THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 753, 15 November 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1870.

A very large storm for such a very small teapot occurred on Friday evening last, to wit — an " indignation meeting" at the Ahaura township. The "indignation" that was evoked on this occasion, owed its origin to the publication in the columns of the Weekly Argus of the draft memorial that had been prepared by the Ahaura residents for presentation to his Honor the Superintendent of Nelson on his expected visit to that part of the country. We may here explain that this journal and the Weekly Argus possess an active correspondent and reporter in the district, and that he very properly fulfils his duty of forwarding information at the earliest possible opportunity on any and every subject of public interest. On this occasion he supplied his principals with a copy of the memorial already alluded to, which memorial was duly transferred into type alike for the benefit of the memorialists and for general information. This very usual proceeding, however, appears to have offended the sensitive nerves of a few " amateur politicians" — as one of them very happily designates the complainants — of the Little Pedlington aforesaid, who fancy that the anticipatory publication of their manifesto, was an insult to the Committee who prepared it, and an indignity to the district. We hardly know whether to be more amused at the ridiculous and puerile exhibition which is reported in another column, or to seriously resent the pretentious impertinences which some of the persons at the meeting chose to indulge in. One would think from the "high falutin/' tone_of toTieal^itlfsome awful impending calamity, or to take steps for repelling some terrible attack on their lives and properties, instead of merely to abuse a poor innocent reporter, and throw water on a duck's back, in the shape of passing a vote of censure upon the Argus. One speaker " couldn't find words to express all that he felt — a circumstance rather fortunate for his hearers than otherwise, seeing that he did allow his exuberant feelings to find vent in a very stupid resolution, too stupid indeed for even the very foolish individuals he addressed. But the meeting appears to have been quite in earnest in supposiug that at least a breach of etiquette had 1 been practised by the journal in publishing to the world the text of a memorial not yet presented. Possibly an explanation of this soreness may be found in the possibility of the " Committee " having arranged that the precious document, the result of the combination of all the intellect of Little Pedlington, should take the shape of a set speech neatly delivered, as if extempore by their Chairman. If this be the case, we are truly sorry that we have deprived that gentleman of the honor and glory he might have expected to achieve, and to make amends, we will undertake to provide him on some other occasion with a beautiful orabion on any subject he pleases, and say nothing about it. One of the most amusingly ignorant of the ignoramuse3 was a Mr Boag, connected, we believe, with a paper published at the Ahaura, and which subsists chiefly upon our own columns and those of our weekly. This gentleman talked abrnit "ventilating" the whole matter — whatever that may mean — through the Grey Valley Times, and it must have been a cousolingpiece of information to his hearers that by such means "the whole world should bs made aware of the perfidy of the Abgus !" The meeting, after hearing a rather gratuitous explanation from our reporter, and stumbling over several proposed resolutions, finally resolved to adopt a protest, addressed to the Editor of the Weekly Argus, complaining of his "premature" publication of the memorial, but which has not yet reached us ! Possibly the " combined wisdom" may at this moment be engaged " developing" the extraordinary document. It never seems to have occurred to any of the enlightened gentlemen at the meeting that the publication of the text j of a public memorial before presentation is ! not only not an unusual proceeding, but is the almost invariable practice. Indeed, public bodies as a rule are only too glad to secure such publication, for the double purpose of informing the public, and a of securing greater attention from those |to whom it may be addressed. The publication of the Ahaura memorial in the Weekly Argus was due to these considerations, and to the wish of that and this j ournal to further the interests of the up-country residents, with whose complaints of governmental neglect . we cordially sympathise. Any reply from the Superintendent to that memorial when formally j>resented must necessarily be more definite and deliberate than if he had to answer ita allegations on the spur of the moment. It is very easy for a clever man like Mr Curtis to evade any attempt to induce him to commit himself, and possibly, if he had any disposition to do so, he could have made an excellent excuse of unpre-

parcdness, had the memorial been presented as the Ahaura Committee seem to luave wished it to be. By their very foolish " indignation" meeting the Committee have displayed alike ignorance of the ugnal'procedure in such cases, and of their own interests — which were much better served by the "premature 11 publication they complain about, than they are likely to be by such childish exhibitions that of Friday last.