THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 708, 2 August 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1870.

The progress which the cause of the promoters of the movement for the Annexation of the Grey District to Nelson has made, is quite in keeping with their most sanguine expectations. Their petition, when presented to the House of Representatives by Mr W. H. Harrison (who by-the-way has thrown himself heart and soul into the movement) created an immense sensation, in so far as it brought home to the members in a most practical manner, the truth of the assertion which has been so often made, and so often denied and laughed at by interested persons—that the inhabitants of the Grey District were unanimous in their determination t ) have the present most objectionable boundary-line altered, by annexing this slice of territory to the Province of Nelson. The petition was referred from one committee to another, until it was placed in charge of a Select Committee, of which, we are happy to say, Mr W. H. Harrison was appointed the Chairman. It may be a slight breach of confidence to relate snb3equent proceedings, yet we Miink the importance of the subject to the residents in this district warrants it. We understand that Mr Kynnersley at first joined heartily with Mr Harrison in his endeavor to obtain the alteration of the present boun-dary-line between Westland and Nelson, at the same time he protested against annexation to Nelson for reasons best known, to himself. After consultation, these two Westland members arrived at a basis upon which to ask the assistance of- the Government, viz —that Westland should be taken over by the General Government from the Razorback to the Otago boundary, but sub-divided into two districts, one from Razorback to the Teremakau and the other 3outh, and each having its Gfficer-in-chavge, appointed by the General Government, and all the surplus revenues administered by Boards of Works, consisting of the Mayi.-rs of Municipalities, and Chairmen of Road Boards in the districts. To this Mr Yogel would not consent — he wanted no further division of the Colony, but was in favor of union, somewhat after the example of the Otago and Southland Re-union Bill. We i egret to say that because Mr Kynnersley could not get his pet scheme carried, he turned his back on his colleague, and refused to have any thing further to do with the matter. However, Mr Harrison persevered j and, after another interview with the Colonial Treasurer, induced him ,to say that if the Nelson members did not object to Annexation the Government would not. Of cour3e.the ultimate decision of the Nelson members depends very much upon the report of the Commission sent down here to investigate the real state of affairs by the Nelson Provincial Council, and on this point we are happy to say that there is not a shadow of a doubt but

that the report will be most favorable. Every fact that was alleged by the promoters of the movement was fully and satisfactorily proved to the Commission, and we have reason to know that if the success of the movement hangs by the nature of the report, it may be reckoned as already secured. It is known that Mr Curtis is favorable ; that the General Government do not object ; that the report will convince the other Nelson members of the benefits which will rcjrue to their Province by the annexing of the most prosperous and valuable slice of country in the Colony; and that the other members of the House will be guided in their decision by the voices of those interested. So far everything has gone favorably with the Annexations to, and should they fail now it will be through no fault of theirs or of Mr Harrison, the representative of the We3tland Boroughs in the House of Representatives, who, we observe, has forwarded the movement by publishing in the Wellington Daily Advertiser the text of the Annexation petition, and a resume from his own knowledge and experience of the necessity which exists for Annexation, noticing the continuous agitations since 1866, the unsuitability of the present boundary-line ; the additional cost of the present system of double administration on the river; the importance of the district; the unauimity of the inhabitants on the question, and illustrating that there was nothing unjust to Westland in the proposal. We intended to have given his remarks at length, but space forbids that we should pursue the subject further at present.