THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 777, 10 January 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1871.

The County Council meets for the despatch of business at Hokitika at noon tomorrow. The first business to be transacted ,1s the election of a County Chairman for the next two years, or until the Governor shall otherwise exercise his powers and dissolve the Council, or until the great change in the Government of the Colony stakes place, which is surely and steadily approaching, when all Provincial and County Governments will be swept away and one strong Central Government established for the whole Colony ; or one Government for. the North and another for the* South Island. Meantime the election i of * a Chairman must .take place from among 'the recently elected members of the Council 1 , and there is, we fear, every Indication .of there being as hot a. scramble for it as there was two years ago, when such a disgraceful scene was enacted. The names of at least four candidates for the office have been publicly mentioned, and their various claims and abilities discussed, viz.-, Messrs . Bonar, Button, 'Barff, and Guinness, and it is Known that if an opportunity presented itself Mr Lahman,, ,would also, make an effort to obtain the covetedseat. The probabilities of the result of the contest, are yet too vague to enable U3 to form any definite opinion, especially as our own two members could not come to an understanding 30 that they might vote together on the question for the good of their constituents. It is therefore very 'improbable, ' that a Greymouth man will be J;he coming County Chairman, iiriless there is a very serious split in the Hokitika camp, which is not , at all likely, as they know too well the value of coming to an understanding before the Council meets, upon so important a point. The supposed combination at present is Messrs ' Bonar, Reid, Button, and Robinson, to put either Mr Button or Mr Bonar in, and it is -not improbably that the other Greymouth and country members may combine — although the elements for puch a combination are certainly awauting— to return one of their number. They have the power to do so, as the Chairman must be elected by an absolute majority of the Council then present, and the protests which have been lodged against the return of at least two of the returned members, will not in any degree invalidate their votes on this question. We are under the impression that the contest . will really lie between either Mr Bonar or Mr Button and Mr. Barff, but whoever is returned, we hope, for the credit of the County, that the disgraceful scene which characterised the last election will not he repeated upon this occasion. It is a very easy matter for the members to meet privately before the hour of election and settle who is to be the coming man, and when the Council Chamber is reached the proceedings can be got over in a few minutes in a quiet and dignified manner. It would be ueeuJeSi to misluss the probabilities of the approachirg session, until it is known who is tiie County Chairman, and what the financial position of the County really is. .There are a number of public works in this district we wish earnestly to see carried out during the present half-year ; biit the general impression is, that, there will not. lie a penny to spend upon public works, and it is needless to speculate until the financial statement is laid upon the table. Of one tbiug we think this constituency can rest assured — that if there is any money to be spent, Messrs Lahman and Guinness are just the men to see that the Grey District receives its fair proport'iont f ;