The Southland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1870.

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

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1870.

Semi-official .. intimation has been received that his Honor the Superintendent of Otago intends visiting invercargill in the course of a week or so. This announcement has not come upon us unexpectedly; on tbe contrary, it was generally understood that Mr Macandbew would make his appearance soon if for no other reason than to take . constructive delivery of the place on behalf of the new administration. Considering the circumstances in which we are situated, this is an event of rather i more importance than it would otherwise be. Energetic as our reunion friends have been, we can hardly compliment them upon the completeness of their arrangements. If we except the fact that Otago has undertaken to provide a certain amount of money to liquidate more pressing liabilities, the whole transaction amounts to nothing more decisive than an unconditional surrender. It is what the common law would call a naked paction : at all events it ranks no higher than a contract made and executed without adequate consideration. No pledge whatever exists respecting the future, so that those who treat reunion as a finished work look at it in a mistaken light. Indeed so far as we, on the part of Southland, are concerned, the movement has only been initiated, and unless we succeed in making more definite arrangements we shall find that we have struck a bargain on the principle which is penny wise and pound foolish. These reflections will we trust check the unseasonable mirth with which the proclamation of yesterday was hailed by some of the more enthusiastic. In the meantime the primary object is to impress upon the public mind the necessity that exists for taking advantage of the projected visit to place matters on a more satisfactory footing. It is a duty thrust upon us by the instinct of self-preservation, and in this case, as in every other, selfpreservation claims precedence as the first law of nature. Our railway works are a point upon which we should like to have a proper understanding with Mr Macaudbew. One of the lines, as our readers are no doubt aware, contemplated ' for immediate construction by the General Government, is the continuation of the Southern trunk branch from the Mataura to Invercargill. !For this* and other lines specified in the schedule annexed to the Bill, the Colonial Government undertook to make the necessary surveys during the

recess, in order that their construction might be recommended at the next meeting: of the Assembly. Now we should like to know something about a certain deputation to the Colonial Treasurer, consisting of Messrs MacAi*-DRE-W, BBAD3HAW, BrOWJST, MAIN, Mekytn, Hatjgkto]*, and M'Lsjdoe, relative to the proposed diversion via Tuapeka. Is it true Mr Macandbew recommended the said scheme to the favorable consideration of the Government, and even went ao far as to state that be would prefer seeing it carried out to the construction of any one of the railway works propounded by the Government? If this is the bent of his Honor's understanding towards us, we shall be a thousand times worse off than ever. It was bad enough to have what revenue we could lay hands upon swallowed up in departmental expenses. Still, we had the limited satisfaction of \ seeing our late Government officials enjoy this beneficence in our midst ; but to find that revenue carried off to Dunedin for the purpose of promoting diversion schemes to our own prejudice, is rather too much for the powers of ordinary endurance. The said diversion scheme is nothing more nor less than a device to connect the "Wakatipu railway with Tuapeka and the Dunstan, in which case the Bluff Harbor and its line may be banked up at Winton Bush. This is a point upon which it is very necessary a proper understanding should be arrived at. Either his Honor is grossly misrepresented or he is playing a very extraordinary card in view of the approaching elections. Let the case be as it may, Southland is interested in enquiring into the matter, and we do hope to find it thoroughly ventilated during the approaching visit. On this subject it is of great importance that extreme deliberation should be observed. The only good result our hard- won experience has wrought for us is the railway designed te connect the goldfields with the district harbor. This is an advantage Southland can lay claim to, and, viewed either as a question of public economy or efficient management, it is essential no effort should be spared to accomplish the undertaking. It formed an express desire of the goldfields, and unless the Government is prepared to take the responsibility of ignoring claims it is bound to respect, no countenance whatever will be given to a project calculated to disappoint such a reasonable request. The Stair-case track between Kingston and Queenstown is another matter to which we invite attention. This is one of the vexed questions resulting from the jealousy created by the trade of the Wakatipu. Otago did no more than consult its own interests when it left the pass just as it had been found. We shall not attempt a minute description of it, as anything approaching a correct likeness would seem to draw too much upon the credulity of our readers. It is nevertheless one of the very worst passes in the province, being nothing more nor less than two stupendous bluffs overhanging the lake, with the track at present going right over their ridges. To blast a road round the ed^es would not be such a grave undertaking, and had it not been for the reason mentioned above, the thing would have been done long ago. The advantage it would secure would be an outlet for our live stock. It would open up to the Southland breeder the Queenstown, Arrowtown, Cardrona, and Dunstan markets, besides completing the chain of track from Southland by Glenorchy to the "West Coast. Further down country we have the Kingston road across the Five Eivers plain, which at a very little expense could be carried so as to avoid a number of the secrossings. Paddy's Alley, at the entrance to the JSTokomai, and the branch road across the Mataura to Switzers, are additional evidences of the withering neglect resulting from provincial jealousy, and as Southland is more or less interested in both of these places, they come home to us as subject-matter for attention. "We simply throw out these hints as a cue to the subjects suggested by the Superintendent's mission to Southland. Although we have no intention whatever of allowing our intercourse with the Government to be influenced by popular prejudices, we are bound to note the fact that in his dealings Mr Maca-vdhew is credited with a certain amount of vagueness. Now we trust this fact will be kept in view during his visit, and that while no occasion is given for groundless suspicion, such an amount of vigilance will be exercised as may bring his j communications under the responsibility ' of an official pledge. '