West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPT. 16, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 617, 16 September 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPT. 16, 1867.

The news from Wellington is of a very unsatisfactory character, as showing the feeble dependence the Provinces can place for a practical legislation upon the General Assembly, in the present state of parties, It is said by a writer in the "Independent," in the course of an article, which is not included in the files before us, but which appears to have attracted a considerable amount of attention, that the Constitution of New Zealand is "on its trial." The Ministry, with all the ability it comprises, exhibits the weakness incident to a coalition of men holding very strongly varied political creeds. On many of the most important questions which have come before them they have "agreed to differ" — but they have differed under circumstances that have tempted them to use against each other all the most effective armory of debate. The discussion on Mr Reynolds' motion in favor of the Ballot was a remarkable case in point. The most distinguished and able speakers on this question were the members of the Cabinet ; and Mr Stafford, the Premier, who supported the motion, found many of his ablest colleagues disputing the ground ou which he took his stand. The frequent recurrence of these " open question' 1 arrangements, necessarily weakens the weight of an administration, aud detracts from the prestige which is one of the great secrets of political strength. It has, indeed, come to be commonly understood, that there is no perfect agreement between the members of the Government upon any one distinct principle of policy. The correspondent of the " Lyttelton Times," who is a well-informed writer, says of Mr Stafford's cabinet : — " Some are in advance, others lag behind, and this, combined with the pressure from without, results in feeble attempts being mado to vindicate principles followed by still feebler and more humiliating compromises, in order to retain the command of the helm." A corresponding want of agreement upon cardinal principles is evidenced not only by tue Opposition, which is a fluctuating body, ! both as to numbers and as to the elements composing it — but by the whole House of Representatives. To quote the words of the same writer :—": — " If the Government is weak from division, the House is absolutely helpless from its utter disintegration. Out of all the seventy members I do not believe that you could find half-a-dozen of those who trouble themselves to think at all who could agree upon a definite course of policy, or a distinct line of action. As a matter of course in these circumstauces, there is no leader and no Opposition " The reasons assigned for this state of things accord with the view wo have always maintained — that the time is not yet ripe for the legislative functions of the Provincial Councils to be dispensed with ; that the varied interests of the several provinces require to be dealt with on grounds so dissimilar that they cannot well be met by any general legislation ; and that special legislation in every instance in which it is required, is not to be hoped for. The writer we have quoted from says that the primary cause of the want of agreement and oneness of action is to be attributed to " the comparative isolation of the province.'' In the words which follow he does not state the case completely. He says :—: — " Men come up to the Assembly charged to the muzzle with their own local concerns, and it takes a month for most of them to get rid of pi'esonceived notions, aud realise the idea that they form part of a Legislature whose business it is to regulate the affairs of the colony. With these imperfect tools we have to tiuker a Constitution which does not work smoothly, and which, as the writer of an article in to-day's " Advertiser " say, very truly, is upon its trial." If they do their duty faithfully to the interests they represent, and the constituents by whom they are sent up, it should surely take more than a month to make members forget thespecialaffairs of their provinces. So long as they remain faithful to thoir trust they will not lose sight of those interests which may be said to be local only — and " realise the idea " that the Assembly has nothing to do with provincial matters c xcept bo for as they form part of that general system of politics to which the somewhat vague expression is applied, " the affairs of the Colony." By these affairs it appears must be understood, the levying of taxes, the issue of deben--tui'os, the regulation of the fiscal system, the enactment of bankruptcy, divorce, and other laws of general and uniform application. If, in order to effect such a party organisation on these leading questionsaswill enable the Constitution to work, the ropresenta> tives of the people are to ignore the special local interests which they more'" immediately represent, no circumstance could furnish a stronger argument in favor of strengthening the hands of the Provincial representative bodies, to whom it naturally belongs to frame Municipal Laws for the good govern ment of the districts with which only they have to do.

That the provincial system has its inconveniencies and drawbacks, may be admitted ; but we hold that it cannot be safely dispensed with until we have at least insular Separation —

•which means the establishment in the Middle Island of a Parliament relieved from the embarrassing necessity of dealing with the many complicated questions which occupy so much of the time of the present General Assembly, and left at liberty to devote itself solely to the task of developing the resources, and reforming the laws of a" colony at peace — with no interests but those of commerce and industry It happens curiously enough that tLe points on which provincial institutions most fail to work satisfactorily, are precisely those which the centralising policy does not propose to interfere with. We refer to the expenditure of money on local works. It is because the Provincial Council of Canterbury has dealt unjustly in this respect with Timaru and with" Westland, movements tending more or less directly towards Separation have been promoted in both districts. Timaru has forwarded a petition and a Bill. As far as we can learn, the Bill provides for the creation of a local Board of Works, to which all moneys for expenditure within the district shall be handed over, and who shall be entitled not only to all local rates, but to a certain fixed proportion of moneys raised by loan for the use of the province. This Bill appears likely to pass, notwithstanding the strong opposition to it of Mr Moorhonse and others. The case of Timaru, similarly to that of Westland, though by no means in the same degree, illustrates the injustice with which the outlying districts of provinces are dealt with. Both cases furnish an argument in favor of Separation, or something akin to it, But they do not affect our position, that whatever number of Provincial Councils are established, it is necessary — if the olony is to be well governed — that certain extensive powers of Municipal legislation should be retained to them.

