NEW GOVERNMENT FOR THE WEST COAST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1241, 22 July 1872, Page 4

NEW GOVERNMENT FOR THE WEST COAST.

At a meeting held in Westport, the following resolutions were passed .— - ' -"That the policy of the Nelson Pro- : viuoial Government in the management of the Sooth-West Gold Fields has been from, the commencement an obstructive and grasping policy, and that in order to promote' the mutual prosperity of the West Soiith-West Gold Fields (proper), it is absolutely necessary to withdraw these Gold Fields from the control of the Nel- ' son Provincial Government, and to constitute thereon such form of local selfgovernment as will secure a more equitable and advantageous administration of the public revenue and of the Waste I*nds of the Crown." "that the unity of interest upon the West Coast Gold Fields point to the desirability of uniting and consolidating the County of Westland and the Nelson SouthWest Gold Fields, under one form of local government." • ' ' ," That a committee be appointed to car^y out the foregoing resolutions by having a memorial drawn up and signed by the inhabitants of this town and district, for presentation to the General Assembly as early as possible, the committee to consist of the following gentlemen :— Messrs Hughes, Dragnicavich, Falla, Bailie, Corr, Powell, Graves, " Field,- Whyte, Evans, Suisted, Humphrey, and M«Farlane ; and that this committee co-operate with other comroit- . tees formed on the Coast for a similar purpose." , A, petition of which the following is the prayer is now being signed in the district:— . "Your petitioners humbly pray that the Nelson South- West Gold Fields may be separated from the Province of Nelson and some provision made for their future , government, either in connection with the Greymouth and Hokitika districts, or in such other manner as to your Honorable Rouse shall seem meet, but if possible, so aa. to insure a local expenditure of a fair Proportion, of revenue in the districts vfeeve it is produced." At a meeting held at Reef ton, for the purpose of discussing the same subject, the resolutions agreed to were as follows : — "That this meeting recognising the necessity for immediate alteration in the form of government on the South- West Gold Fields, based on the ground of what appears systematic inattention and misrule on the part of the Nelson Provincial Government, take steps to obtain some uniform government for the whole of the West Coast Gold Fields." " That the division of the Province into three counties with a Council and Chairman for each would, in the opinion of this meeting, be 100 cumbrous a form of government." it. 'ITIl T ll at *" meetin g would recommend that the establishment of Road Boards should be left in the hands of the Provincial Council, in the event of such Province being created." The following gentlemen wore appointed a committee for the purpose of carrying out the foregoing resolutions :— -Messrs Donovan, MTjean, Ivesa, Carreraß,Niven. and Bain. .