GREY DISTRICT ELECTION.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 455, 21 January 1869, Page 3

GREY DISTRICT ELECTION.

One of the candidates for election as a member of the Nelson Provincial Council for the Grey district—Mr E. B. Bain— addressed a meeting at Charleston on Saturday evening. The following were some of Mr Bain's remarks on local subjects, as reported in the Herald: — One subject, which they, no doubt, thought of the greatest importance, was the disbursement in a judicious manner of the revenues collected in the district. He had been at some pains to collect the following figures, which ho had no doubt would be found somewhat near the mark :—Bevenue collected in the Charleston district for twelve months from miners' rights, licenses, &c.,£GOOO; gold duty, .£9000; total, £15,000, besides the share of the Customs' duty. The amount expended, as near as he could ascertain, was £3700 for police, salaries and public works, and £1360 paid to the Charleston Hospital, making a total of about £SOOO, or one-third of the receipts. No doubt they would all agree with him in thinking that this was out of all proportion. He was not one of those who thought that every shilling collected in a place should be spent in it whether it was required or not, because we must all pay something towards the general government of the Province, but he thought the disproportion too great, There was some excuse for the Nelson Government in this case, however, as they had been misled as to the amount at their command, through a mistake on the part of the* General Government officers, It would be his endeavor, if returned, j to see a more liberal distribution of the monies collected. There were several public works of great consequence to the district, which ought to be carried out; amongst others, tracks for the miners to get into the interior. It could not be expected that the present gold-field around Charleston would last very long, and it was of the greatest importance that other fields should be discovered. Although he was not in favor of Government prospecting parties, still he thought the end might be gained by the Government cutting tracks into the interior ; it would be preposterous to suppose that the individual digger

conld do so. Mr Bain also alluded tc several other minor wants of the district* and then went into the question of separation. He said that some little agitation Was being got up for the purpose of separating frOni Nelson. He might at onee state that he did no agree with those who had argued in favor of it. He had seen a great deal of evil and very little good resulting from cutting up the country into what might almost be called parish vestries. They had the experience of Westland County before them, and he believed that they were in a worse position now than when joined to Canterbury. He would, however, be in favor of a Municipality for Charleston, coupled with the sale of the town lands • and also, if it were possible, increased representation for the Gold fields.