THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDENSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1871

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 34, 15 November 1871, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. WEDENSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1871

We understood that the Provincial Council was to meet on the --ml itest. Our contemporary the Herald suggests, however, that " it is possible that the Provincial Council may not meet at so early a date as had been expected. The explanation of tins is as follows :—— 11 appears that 11 is Honor the iSuperintendent some time since informed his Executive that they might call the Council together for any day after the •_HHh of November. A circular letter wits addressed to each member, to the effect that the Council would assemble on the iC-bid of this month. The sessiun of the Cenerttl Assembly has lasted

longer than waa-anticipated. It appears that the Council 'Can only be summoned by the Sujjerihtendent, and u under the Provincial seal.” Of course the seal is here, and His Honor is yet at Wellington. It is, however, probable that the Superintendent will arrive here before the 20th, and if this should be go, the notices auready issued will be deemed sufficient) and there will be time to announce the Greeting of the Council in the Gazette.” Be this' as it may, the next session of the Provincial Council is close at hand, and it promises to be a very important one. The legislation of the General Assembly at Wellington# has tended to curtail the power of the provinces, and we believe has left them with very small funds at their disposal, It is, however, a matter of simple justice, and at the same time one of the greatest importance, that out of the sum at tlie disposal of the Council a fair share should be voted to the Thames in aid of public works. The Kaueranga District Board has, with commendable forethought, made a resolution at a recent meeting to appoint a committee to wait upon the Goldfields’ members, to request them to support a vote of £I,OOO in aid of roads and other works in the district. This is not asking for a penny too much, and, considering the large amount which the goldfields contribute to the general revenue, we look upon it as a very modest demand, and one which should be voted, if the funds will possibly allow it. The Waiotahi Board will, doubtless, make a somewhat similar demand, with equal justice, and the Parawai Board will very likely follow on the same side, although perhaps a less sum will be asked for. It is only repeating a proposition which has long since been assented to, that upon the development and good management of the goldfields, the prosperity of this province, if not, indeed, of the whole colony greatly depends. The legislation during the present Parliamentary session at Wellington has been decidedly adverse to the interests of the goldfields, and if it is-possible for the Provincial Council, with its limited powers and resource, to counteract this in any way by voting ns large a sum as possible in aid of roads, bridges, and other public works at the Thames, they will be doing an act of simple justice, and will demonstrate that whatever may be said of Provincial institutions having had their day, they have at least vitality enough in the Province of Auckland to survive to protect one of the most important interests oPNcw Zealand. Notwithstanding the large amount of money Lately borrowed, .and the inducements held out to immigrants, it seems very certain that at the present time New Zealand is not looked upon as a favourable place for emigration from the old country, and that it is to America, rather than these Colonies, that the attention of the working man seeking a new home is attracted. Yet we have here the‘ richest quartz mines in the world, a salubrious climate, and a comrtry of great resources. With such advantages, if we had only judicious legislation, it would require no words of ours to attract population here, and to induce capitalists to make investments. Unfortunately, the large loans contracted and the amount of decreasing revenue, and consequent taxation, deter both the laborer and the capitalist alike. We do not, for one moment, supjxtse that the Provincial Council of itself can alter this state of things; but we do think that if the members for the goldfields will only unite and insist upon a fair amount of the revenue at the disposal of the Council being devoted to goldfields’ purposes, that they will accomplish their object, and that a great stimulus and encouragement will thus be given to the development of the field, which cannot but result to the advantage of the whole eomynmity. The newly appointed Goldfields Secretary, Mr John Sheehan, is expected to pay another visit to the Thames before the opening of the Council, when he will doubtless be waited upon by all sorts of deputations requesting him to look after all sorts of interests and wants; and to all these Ave have no doubt he will return a most courteous answer. If, however, the people here can induce him to pledge himself to support all votes in aid of public works at the Goldfields, apart from private interests, and simply in that of the public, and can get the five members for these goldfields to back him, they will have done something to promote the substantial interests of the Thames ' Goldfield, upon the prosperity of which very much depends the future of the whole colony. In a feAV days the next ProA'incial session will have commenced, and Avhat the programme may be as shadoAved forth in the opening speech of the Superintendent, avc, of course, are unaware, but we presume that the Thames Goldfields will fill a prominent place therein, and it behoves our members and the constituency at large to be alive to the importance of the occasion.