West Coast Times. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 653, 28 October 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1867.

The Hon. John Hall, PostmasterGeneral ; Mr Francis Stewart, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer ; Mr Joshua Strange Williams, Provincial Solicitor ; Mr Bonar, Goldfields Secretary; Mr Maude, Colonial Sub-Treasurer ; Mr Shearman, Commissioner of Police ; a heavy consignment of official documents, and some twelve hundred- weight of mails constituted the freight of Cobb's coach on it? arrival in Hokitika, somewhere about midnight on Saturday. Mr Maude comes as EnumeratorGeneral for the District of Westland tinder the arrangements for collecting the new census of the colony. The other gentlemen visit us, as having duties to discharge in connection with the establishment of the new County.

Westland is likely to remain a '^dis•trict" of Canterbury until the beginning of the new year. The Ist of January next is assigned as the probable date for the proclamation of the County Act. It is considered that the interval will not be too long a period for the necessary arrangements to be made, for effecting the transfer of the provincial departments to the General Government. The change in the administrative system will be very great ; the settlement of accounts between the two sides of a great province going to part company will be a work of toil; and it is very much better that as the thing has to be done, it should be done with careful thought and deliberation, so that the quittance may be complete, and all future complications provided against.

We believe that Mr Hall comes over with plenary powers. But the assistance of the Provincial Secretary and Solicitor will be of infinite advantage to him, in the completion of the important task he has taken in hand. Both theso gentlemen are entitled to a cordial reception amongst us. The fact that a man so well disposed- to Westland in every way, and so strongly sympathising with its interests, as the present Provincial Secretary, failed to give administrative satisfaction to the district in face of the strong opposing influences against which he had to contend, was perhaps one of the strongest arguments the League had to employ in its demand for Separation. Mr Stewart was helpless ; not unwilling. Of Mr Strange Williams, it has already been put on record that his was the one speech of the last session remarkable for its bold and chivalrous defence of the rights of this district, and its claims to ajuster consideration than it was receiving at the hands of the Eastland members. We believe no two men are disposed to regard the loss of Westland to Canterbury, with feeliugs of more regret, and to deprecate the course of action by the Provincial Council which has led to this result.

Mr Hall has the opportunity of carrying out a project which he has always favored ; that if providing for the separate government of Westland without creating it into a new province. He is, as we have said, armed with plenary powers, so far as the organization, of the new government is concerned, the " delegated authority" under the Goldfields and other acts remaining with the Superintendent of the Province, so long us the Province remains one — that is, until the end of the year, when the proclamation of Separation will be made. Mr Hall has himself contradicted a rumor that received currency, that he was to receive the appointment of " Deputy Governor," or nominated Superintendent of Westland. But ye have no doubt that we are not making an incorrect statement when we say that he is likely to be the member of the Executive Government, specially charged with the exercise of the Governor's powers within the district ; and. that his frequent visits to Westland in his official capacity will enable him to exercise his powers with all due regard to local interests and requirements. It may be expected that the nominated Chairman of the County Council will enjoy all the ordinary administrative authority to be exercised under^the " advice "of the Council ; whilst the higher powers will remain vested in Mr Hall, or some other member of the General Government. So long as they are held by amm like Mr Hall, of great appetite for work, of great rapidity of movement, of the rare official aptitude of being "always there" when he is

wanted ; no arrangement could be more satisfactory to us. The County Act is a tentative measure. Its success depends to a very large extent indeed upon the spirit in which ' it is carried out. It confers large powers at the outset on the Colonial Executive. It places Westland in their hands. The power of regulating the land system is given absolutely to the Governor-in-Council. His Excellency is, in fact, made a sort of Dictator or Protector. But, on the other hand, the Government have every interest in making- the present experiment against Provincialism a marked success ; and, in order to make it that success, they must recognise the fact that the Westland County Act has been accepted here as a concession to the demand for local self-government. It was because the right of self-government was practically denied to us by Canterbury that the Separation League was formed. It was in recognition of this right of self-go-vernment which the League petition protested, that the Government Bill was introduced. These are facts patent to the Colony ; and it the success, of the Government measure is to be at all assured, not only as a Westland measure, but as the initiation of an entirely new political system in New Zealand, the Government cannot do other than so administer their measure as to render it satisfactory to the people whom it more immediately affects. The powers of the County Council will be verymuch like what its members choose to make them. If the proper men are returned to serve in it, and if they understand what it is to maintain the dignity of their own office, they will be enabled to establish from the first, their control over patronage and other matters connected with local administration, besides the mere expenditure and allocation of revenues. They will not have the authority to enact " ordinances ;" but they will have the power of passing resolutions which will be binding upon the administrative authority until the Government commits the fatal, mistake of condemning at the outsetofits great experiment, by creating a collision between the Executive and the popular powers. We take it for granted that such a mistake will be avoided, as one that would prove a fatal blow to a new and tentative policy. Of the power of the Couucil to adopt resolutions and embody them in bills to be submitted to the General Assembly, we have already said enough to show the very substantive powers with which this body will be invested.

There is no foundation for the assertion contained iv a telegram in the " Grey River Argus," to the effect that the county of Westlaud was to be divided into two halves, viz., the districts to the north and soutli of the Teremakau. The Act provides for the creation of Road Boards, to which the administration of local rate funds and votes in aid will be confided. But these Boards will bs purely local bodies, and the comity will contain more than two of them. One general Council will comprise representatives of all the districts, and will differ, as we have shown, very little ia its functions from an ordinary Provincial Council.

