THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 360, 5 May 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1868.

After, an unaccountable silence of several days the thunderbolt which our contenrpoi-ary the " West Coast Times'' announced as being iv process of preparation, was yesterday hurled at Mr Commissioner Kynnersley, and was an unmistakeable attempt to brand that gentleman as a " Fenian," and to deprive him of the honorable position which he holds on the Nelson Southwest Gold Fields. But the attempt was singularly weak, and bears on the face of it such a plain indication of personal animus, that we have no doubt it will j be treated with scorn by the authorities in Nelson, whom it was intended to in fluence. Any effect it will have will be the opening of the eyes of the Nelson Government to the kind of opposition to which their Commissioner is exposed and the fixing of Mr Kynuersley un a ' firmer basis in his position, and also in the good ©pinion of all right-thinking men in the colony. The annoyance of our contemporary that Mr Kynnersley did not accept the services of the detachment of armed constabulary sent to his "assistance" by the authorities of Hokitika, has nob been disguised, but has been openly stated on many occasions lately, and is the sole reason why that gentleman has been attacked and villified in the manner in which he has been. No doubt it was very annoying that, at Westport, one man should, by his courage, almost instantly quell a disturbance which, at its outbreak, looked far more serious than that which at Hpkitika frightened the Mayor and

the other authorities so nnicii th.it they Cfillnl in the assistance of a company of armed constabulary, a maivof-wav, and nearly a thousand special -constables -to protect them. There are men who, in the discharge of their duty, pan face any danger, and whose courage rises as the danger thickens around theni ; and there art 1 others who are heroes in time pf peace, who can talk loudly when no danger is near them, but who are very poltroons, and Hee from tl|eir post at the first sigu of an approaching storm: High in the ranks of the former class stands Mr Kynnersley, and it is not to be wondered at that those whose actions entitle them to the unenviable notoriety of belonging to the latter should feel envious, and should take every oppor- 1 tunity of endeavoring to remove that gentleman from the high position which he holds, The fact is, the contrast between the conduct of the governing powers in Westport and Hokitika during the late disturbances was too plainly marked, and reflected too much credit on Mr Kynrievsiey to be allowed to pass unnoticed bypursou+hevn contemporary. The attempt to stigmatise the Nelson Commissioner as a "Fenian" is unworthy even of the source from which it emanates, and cannot possibly have any weight with the Government, whose honored servant lie is, and whose approval of liis conduct during the recent disturbances he has already received, In his opening address to the Nelson Provincial Council, the Superintendent said — " You will have learned '< with regret that a breach of the peace " lias occurred in the neighborhood of " Westport, arising out of the excited " state of public feeling, and that some <' serious assaults were committed. " Considerable excitement and some " alarm still prevail at Addison's Flat " aud Westport, but I have too much " reliance, both upon the good feeling " of the people and the firm and judi- " cious management of Mr Commis- " sioner Kynnersley, to apprehend any " further serious dist"rbance of the " public peace." We do not overlook the fact that a meetiug was recently held at Westport at which resolutions were passed condemnatory of Mr Kynnersley's conduct. That was not a public meeting, but was stated by reports of the local journals to be a meeting, called by one man (Mr Tyler) for his own glorification, or as he himself put it — " To set himself right, nut only with the public here, but with the public throughout the colony," as he imagined he had been " covertly alluded to" in Mr Kynnersley's report. There were several resolutions passed on tint occasion, but a single glance at the names of the movers and seconders is sufficient to show the weight which will be attached to them when they are laid before the Parliament of New Zealand. We have no doubt that should any Committee of Inquiry be appointed tv investigate Mr Kynuersley's conduct during recent events, lie will come out of the ordeal with his reputation untarnished, and his traducers discomfited.