THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 387, 7 July 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1868.

The second session of the County Council is coucluded, ami most probably it will be the lust that will be held under the existing Act, A good deal of useful work has been got through in spite of the imperfections of the Constitution of the Council, and enough has, we thiuk, been shown to prove that with better defined and raore substantial powers the County Council jji&l be able to transact the business of t|SP3ounty quite as effectually and usefully as any Provincial Council in the Colony, and at infinitely less expense, The principal work of the session has been in completing the proposed amendments of the Co-nty Act; settling the price of town lands in Hokitika, Grey, mouth, and Okarita, ; passing resolu. tions respecting guarantees to public povupanies on the gold fields ; drawing up a national scheme of education ; and the draft of a new Licensing Act, and disposing of the revenue ; besides a host of minor questions which always encumber the proceedings of deliberative bodies. The further amendments to the County Act were contained in re. solutions brought in by Mr 'Harrison, and which, after some show of opposition from one quarter, were carried. If the new Act be based upon the resolutions of the Council it will place the County Council in a vastly improved condition, and increase its powers of usefulness. The Council will have no ! coutrol in the matters of police, gaols, harbors, and the administration of justice, although, of course, it will be open to it to make recomuiendatious. But in purely local affairs, ..such as the control and management of the County departments, public works, and the distribution of the County revenue it will possess absolute power. It will be presided over by a Chairman, elected from amongst and by its own members, and who will be removable by a vote of a majority comprising two-thirds of the Council. This last proviso was inserted in order to guard against the continuance in ollice of an inefficient, or worse Chairman. An alteiation is suggested in the representation, which will ensure to each district a voice in the Council. If carried out it will secure an additional member to tho Grey district. An attempt was made by one of the Hokitika members to carry a resolution increasing the number of members to fifteen, but this was defeated At present we cannot see the advisability of increasing the number of the Council. It could 1 uot be done now without destroying the healthy balance that exists between town and country interests. If at a future . time the gold fields townships should assume a more consolidated and iniportaut character, they might properly return additional members to the j Council, but at present we do not see either the necessity or wisdom of making any change. A very important alteration is suggested with regard to voting at elections on the gold fields. The existing arrangement is a most unsatisfactory one, and has the effect of disfranchising a large number of miners who have a good claim to vote. The Council recommends that iv future the holder of a miner's right, or business license, of six months' standing, taken out anywhere in Westland, can vote in the district where he may be living at the time of the election. ; With respect to the price of town lands a reduction was made from the price proposed for Hokitika, and the rate for Greymouth and Okarita was fixed at a reasonable figure. The resolution regarding guarantees to public companies wiil, it is to be hoped, lead to increased activity in large works for the development of the mineral wealth of the country. We cannot but think that under a system such as is proposed by the Council the miners who allow large sums to lie in the banks at a trifling rate of interest would be iuduced to invest their capital iv undertakings ou the gold fields. The education question has been settled with but one exception, according to the recommendations of the Westland Board of Education. Instead of, as at present, the aid of the Government being dissipated in small sums in a multitude of channels, it is intended to concentrate it and apply it to the establishment of a system of national or uudeuomina. tional schools throughout the County. Each school is to be managed by a local committee, elected by the inhabitants

of the district, -which committee will have the appointment of teachers, who, however,, must be certified as qualified by the inspector,- It is hoped that under this system a thoroughly good school will be established iv each centre of population. proposed amendments and additions to the Licensing Act provide facilities for enabling persons in the country districts to take out a license at a moderate rate, and will doubtless tend greatly to lessen the evil of " sly grog selling" which, has such a demoralising effect on the gold fields. In considering the estimates the Council exhibited a laudable desire to curtail the cost of government, and did eifect some importaut reductions. The refusal to vote more than three months' supplies was probably a prudent mea. sure, and will enable the Council to avail itself at once of whatever new or confirmed powers it may obtain from the General Assembly. Comparing the real worth of the County Council with that of any session of the Canterbury Provincial Council, go far as Westland affairs are concerned, we have every j reason to feel satisfied with the change, and we quite agree with the resolution passed by the Council at the termination qf its pitting that the present County Act, although vague and im perfect, " contains a principle which, if worked out according to the resolutions of the Council, will provide a system of local government well suited to the circumstances of the County, and preferable on the points of economy and eiiiciency to any form of Provincial institutions."