West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 626, 26 September 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1867.

The public meeting held last evening could not fairly have come to any other conclusion than the cue arrived at — viz., that the Council of the League have attained a great success, and that the thanks of tlfb people are due to them. The gentlemen who had either held aloof or had seceded from the movement — on the ground of their objection to the establishment of a separate provincial government — expressed their willingness to join the League now that it had consented to accept the terms offered it by the General Government, which, fall short of actual Separation. But it is due to all parties to have this fact borne in mmd — that the arrangement now proposed by the Government, or any one akin to it, was never contemplated as practicable when this movement first originated. What were the several plans proposed at the outset of the agitation ? One was to place the district absolutely under the control of the General Government, by withdrawing the delegated powers of goldfields management from the Superintendent of the province and conferring them on some Wellington nominee. Against this proposal the obvious objection lay, that it would merely effect a change of masters, the new one being more freed from responsibility in the exercise of his powers than the old The substitution of a goldfields agency for die present Christchurch Government was the least acceptable reform that could be offered to us. In the next place, it was suggested that the district should agitate for annexation to NeLsou ; against which proposition several patent objections lay — not the least of which was that no legal provision existed for effecting such an arrangement under the present constitutional settlement. A third suggestion was that the provisions of the Local Government Bill should be applied to the district. But even if that Bill had become law, it was obvious that it would not meet the radical requirements of Westland. What was the principal requirement of the district 1 The control of the whole of the local revenues. Any scheme that gave simply the power of raising and spending "jrates " would have left us as completely as ever at the mercy of the Provincial Council. So long as they had the power of dealing with our customs duties and our gold duty, they would have the power of repeating the financial tyranny of the lust session ; of withholding from us the permission to spend our own money, and of staying publicworks expenditure here, in order to create a surplus revenue for East Canbury appropriation. At the time when the League determined to petition for tho erection of a new province, there wos nothing to indicate the possibility of obtaining the control of our revenues by any reform short of that extreme measure. Men may say now to the, League, " Wnat you have succeeded in gaining is all that we ever asked for.'' But we maiutaiu that it is much more than was ever asked for by those who seceded from the League. They would have been content with a reform that would have fallen very far short indeed of the result •low practically secured. The Bill introduced by Mr. Stafford gives us all the practical advantages of Separation without the only drawback that attached to the creation of a new Province, viz., the necessity of the establishment of a Council with legislative powers.

There has not been, probably, in the history of the colony, any instance of a movement honestly aud earnestly conducted amidst many discouraging influences, being crowned by so prompt and signal a success. And for that success tho people of Westland will be indebted to those who steadily persevered in the task they had undertaken, and who allowed no defections from their ranks and no counter movement to interfere with their proceedings. There was talk last night of the action of another league. But what have the public ever heard of it ? What have the Government who have introduced the Westland Bill ever heard of it? Again, what has become of the Grey movement, for annexation Nelson ? It is now an utterly dead letter ! The Grey refused to join the League, because it had a scheme of its own, and its scheme is defunct. There has been one body in earnest ; one set of men who have worked Steadily amid reproach, misrepresentation, and the imputation of all evil motives, for a practical end ; and there is every reason to believe that they have gained it. Theii " verbose" petition has not been cast aside by the General Assembly ; their c.iso has not been ignored by the Government of the Colony ; they have enlisted the highest influences in support of their case. And if the Government measure in our behalf is carried, tho greatest and most comprehensive practical reform, apart from a change in the Constitution, ever attempted in New Zealand, will have been achieved.

The meeting held last night was convened both by advei c'sement and by circular addressed to every member of the League, and to every member of the original Separation Comrrij^ee appointed at the meeting held ut the Theatre some months back. Its immediate objects were two. First to extend the basis of the present movement by inviting tho co-operation 'of those who have hitherto held aloof from tho League, and secondly lo put the General Government in possession of the fact of our acceptance of the terms offered to us. We should have been very glad, under the circuuvsttuices, to ha,ve seen

Mr Cassius present. As the only town member of the Provincial Council not holding an official position, we certainly think it was a duty he owed to his constituents to attend on an occasion of so much importance, to assist in the deliberations of the meeting. It is not a moment at which our members ought to desert us, or show any lukewarmness in our cause. Au energetic assistance at last night's meeting, might have done more to .serve the district, than any labors put forward in the Provincial Council 'under its present constitution. Considering the vast importance of the telegrams received from Wellington, it is hard to understand the reason of the town member's absence. We congratulate the people, however, on the fact, that neither defection nor timid and wavering support will materially affect the fate of a cause which has strongly recommended itself lo the sympathy of the most eminent statesmen in New Zealand,

Two men have lately been received into the Hospital, suffering from severe injuries by burning, in consequence of their tents taking fire in the night whilst tho inmates were nsluep. In both cases the tents were observed to bo on fire, and the parlies were dragged out in a stale of stupefaction arising from the smoke. The tents are supposed to have ignited from the practice of leaving a fire at night burning outside the tout.

