends would have us believe. To her successor she bequeaths at least one work which is now. admitted to be an advanced stage in the political economy of the day. This at least proves her policy to have been sound, however culpable her ' management may have been. The Hebrew proverb puts it that one sinner destroys ' a multitude of good, — does it not follow then that this one redeeming point ought to rescue the memory of Southland from the obloquy with which it is threatened ?

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