THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9,1867.

Grey River Argus, Issue 282, 2 November 1867, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9,1867.

The Hon. Jolm Hall, accompanied by Mr, Bale, arrived in Greymouth by Cobb's coach on Thursday evening. What tlje precise nature of the present visit is we are not permitted to know, but we suppose it may be stated generally to be a ton is of inspection of the resources of the district, previous tp entering upon the duty of organising the departments of the new County of Westland, and assisting iv the effort to establishing in ]tfew Zealand a new state of Government — an experiment which, if successful, will no doubt be repeated in the ease of many of the discontented, districts iv the various Provinces. We will not enter upon the question pf Centralism versus Provincialism, which is now agitating the political circles of New Zealand, in view of these changes, but simply look at the experiment as it affects ourselves. It is not pleasant to be experimented upon at any time, especially when we are aware., that the operators are but novices at their task ; but when we find th.at our very existence is at stake, we can quietly snbm.it to any experimental operation wherein there is the remotest hope of life. Such was the position of this district during the late sessions of the Provincial Council of Canterbury — our wants were neglected, our urgent petitions were quietly ignored, and the remonstrances of our members were sneered at, uutil, as ib were, "the last straw" did its work, and a spirit of rebellion was aroused which resulted in the appeal of Westlaud to- the Parliament of New Zealand for justice. The amount of redress we received has been frequently shown — on paper — but its reality, its yf >rking out into perfection, lies yet in the future,., and depends mainly upon the ability of Mr. Hall to adapt the new state of things to the requirements of the country. During his tour he will find those wants continually brought before him, he will hear the negligence of late Canterbury Governments — of one of which he was himself a member-rrrStrongly spoken of; and we only trust that the experience he will thus gain will impress upon him the necessity of establishing the new form of Government upon as liberal and broad a basis as it is possible to do under an Act of Parliament. It is to be hoped Mr. Hall will >not be surprised at the marked contrast between the manner in which, he is received here and in Hokitika; iv the latter place his advent was hailed as thai of fche deliverer of- the covniry from bondage, while here his arrival was looked upon as a matter of in difference, and indeed the majority of the. people cared not whether lie came ' or stopped away. This is traceable to no want of courtesy to our visitor, but to a want of interest in the state of things which he is about to inaugurate. It must not be forgotten that the people of this district had no hand whatever in biiiiging about this new order of things, 1 ! but passively a c <ple:l it in the hope that it would prove a slight change for the better; that thereby we might have some amelioration of the grievances under which the district groaned ; and that the change was offered to' us by the General Government, with the assurance that .it was only temporary, and would not interfere with the scheme for the Annexation of this district to the Nelson Province. • Under these conditions— -fe might almost say with this bribe attached— we became a portion of the County of Westland. It is not, therefore, to, be wondered at that the peopfe of Greytnputh are indifferent to the changes which, are.- now being; I effectedj|ki, the forms of Government ||fr~ .•SrfiwpßjfSh they^ljve, because they *^t^^ i *^be^assvi:^^^^fthe Prtemier

pf New Zealand that these ch.anges .are J only "temporary" — in fact, ars only the ipitiatory steps to the'.realis^tiou.of. the ippst earnest wi§h of the iuhabjtapts pf the Grey I)istrict, But there is a probability that should the new machinery of Government about to be set iii motion in Wostland be found to work well, aud \ye present our petition for Annexation at the next session of the General Assembly, the General Government may qbjeqt tp disturb fcke process of their darling experiment by di.siuember}ng the infant County, and altogether forget that with this distinct the change >yas only $o be n " temporary" one, ' It is, ' therefore, quite possible that the change which is now being worked ouc in our fprm and system (>f Government will hs a permanent pne, aud it is the more necessary for the inhabitants pf this district to take some interest in these events, for they will shortly be called upon to elect two lnernbers to represent them in the Council, whifeh will be held at Hokitika, and probably to elect members of local Road Boards. The successful working out of the new scheme of Government will almost entirely depend upon the stamp of men who are elected for these offices ; the future prosperity of the district will be in their keeping ; and we trust the matter will not be delayed tp the last moment, but will be earnestly considered with feelings free .from party or prejudice.