THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 967, 1 September 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1871.

The /County 'Council is prorogued, the love-feast is oyer, the. toasting and pledging is at an end; and the councillors have departed to their lares arid penates, and for a tinie, if not: for eVerj ,the County Council is powerless either for good or harm. Mr County Chairman Lahman can now rest in peace without any fear of Hoos the amiable, Guinnes3 the intelligent, or Barff - the disinterested . and gentle, disturbing his slumbers, -for have they not done their work, received their wages, and disappeared into that obsenrity from which they are only dragged forth upon the assembling of a County Council. What has the late County Council done ? Has it been any improvement on its predecessors? Or has it done aught to improve the bad odor into which it had fallen, especially when the circumstances surrounding its latter days are taken into consideration. There i 3 not the slightest question that the first session undir the County of, Westland Act, was. the best. Every movement was closely watched, arid every subject ably debated. The proceedings were watched with interest; not only by the inhabitants of Westland, bnt also by the various Provincial Governments and the Ministry *of the day. I The proceedings of the young Council the subject for many a lengthened debate in the ( House of Representatives, and the . successful carrying out of tho County system was regarded as the deathblow to Provincialism. But has the beautiful flower produced the expected fruit? 'Has the County Council gained wisdom and experience by age? Forsaking its original functions, looking not so much at the good of the County as at that o? the Councillors themselves, the Council has, through aseriesof gradations, sank ; into a system of jobbery and selfinterestedness not to be surpassed by" the most venal of Provincial Councils. The unseemly scramble for the Chairmanship with its ,£6OO a year and house and Bring; the struggle for the payment of the Councillors ; the passing of motions, the manipulating, rescinding, and overthrowing of them, when it was found, "ori mature consideration," thab they interfered with the personal well-being of either the members or their friends, are too patent to need further comment. The opportunity it afforded to pay out some petty annoyance, or some ill-feeling, under cloak of "good. for the County" was availed of,, while the wasteful and extravagant expenditure of the County's resources was not for a moment considered. Much is said at the commencement of a session as ; to the necessity of making reductions in the expenditure, but, save the " lopping off " of a few shillings weekly from the lowest and most underpaid official, is it ever carried out ? And again, the passing of motions which the movers well know can never be given effect to, brought forward to give the members an opportunity for a display of, their fancied oratprial .powers, and in order to blind their constituents, all tend to bring the County Council into ridicule and contempt, and to cause tl oje v who suffer under the infliction to long for some change for the better— it certainly could not be for the worse. It is riot at all to be wondered at that the immaculate Mr Barff should introduce the motion he did into the Council ori the closing evening's sittings, regarding the resolutions introduced into the Assembly by Mr Harrison, for the sweeping away of County Government and Nelson Government control over the Gold Fields on the West Coast, because nothing else was expected from him ; bnt we were surprised to find that he was suppdrted by snch sensible, men as Messrs Bonar, Button, and Robinson' are generally supposed to be. But what surprised us most was the language made use of by Mr Lahman, the County Chairman, with respect to the member for the Grey. Valley, and the mnnner in which he acted as one of the arbitrators in respect to the division of I the Ciin'erbury debts. He Sdid " the wliole-of the arbitration business had been totally mismanaged by Mr Harrison,, and the effect would be felt-so long as the County was in existence." We are: notonly surprised, but astonishted at such a charge. It is, the first time it has ever -b'oen mooted, as it was always; understodd that Mr Harrison had acted in a very able manner on that occasion, and had been •the means of saving the County from the payment of,Bomcthing like L1(),000 aryear in interest. We also recollect that the County Council recorded on its minutes a: vote of thanks to Mr Harrison, and< also the still moio substantial vote of LIOO, for his fcervieos.as arbitrator. It was always considered : that Westland had made a very good bargain. It may have I been possible for an. abler man, than Mr Harrisou to have made a better bargain, and perhaps a mistake Was made when the arbitrator wes selected; but it is easy

for a gentleman coming in ta office some time after the whole transaction was com-; pletedj^ and by the aid of official docu r merits 'Pr'i facts which hayp.yßin.ee trauspired, fault, and nothing easierthan to do it in a general way, without a single reason giveu, and tail it on to a motion with which it has not the remotest connection IT Such cb arges' against public men ought not to be made publicly, unless reasons are given, and it is to be hoped that the County Chairman will yet "see fitto'pirove'tlie'charge lie has made. Of course, the reasons why. the ino tion was brought forward, and such a display of /'acrimonious feeling was exhibited by the members in supporting it, are too well understood to require comment. Salaries, honors, honorariums, &c, are at stake, and that is considered sumcient reason by ■tho present .holders.: of them to cast as much opprobium as possible at tho man who endeavors to lift sncha heavy burden off the shoulders of the County.