WEST COAST TIMES.

West Coast Times, Issue 67, 7 November 1865, Page 2

WEST COAST TIMES.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1865.

We cannot congratulate Mr. Sale, on his first appearance in the character of Returning Officer, The part was new to him, and there was all the more reason to anticipate that he would get himself well up in it. The fact is however, that this gentleman, with .no doubt the very best intentions in the world, has contrived very considerably to muddle the first West Coast Election. At the j last moment on the hustings he appears to have arrived at the conclusion that he was bound to accept the nomination ; of any candidate proposed, without question as to his legal qualification. But if such was the duty expressed on the face of the writ which Mr. Sale was carrying out, what business had he at any stage of the proceedings to entertain the question of legal qualification ? He declares now that this is purely a point for the Provincial Council itself to consider and decide, by its committee. But by misreading the terms of the writ, and misinterpreting the obligations it imposed on him, in the first instance, the Returning Officer has placed the electors of the district in a lamentably false position. He went out of his way, as it now appears from his own admission, in sending to Christchurch to get an official opinion upon the meaning of the statute. He suffered the fact to transpire that he had been advised, that none but those whose names were on the " Electoral Roll" of : the Province were capable of sitting j or of being nominated; and he publicly expressed his intention not to receive the nomination of any gentleman not on the roll. What were the consequences ? In the first place, men whom the people of the district would have been most desirous of securing for their representatives, kept aloof from the contest as one to which they could not legitimately be parties. The people themselves were paralysed — deprived of the opportunity of choosing representatives from amongst themselves, and not caring for j accepting a nominal service at the hands of Christchurch men, they looked with sullen indifference upon a proceeding that had ceased to be of interest to them. Then came the nomination of Messrs. FitzGerald and Crosbie Ward, made under the impression still prevailing, that no name not on the roll would be received by the Returning Officer. The object of this nomination was patent. If we must perforce have an election, whether we will or not — and if we are driven to the choice of Christchurch men— let us, said many of th c electors, choose two gentlemen who can least be suspected of any sympathy with us, and who are least likely to accept the trust of representing us, that the farce of the whole thing may be made manifest to the wide world. It was a fine piece of satire. In the same spirit Lord Brougham and Lord John Russell might have been elected, as they once were by the people of Port Philip, when they refused to send delegates to the Sydney legislature, and demanded a Council of their own. But these eminent states, men were not on the " electoral roll of the Province," and were consequently as disqualified to sit as, it seems, are our own holders of miners' rights. Messrs. Ward and FitzGerald were within the limits of privilege, and the idea was a felicitous oneof returning to these gentlemen in this shape the questionable gift their party had conferred upon Hokitika. But after they had been proposed, the Returning Officer saw fit to change his mind, and expressed his readiness to accept all nominations presented to him, without reference to the question of legal qualification. Whether he was right or wrong, or in which judgment — his earlier or later he was wrong — and in which right — is a point we shall not discuss. But his want of decision and consistency had undoubtedly the effect of producing a new complication at a very awkward moment. We have to look the present position of the question in the face, in a practical spirit. The primary object of the electors should be to enter their protest against the injustice which restricts their range of choice of represenra tires to a class outside of 'their own circle. Under present circumstances — the nomination of , gentlemen who have been pronounced legally disqurt'ljfied having been accepted by \be ,'".lletuvahi<i- Officer ..contrary to j aiiti^inn+lori -tut ■/ "<u« nnsf f-ivt ; 10 , ay

end by voting for the men belonging to the excluded class. The return of Messrs. FitzGerald and Ward would now lose all its significance. We have candidates whose status is officially recoginised — possessing the same, and simply the same, qualification as the electors themselves. Neither Mr. M'Glashan, Mr. Prosser, Mr. Ritchie, nor Mr. Barff, is on "the Electoral Roll of the province." The return of either two of them will be an attestation on the part of tho miners and licensees, of their right to send to the Provincial Council any men belonging to their body. It is possible and probable, that they may be unseated by the Committee of Elections and Qualifications, in the event of their return being petitioned against. There would be nothing in that circumstance to be regretted. It would only give ; force and effect to the West Coast proI test, against the political wrong that has been inflicted under the guise of a boon conferred. There is, onthe other hand, this danger now to be guarded against : in the event of a petition, and the two successful but unqualified electors being unseated — instead of the whole election being declared void, the two men whose names appear on the Canterbury roll might be declared duly elected, even if a single vote only were polled for each of them. That danger should be averted by I the electors generally abstaining from voting for either Mr FitzGerald or Mr Ward, They were nominated for a political purpose under an assumption which proved to be erroneous. The cause of the people can now best be served by the return of either two of the other four candidates. If they are permitted to take their seats unchallenged, tho West Coast will enjoy what has not been intentionally conferred upon it, the advantage of a substantial and bona fide representation in the Provincial Council. If their right to sit is disputed, and their election pronounced invalid, a forcible illustration will be afforded of the disability under which the district suffers. Under tho altered circumstances, any vote given to Messrs Ward and FitzGerald would be a blunder. With this simple explanation of the case as it stands we content ourselves. It is for the electors to exercise their own discretion, well knowing what tha consequences of their votes will be.

