NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 976, 4 June 1872, Page 2

NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(prom our own correspondent.) Nelson, May 30. On each of her last two trips the steamer Murray was compelled by the force of circumstances to play a game of hide-and-seek, and for the second time sbe got away without your correspondent knowing of her departure until it was what editors call a fait accompli. But if ho lost the small advantage of forwarding any correspondence, your community had tha greater advantage of receiving their English

letters and papers, the Murray having opportunely put back to port while the two San Francisco mail were waiting a chance of transmission. Except the passing of the Estimates, barring a few items which were reserved, the business of the Council within the past four days has been practically resultless. There was some cry, it is true, but the crops of wool was scanty. The chief topic of discussion was a motion modified from one which was sometime ago brought forward by Mr O'Couor, and which in its modified form, and in consequence of several postponements, had been hanging fire ever since. A s modified to suit the ear of sensitive disciples of Lindley Murray, and not very successfully modified even then, the motion was to this effect:—" Tuat, in the opinion of this Council, it is advisable to place the Nelson South-west Goldfields under a local form of government, so as to promote the material prosperity of that district, by securing to it a more equitable public expenditure, and a more advantageous disposal of the wasie lands of the Crown."

Mr O'Conor, in supporting the motion argued that, although the goldfields contributed by far the larger portion of the revenue, they were Dot sufficiently represented in the Council, where nearly all the power rested with the members of the settled districts who were entirely ignorant of the wants and necessities of a mining community. The Executive too, acted entirely upon hearsay in the matters connected with the Wesc Coast, being guided by the representations of the heads of departments who never consulted the public on any single question. He could not understand why the goldfields should be denied the same privileges that were accorded to other parts of the community, or what was to prevent their having some local form of administration that should have the power of carrying on the public works that at present were so grossly mismanaged. The contrast between the roads on the Nelson and Westland sides of the Grey river was almost marked; on the former they were a laughing stock to the visitor, on the latter a credit to them who undertook them. A glance at the estimates showed that matters were going worse, as there was not enough set down on them to maintain the wretched roads already existing, not to say anything of making new ones. The administraiion of the Waste Lauds was a complete failure, as the system of agricultural leases, as it was carried out, simply gave rise to speculation, and did not tend to the extension of agricultural pursuits. He did not believe this mismanagement was wilful on the part of the Government, but simply the result of ignorance, and that a far different state of things would exist were the Executive resident on the Coast. It must be seen that if matters were to go on as they were going on now, the pro.vince must be ruined, and the goldfields deserted, and to remedy this a totally different kind of government must be adopted. The resolution having been seconded by Mr Kynnersley, the debate was adjourned until Monday night when it was resumed by Mr Guinness, who believed that the whole of the goldfields in New Zealand required some distinct and exceptional form of Government. There were scarcely any main roads on the Nelson South-west Goldfields, and those portions that were made were rendered useless by the rest being left unfinished. Main roads such as were being undertaken by ,the General Government were absolutely essential to the prosperity of the district, tracks of agricultural land wouid be developed. He felt perfectly justified in saying that while the Government had frittered away large sums of money on by-tracks, they had neglected to mako the main truck lines. He wished to see the management of local affairs placed in the hands of those who possessed a personal knowledge of the localities to be dealt with.

The Provincial Treasurer protested against tho complaint that the Council was not willing to do all in its power for the goldfields, and showed that in the Highways Act every alteration suggested by the "West Coast members was willingly adopted. He objected to breaking up the country into smaller divisions each with its own government, but would rather reduce the number of provinces existing. The roads on the Nelson side had been contrasted with those in Westland as showing the advantage of local government, but, he would ask, how many of those roads had been made by the country itself? Almost every bridge, too, was erected by private enterprise and protected. The system of agricultural leases had been found fault with both inside and outside the Council, but he contended that it was a great boon to the settlers, and offered advantages that had been strugglod for in vain elsewhere. To show how it worked as contrasted with the system pursued in tho County of Westland, which was said to be so far superior, he would quote a few figures. According to the last returns, the number of holdings in the Buller and Grey districts, not including the extensive valley of the Upper Buller was 142; in Westland, 184. Of land broken up but not under crop, there were in Nelson 174 acres, in Westland 215 - r in oats for hay, Nelson, 721, Weutland, 280 acres ; in oats for grain, Nelson, 223. Westland, 7 acres ; in barley, Nelson 11 acres, Westland 1 ; in grass hay, Nelson 87, Westland 119 acres; in permanent artificial grass,

