THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 724, 8 September 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1870.

The telegram which we publish to-day from Wellington will be read with deep regret by the great majority of the residents in the Grey District. For some unexplained reason, the General Government has seen fit to abandon, at its second reading, the Bill they had introduced for altering the northern boundary-line of / the County of Westland and annexing the Grey District to the Province of Nelson ; consequently all . the labor of the Annexation League and the representatives of Westland in the. House have been tlxrown away ; »H e promises of the Government have been broken ; and all the expectations we have indulged in of liberation from the control of the County Chairman and Council have been, blasted. Why, it is impossible to. say. A very sudden change has come over the mind of the Ministry on this question, which must have been caused solely by reasons of expediency, for the position of the question has not in the slightest degree altered since they agreed to introduce it in the shape of a Government measure. Until the reasons stated for this singular conduct on the part of the Government are before \is^ we are unable to give any explanation of this most unexpected, and to all appearance treacherous, movement on the part of the Government. It maybe that the votes of the Nelson members in the Upper House were wanted to pass the Government Bills ; there may be— anything, in fact — it is no \ise - speculating, time will show who has "played the knave." The probabilities are, that i the Nelson members in both Houses. Who were not favorable to the movement-have threatened the Government with serious obstruction to the passage of these measures, because the Annexation question was not referred to their Provincial Council, and they considered their Superintendent's suggestion to that effect treated with contempt by Mr Yogel ; but it is certain that some underhand influence has been at work Ito bring about this 'disastrous result. So far as our telegrams tell us, and they contain all the reliable information to . hand, Messrs Harrispn and Kynnersley — more especially the latter — long resented the injury done to this district by this treacherous act of the Government, by opposing their Railway Bill in the House and in Committee. Mr "Kynnersley has acted in a plucky and determined manner, by announcing his intention to divide on every question until the prayer of the petition of the residents in the Grey Valley is attended ! to; and singularly enough, he has obtained for his only supporter on every division (five in number he had caused before, onr late telegram left), Mr Brown, one of the Otago Gold Fields' representatives. The telegram says that Mr Harrison <( cannot vote, having paired," which is not easily understood, seeing that evevy pair is recorded for and against on every division. Why Mr Harrison should pair off at, such a time, we cannot imagine, and we hope the circumstance is capable of explanation, for we will soon be in the heat of a general election both for the Assembly and the County Council, and no doubt it will be remembered. Although tho opposition of Mr Kynnersley to the Government measures may be without result, yet it bliows plainly the stuff he is made of, and that he was an honest and con-

sistent supporter of the Annexation Movement.

The Annexation League have failed in the attainment of their object, but that failure has been caused through no carelessness or fault of theirs. They have used every open, straightforward, and constitutional means to accomplish the task which was entrusted to them by the people, and they were successful up to the last moment, when, as we have said, they were thrown over, in a most unjustifiable and treacherous manner by the Government, on the ground of political expediency alone. They deserve the best thanks of the community for the manner in which they have done their duty ; and no blame can possibly attach to them. They,' ; as well as the other residents, must accept the position forced upon them of continuing to be a portion of a bankrupt County, and they will have to do so with as good a grace as possible. It is just possible, that in the approaching elections for the County Council, the citizens may, in order to show their utter contempt for the County system, as it obtains in Westland, arid their gratitude for past favors return Messrs Yogel and Fox as their representatives !