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

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1045, 1 December 1871, Page 2

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

Ma Harrison's explanation on Wednesday evening must be regarded in the main as satisfactory, although it was not altogether what was wished for. The course he pursued in regard to the Annexation question was no doubt the wisest under the circumstances, but then it is questionable whether the inhabitants of this district would not have preferred that he had made a stand-up fight, and tested the feeling of the House, although he knew that there was not the slightest chance of its being carried. Perseverance, or in other words, persistent boredom, has very often carried measures when lukewarnmess would have succumbed, and 1 seeing that the inhabitants of this district had made up their minds on the necessity of altering the boundary-line, they might at least have been afforded the opportunity of knowing what objections could have been raised against the measure in the House of Representatives. Great praise | is due to Mr Harrison for tlie exertions he made to obtain a definite grant for the construction of roads in the Grey Valley District, and we find that his efforts in this direction were constantly opposed and thwarted by the Superintendent of Nelson and some of the other Nelson members. In the Annexation Bill he insisted that a clause, giving 25 per cent, of the local revenue to Road Boards to be created in the Grey Valley District, Bhould bo inserted, and when he found that that Bill could not be proceeded with, he endeavored to get the delegated powers of the Superintendent of Nelson, and the County Chairman withdrawn, but he was advised by the Government not topersevere in the matter. When the Payment of Provinces Bill was before the House, and in which the Treasurer, MrVogel, proposed to increase the grant to Road Boards from £50,000 to £100,000, Mr Harrison carried a motion, although it was strongly opposed by the Nelson members, that three-elevenths of the proportion falling to the Province of Nelson, and which otherwise would have fallen to the various Road Boards in the neighborhood of the city of Nelson, should be set aside for subsidising Road Boards to be established on the Nelson South-West Gold Fields. This was a great concession, and but for the influence wielded by Mr Harrison in the House, would never have been carried. He also assisted in obtaining the whole of the County of Wesfcland's portion of tbe Middle -Island Railway Fund — about to be expended on the roada at once, and by this means a complete road system to the various principal diggings and centres of population may now be established. With regard to Mr Harri- | son's views as to the construction of a railway between the Grey and Hokitika, we are not so sanguine of its being undertaken, or if so, that the line would pay. There, is much difference of opinion about the abolition of gold duty, which is a special tax on the mining community, and there may be doubts whether Mr Harrison's action was politic. At all events, in this respect he only fulfilled what he|stated in his election address to his constituents, so that no blame could attach to him for his vote on the question . He also brought prominently before the Government the petition of the leaseholders of the Maori Reserve, asking that it might be declared freehold, and obtained a promise that a Commissioner should be sent down to carry out the wishes of the inhabitants. This of itself is a great bqon, and one which the constituency of Greymonth f ally appreciate, and if the member for the Grey Valley had not been on good terms with the Government the promise would never have been obtained. He also obtained a provision in the Municipal Councils' Act, for altering the boundaries of. .Wards, where necessary. The great question of Wa*er Supply to the Gold Fields also received his attention, and from his knowledge lie was able to speak authoritatively on the subject, and he claims the merit of carrying the resolution that aid should be given to private companies bringing water on to Gold Fields, instead of leaving it to Government to construct works. He also drew up the regulations on the subject which were afterwards adopted by the Gold Fields' Committee, and which will shortly be gazetted. Mr Harrison then announced that he was leaving Greymouth, having accepted the appointment of editor of the chief paper in Wellington —viz., the Wellington Independents It must have been flattering to Mv Harmon to receive the- address presented to him in the name of his constituency, approving of his conduct during the time he has represented them— viz., two years in the Westland County Council, and four in the House of Representatives. Let us hope that in hi 3 new home, being at the seat of Government, he may be able to exercise more influence for the benefit of his constituency, ' and, judging by the tone of the late meeting it will be a long time before, there will be any necessity in calling, upon him for a fulfilment of the pledge he gave at the meeting— that " if they (his constituency) thought his conduct was not what they wished, they would tell him so, and he would at once place his resignation in their hands."