The heavy floods of Friday last have, we are sorry to say, made sad havoc with that fine sheet of water, the lagoon, into which the river Totar.l empties itself. On Saturday information reached town that in consequence of its excessive flooding the bank of sand whioh separated it from the sea had givon way, draining off so much of its waters as to lay bare nearly two miles of the upper part of its bed, and so shoaling it as to render it unnavigable. This will be a very serious loss to the numerous boatmen, who formerly made a good thing by conveying passengers and goods from this end to the landing place at the big beach up the river, a distance of quite eight miles ; and travellers instead of having the option of a pleasant hour's sail or row, will now be obliged to tramp through the heavy sand along the sea beach instead. The destruction of the lake, the great beauty of which every one must acknowledge who has visited its locality, may be looked upon as a public calamity, for not only huve wo lost one of the few natural roads to be found here, but at least a hundred people must be by this event thrown ont of employment ; and the township at this end, consisting of a number of hotels and stores, is now, bo far as the position is considered, quite \iseless. Of course it is just possible the opening that caused this mischief may again silt up, and the lagoon regain its former size ; but should it not do so perhaps it would be advisable to take into consideration the practicability of closing it artificially. An immense number of eels were carried by the sudden rush, of water into the sea, for afterwards the beach was lined with them dead, tho salt water evidently not agreeing with their peculiar organisation. A prospecting claim was granted on Thursday last, to J. Brigham, W. Willstead, J. Hill, and J. Fleming. The claim is situated three miles north of the Arabura river, and about half a mile beyond where the track turns up from the beach to the Waimea. It is only one hundred yards in the bush from the sea beach, and the depth of sinking is five feet with two or three inches of wash dirt. Prospects obtained were 1 dwt the tin dish, and tho area of claim granted is 180 feet x 90 feet. The Kate Grant narrowly escaped a too intimate acquaintance with the north spit on Saturday last. She was in tow of the Lioness at the time, and had just reached the very worst part of the bar when the line parted, and there being a heavy sea runniug she was seen at once to set bodily in for the surf. Every one on shore held their breath through anxiety as they watched the Lioness immediately back aslem to pick up her tow again, which, we are happy to say, she most effectually accomplished, although not a bit too soon, at one time it beirig thought by some of the uninitiated the schooner was aground. We, however, had the satisfaction of seeing her safely anchor in the river, and trust that her future touch-and-goes may be attended by equally good pilotage as fell to her lot on the occasion. We are glad to see the steamer Yarra once more ready for work. On Wednesday evening last, all necessary repairs being completed, she made a trial trip do.vn to the lagoon and back to the Wharf. She worked admirably, and is, seemingly as efficient as ever, and with the present prospect of constant employment, will doubtless soon recover the leeway she has made through "her late 'mishap. Amongst the importations by the Star of the Evening, from Dunedin, was one of a rather novel character ; viz ., several cases of cats. In all, we believe there were upwards of fifty of these interesting animals on board, their oivuer reiving on meetip# eager purchasers in a land rats are to plentiful, and cats have hitherto boon so t-'»vc<i.

Tho arrival of -he O"'b-»iliti.? i from W*»l-

Itangitoto and the Albion, Our Melbourne cor* respondent's letter, to hand on Thursday, by the first-named steamship, was crowded out by press of matter on Saturday. We publish it to-day, together with two supplementary communications, received by the Rangitoto. It will be seen that several additions to our steam fleet, hailing direct from Melbourne, may shortly be expected in these waters. We perceive that a paragraph is going the ronnds of the Australian press narrating the hoax lately practised upon Mr. Thatcher in the presentation of a toy watch, and that Melbourne "Punch" is especially making himself meny about the affair. In justice to Mr. Thatcher it must bo said that the sham presentation was the freak only of a few, bent on what they thought a piece of playful mischief. Mr. Thatcher stood very well with the community o f Hokitika, and made a handsome contribution to the Hospital funds, as the proceeds of a concert given by him here. It will be seen from our Melbourne correspondent's letter that a now paddle-steamer of a hundred tons legister and fifty horse power, drawing only five feet o£ water, has been launched in the Yarra, and that offers have heen made for her for the Hokitika trade.