NELSON, COBDEN, AND WESTPORT RAILWAY BILL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 385, 24 October 1868, Page 6

NELSON, COBDEN, AND WESTPORT RAILWAY BILL.

On the 12th instant, Mr Curtis, Superintendent of the Province, and member for Nelson city in the House of Representatives, rendered an account of his stewardship during the late Session of the Assembly. He gave a retrospect of the whole business that had come before the House, and the share that he had taken in it generally. His speech is of little interest to this district, but his persistence in the moonshine-railway scheme to the West Coast, and the success that attended his efforts in getting a bill passed to sanction its formation, is thus described by himself, and reported in the Colonist. " Another bill of some interest to Nelson was the Nelson, Cobden, and Westport Railway Bill. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) This bill gave powers to the Superintendent to appoint an agent in London for transacting the business without reference back to the Provincial Council. This was deemed necessary by Mr Morrison, who told us that any reference back would stand in the way of the business by delay. The money market might change, and various things might arise to stay its progress, if a reference back to the Council were necessary. This bill was passed. Whether the agent would succeed or not he, Mr Curtis did not know; they could but try. Something had been said in newspaper paragraphs about the preliminary expenses of the scheme ; but these had not been great. It was true that £IOOO, £2500, and £4OOO had been voted as preliminary expenses, but these sums had not been spent, only voted at different times, and all that had been spent on the matter, including Mr Wrigg's survey and expenses was only between £ISOO and £I6OO, —(hear, hear, and applause),—although you would be led to believe from paragraphs in newspapers that a very great deal has been spent. If the scheme should be successful, the preliminary expenses would not be grudged. One thing that shook his faith in its success was the failure of the railway scheme in Otago. That Province had not got the money, although it wanted only £400,000, with eight per cent interest guaranteed. They could not succeed, although money was cheap and plentiful in the market. This was in consequence of the want of confidence in schemes so far distant, a want which he hoped would be dissipated ; and perhaps the difference in our scheme which proposed to give land, might prove to be in its favor. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) As he said we could but try. The scheme would have the valuable support of Sir George Grey, and also that of Mr Eitzgibbon, who had con-

structed the Dun Mountain line, and a railway in Queensland of similar kind to that we want, and who had kindly offered his assistance. There had been a lot of statements that Mr Fitzgibbon was to be paid for his assistance, but this was incorrect, he merely offered his assistance, and he (Mr Curtis) would have been very foolish had he refused it, (hear, hear,) but he had never promised him a single shilling, though, of course, if it were successful, and the thing should be carried out, the Provincial Council would no doubt be too happy to make an allowance to him. (Hear, hear.)" We have received a copy of the bill referred to, from which we make the following abstract. The title is :—"The Nelson andCobden Eailway Land Act." The second clause repeals former Acts, and the third provides that Waste Lands in the Province of Nelson may be reserved, and granted for the construction of the railway at a rate not exceeding five thousand acres for each mile finished and in good working order, as each twenty mile section is completed, other 5000 acres per mile to be granted when the line is perfected. Clause 4< authorises the Governor to lease or gi-ant the railway when finished. Clauses 5 and 6 provide for roiwls and sites for public buildings on land so granted. The seventh clause empowers the agent in England to enter into a contract for the construction of the line within the next three years, and the next directs that the contractors shall give security for its completion. Clauses 9, 10, and 11, refer to the selection of the line, power to alter or divert roads, and to the gauge or gradient of the line. The

gauge not to be less than three feet six inches, and the gradient not to excoed one foot in sixty. Under clause 12 the line is to be completed in five years, and the next binds the contractor to keep it and the stations in good repair for fourteen years. The next provision is for the grant, as above, of 10,000 acres per mile in payment, of land, " having a drainage to the valleys through which the railway shall pass." Any private land required for railway purposes, is to be purchased at the expense of the contractor. Clause 16 provides that no portion of land so granted shall be subject to rates or taxes as long as it lies unsold, or unlet, and by 17 all differences between the contractor and the Government to be referred to arbitration. The two last clauses have reference to theinterpretation of terms and the service of notices So one more step in the farce is reached, and now the agent can go to England, but charm he ever so wisely, he will not delude John Bull into dipping his hand into his pocket to the extent of a million, on account of such a scheme. Even the anxious Superintendent parent, whose remarks we have quoted, confesses his faith is shaken by the fact that Otago, with infinitely better security, and a guaranteed interest on the outlay of 8 per cent, could not, in a glutted money market, obtain £400,000, or less than half of the Nelson modest demand. As to the influence of Sir George Grey or Mr Eitzgibbon, that is simply bunkum, for unless capitalists are very fully assured of the substantially valuable nature of the security, fifty ex Governors, and an unlimited supply of contractors, would have no more effect than the same number of street ballad singers. We imagine that we have now halted finally in this project, or rather shall have done so, when the [unexpended balance so naively confessed to is once disposed of. Till then we shall have intermittent reports from the " agent," which will grow feebler as the cash gets lower, and altogether die out when the last coin is got rid of. Were there any danger of so grave a robbery of public estate being really carried out, the subject would require dealing with otherwise, as it is we can afford to laugh at the monomania that has induced Mr Curtis and others, to proceed so far with what must eventually end in ridiculous failure.