THE PREMIER at WESTPORT DEPUTATION TO THE HON.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 923, 6 February 1872, Page 2

THE PREMIER at WESTPORT DEPUTATION TO THE HON.

W. POX. Yesterday morning a deputation of residents in this district waited upon the Hon. the Premier, at the Court House, to present him with a congratulatory address. The deputation consisted of the following gentlemen:— Messrs. Fisher, Eraser, Powell, Graves, Whyte, Brown, Corr, J. Hughes, Munro, who were introduced to Mr. Eox hy the local member, Mr. E. J. U'Conor. Mr Bickerton Eisher read and presented the address, which was as follows: To the Honorable William Eox, Premier of New Zealand : Sir, —There being no corporation or other recognised public body in our town, whose duty it is to represent the inhabitants upon occasions of this kind, the duty of receiving and welcoming you to this port has been entrusted to our hands. In the name of the inhabitants of Westport we therefore desire to bid you a cordial welcome to the West Coast, and offer our most hearty congratulations on this your first visit to our district. We have noticed with great satisfaction the prodigious and at the same time welt directed efforts which your Crovernment have made, and are now making to open up and develope the resources of the colony by public works and immigration. We trust that during your stay among us you will see much of our resources, both agricultural and mineral, as will justify your Government in devising and carrying out public works which will still further tend to the opening up and settlement of this part of the colony. Tour visit as Premier of New Zealand to the.West Coast at the present time is looked upon as a happy omen, and a hope is entertained that an expenditure of public money in reprjductive works (in connection with the development of our qus?tz mines, and other resources by private enterprize) may afford a subject for future con-

jratulatio'n between your Government md this section of the Zealand lation. We have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servants, Mr Fox in replying to the deputation said, that their cordial reception md kind greeting afforded bim great pleasure. He Was not prepared at this time to express an opinion as to the wants and requirements of their particular district, but he would endeavour to learn by personal inspection what they were. The West Coast goldfields had not hitherto received such attention in that respect as their importance merited, but the omission had been solely due to the time of Ministers being very fully occupied in the pressing affairs of the country, and it was only with difficulty that ho had been enabled to snatch time for his promised visit. Now that he was here iio should see the condition of thiugs with his own oyes and hear with his own ears the representations of the people. He intended to make himself thoroughly acquainted, so far as that were possible during his visit, with the various mining incerests and all the different settlements, including tho interior of this Province, to the verge of Mount Cook. As far as possible he should leave nothing uuseen, and he was especially desirous to hear the sentiments and opinions of the people. Though it was his first visit to 'Westport, yet he thought he could claim the distinction of having been tho first white man who had swum and waded tho waters of the B uller. That was in the year 1846, when in company with Mr Brunner and Mr Heaphy he explored this portion of the island. In those days he could only look forward to a possible settlement of this part of the country in the course of a hundred years. He little thought that valuable gold workings would have so quickly sprung into existence and with their mighty impetus have hastened settlement so early as this No doubt these resources were difficult to devolope owing to the rugged nature of the country, but he trusted that b] the continued exercise of perseverance and the introduction of capital, tin work of settlement, so happily com menced, would be continued success fully. What had been effected wa entirely due to the energetic, perse vering, and earnest qualities of th< people. As regarded capital, unde the Public Works scheme of hi Ministry they would have it in thei power to assist in developing the re sources of the country ; and he coul assure them that the Governmen would give its most earnest effor to render such assistance by appoi tioning to that end any fund fairly applicable to that part of th colony. He had heard their polic described as a rash and speculativ policy. He trusted that he did nc belong to that class of politicians wh would initiate a wild and reckless sys tern of public works expenditure neither did he desire to be classe with the throng of croakers wh< by a timorous, faint-hearted line < action, would allow themselves to I overwhelmed by difficulties which the' . fears exaggerated into obstacles insu mountable. Any great enterprise wj ' open to the objections indulged in t ' this race of croakers. It was no ne ' nor startling policy that the presei ' Government had introduced. The

were but following the example of other countries in applying a policy under which these countries had rapidly progressed. Many of them were being developed in precisely the same manner as this colony; and they were only attempting what had been done and was being done in other British possessions, America, in India, Italy, Turkey, Kussia, and in other countries. He could see qo thing rash or imprudent in applying the superabundant capital of the"old country in preparing a new country for settlement: provided that the money so obtained was economically and judiciously expended. The money so spent woukl be reproductive; and would tend to promote the peaceful relations of the European. and Native races. He trusted that it would never again be needful to spend another shilling in prosecuting a Maori war, entailing such a waste of life and destruction of property, while the resources of the Middle Island would no longer be drained to furnish the means of carrying on hostilities. He hoped that this island would no longer be in the position of a milch cow, and that the funds so generously advanced would be now available for the purpose of promoting its magnificent resources. While he deprecated the condition of things that had rendered war necessary, and the heavy burdens that had been added to the country in order to meet these wars, he could see ueitber harm nor risk in spending borrowed money in the creation of public works, if the latter were judiciously planned and economically executed. As he had said at first, however, he had come here rather to learn than to teach. It was not for him so much to give an opinion on any political question as to learn from them their wants and requirements, and to ascertain for himself the best means of supplying them. In conclusion he would again thank them for the cordial reception they bad accorded him, and would express a hope that the acquaintance so auspiciously begun would be continued to their mutual advantage.