Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/29

 runs might he thrown open for the benefit of the general public; when the following generous reply was forwarded by the Provincial Secretary to the petitioners at Westport:—

What noble principle is displayed by this exemplary Government in their decision—“they do not consider it advisable to pay any compensation for such purpose;” but at the same time they consider it advisable to accept the rent for the runs, and also the money accruing from licenses, miners' rights, and other things; thus they are mean enough to receive pay from both parties, without having the honour to bestow on either the rights to which they are justly entitled. It is next to impossible for the petitioners to prevent their horses and cattle from trespassing on my runs; it is also perfectly out of the question for me to attempt impounding them when they are there, for the labour and expense of the proceeding would far exceed any sum that I should be able to recover. The last step I took in the matter was to petition the Council, during its last session, in May, 1869, to the same effect; when, on being brought before the House, it was lost by a majority of two. Some of the country members who voted against it knew nothing of the real merits of the case, and, I fancy, formed their decisions from certain of the Executive, through whom it was undoubtedly lost. But I can proudly say, that every member in the House whose word or opinion is worthy of notice—who are looked up to by the people as men that would do good if they could—voted in my favour; thus showing plainly that although lost, there was justice in my claim. I believe there would have been an equal division had one or two of the other members been better acquainted with the case; as for the rest, fortunately they are of very little consequence, being people whose names are not passwords with the public, and whose opinions trouble no one very greatly; they constantly dabble about in the mud, and paddle the Government canoe, being generally known as those–

Reader, forgive me for thrusting upon your notice a private grievance, though still a public one, for hundreds of those men who