THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 605, 4 December 1869, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1869.

There is an old saying that "new brooms sweep clean," and the truth of this philosophic adage has been rather eminently exemplified amongst our worthy neighbors on the Nelson. side of the river. The last " new broom," Mr Warden Lowe, has j evidently been determined to sweep very clean indeed, and apparently has sne- : ceed,ed in removing not only the more substantial accumulations which want of J prior, brushing had been the means of pr.>- j ducing, but also in sweeping away with the utmost smuj fro'vd a number of the old cobwebs which time and tradition have somehow or other converted into honored i institutions in the minds of binnt-headed \ Englishmen. He reminds us somewhat j ti one of those hard-working, unscrupulous semuntes a bras, who, in their determination to abolish every scrap of dust from your domicile, invade your library, and desecrate your studio to. the great detriment of your valuable manuscripts and antiques, and perhaps even rub down your pet Rvffa«l or Correggio with. suds ; and soda ( As far as the work of inspecting I the. gold diggings of liis extensive district n concerned-, Ms-Lowe does wonders, and sets an example thaj; might bo followed with advantage by neighboring officials. He is here, there, and everywhere, plodding away and getting through animmense deal of work, a3 he did in his previous profession as Surveyor. But some other qualities are desired in an officer of Mr Lowe's standing than mere personal industry, and several circumstances have -occurred recently which show that this industry is in his case associated with some serious defects. Most probably they are due ohiufly to inexperience, and the want of tfyat, ballast which is so much needed when, young men are suddeuly elevated to a position of power and authority. Mr Lowe ia, s.o far removed I f,rom the. observation of h£s. superiors that he is. practically the supreme authority within a very extensive, district, and amongst a large population. Under such circumstances there are.strongtemptations to any man to become, arbitrary, and, in. the exercise of his authority, to override or set qside some, of the rules of conduct which ought to rogujbi,.te, and which are the privileges of free communities. We hear a groat deal of acts of petty tyranny

committed by or with the knowledge of Mr Warden Lowe which ought not for a moment to bo tolerated, If a tradesman who is dependent upon the Government work fo,r part of his means of livelihood shou|d happen to hold or express opinions onpu.bj\g questions qi regarding themselves, which are not a.gree.able to "the Camp," as it is termed, forthwith he is deprived of work, One man— r-a respectable person in business-r-not long ayo declined to ' si&n a memorial to the Qoverninrnt in the following terms : — v I don't like to sign it. lam in <* business. I know and have seen all the " things that are mentioned in the memo- " rial, and can assert that fhey are true ; "but 'you forget that the whole of the " officials are so vindictive.' " It is very desirable that the maxims, inculcated during our catechism days should be followed, and that amongst other things, those who are placed in authority, over us should be spoken of respectfully. But this is a matter of taste only, it do.es not follow that because a. man happens to protest against certain acts, of vhe police, he should be lectured by Mr W,arden Lowe on the. enormity of lv's, offence, and threatened with punishin.e.nt 1 This tendency to bounce and tyranise naturally extends from the; head downwards, and we are not surprised to hear that a state of terrorism is established amongst the workmen at the coal mine, so that they dare hardly open their- ljips in comment on their overseer, or " the Cam,p v generally. One of our correspondents at Cobden gravely compares, the social condition of that place to Russia. But it is not half, so respectable. Czar Nicholas was a tyrant, and so was Mr Bumble — it is only a step from the sublime to the ridiculous. Our columns, to-day, however, disclose a more serious state of affairs than mere official high-flying. If our readers will turn to the report of the proceedings in the Resident Magistrate's Court at Ahanra they will find that the race of Shadows is not extingt. A. man named Donovan gets, drunk, and, is locked up. He is bailed out by one Kennedy, a packer, who hands a five pound note to I tlie Sergeant in charge, but inadvertently goes away with the prisoner without obtaininghis change. On returning to the Camp, the note is missed ; every one who had been about the premises ia searched but it cannot be found. But Donovan is arrested because "he had an opportunity of taking the note," aud on no other ground Mr Lowe, the Magistrate. " considered the charged proved !" and the man is ordered to undergo two months imprisonment. If the facts are correctly stated by our reporter — and we have full confidence in his good faith — Mr Lowe is clearly incapable of administering the law. The veriest novice in magisterial duties, one would have thought, would surely be able to distinguish what should constitute proof of an offence. In. this case the man is pnnished for no other reason than that he had the " opportunity" of being a thief, even if he were not one. Mauy circumstances which have recently come to our knowledge lead us to fear that the Nelson Government made a mistake in taking Mr Lowe away from a profession of which he might have become an eminent ornament, and placing him in a position for which he was not fitted by training or experience.