AN INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION OF OPINION.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1008, 27 September 1872, Page 2

AN INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION OF OPINION.

(To the Editor of the Wcsfport Times.) Sir, —The important news published in your telegraphic correspondence in Tuesday's issue, should, I think, opon the eyes of the admirers of the late Ministry, who prophesied with the downfall of Mr Pox, the late agitation for local legislation on the coast would bo treated with indifference, and produce no results. Now I am one who has, from the first, denied that the Buller District would ever derive any practical benefit from any measure that the Fox Ministry might introduce, for as Mr O'Conor justly remarked " the whole was evidently a sham, put forward with the sole view of obtaining tno votes of the West Coast members"; for so long as ministers held tlie " Westland Annexation Bill " between their

fingers, West Coast members who believed, or pretended to believe, in their policy, were compelled to support them

Westporfr, however, is fortunately blessed with the good fortune of possessing a far-sighted member, who would rather incur a momentary unpopularity with some of his constituents, than support a ministry that never intended to benefit any one but themselves

Well as soon as Mr Stafford comes into office, we hear of a bill to be introduced to make one miner's right available for the whole Coast, and more than this, we are promised by one of Mr Stafford's supporters the introduction of a bill to throw the Nelson Goldfields into a County. This is quite a different matter from what was on the board before—- " Annexation to Westland." How on earth a few of the Westport people could ever advocate such a measure, passes ray comprehension! Certainly I must admit that the subject never originated here, but was merely the cadence of an echo from Greymouth, the people of which place have always striven to secure to them selves the designation of " Capital of Westland" well by all means allow them to capitalize their city's name, but do not let it be to the absolute ruin of Westport. Where I ask if ever we became a portion of Westland, would the money derived from the sale of tens of thousands of acres of splendid land of the Buller go ? Why to construct roads—■ having for their terminus Grreymouth and Hokitika; and probably when occasion required to the cost of the embankment of that little mountain torrent the '" Hokitika River."

Now some may say it is very fine to make such assertions, but how prove them ? Well I will only make one statement in favor of what I say, and leave any unbiassed person to judge for himself. When iieefton first started, the Greymouth people made a terrible fuss about the bad road over the Saddle, and when it became evident that payable reefs had been discovered they offered a sum of five hundred pounds to the Nelson Government in aid of the cost of a road over the Saddle, provided the Nelsou Government promised not it constructauy road on theßuller side. Mr Curtis however made answer " that he would make no such promise, and that if he only had sufficient means, roads would be made both over the" Saddle and on the Westport side.

Believe me the Greymouth people are the gre.itest cormorants in the Colony, and would swallow up Westpert, and its up-river trade if ever wo gave them a chance. By opposing annexation to Westland, as a groat number of us have done, aud successfully I hop \ we have not been, as our opponents have designated us, " Traitors to our Cause," but have done, as results are just beginning to show, that which was practicable, sensible and wise, and !o crown everything, the destinies of the Colony are now in the hands ofa man of remarkable talents, who has for his colleagues some of the most upright statesmen in the British Colonies, and who, for our own sakes, and not for a paltry vote or two, will give us redress if wo can show any injustice,— [am &c, William: Norms Fhaxklyx. Westport, September 2A, 1 5 72.