THE PROPOSED PETITION TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 676, 19 May 1870, Page 2

THE PROPOSED PETITION TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

■• . ■■■ ♦ ■■•■■■••J.-f ...<. ', (TO THE EDITOR.) j ?*'. J3rs^Before the Committee appointed to revise the petitioji respecting the " wrongs" of Greymouth town and district again. I call the public together, would- it not be as well to ventilate the su'bjec| a little, and : endeavor, to come to .a clear understanding as to what those wrongs . really ,are, and the remedies we are petitioning ' the 'Governor to apply to them j for I take it for granted that some practical remedy will at least lie hinted at in the petition. -It would be indeed a grave mistake to "generalise*' ori- a subject' of this sort— one certain to ensure failure^ In petitioning for a Commission of Enquiry, we must at once point out where that enquiry is to be directed, andf the remedy we ask for. ''' '' " ; The complaint appears to be— First: That in the County justice not been done to Greymouth in the distribution of the County revenue;; The remedy asked | for, 1 presume, is that the General Government will undertake this distribution themselves ; in other words, repeal the County of Westland Act. Next : That the; present boundary line betweeij the County arid Nelson is the immediate cause of a great injustice being done to the Grey District generally, including that portion of Nelson Gold Fields known as . the Grey Valley— an injustice so glaring that the most superficial enquiry would, at once prove the fact. . : . . : :•; This, I takft; iiy is? the true-ground; of complaint^ and the: one by; which, the' petition will have to stand . or fall, . for asking the General Government to see . that Greymouth gets her fair> share of the revenue is simply asking that one propor- ; tion of the surplus (?) revenue (after payiug charges) shall be assessed. We all know that while a Coiirity Council exists surplus revenue will be but a name, and this will bring us to the remedies asked for in the second ground of complaint, i.e., the unsatisfactory boundary line. .These remedies are four in number, and it will require the utmost care and attention of all concerned before finally deciding which of the four we propose to petition for. The Grey Valley mus* be one in this matter or we shall fail. No. 1— Is to ' extend the t boundary . line of ; the County of Westland north, so as to include the Grey Valley. This proposition maybe at once shelved ; the district north of the Grey would never consent, even if we wished it; and that appears to be more th&a doubtfuli >; ; ; ■ ' '-, No.. 2— To form a fresh Gouri'tyl'frdm ii\a Terema,kau to the I^orback. This, ; ,tpo, yvould meet with opposition^ on ? all side 3, iis the very name of ' a County the nostrils'- of the people on both sides of the Grey. ; It. being pretty clear,, also, the ; sort of reception a request of this sort would meet with from the, General Assembly a,nd the present: Government, both hostile to the system. '. ■■ No. 3— Would be to extend the boundaries of the uNelson ; Proviace, as far south

yrthe|^reffiiaU^ This is worth consideration t%ugh~s am incfo^ to think that the? Government from Nelson would be but little better than Government from Hokitik* |or Jii,,|and it is not at all sure that INT elßon;3wduld care to have us even if we^isbej ft. Lastly, comes the proposal to form a new Province of Westland, to include the whole of the West Coast, from Mokihinui vinces are still .to, exig^ theajthia would clearly be the most pMctieal'scWie to would dispense with the present coj^aystem of a dual Goyernnaant > would ensure local ;re?enue?6eing spent; fcy loicir g e n, be^ustitheActformingthel^vincd'oould contain some such clauses v those in the Timaru and Gladstone Bill, enforciflg the expenditure of a fixed proportion Urtlto "\ revenue on public works. This schemfe tod, would be likely to; meet with stroM ;U suppory rom, the preient,,Go^rnmeM whose Provincial tendencies are very weU known, and also, from a lane section of the Assembly. To go on the principle, of : ( asking fdrwh'at *re are likely to get, I believe this last propositibn to beth^osUeasible of all^andif-jirpuld: be 3 glad to see \t discussed : freely,at the next public meeting.: It is. one also in which we might invite the cordial cooperation of theanhabitantsofitheGrey I have already pointed out what prospect of flucces* there would; be r fpijus^ .wj^thpu^y thatco-operatipn... .:..„ .}: ... .._ ■•rrr-mf ; I have refrained 2rom 'touching upon one. suggestion: thatihasibeentthitown out, jbecauseiu. doing so I shojQid.havjßjraised-*. the, whole , question - of VTgvuiriajfcZJF^fc mentjaabo^ h? , g ou^,of WestSnf to administer toe revenues Ithemselyies3, -through a resident commis-p. 'sioDer. This wouldjteso simple a way of jending a portion 'of our troubles that Ido mot belieWMr%6nH li -*rf I %iteH6eL It would be inserting the thin edge of centralism 'into the provincial' >]££ tod>l doubt the present Government beinir, wilUng to do anything of the sort.too, -wouTdaeave unsettled^he ; vexed' queit tionof the Grey boundary^ VX |. Hoping tilat' 'these l 'somewhat crude remarks may be, .taken. in good &&., and ; cause the subject to' be well ; disci««l'," ; tr: I '''^.I-aiii|-.4fcc.| '''""&. Grey Max.