THE Grey River Argus. Thursday, December 22, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 769, 22 December 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. Thursday, December 22, 1870.

The campaign in relation to" the representation of the Grey Valley District in the General Assembly has been commenced. It is tolerably certain now thai the contest for this district will be .between MrW.'H. Harrisen, the sitting member, and Mr P. A. Buckley, of Wei- , lington. Another influential gentleman i had intended offering himself, but he has i decided to relinquish, his intention rathei than jeopardise the return of a Joca ! member. Mr Harrison addressed thf ■ electors of Greymouth last evening 1 and gave them an interesting am ! instructive resume of the chief .poll [ tical questions most affecting th< "' constituency, and if the disposition o t that meeting may be regarded as an} criterion of the feeling of the district, h< has little reason to fear the result. In deed, it would be a reproach to the dis trict could it not find at least one ainonj 'its 'residents in -whom the electors coulc repose their political confidence. I would, perhaps, have afforded greater cvi dence of a healthy and vigorous interes in political, matters had a contest existec amongst local candidates, but as Mi Harrison, so far, stands alone in thii respect, he may not mireasimablv^ jLab will be surrounded by what we may tern very anomalous circumstances. For som< most inscrutable reason a gentleman hai been invited to contest the seat who hai in no sense any claim upon the consti tuency. Of course there is nothing n'ev in. the . fact that, a stranger should b< brought forward for the representation o a district in Parliament. But generally in such cases the candidate is a wel known politician. He~ is either a persoi of eminent political position, or is th< representation of some cardinal principh which the constituency; regard as theii main test. Mr Stafford, was returnee without opposition , by the Timaru elector! : because, although a non-resident, lie w?i« the champion of the principle of local self government, which the electors of that district desired to see carried out. Bui Mr Buckley, apart perhaps from the fad that he has personal adherents amongst a section of the community, does noi possess any of those claims which are usually advanced by*strangers in seeking political honor. As we have on a formei occasion mentioned, he is in every respect an untried man. He cannot by any possibility know anything of the political interests of the district, nor can he appreciate the effect which the action of the Legislature might have on the welfare of the constituency. Added to these qualifications he would, if elected, be a mere addition to the North Island members. His return would be a double disfranchisement of this district. Practically he could be only of little use to it regarding its local matters, and in any question involving an opposition of North Island and Middle Island members his sympathies and his vote would be with the former. Hr Harrison has one gieat advantage. His fitness for election can be tested by his past performrnces, and although perhaps his political action may not have earned' with it unanimous approval, few will be found to deny that he has rendered good services to the district. Measuring hißproceedings generally, his claims for re-election are quite as good as past services usually are. But it is not only upon retrospective grounds that Mr Harrison asks for the sweet voices of the electors. He takes the ground assumed by the Hon. Mr Fitzlierbert the other day in addressing his constituents— certain measures involving the interests and welfare of the constituency have to be decided, and work has to be donb— is ho fit to be entrusted -with a voice in that decision- and is he capable of doing the work. And that issue is really the one which' • the electors should consider. The next session of Parliament, as Mr Harrison told his audience, will be of unusual importance. The whole financial policy of the present Ministry may be confirmed or it may be reversed. Either result would be invested with enormous effects for good or evil to the Colony as a wfcoie and to this district personally. The quesU'in of. Protection will be again raised, and no doubt a great effort made to impose this odious form of taxation. The division of the Colony into two Provinces will most probably be a prominent question, and it is one respecting which there should be no doubt 6r hesitation on thp part of the representatives of the I ■■■ ' ' : .. ; :'■■■.;:.. ■; -

Middle Island, for it is one which may be condensed into — " Are the inhabitants of the Middle Island to be taxed for the benefit of the North !" Now thoro ia the question of Gold Fields Administration, which is one that cannot be longer evaded. Something must be done to place the administration of the Gold Fields and the gold mining industry generally upon a better footing. Whatever differences of opinion there may be as to the particular manner in which this is to Toe done, there can be no doubt of the necessity of a great reform of some kind, more especially on the West Coast. Mr Harrison laid particular stress upon this subject last night, and his opinions were fully appreciated by the meeting. His proposed plan of' administration, although somewhat crude and unevenly balanced, contains the germ of some such system as is desirable. The grand point is to secure the expenditure upon the Gold Fields themselves of the special taxation levied upon the miners. That is the cry from every mining, district, and it is one that should not be neglected. We have just indicated a few of the questions in which the electors, of Grey Valley are specially concerned. They are questions materially affecting their interests, and should be seriously considered. We are unable to review Mr Harrison's remarks at any length, but as we are compelled to hold over our report of his speech until next issue, we shall take the opportunity of doing so in that publication.