THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 501, 1 April 1869, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1869.

The question of the establishment cf the new County of Westland North continues to occupy a good deal of the attention of our northern contemporary the " Westport Times," and the discussion as to whether the proposed southern boundary line should be Razorback or the Grey River, is, not unnaturally, the vexed question. We have so frequently referred to this matter, and pointed out the advantages which would be derived by the residents in the Grey District were it incorporated in one County, that there is no mistaking our opinion. It must have been known and fully understood both by our contemporary and the principal movers in the agitation for Separation from Nelson, and that this was so is observable from the remarks of our contemporary in a receut issue. This previous knowledge ought to have deterred our contemporary from accusing us of striving to raise feelings of jealousy, and throwing "absolute obstacles" in the way of the achievement of the Separation of Westland North from the Nelson Province. We have no wish to enter upon a discussiou of the merits of the question at the present time. We simply notice it to remind our contemporary- that for the la^t three years we have consistently advocated the incorporation of the whole Valley of the Grey under one Government— whether that form of Government were Provincial or County —

and there is no room now for our Westport friends to say, that in raising our voice in the discussiou of this question, we are doipg so. for the purpose of hindering their prosperity. The very opposite is / the case; we sympathise heartily with them in their movement, but for all that we canuot abandon a Hue of policy, founded as it is upon a thorough belief that what we have so long advocated is the only practical means by which the permanent prosperity of the Grey Valley will be secured. As we have said, we have no intention of being forced into a prema ture discussion, as very little, if any, good could result from it at. the present timp. We have to repeat what we said only the other day, that we wait with confidence until the agitators for Separation from Nelson shall have fairly tested the public opinion of the Grey District on the question. They are in duty bound to do so, as they, as well as our contemporary, have very frequently asserted that the feeling of . the residents iv the Grey district was more in favor of being incorporated iv the new County of Westland North, than added to We&tlaud, or formed into a new County extending from the Teremakau to Razorback. When they have proved their statements, and shown that this district can be more easily and equitably governed from Westport than from Greymouth, we will admit that their demands were just. At present- the onus of proof lies with them, and we hope, instead of carrying on idle discussions as to vague probabilities, to see steps taken by the Separation Committee on an early day to put the question to test of public opinion.