Nelson 1352 Westland 1336 acresin potatoes, Nelson 256, Westland 218. The total under crop in the goldfields on the Nelson side, in the province that had so neglected its duties by not providing facilities for settlers to goon to the lands, wa52644 acres, while in the model County of Westland it was only 1938 acres. Nor must it be -forgotten that the population of the respective districts were, Nelson 84(36, Westland 15,357, It must be remembered, too, that the above figures did not include a single acre in that important district between the Lyeil and Eotbroa, the whole of which was included in the Waimea electoral district. Mr O'Conor com. plained that the evils arising fron the government of the West Coast were entirely owing to the Executive bein» wholly on this side. He (Mr Shep. herd) so far agreed with him that he thought it was a great mistake not having a member of the Executive resident on the Coast, as had been provided for two years ago. If at any time errors had been made by the Government, they were now earnectly desirous of remedying them, and were most anxious to see the country well governed, opened up in every direction, and made as prosperous as the means at their command would permit of.

Mr Kynnersley would dispose of Mr Shephard's agricultural statistics in a few words .by saying that on the Nelson side there was a large tract of clear land on Totara Flat such as did not exist in Westland. This accounted for the difference in the amount of land under' cultivation. He believed that a very general dissatisfaction with the existing state of things existed on the West Coast, arisiug entirely from the mismanagement of the present Government, and the fact that revenue to the amount of at least £7OOO contributed by the goldfields was spent on the settled districts. He should vote for the resolution by way of expressing his deliberate opinion that the goldfields would be far better managed by some system of looal government than by an Executive residing in Nelson.

Mr Collins opposed the motion. Mr Eeid said it was only a repeti. tion of a well recognised fact to say that the greatest dissatisfaction prevailed on Nelson South-west Goldfields, and he attributed that feeling to the particular constitution of the Nel. son Government, and to the manner in which the affairs of the Goldfields were administered. It was, he believed, the bane of the Goldfields, but ,he did not think the present resolution wa3.the correct antidote. It contained invidious comparisons and reflections that were not likely to be swallowed by a body of men such as those of which the Council was composed. He had another objection to it, namely, that the locality to which it referred was not yet prepared for self-govern-ment. They bad no 3Jnad Boards, and the country was not sufficiently populated or advanced in public works for the people to take upon,themselves at once the task and responsibility of self-government. Still there were great grounds for discontent with regard to the inequality of both representation and expenditure. Ho wou'd propose as an amendment, " That thii Council recognises the desire of the in. habitants of the West Coast Goldfield to possess, according to revenue and population, a fair and equitable share in the administration of the public estate and expenditure ; and, with a view to that object, recommends that such measures should be taken as may be deemed best calculated to secure uniformity in the government of the Goldfields, and full participation by the inhabitants in the advantages of popular representation of local interests and requirements, as contemplated by the constitution of the Colony."

Mr F. Kelling and Mr Gibbs having both spoken against the resolution, the del at > was, on the motion of Mr Bagent, adjourned until Wednesday, when both motions were negatived, four only voting for Mr O'Conor's— Mr Kynnersley, Mr Eeid, Mr Guinness, and the mover. Mr Donne was ill and confined to bed, otherwise he would have taken a prominent part in the discussion, but on the side of Mr Keid's amendment. Mr Eeid voted for the motion as being in the direction of his own.