The Ratepayers' Roll has been printed in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Council Ordinance, and a copy of it is at the Council Chamber, open to ' inspection by every one. The Town Clerk gives notice that claims for insertion on the Roll will be received up to the 25th inst., and objections to nnmea up to the 27th inst. After that date a Court of Revision will be held, and the result will be the authentic list of Citizeus entitled to vote at the approaching election of Mayor and Councillors.

No doubt, in the list at present prepared and printed, many names are omitted of persons who possess a legal title to be enrolled; and we call attention to the circumstance, in order to ensure as \tide an extension of the electoral right as possible. The occasion is one of great interest and importance, and it is desirable that the entire body of persons qualified to vote should take part in this election. It may not, perhaps, be generally understood that all partners in firms that are assessed for rates, are entitled to have their names inserted oa the roll in respect of the property for which the firm is rated. The same right exists iv the case of persons who jointly occupy any house or premises rated to the Corporation. Printed forms of claim, and of objection, may be had gratis at the Town Clerk's office,

We publish to-day an article from the " Press," endorsing our views with reference to the necessity of special legislation by the General Assembly to protect the rights of section-holders at the forthcoming land sale in Hokitika, and the incorapetency of the Provincial Government by '■ permission," to alter the actual law. It is necessary that immediate practical attention should be given to this matter. Holders of unsold sections are fully warned as to the danger of their position. The Superintendent should be at once memorialised to withdraw the late proclamation, and the Assembly petitioned to pass a singleclause Act declaring that the pre-emp-tive right aud compensation clause of the Goldfields Regulations shall apply to the sale of Hokitika town lands notwithstanding the town has been withdrawn from the goldfields.

Tho "' Gazette " announces the further prorogation of the Provincial Council until Friday, the eighth day of November proximo.

Tho intelligence brought up by the steamer Bruce concerning the much vaunted Mokihinui rush is most discouraging, and wo fear the so-called goldfield will pruve another of those mythical finds for which the Buller district is so notorious. During her short stay at the Mokihinui, a great many diggers boarded the Bruce, and one and all declared that the repoits so industriously circulated about tho value of the place were frightfully exaggerated, both as regards tho richness of the ground opened and its extent. They pronounced it to be a " duffer," and declared that if something better wore not meantime discovered, it would be next to deserted by the end of this week.

The coach from Chriatehureh arrived in Hokitika on Saturday afternoon, at half-past three o'clock. Passengers, all through, Messrs R. Davis and Kempthorne. The road is reported to be in first-class condition, and the rivers Tery low.

Deposits to the amount of L 322 6s 6d were placed in the Hokitika Savings Bank during the past week.

The Criminal Sittings of the Westland Circuit Court commence this morning, at; eleven o'clock, before his Honor Mr Justice Richmond.

The brush and pile protection erected at the Empire and Moffat's right-of-ways were completed by Saturday, but fortunately they wore not tested, as, although yesterday was the highest spring tide, the surf did not reach them. The beach is making very fast— so fast that we should not be surprised that ere long it will take a smart walk to reach the surf.

A meeting of gentlemen connected witb. the press was held at Hansen'u Post Office Hotel, on Saturday evening, for the purpose of taking measures towards the formation of a Caxton Amateur Dramatic Club. The business was confined to the appointment of a committee who are to take steps prelinrinarjr