The Panama mail steamer arrived at Wellington yesterday morning, at seven o'clock. We learn that it is the intention of the General Go vernment at once to take over the Canterbury Provincial Telegraph line, in consequence of the separation of the County of Westland from Canterbury. In connection with the new contract entered into for the transport and delivery of mails, we understand that the Postmaster at Hokitika has been specially instructed to demand from steamers arriving there from the Australian colonies all mails for the eastern side of the province, and to forward them by the first coach to Christchurch. The necessary arrangements being made with the contractors. A Wellington telegram states that Dr Hector has etarted overland northwards, on a geological exploration, with a view especially to discovering indications of gold. It will be seen that the announcement of the appointment of Sir George Bowen to the Governorship of New Zealand in succession to Sir George Grey is based upon a telegram dated London, September 20, contained in the ! " Melbourne Herald" of tho 14th instant. The pile protection work opposite Moffatt's right-of-way has been washed away by the surf, and several of the fascines lately put down between Moffalt's right-of-way and the Empire right-of-way have been cut off level with the sand by the gravel which has been forcibly driven against it by the surf. The pontoon protection near Moffatt's right-of- j way has withstood the force of tho surf, although it appears to have been undermined by the water. During the whole of yesterday men employed by the Government were busily engaged in placing rows of fascines parallel to the row already laid down. These latter rows are, however, buried much deeper, and are, consequently, not so liable to be broken off. It has been suggested that if soveral rows of fascines were placed parallel to each other on the beach, tho result would be that a permanent bank of sand and shingle would bo formed of such magnitude as would successfully resist the encroachments of the sea. It is with much pleasure we learn that the employees on the Hokitika and Kanieri Tramway have most praise worthily established by small weekly payments from each member a fund to make provision for cases of accident which may occur on the line, and the first instalment of these subscriptions was deposited in tho Hokitika Savings' Bank on Saturday night. We congratulate tho promoters of this movement upon tho efforts they are "making to provide for cases of emergency, but although we desire to boo their fund increaso, yet at the same time we heartily hope that the time is very far distant when they will have to draw upon it. Deposits to tho amount of L 214 5s were placed in the Savings' Bank dunng the last week. The weather from dawn on Saturday was most delightful, but as night set in the sky became overcast — heavy showers fell at intervals, and vivid lightning illuminated the horizon. Shortly after midnight a heavy thunderstorm came on, accompanied by a deluge of rain, intermingled with hail. y es tev-

j day the weather was very unsettled, consißtin g of alternate sunshine, rain and hail. We learn that the plains of Canterbury, on the other side of the ranges, are quite parched with drought. The Hon. John Hall arrived by Cobb'a coach from Christchurch on Saturday night, accompanied by Mr F. E. Stewart, Provincial Secretary ; Mr J. L. Williams, Provincial Solicitor ; Mr J. A. Bonar, Goldfiolds Secretary ; and Mr J. F. W. Maude, who is an officer of the General Government. Mr Hall, and the members of the Provincial Executive who accompanied him, are residing at Government House. Mr Shearman, Commissioner of Police for the Province of Canterbury, also arrived by coach on Saturday night, and is, we believe, staying with Mr Inspector Broham at the new Police-barracks. The coach from Christchurch arrived on Saturday night, at half-past eleven o'clock, with the following passengers : — Hon. John Hall, Messrs F. E. Stewart, J. S. Williams, J. A. Bonar, T. W. Maude, Shearman, Beale, Fleming, Lewis, Coates, and two way-side passengers. Tho coach which left Hokitika on Saturday morning, at six o'clock, was met by the coach from Christchurch at Bay's accommodation house. The road is reported to be in splendid condition, but the rivers on Saturday were high. The chief cause of detention was the riolent surf on the beach between the Arahura and Hokitika. That talented and versatile actress. Miss Rosa Cooper, takes a farewell benefit this evening, at tho Prince of Wales Opera House, prior to her departure for Melbourne. The bill of fare selected for the occasion is headed with the thrilling play of " The Wife j a Tale of Mantua," a drama full of incident and sensational effects. Miss Cooper will be supported by a powerful Company, and Mr It. H. Cox has kindly volunteered his services for the occasion. Knowing the great merit of Miss Rosa Cooper's impersonations, and the pains she always takos.not only to give a life-like impersonation, but to be letter perfect in her part, we sincerely trust that this evening the public of Hokitika will show their appreciation of sterling talent by filling the Theatre to overflowing. There was no business transacted in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday. Tho Jewish Burial Ground was consecrated yesterday afternoon with the ceremonial used amongst the Hobrews. The Rabbi, the Rev. Mr Zachariah, performed the act of consecration. We (" Grey Rrrer~Argus ") are informed by the master of the Ann, which called in at Martin's River on her trip from Riverton, that there are a number of miners working in that neighborhood, and doing so well that they would not leave. They ;had no provisions, and their clothes are almost entirely made of seal-skin. They live on fish— seal being the staple ; but they are said to have plenty of liquor, which was all that was left in a store after the provisions had been consumed. The workings are on the beach, and the men are getting gold iv sufficient quantities to induce them to put up with such hardships as they must endure. Martin's is described as being a very fine river, about the size of the Grey, but vessels of a moderate draught can go up for ten miles into a large lake.