THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1001, 11 October 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1871.

The proposed alteration in the system of Government of the Nelson South- West Gold Fields, including the Grey Valley District, and the annexation of Greymouth and the district lying between the Grey arid Teremakau Rivers to the Province of Nelson, appears to have fallen upon the people of Hokitika like a thunder-bolt. After the defeat of the same measure last session, they were resting contentedly in the full confidence that such a scheme of violent "dismemberment" would never again be proposed, at least as long as the present Ministry remained in office. Their astonishment must therefore have been great when they were suddenly awakened to the fact that the obnoxious proposition came this year from the Government and not from "that traitor to Westland," as the Hokitika press has of late chosen to style the member for the Grey Valley. Even now, we notice that every opportunity is taken to cast the responsibility of this pro-

position on Mr Harrison, although it formed no part of the resolutions for the better government of the Gold Fields which he introduced into the Assembly, but emanated entirely from the members of the Government themselves. All who know how the writes are pulled behind the scenes in these cases, will understand how Hokitika, Grey Valley, and Nelson influences would be brought to bear on the Government, and how the member for this district would be compelled to accept, out of the multitude of suggestions, the compromise offered by the Government, namely Annexation to Nelson, the creation in the Grey Valley Gold Fields of a Board of Works, having the control of the expenditure of a fixed proportion of the Gold Fields revenue on public works, and the construction of the main lines of road and the railway to the Coal Mine out of the loan. We believe such a measure as this is the only one on the subject that is likely to pass the Assembly this session. The system of government proposed, if passed in its entirety, is capable of being worked so as to acid to the material advancement of the district ; but it is intricate in detail, and there are many points which require close examination and explanation before it can be accepted by the residents in Greymouth and the Grey Valley. Carried out as proposed, the system of government would be very much better than the present one, and the opening up of the roads would give an impetus to trade, to the settlement of the country, and also to the development of its rich mineral resources. The proposed change has not yet been seriously considered by the residents, and no public expression of opinion has been given either for or against it But we notice that the same apathy is not displayed in the Hokitika district. There, the annexation of the Grey district to Nelson means the dismemberment of the County, the abolition of the County Council and all its departments, the handing over, either to Otago or Canterbury, of the district south of the Teremakau, or else its formation into a Boad Board District. This is not relished by the powers that be, and the County Chairman, accompanied by the County Solicitor, has proceeded to Wellington to endewor to keep the County intact, and perpetuate the present rotten system of County Government. The wires are also being properly pulled down South, so as to bring pressure to bear upon tho General Government and the Assembly, and meetings were to be held at Hokitika, Goldsborough, and Stafford Town with that object in view. The Hokitika meeting was to be held last evening, and the series of resolutions to be proposed were to the effect that a strong protest was to be made against any alteration in the form of government as at present constituted in Westland, "without giving timely notice to the portion of the inhabitants affected by the proposed change, bo that they may be enabled to express their opinion thereon ; and that the inhabitants of the County of Westland deeply regret that the Colonial Treasurer should have deemed it expedient to announce that it was the intention of the Government to annex a portion of the County of Westland to the Nelson Province, and they request the Government to stay proceedings with regard to the dismemberment of the County, until the public shall give an opinion as to its desirability." We imagine that the inhabitants of Westland who are most deeply interested in the proposed change are those in the Grey District, but not the slightest consideration is given as to what their opinion may be on the subject. There is no disguising the fact that these meetings will be held, reaolutions passed blindly, and hnrridly telegraphed to Wellington, which may seriously interfere with the carrying out of the Government scheme. Some counteracting action is necessary here. If the proposed changes are acceptable to the people let them say so, and strengthen the hands of those who are seeking to carry them through Parliament; if tbeyare not f let the electors just as openly state their opinions, so that there may be no heart-burnings hereafter. For ourselves, we are ready to accept any alteration of the obnoxious boundary-Hue, and under the circumstancesj and after full investigation, we think the Government scheme is the only feasible one for getting rid of our present system of double government, which has so long been the ruin of this district.