POLITICAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 232, 16 June 1866, Page 5

POLITICAL.

Politically, the past month has been tho most important in the history of the district. There has been a change of Superintendents, and the new head of the Provincial Government is tho gentleman who was lately chosen by the electors of Westland to represent thorn in the General Assembly or Parliament of the colony. To enable readers at a distanco to appreciate the importance of this change, a few explanatory remarks may be necessary. When the Superintendent who. has / just retired from office — Mr. Bealoy — was elected some four years ago,- the 1 discovery of rich goldnelds on the western side of tho province was undreamt. Canterbury, in fact, consisted practically, at that date, of the country lying to tho east of the dividing Alps, which was dedicated exclusively to pastoral and agricultural xises. The discovery of the goldfields took tho Provincial Government by surprise, and found it totally unprepared to derrt. with a state of things so novel and alien to its accustomed sphere of duties. It could devise no means of providing a soheme of administration for a district destined rapidly to spring into the first importance as a wealth-producing country, but to copy the temporary expedients resorted to in other gold colonies, and appoint a " Commissioner," with little discretionary power. For a fow months this system was endurable, as a practical, however clumsy, provision for a sudden emergency. But Mr Bealey's Government has never since attempted to improve upon the system. It is "tho Commissioner" still, a gentleman acting without local advice, re- 1 sponsiblo to no local public opinion, under instructions to refer the most trivial matters of administration to tho authorities at Christchurch — a distance of some one hundred and seventy miles. During the whole of tho time in which Mr Bealoy held office, subsequent to tho discovery of the Westlaud goldfields, he displayed his marked indifference to the welfare of the district by novcr visiting it until a few weeks ago, when he came over to superintend tho first haul to be made by the Government out of the public land sales. His administration has, not unnaturally, been regarded hero as one from which no active and comprehensive measures for tho advancement and satisfactory government of tho West Coast could 1)0 expected, and all men havo been looking forward to a change as tantamount to tho introduction ot an ontircly new and a better system. Mr Moorhouso, whilst visiting the district, as a candidato for its representation in tho General Assembly, made promises of reforms which would bo most acceptable to the people if carried out. He recognised the existence of tho grievances and anomalies that existed ; ho expressed his readiness to endorse and support a scheme which would bestow upon Westland the substantial benefits of a local government. Such is the gentleman who has now been elected by an overwhelming majority to the highest office in tho province. Tho polling took place on tho 30th nit. Three candidates had been put in nomination the previous week — Mr Moorhous\), Mr Lance, and Mr Travors. Mr Moorhouso had twice filled tho office of Superintendent previously, and in almost every district he visited in tho course of his canvass, was found to have retained a very large measure of his old popularity. Mr Lanco was supported by a poworful and active party, and made many friends even amongst his opponents, who paid homago to his high character and his talents, but declared their preference for a man of whose administration they had had many years' previous experience. Mr Travers stood speoially as the representative of a proposed reform in the land regulations of tho province. Most of thoso who voted against him admitted the soundness of his views, but held that these alone afforded too limited a basis on which to rest his pre-

tensions to tho Superintendency of the province. The following is tho result of tho poll as officially declared by the Returning Officer at Christchurch, on Friday week last : — Moovhouso 1604 Lanco 981 Travera 186 Majority for Moorhouse 623 „ „ over Lanco 1418 Majority for Lanco over Travars 796 Tho day following the declaration, Mr Moorhouse (who had, on tho previous ovoniug been entertained at a public banquet by his friends) assumed tho reins of office The old Executive, as a matter of course, resigned, and tho following appointments, which must be regarded as temporary, pending the opening of the now Provincial Council, were at once made : — President, Mr Tancred ; Provincial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works, Mr Stewart ; Provincial Solicitor, Mr Garrick ; Mr Cass also holding a seat without office.

Tho next event of political importance wo are looking forward to, is tho election of tho members of the Provincial Council, of whoni five are to be returned by Westland, divided into the following electoral districts : —Hokitika to return two members, Greymouth to return one member, and the Goldfields to return two members. The West Coast elections are to come off early next month, the nomination day for the Goldfields being fixed for tho 2nd, and that for the Hokitika on tho 3rd, prox. A. requisition, signed by a large number of influential citizens, has been presented to Mr. Thomas L. Bright, Mr Richard Reeves, Mr Edmund BarfF, and Mr Michael Cassius, and these gentlernqn havo announced themselves as candidates, the former two for the town of Hokitika, and the latter two for the Goldfiolds' district. It is not unlikely that other aspirants to legislative honors will enter tho field, but no names have yet been announced.

The General Assembly is summoned definitively to meet for despatch of business at Wellington, on the 30th inst. In the House of Representatives, the lower branch of the New Zealand Legislature, "the electoral district of Westland" is now vouchsafed one member. As we havo already announced, Mr W. S. Moorhoxiso, the new Superintendent of the Province, enjoys tho distinction of having been returned as the representative of this district.

In accordance with tho provisions of tho Municipal Council Ordinance, the town of Hokitika has been proclaimed a municipality, and will soon bo called on to elect a Council of nine, presided over by a chairman, to conduct tho local administration. The meeting of qualified voters to receive the nomination of candidates, and to fix tho day of polling, has been convened for Wednesday week next, tho 27th insfc. Tho establishment of a Municipal Government in Hokitika, armed with all the powers of a corporate body, within the next few weeks, may be anticipated ; and wo shall be in a position in our next summary to announce tho names of the gentlemen elected to the first Municipal Council.