THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 315, 21 January 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1868.

In a few days at farthest the writs for the County Council elections will be received, and probably they will be. made returnable as speedily as possible in order that the Council may be got together without delay. Indeed it is. of the mo^t vitaj nioinent that the interregnum now existing should be terminated, and that the people of Westland should kuow exactly what ai*e to. be the real powers and functions of the various bodies called into existence by the Couuty Act. We presume that the next mail from Wellington will bring the necessary orders defining the. relationship which the Chairman of the Couuty Council and the elected members of that body will bear towards each other. We quite expect to find that the interpretation we befoi'e placed upon the presence of . a nominated Chairman was correctj au.d. that for some time at least the Council will not be permitted to have all the authority which some have assented it will possess. The Act simply says that the Council shall " advise and assist" the Governor or his delegate in the administration of ] the revenues and government of the County, and there is nothing to warrant the belief that the behests of the Council will in every case be complied with. It seems certain that the power of making or abolishing appointments will rest entirely with the Governor's delegate, as already very sweeping changes have been made in various departments without the slightest cognizance of the j inhabitants. Probably these various changes were necessary, but they show that the General Government will retain all the real power in their own hands. The County Council, it appears to us, will have to confine its action to passing resolutions, which may or may not be adopted by the Chairman or by the Governor's delegate. Possibly this is the safest plan, for it would be a rather dangerous experiment to place unreserved powers of administration in t>he hands of a few individuals, who, unlike a responsible Executive, have not a provincial legislature to keep them in check. But the restraining process may be easily carried too fsr, and the value and usefulness of the Council be destroyed. If thab body should become antagonistic on the one hand, or pubservient on the other, the system will break down. The members of the GWnty Council should be able to, feel that upon alj ordinary matters regarding the government of the County their opinions will be followed, and that every subject on which, they \r\ay de T liberate will also receive due considera r tion from the Government. With the

actual work of spending the money in detail the County Council will have little if anything to do. The Road Boards and Municipalities will disburse the revenues that will be apportioned to them by the Council, so that the inhabitants in each locality will bp able to secure the outlay of the money according to their own wants and ideas. The Council has ho legislative powers, but no doubt it will be fpuud that many necessary subjects p.f Jegislatipn will come before the Council in the form of resolutions,. For instance, there is the sale of land qn the Gold Fields— penJiaps the most important question of all, Ifc must occupy a considerable portion of the time of the Council, and will need most careful and enlightened consideration. The encouragement of priyatp enterprise in train ways, rail wa3's, bridge^, <fee, is another matter that will call for attention. We have every reason tp believe that the Government is anxious to niake the County scheme in Westlancl a success. For their own sakes, aud for the sake of the principle they fought fpr last session, they will spai'e no pains to make, the new form of government popular. Whether the machinery will work well or not remains tp be seen, a.nd much depends on the tone and character of the Council, aud the earnestness of the Road Boards and Municipalities. The first symptom of incoinpetency in the Council may possibly seal the fate of the whole system and reduce; the so oallcd local government to an irresponsible despotism. The experiment is a great one, and is encompassed with many difficulties and dangers, But if the Government will honestly smooth away such of them as are beyond the power of the Council it-self, and give the people something more than the shadow of control over their own affairs, it may succeed.