THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARYS, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1115, 23 February 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARYS, 1872.

During the late visit of the honorable the Premier to Greymouth, his attention was principally directed by those who waited on him, to the urgent necessity which existed for protecting the town agaiust further inundations, and other matters of import quite as weighty received but scant justice. No doubt the occasion of the visit was most opportune for the purpose, and the residents will have cause to be thankful if its results are as good as we have reason to hope they will bo. Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, the subject which- has engaged most of the attention of the residents here at periodical intervals for several years past was kept in the background and merely touched upon. We refer to the agitation which has gone on in this district for the last six years for some alteration in tho existing boundaryline between Nelson and Westland, the paramount importance of which would, under any ordinary circumstances, haye made it the most prominent- feature in any petition that was intended for presentation to so distinguished a visitor as a Premier. In a modified form the subject was introduced to Mb notice by the deputation of. Greymouth citizens, who asked an expression of opinion as to the absolute necessity which"now exists for bringing tho wholo of the West Coast Gold Fields under one form of Government. Whether the necessity is an absolute one we have no intontion now to argue ; but what we have long argued, and what the residents have over and over again petitioned the Assembly for, and what the residents are still prepared when the proper time comes to agitate and petition for, is an alteration of the boundary - line. This agitation has assumed several aspects in the course of its existence, to suit the changing circumstances of the contending governments, between which this district has been literally drained of its resources ; but although the object of its promotion has frequently been misrepresented, the one point has steadily been adhered to, that the necessity is absolute to alter the boun-dary-line, in the interests of justice and the good government of the district. The reply made by Mr Fox to those who drew his attention to the subject was cautious in the extreme, but still it was fair. Tt would never do for the Leader of the Hou3e of Assembly to commit himself to a decided expression of opinion on an important subject of this nature -without first seeing the actual conformation of the country districts interested, and hearing from the lips of the upcountry residents in the Nelson Province, as well as from those in Greymouth in the County of Westland, what their wishes really were. He said very fairly that he was not here to give an opinion ; he was here to see and hear for himself in order to enable him to make up his .mind as to what really would be the best form of government for the West Coast Gold Fields. The ultimate decision on an important question of this nature does not he with Mr Fox or with his colleagues, but with' the Parliament of the Colony, and Mr Fox could do no more than listen to what was said to him, visit the district and see for himself. And right thankful we may be that he has visited the district, and that immediately on his arrival at Ahaura, in the Nelson Province, he was presented with an .address which pressed upon liis notice the calm conviction of the residents, arrived- at after many years' experience of the misrule of the Nelson Provincial GovOTiHawrt, that tha iim hvwl covno ftre an alteration in the present system of Government. To this the Premier gave a reply very similar to that given to the Greymouth deputation, which in itself simply meant nothing further than that the matter had been brought under his notice, and when the proper time arrived he would be sure to remember. But to both of these answers he appended a bit of advice to which we think this constituency, ought soon to give its most serious attention. He said, iv fact, if you want a change in your own form of government you ought to suggest in what direction that change should be made, and your representatives should be so thoroughly posted up as to what your desires really are, that there may be no room for misapprehension when the question comes before Parliament. This is very plausible to listen to, but is. simply impossible of attainment, when the opposing interests of the various townß and districts oh tho Gold Fields are considered. At the same time we consider i* an unfair task to impose upon any people to toll them that ere a system of government of which they complain can be altered, they must suggest something so much better that it is sure to meet with the approval, not only of the whole of the people themselves, but also of the members of Assembly, the majority of whom are in ignorance of the circumstances or requirements of those who pray for it. It ought to be sufficient that the Premier finds in his travels that the residents, both on the Nelson and Westland Gold Fields, are complaining bitterly of the way in which their affairs have been mismanaged for years past, for the General Government immediately to set about framing a new syitem of government that will meet th e requirements of the case, ao as to bj

ready to submit it to the next meeting of the Assembly. The onus should .not be thrown upon the people of stating defiinitely what the change should be, neither should the representatives of the various constituencies on these Gold Fieldo be tied down to a sot of instructions which they might very possibly find it impossible to give effect to. It is simply ridiculous to imagine that Messrs O'Conor, Harrison, White, and Tribe could be similarly instructed by their various constituencies, so that when they arrived in Wellington " there was no room for misunderstanding." We much fear that such a happy consummation is not likely to be arrived at, and that it will be the duty of the General Government to take the matter entirely into their own hands, and, if possible, endeavor to bring down proposals which will meet with the approval of all the various conflicting interests on these Gold Fields.