West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 589, 14 August 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1867.

It is with no desire to keep alive animosity and ill feeling, that we proceed to review some of the more salient points of the discussion that occupied the attention of the League for some three hours ou Monday evening. It is high time, however, that the present movement should be established on a fixed basis, and that it should be embarrassed by no issue still kept open. We had hoped that the return of Mr Prosser would have proved a new source of strength to the League ; and were certainly much disappointed at finding him still undecided in his own mind, and assuming the public to be equally undecided in theirs, as to the particular form of Separation the League has to agitate for. Mr Prosser was evidently unaware of the course events had taken during his absence ; and it is to be regretted that many of the statements made in his presence, were little calculated to afford him correct information on the subject, or to dispossess his mind of the misapprehensions under which it labored. We pass over the nonsense talked about the President and Council of the League being self elected ; and the worse than nonsense about self-seeking motives, as the moving, spring of the committee ; with two remarks only. Ist. The c jmmittee was appointed by ballot at the largest meeting of the League that could be got together by public advertisement and newspaper notices ; and 2nd. That those who talk of men seeking personal objects, in taking part in this movement, betray only their utter and stupid ignorance of the machinery of Government that would be culled into operation if Westland were erected into a separate province. It is very easy indeed to understand how men may reasonably entertain hopes of personal preferment from either the Nelson or the General Government, as their reward — in the first case — for promoting the annexation to that small and unimportant province of the rich territories of West Canterbury, or — in the latter case — for assisting the Stafford Ministry in the prosecution of their favorite policy, to strike another blow at provincial institutions. No doubt either service would b*e one to be amply recompensed ; whilst the only one of the three forms of Separation which have been suggested as practicable, which excludes all self-seeking, is the one aimed at in the Petition of the League. This would abolish all right and power of patronage except such as belongs to the people, who would be the choosers of their own representatives, and through them of their own public servants. Enough, however, of a matter which ought never to have been imported into a discussion of this character. We quoted yesterday from an article in the "Times" of the 30th July, to show in what sense the action taken by the League on the preceding evening was interpreted at the time. It is quite true that no formal resolution was submitted from the chair, in favor of one or another form of Separation. But it is true that such a course was not deemed'necessary to be adopted, solely because the manifestation of opinion in favor of the creation of a new Westlaud Province was general and unmistakeable — a fact of which the further evidence must not be overlooked, that on the subsequent appointment of the SubCommittee to draw up the Petition, the two members for the district who were selected were the two whose utterances had been clear, distinct, unequivocal, in favor of the Province of Westland. Much was attempted to be made on Monday night of the fact that Mr Cassius and Mr Hoos, two of the members present, expressed some difficulty in recommending the adoption of an immediate petition for Separation. But the actual facts of the case were not candidly put. Mr Cassius did not avow himself an anti-separationist. What he said was, that the question of the true relief to be sought was one to be seriously considered, and that he thought it would be better to wait until the provisions of the Local Government Bill introduced by the Ministry were ascertained, before they resorted to extreme measures. Mr Hoos's objection to the movement taking the form of ft demand fin 1 lUo

upon the presumed delay that such a course might involve. The meeting preferred the more decided to the more hesitating counsels addressed to them. It is true there was* no division: no vote. The case against the claim for a new province went by default. In recognition of that fact, the few who* dissented from the policy determined on, then left the room, and the basis of the League became established. Let those who dissent from the con-: tents or the prayer of the petition that has been prepared, withhold their signatures from it. We are persuaded, however, that it will be signed by the great mass of the people throughout the district, who have the intelligence to appreciate the real wants of Westland, and who are removed from the clique influences that unhappily prevail in Hokitika to check and hinder every great political movement. Those who allow these influences to dictate their present course, will long stand distinguished amongst us as having stood aloof from the cause of the people in their critical hour. No sufficient reason was shown to warrant a suspension of further proceedings on the part of the League, until the opinions of the people of Greymouth had been' ascertained. It is perfectly well known that the " Grey River Argus" has, from the first, advocated annexation to Nelson from — no other or better reason than that Hokitika must necessarily be the capital of any new province of Westland that may be created. We do not believe the feeling is shared by the people of the Grey district. The " Argus" has degraded itself by admitting contributions to its columns, vilifying the motives of public men associated with this movement, which the editor's sense of honor, to say nothing of his recollections of friendship, should have caused him to throw into the fire. We do not believe that the people of Greymouth believe, any more than the editor of the " Argus" himself believes, in these silly imputations. What we do believe is this : — That the Grey district cares for nothing more than good government, and that if the petition of the League is properly submitted to them, the great majority of them will sign it. Hitherto they have made no sign, except in the columns of the local journal. Two meetings, convened for the purpose of discussing the question, have fallen through. There is no valid reason for supposing that they will hold back, if the demand for the erection of a separate Province becomes general throughout the rest of the district. The division on the Representation Bill was, on the whole, a pretty accurate index of the political strength of the two islands. The question on which the House really divided was, whether two votes totally uncalled for by any other considerations of public policy, or by any special case made out, should be conferred upon Auckland as a counterpoise to the proposed enfranchisement of an important district in the Middle Island. As a matter of course, the whole of the Auckland men, eleven in number, voted'for the measure ; whiiat the whole of the Otago men, thirteen in number, voted against it. Canterbury gave nine votes in favor of Mr Moorhouse's amendment, and two in support of the bill, one being that of the Hon. John Hall (the Postmaster Geueral), and the other that of Macfarlane, member for Lyttelton. The following analysis shows how the two islands voted on the measure, including puirs : —