At a meeting of the inhabitants of North Revell street, held on Tuesday evening, it was resolved to bring forward Mr Patterson as a candidate for Municipal honors. We understand that Mr Patterson has consented to stand, aud that a Committee lias been formed to promote his election.

In reference to the late stabbing case at Stafford Town, we are happy to state that the sufferer, Patrick Gavin, who is in the Hospital, is now considered out of danger, although some time must elapse before his complete recovery.

Tho new Police Barracks, in Weld street, will we understand be occupied by the force to-duy.

Some alarm was occasioned on Tuesday night, in the vicinity of the Hau Hau Tramway, about a mile and a-half from Town, in consequence of a man named Benjamin Jones stating that he had taken poison, viz., phosphorus paste. Dr Young was immediately sent for, and administered Iho usual remedies but could not detect neither symptoms nor truces of tho poison.

The Christclnirch. coach arrived in town at four o'clock sharp, yesterday afternoon, after a most delightful journey through the ranges. Messrs Robinson, Lord, and Frost, where the only through passengers. Yesterday afternoon a fine little boy named Atwood, aged two and a-half years, mot with a sad accident whilst playing upon the tramway that leads into tho bush from the upper saw mill, Gibson's Quay. A truck was passing, and ifc appears that tho driver failed to notice Iho child who was knocked down by tho truck, and one of his thighs severely lacerated. Dr. Dormott was immediately sent for and attended to the little sufferer, whom he pronouncod to be seriously but not fatally injured.j ured.

A telegram from Wellington, dated the 19th instant, says — " Government supporters arc privately sounding members witli a view to proposing a supply for two years." A subsequent telegram slates that tho Treasurer incidentally observed that annual sessions of tho General Assembly could well bo dispensed with. A still later telegram reports that a motion by Mr Eeevea, against biennial sessions, was carried nem. con.

Amongst the arrivals from Ciirislchurcli by coach we notice tho name of Mr Frost, a professor of electro-biology, who we understand intends shortly to lecture on the science in Hokitika.

The chairman of the Anglo-American Telegram Company published the following note in the morning papers of July 22nd, from which ifc appears that thci-o is another rupture of tho cable of 1860 :— A telegram, dated Valentin, yesterday, G p.m. {July 20), reports that the cable of 18GG was broken suddenly on Saturday afternoon; thai the preliminary experiments give tho locality at fifty nautical miles from tha other side, i.e., from Heart's Content. This would indicate a very moderate depth of water, in which the injury can be repaired with groat facility, as in tho case of the recent accident to the shore end or' (lie same cable. The 1865 cable is in perfect or.ler.

The " Press " says :— " From a private letter received by tho last mail from Euglaiul by a gentleman hero, we learn that it is more than probable that Lord Lyttelton and his son, the Hon. S. G. Lyttelton, will accompany Mr Selfe on his visit to this proviuce. Tho writer of Iho letter expresses a hope that the Canterbury Eleven will show them some good cricket during their stay.

We lake tho following from tho " Otngo Daily Times":— "Tho Acclimatisation Society arc to be congratulated on the news which wo publish amongst our telegraphic intelligence to-day. Mr Johnson is returning from Tasmania, with 400 trout ova for this Province ; and they will no doubt be landed as soon as the Rangitolo arrives, and be today conveyed to the grounds of the Society at the Water of Leith. These ova will be the first landed in N,ew Zealand ; and if tho Society should be successful, Otago will be the first of tho Provinces to have trouL introduced into the streams. Tho CaJilx:buay Acclimatisation Society deserve the warmest thanks for the readiness with which they allowed Mr Johnson, their Secretary, to take charge of ova for Otago ; as there is no doubt that the Tasmanian Commissioners would not 1 :"-o given ova for this Province, or for m& other, unless thcro had been on tho spot a go ltleman qualified to take proper charge of them during (he voyage. Mr Johnson has with him 800 ova for tho Canterbury Society ; and a successful breeding in at least one of tho Provinces may well bo regarded as tolerably certain. Li hat case, Iho supply of all the Provinces of Now Zealand will bo simply a work of timo; and dealing with tho trout ova and troui, will bo good teaching of how to deal with tho groater work of introducing salmon into tho Colony. Wo hope that the Council of tho Otago Society have tho preparations at 11 10 Grounds so far ready that no danger tp the ova will ariso from delay in getting them into boxes properly placed and es^lied,"