to a general meeting which is to be held On the 21st, at 8 p.m., at which they are to bring up a report, a draft of rules, etc. From the success which has attended similar institutions in the neighboring colonies and the old country, we do doubt not but that if entered into with spirit, a similar result will be obtained here. "We have to call the attention of the authorities to the very dangerous state of the culvert crossing the drain from Tancred-street to Hamilton-street. Many of the planks are quite loose, and on Saturday morning as a person was crossing the culvert one of the planks gave way, and he fell with considerable force into the drain ; in fact it was a wonder his leg was not broken. Immediate attention is required to this, or we fear some serious accident may happen. Mr Rowland Davis, Inspector of weights and measures for We3tland, arrived in Hokitika from Christchurch on Saturday, and will, we understand, commence his duties forthwith. It may be as well to mention that steelyards and spring balances cannot be legally used in purchasing or selling goods, so that those who have been in the habit of using these articles will have to procure other means of ascertaining weight. Writing from Okarita on the 81st ult, Mr Warden Price in his monthly report to the Government, says : — I regret that I cannot report any improvement in mining operations during the past month. This dulness I attribute to the frightful weather that has prevailed, the worst I have experienced during a two years residence in Okarita. So bad has it been, that the miners have not been able to take out a single bottom from their claims. The population are located, and remain in number the same as shown in my distribution return of last month, and are merely waiting for a return of fine weather to resume active mining operations. The Christchurch correspondent of the " Tininru Herald " says :— " As Christchmch treats Timaru, so Auckland Raglan, and your petition for relief from grievances will not be the only testimony raised against the administration that has hitherto obtained of Provincial Governments. Mr Travers took the opportunity in tkc General Assembly of quizzing (hardly criticising) our Provincial Couucil. He taxed it with conceit, and lay conceit to the charge of our Superintendent, and attributed a special presumption in Canterbury to the inordinate beauty of the fine hall in which our locul legislature holds its sittings. By parity of reasoning, the political modesty of Nelson (of which Mr Travers commendably is a stout vaunter) is no doubt referable to some little architectural shortcomings iv its Council Chamber. Against this style of argument I can only say that a Provincial Council never to me seemed of more dignity than when it was inaugurated in Mr Thatcher's house by the river, in a room about twenty feet by twelve, with a lean-to for a Btrangers' gallery, and another for his Honor and Mr Speaker. Since then, times have changed, and, doubtless, we with them." Some time since we informed our readers of the casting-up of a large whale on Hunt's beach, Okarita. We have since learned that the carcase was taken possession of by a couple

of diggers, who tried out a tun of oil, and

could have got much more had they had casks w store it. The coasts of New Zealand used formerly to be the resort of a large number of ■whales, and even now it is a question whether in many parts bay whaling would not afford means for lucrative employment. An inquest was held on Tuesday last; at Okarita, before Matthew Price, Esq., coroner, on the body of a man named Matthew Scanlon, found drowned on the banks of the Little Wanganui River. After hearing the evdence, the jury returned an open verdict. The deceased was thought to have been insane, and to have wandered into the river. The weather during the last few days has been gloriously fine, and yesterday the beach, the wharf, and the streets were thronged with people, who seemed thoroughly to enjoy the delightful day. The roadstead is now clear of shipping; but the appearance of the wharf yesterday was singularly animated. No less than forty-one vessels are alongside — in some places being ranged three and four deep — and, the day being Sunday, each vessel was gaily dressed with colors. Last night, too, was very beautiful — the moon, at her full, rose in an almost cloudless sky, and threw upon the surrounding landscape a silvery sheen, which gave it the appearance of " faerie land." That clever actress and accomplished vocalist Miss Harriett Gordon takes her farewell benefit this evening at the City Theatre prior to her departure for Dunedin. The pieces selected are — "The Woodcutter's Daughter ;" a musical comedietta, entitled "The Four Sisters ;" and a sensational drama, in which Miss Rosa Cooper and Mr W. G. Carey will appear. "We trust that this evening the public will show their appreciation of Miss Gordon's sterling talent by filling the house to overflowing. The following additions have been made to the calendar of prisoners for trial at the criminal sittings of the Westland Circuit Court, which commence this day : — Regina v. M'Kenna, indecent assault; Regina v. Stewart, larceny. The following is the return of Revell-street gaol for the week ended 14th September, 1867, Admitted, 1 male, sentenced to hard labor ; discharged, 3 males ; remaining, 19 males, •entenced to hard labor. Two leases were issued yesterdny (says the Melbourne "Argus") by the Minister of Lauds, to which more than usual interest attaches. The one wa3 to Mr Morton, of the Criterion Hotel, and the other to Mr Joske, wine and spirit merchant, for lands lying contiguous, pretty far back in the ranges beyond Ballan. It has been known for a length of time that a spring of cerated water existed there, of the same class as the seltzer-water of Baden Baden, and of a quality scarcely, if at all, inferior. In winter, the water is less

strongly characterised by its peculiar ingre-

clients, though it is still very fine, but in glummer it is very strong. It issues from rocks of silurian formation, and the stream has forced its way through a natural bed of sandstone, from which its puffs and efferresees down to the creek below. It is the intention of the lessees to do as is done in Germany — to place a silver syphon over the outlet of the water, and to bottle it on the spot, just as ifc issues from the rock, for the Melbourne market. The work will be commenced in a few days, and long before the hot weather sets in thirsty souls will be enabled to refresh themselves with a colonial tonic water not inferior to the famous seltzer.