The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we Strive. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1872.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 932, 27 February 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we Strive. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1872.

The Nelson " Colonist" of the 23rd instant, in a leading article, attempts td argue ia favor of the misappropriation which was happily prevented by the action taken by Mr O'Conor at the meeting which took place upon the Premier's arrival at "Westport; it will be remembered that Mr O'Conor pointed out to the Premier that the whole sum of £24,000 was allocated to those districts in Nelson Province represented in the House by the members for the Grey and Buller. This was done at their urgent request, upon the representation that if it were not so, the money would, in all likelihood, be frittered away in such unremunerative works as would be comparatively useless. The division of the fund was arrived at upon the basis of population, the population of the Grey and Buller only being taken-, therefore it would be unjust to expend the money out of these districts. Again numerously signed petitions were presented to the House of Assembly asking that a dray road might he made from the Grey river to the Buller ; the advantages to result from this work were generally acknowledged, and it was tacitly agreed by our representatives that the whole of our share in the Middle Island Kailway fund should be spent, if necessary, in completing it. On the ether hand the representatives of the settled districts, including the member for Waimea, agreed that we should get our four elevenths, and that they should obtain the balance for the Foxhill' Railway. The very work upon which it is now sought to spend our money is that upon which some part of their share of the Middle Island Railway Fund would have been spent, had the people in the settled districts not been misled. The article in the " Colonist" is great in sneers, in abuse, and inuendo, directed against Mr O'Conor for the part he has taken in bringing the matter to light; but we have

reas n to be thankful that - , notwithHLtuid'iiur the " Colonint," &;•, the Government, in reply to the appeals made to theui both by Mr O'Conor and by Mr Harrison, have decided that the whole sum shall be spent if required where, in faith, it should have been expended without a question, and not in the Waimea district.