THE The Drey River Argus. TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 690, 21 June 1870, Page 2

THE The Drey River Argus. TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1870.

Notwithstanding all the vilification and abuse which has, duriug the last few days, been poured upon the heads of the promoters of the Annexation movement generally, and our humble selves in particular, by our Hokitika contemporary, we are happy to be able to record that the League continues to make good progress, and that whether successful or not in the attainment of the object aimed at, they will deserve the best thanks of the community for their indefatigable exertions. At the same time we are happy to notice that there is a common platform upon which the people of Hokitika and Greymouth can discuss this question. The discovery of ifc is due to the Chairman and members of the County Council, who have suddenly found out that it would be quite as well for the southern portion of Westland if the northern portion left it, because it receives more than its share of the revenue by several thousands a year, and because it has always been the most rebellious and discontented portion of VVestland. " Go, and joy go with you," is the phrase used to us in the one sentence, and, with beautiful consistency, we are. told in the next that " Westland cannot afford to lose such a slice of country and maintain, its position as a County ;" which means, neither more or less than this — " We cannot let you go, for if we did we would have humbly to crave Canterbury or Otago to absorb us," and, as we lately remarked, this is a hunii liating position from which our neighbors naturally shrink, but which, nevertheless, has been at the root of the present opposition to the Annexation movement. In the absence of the "correct, complete, rectified, amended, and reprinted returns," with which we were threatened a few days ago, we cannot pursue this branch of the subject further ; but we must again point out to our Southern friends that the question will have to be decided upon the . allegations contained in the memorial — the fundamental principle of which is that for the good of the district the present boundary-line must be altered— and not that the Grey District has been neglected by the County Council. Upon that point we may have a few facts to mention when the dreaded returns are to hand, even at the risk of incurring the ire of our contemporary for " vilifying public officers." It is the first time we ever heard that phrase applied, because we took exception to the figures as set down in a document printed for the information of the public ; but there is nothing like high-sounding words in bolstering up a bad argument, and we must give our contemporary the credit of knowing when to use them. While the movement is being so tenderly treated and spoken of in Hokitika, , it is more encouraging to turn to Nelson, where we find that the League has not been idle ; for in the Provincial Council, on Thursday evening last, Mr Reid proposed that the Council should go into Committee on the subject of his Honor's Message, containing as an enclosure telegrams and memoranda from Greymouth, on the subject of Annexation. The matter is only briefly and inefficiently reported in the Nelson papers to hand, but the facts are, that in Committee various opinions were expressed as to the adyan-. tages or disadvantages of Annexation'; but the opinions of the Council were so

evenly balanced that it was resolved that special inquiry was desirable, and it was agreed that .£l5O should be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose of defraying the expenses of a Commission of Inquiry, conoisting of one or more members, who will proceed to the Grey District imme2 diately after the close of the session. It is not decided whether the Commission Bhall consist of members of the Council, but at any rate a Commission, consisting of two — probably representing the interests of Nelson and the West Coast — will visit Greymouth in the course of the ensuing month, and investigate further as to the physical advantages, and financial advantages or disadvantages under which Annexation may bo entertained. It is much to be regretted that the Council have dealt with the question in this manner, because there is no use hiding the fact, that unless some very strong, help comes from the Assembly, this act on the part of the Provincial Council of Kelson is as good as shelving the question, so far as they are concerned, for another year, because the Commissioners are not to enquire until after the present session of the Council. But as the Nelson members of the Assembly can vote independently upon the question — the Provincial Council having arrived at no decision on the question but merely hung it up, as it were, for a year —it will most assuredly be brought before the present session of the Assembly, whatever the result may be, as the League are confident in the justice of the cause they have espoused.