THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1230, 8 July 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1872.

With somewhat scant notice of the event, the inhabitants of Greymouth are expected this evening to assemble for the purpose of discussing, and, so far as their voices can go, deciding a question which may be said to be ever before them, but which has recently been pointedly and prominently brought under their attention in an address from the representative of the district, Mr W. H. Harrison. We refer, of course, to the^subject of modifying the form or forms of local government under which the inhabitants of the West Coast hare lived long yet failed to prosper as they should have done, and to the meeting which, in compliance with a verbal requisition, the Mayor has appointed to be held in Gilmer's Hall. Considering the importance of the subject to bo dealt with, and the propriety of dealing with it in a deliberate and dignified manner, the interval between the* intimation and the meeting is certainly remarkable for its brevity, but sufficient apology, we presume, presents itself in the fact that the necessicy for some change in the character of our local representative and administrative institutions is universally recognised. That fact admitted, the meeting might, indeed, be held at a moment's notice, provided there are to bo found among us gentlemen who can readily give expression to their own and the popular thought, in speech worthy of being recorded and perused by the members of our Legislature, and the presence among us of such valuable citizens will, we trust, be this evening abundantly demonstrated. As to the desideratum of giving to the decision of tho meeting the character of dignity and deliberation, much will naturally depend upon the propositions which may be submitted, ond, judging by the advertisement in terms of which the meeting is called, these propositions will probably be of a simple but suggestive character, dealing as little as possible with debateable details. We do not anticipate that in Greymouth there will be found any feeling different from the general feeling On tho West Coast— rthe feeling that uniformity and unity in the government of the whole Coast, as the district is generally called, is exceedingly desirable. Nor do we think will there be much division of opinion as to the propriety of that unity and uniformity being secured by the creation of the district into a distiuct Province. The details of Mr Harrison's scheme are only such details as must be included, to a modified extent, in any scheme or system of local government, and are more matters for administrative arrangement than for fixture by the vote or voice of a public meeting, and their present discussion may to some extent be dispensed with. There is, however, one question involved in his or any other proposals which may be made for the better government of the district which must not be lightly, but very leisurely, considered, and that is the question of introducing into the constitution by which this country has been blessed or cursed the element of nomineeism. Upon that question, if it be at all raised, a considerable division of opinion will possibly be found to exist. We look forward hopefully to the meeting discussing the main question which will come before it in a spirit significant of the sympathy which we believe to prevail on the subject in nearly all, if not all, tho communities on the Coast, and with no aim or air of a purely local character; Thus hopeful, it has been a disappointment to discover, in the intimation of the meeting, the introduction of somewhat incongruous subjects for discussion, but no doubt the object is to take advantage of the rarity of a meeting of the rate-payers, and there need be no more semblance between the sentiments' elicited by the several subjects than there is harmony among the subjects themselves.