There was thus au absolute majority of seven votes against making the increased representation of the North Island a condition of the concession of two more members to Westland. Should the proposed new Bill, however, be brought in and pressed to a division, the numbers will probably shape themselves differently. Many, doubtless, supported the Ministerial measure who will also support a measure intended solely to advantage Westland ; but several others voted for the amendment avowedly on the ground of opposition to all increase whatever in the present number of representatives in the House. As far as we can judge, the chances are that a Bill simply to confer two additional members uponWestlaml would be passed by the House of Representatives — whatever might afterwards become of it in the Legislative Council. But no measure framed on the basis of the late Bill would be acceptable to this district. In any measure introduced the miner's franchise must be protected, instead of the right of voting being restricted to persons registered in respect of a property qualification. Nor will it be expedient at present to effect a distribution of seats. The proposal of the Government to give on member to the goldfields boroughs c viz., Hokitika, Greymouth, and such other municipal townships as the Governor in Council may proclaim from time to time — was one utterly unsuited to the circumstances of this settlement. So far as representation in the General Assembly is concerned, the time has not yet come to treat Westland as other than one district possessing a common franchise ; and we trust that Mr Moorhouse's proposal either to introduce or to promote a measure to confer at least two additional members on the district as it stands, will meet with success. We fear, however, that there is now little prospect of any Bill being passed in time to allow of additional representatives fov Westlnnd appoiwin^ in the

this respect the Stafford Government have notably broken faith with both Mr Moorhouse and his constituents. The promise was very distinctly made at the close of last session, that at the very commencement of the present, an emergency Bill should be brought in to enable additional Westland members at once to proceed to the Assembly. So far from that promise being fulfilled either in letter or promise, no Bill at all dealing with the subject was introduced until the session was far advanced, and party feelings had developed themselves — and the Bill that was then brought down was one most ingeniously framed to raise a party issue between the two Islands, rather than deal briefly and honestly with a simple matter of political justice. We cannot hesitate to describe the course adopted as a gross, breach of public faith. Mr Moorhouse was induced to withdraw bis Bill of last session on the distinct assurance that the Government themselves would introduce at the earliest possible moment a measure that would meet all the views of himself and his constituents ; and when it is introduced at a late period, it is found to be so utterly objectionable that Mr Moorhouse himself is under the necessity of moving its rejection ! Take this fact, and couple it with the disparaging and even insulting remarks of Mr Stafford, the Premier, when discussing, in the course of the debate, the claims of Westland to a proportionate representation of Westland in the General Assembly ; and then judge of the wisdom of those who would sacrifice all our hopes and chances of selfgOA'ernment, for the sake of invoking the paternal protection of Mr Stafford's Government. The following is a return laid on the table of the House of Representatives, on the motion of Mr Wells, which admirably illustrates the effect of the postage tax on newspapers in restricting the circulation of the public organs of opinion and information. It gives the number of newspapers that passed through tke Post-office during the first six months of last year, when there was no postage on newspapers, and during the corresponding six months of the present yea, since the postage was imposed. The returns are as follows :—: — Newspapers posted from January 1 to June 30, 1866 2,049,593 Newspapers posted from January 1 to June 30, 1867 1,511,317 Decrease of circulation ... 538,276 In other words, the fixed policy of the Government has resulted in contracting the newspaper circulation by one-fourth, or to the extenjpof one millions copies per annum ; and as the reward for this magnificent stroke, the Government has derived from the sale of newspaper stamps during the last six months, the sum nf L 3.80 0! It had better have spent an equal amount in encouraging by extraordinary facilities the wide diffusion of journals, which not only disseminate political information throughout the colony, and thus foster that healthy public opinion which is the best gaurantee of a wise and pure government, but which furnish both the governing and the emigrant class of the old country, a more life-like picture of our politics, and our social ' and industrial life, than any number of volumes of blue books could do. Is there no . chance of this most mischeivous impost being repealed ?

We publish in another column all the reliable information that has been received on the subject of the Thames or Kueranga diggings, in the Province of Auckland, about which vague rumors of a more or less exciting character have been in circulation for some days. The substance and extent of our information at present amounts to this : that the prospects hitherto obtained have been exceedingly poor ; that a hundred and forty persons are on the ground ; that there is a probability (conjectured) that the place may turn out a good poor man's field ; but that the hostile .dispositiou of the natives threatens greatly to interfere with the. industry and safety of the miner. Not a very tempting prospect to allure the diggers from the rich goldfields of Westland !

H or. Against. Auckland 11 0 Taranaki 2 1 Wellington 2 4 Hawke's Bay 2 0 Nelson 2 0 Marlborough 0 0 Canterbury ... ... 2 9 Otago 0 13 Southland % 1 2 Totals 22 29 The result ofthe division may be tliui put : — , For. Against. North Island 17 3 Middlo Island 5 2-i