The Westport Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1873.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1108, 19 September 1873, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1873.

It Ls publicly notified, by direction of his Honor the Superintendent, that, under the provisions of the " Goldfields T.ocal Revenues Act, 1873," meetings for the election of District Boards will be held on Monday, the 6th proximo. The place of meeting appointed in the Puller district is the Court House, "Westport, and at the recpiest of Westport residents the Warden has convened a preliminary meeting for discussion of the subject. it behoves all concerned in the welfare of the district to heed both notifications, inasmuch as the

election of ;i Board is made imperative, and, it' the voters fail to act, the Superintendent may himself appoint a Board The scope and purpose of the Act is to " constitute districts within the Nelson Goldfields and to appropriate a portion of I lie Provincial revenues to the making ajid maintaining of Public Works therein." The expenditure of such revenue to be under the control of Local Boards. The Act comprises 54 clauses. The purport thereof may be thus briefly stated : —Kvery person whose name shall appear on the Electoral Koll of the Province for the time being in respect of any property situated within any district constituted under this Act, and the holder of any business liceuse or miner's right issued within the districts which shall have a currency of not less than three months or any renewal thereof and then in operation, and the hnlder of any agricultural lease of any land situated within the district, shall be qualified to vote and take part iu the proceedings of the general meetings or elections.—Each District Board will consist of six members, any three of whom shall form a quorum. One half of the members, to be determined in the first instance by the Board by lot, to retire on the first Monday iu the month of April, but with privilege of re-election, and in every subsequent year three members to retire iu rotation. At the date of election of the first Board, as fixed by the SupeiLitendent, the voters themselves are to appoint a chairman, who shall report to the Superintendent the names of the persons elected.—The election to be by show of hands, or, if any candidate or three electors demand a poll, then by ballot. The nomination to take place there and then and the polling to ensue on the Monday following the clay of nomination, between the hours of ten in the forenoon and four at noon.—Power is voted in the Superintendent to divide any district into subdistricts, and to apportion the number of members between such sub-districts, to the electors resident therein the right to elect their representative member or members. —Every person entitled to vote at the election for district or sub-district members may vote for all or any of the candidates to be elected, striking off from a ballot paper the names of the candidates for whom he does not intend to vote.—The names of members elected to be Gazetted and expenses of elections paid by the District Board.—ln ease voters neglect to elect a Board it shall be lawful for the Superintendent to appoint or to fill up vacancies.—Any member refusing to act or absenting himself for three successive months will cease to be a member of the Board.— Out of the revenues of the Province. subject to the appropriatiow of the Superintendent and Provincial Council, one half of the revenue derived from the sale or leasing of land, miners rights, or business licenses within any district, after the thirty-first day of March next, after the passing of this Act, shall in each year, be paid to the Board for expenditure on local public works—The Superintendent, if he shall think fit, may also commit to the Board for expenditure any moneys appropriated by the Provincial Council for public works within such district "to be appropriated in such manner, and for such purposes as the Superintendent shall direct or appoint."—Power is given to the board to assess all lands and tenements within the district, making such assesment either on the estimated selling value or the annual value, and to levy thereon a yearly rate, not exceeding one penny in the pound on the estimated value, or five per cent on the animal value—A " separate" rate, of like proportion, may also be levied, subject to the approval of the Superintendent, for expenditure on works for the special benefit of any particular portion of the district, provided objection is not made thereto by at least one half of the ratepayers within such portion of the district. The Board may impose dues on all persons making use of any public work established within the district under the Act.—A full abstract and balance sheet of accounts, up to the fifteenth of March in each year, must be published, and a copy thereof laid before the Provincial Council at its next session—No member of the Board to hold paid office, nor be a contractor with, or have pecuniary interests in any contract entered into with the board, nor receive emolument or gratuity, under a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds—Certain clauses of the Act provide for the infliction of penalties upon persons causing obstructions, or building erections dangerous to passengers, horses, or cattle. Power is also given, subject to the sanction of the Superintendent, to erect toll gates on any road, and collect tolls to be expended in making or maintaining roads, streets, bridges, and ferries, within the district.

The direct advantages to be gained by the operation of the Act are prospective rather than immediate. The indirect advantages depend less upon any newly acquired rights than upon the good will of the Superintendent and the Provincial Council. It will be observed that half of the local revenue to be appropriated will be that accruing only alter the thirty-first day of March next, and in this and all other financial arrangements, the goldfields residents are, as we pointed out during the passing of the Act, at the mercy of the Provincial Council, who may or may not make appropriations, and doubly at the mercy of the Superintendent who may or may not •' see fit" to vest the expenditure of any votes made in the hands of the local Boards. No share of the General Provincial Revenues, (Capitation allow-

ances, Gold dutvyor Crown Lands sales,) can be absolutely claimed by the District Boards, nor will they receive any portion thereof except indirectly through special appropriations to be bade by the Provincial Council. Hemmed about by such restrictions, the Act bears little promise of efficacy, and too evidently is a " mere trap to catch a sunbeam," an ingenious device of the originator to claim political kudos at the approaching Superintendent al election Still, under all circumstances, it would be unwise.to condemn the measure as entirely useless. The goldfields communities have clamored long and loudly for the management of their own public affairs, and the " Goldfields Revenues Act" indicates one short step in the right direction, which may expand into a more giant like stride hereafter.