Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/30

30 by their exertions have helped to keep Nelson out of the mire are interested parties. My object has been to expose another instance of the paltry policy of the Government. While greedily grasping the revenue derived from the labour of a large population, they fail to extend to them the just privilege of a public right to the land from which they partially derive that revenue.

Nelson, thank heaven! has still some men who, if once seated in office, will handle the reins of power with benefit to the people and credit to themselves; who will, by carefully guarding the welfare of the subject, materially advance the interest of the state; whose first and greatest task will be to uproot and cast away all paltry pettifogging; and who will hold the public interest at heart, and have sufficient foresight to see that in advancing the prospects of the province they also advance their own; men who will encourage speculating capitalists in developing the resources of the country, and not by a narrow jealousy thwart them at every turn. Many may fancy that I have dealt harshly in speaking as I have of the existing authorities, but if they only knew them as hundreds have had cause to, I think they would coincide with my remarks.

I have endeavoured, though briefly, to narrate the leading incidents of the first discovery and subsequent advancement of those districts from which so many tons of gold have been unearthed. And if there are any slight omissions in the detail of those early days, I must claim the reader's forbearance, and ask him not to criticise too minutely that which is only the offspring of memory, not the contents of a regularly kept diary. I trust the matter contained in these few pages may prove both useful and interesting to those, under whose notice it may chance to fall.

Digitised by Mike Dickison, Westland District Library,

from the collection of David Verrall • December 2020

NELSON : PRINTED BY CHARLES ELLIOTT, TRAFALGAR-STREET.