THE WESTLAND COUNTY.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 545, 21 August 1869, Page 2

THE WESTLAND COUNTY.

Mr Fox in addressing the House on the subject of the Westland Police Force stated, tliat the Government had received a telegram from the Chairman of the County Council, demanding, as had been said, " our money or our lives " —demanding that the sum of £40,000 should be sent down by return and stating that a large population were in town demanding the money. If that was not a position of difficulty, he did not know what the honorable members from Westland considered a difficulty. It would certainly be considered a diificulty in a Province whatever it might be in a County. At all events it was a state of things they were altogether unused to in any other part of the Colony. They were reduced to such a state as to be obliged to send a telegram demanding £40,000, and that the people were flocking into the town asking for the money. Under such circumstances, and considering that the honorable member for Westland Boroughs had proposed that they should take over the control and administration of tbe police force of Westland, he thought he was justified in regarding that County as being in a state of considerable difficulty. When the honorable member told them of the amount of revenue which the County of Westland had handed over to it at the close of the last financial year, he seemed

to have overlooked the fact that the revenue had considerably fallen off during the year. It ban fallen off to the extent of £31,000 during rhe year, and, considering tbat there was a demand made for payment of £40,000 when the accounts showed that the sum of £1,500 only bad fallen due, the Government was bound to obtain more information as to the real financial state of the County of Westland. The moment they beard of its financial difficulties they had sent one of the ablest officers of the Treasury to Westland to investigate the subject, and the Government would require to have more knowledge than it possessed at present on tbat subject, as also with regard to the police difficulty and other matters. The Government might ntirely disapprove of the character of the institutions of Westland, but it certainly bad no desire except that of benefiting the County as a part of the Colony.