Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1101, 7 February 1872, Page 2

Acting upon tbe adage which adviseß that Father Time should be taken by the forelock, the good people of Westport no sooner heard of the Premier's probable advent than they held a public meeting to prepare for his reception, and to relieve , their souls of the burden of sorrows which they bear through the mal-administration of their temporal affairs by the Nelson Executive. In a township in which no municipal corporation has yet been created, and in which the only representative body which ever existed came to a premature death, it was, of course, a necessity that there should be some special public preparation for an event so important in its annals. This necessity cannot be said to exist here to the same extent as in Westport. Here we have a Mayor and Council, whose delight it will no doubt be, as it is also their duty, to represent the hospitable character of the community, and to pay such attentions to our visitor as are due to the dignity of his office as Prime Minister of the Colony. In doing this, however, it would be well to imitate the Westport example in the one matter of early preparation,* and we shall, therefore, expect to hear that Councillors have arranged to assemble sooner than the date of their next ordinary meeting, for the purpose of decidiug upon the steps to be taken in anticipation of the Premier's visit. It may also be a question with them whether, or to what extent, it may be advisable to seek the co-operation of such private citizens as may be considered representative men, though they are not absolutely members of Council. A still more delicate question is the extent to which any deputation waiting upon the Premier, whether consisting of Councillors or others, should obtrude upon his notice subjects of local complaint or debate. The propriety of the action of the inhabitants of Westport is in this respect, and in some particulars, somewhat doubtful. Nodoubt the opportunity ia a tempting one— it is not every day that a live Premier can be had on the spot to be made the receptacle of a mournful record of the .remissness of the Nelson Government. 'Now, it may be thought, is the time to impeach His Honor the Superintendent, or now, a» others may think, is the opportunity for denouncing the occupant of the County Chair. We Question much whether it is the Premier's prerogative or wish to become the recipient of complaints against Provincial Governments in purely Provincial matters, and in this particular the Westport depnVion have referred to subjects upon which Mr Fox is likely to >bave heard all, and said nothing. To some other subjeots they have very wisely

directed his attention, and one of these, as we understand the telegram published in another column, is the proposed diversion of some of the West Coast funds to what is called the Waimea district, or What has more ingeniously been designated the Upper Buller. There are equally appropriate subjects which may be brought under his attention here — the relief of the Borough Council from the burden of maintaining harbor works, the extension of these harbor works in connection with the railway, the immediate undertaking of ;the railway, and other subjects which will at once suggest themselves. Confining themselves to subjects which come properly within the range of Ministerial supervision, deputations to the Premier may do effective service, and make his visit to the Coast as useful as we hope it will be pleasant.