THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1242, 23 July 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1872.

The members of the Local Government Reform Committee who met last evening at Gilmer's Hotel found it a comparatively easy task to discharge the duties deputed to them by the public meeting of Friday last. Primary among these duties was the pleasurable one— pleasurable because of its probably easy accomplishment — of securing the co-operation of other centres of population in representing to the Government the sentiments conveyed in what wo suppose we may, without being too complimentary, call their " manifesto." But in that particular, and to a considerable extent, they found their occupation gone. Instead of having to actively promote co-operation, they found that, in many directions, it was only left to them to actively co-operate. Without co-opera-tion or collusion of any kind, there had been expressed in several of the important centres of population— at Westporfc, Reefton, aud the Ahaura, as in the case of the first Richmond in the field, Charleston — sentiments so similar to those con* tamed in the Greymouth resolutions and memorial, that the duty of the committee waa reduced to the delightful task of simply expressing their desire to cooperate with the inhabitants of those several places in what thej bad already done, and to invite the co-operation of the minor centres in which, as yet, speech and action oh the subject had not taken practical shape. This was naturally a matter oC congratulation among the committee, and it ought to lead to less hesitancy on the part of the public in signing the memorial, if such hesitancy could for a moment be anticipated. The work of the committee was thus reduced to the obtaining of signatures in the Greymouth district to the memorial which has already been drawn up, and to inviting other places which have not spoken to unite with Greyraouth, or to act on their own account, in representing to the Legislature the general feeling as to the form and quality of the future government of the West Coast. Such little local action as is required the committee resolved to initiate immediately, and to-mnrrow, probably, the residents will be afforded an opportunity of affixing their signatures to the memorial which, though not couched in the simplest Saxon, is believed to express the common opinion. The duty of communicating with the other places which may be individually minor, but which in the aggregate are much more important than even Greymouth, the Secretary has promised to undertake, and the interest he has already exhibited in the agitation is some guarantee that his promise will be faithfully fulfilled. With the. one chief centre of population from which no direct expression has yet come —Hokitika— he has already informally

communicated, and to the expression ] which may be elicited by that communi- 1 cation or by the example of other impor- ) tent communities, considerable interest 3 will, no doubt, attach, and every respect ( be paid. The only expressions which ( have as yet emanated from Hoki- ' tjka are those which have been , heard and reported in the County \ Council, and these have, been more incidental than deliberate. As will be seen by an abridged report of a discussion in the Council on Friday last— abridged only to the extent of eliminating what had no bearing upon the question at issue — the County Chairman introduced a motion for the Council to go into committee^ for the purpose of considering the subject, but the motion was negatived, and it was so very properly. Not that there would be any extreme impropriety, at the present juncture in the history of the Coast and of the Council itself, in that body expressing either a divided or a _unanimous opinion upon the point raised by the Chairman. But there was, in the mode of procedure a faultiness which must present itself to anyone acquainted with the ordinary course of business in such bodies. To have gone into committee to discuss an abstract question which was not even definitely put, could only have led to confusion, and, with all respect to the Councillors, possible drivel. The ordinary and necessary course is to place on the notice-paper certain subject matter to be considered *' in committee," simply for the sake of convenience or for the encouragement of the fullest discussion, and to that course the Chairman or any other member who may desire to revive the subject must resort. Apart, however, from any resolutions by the Council, it is desirable that the inhabitants of Hokitika should, as soon as it suits their convenience, and giving due consideration to the decisions of other communities, discuss a subject upon which they are so capable of giving an intelligent, if not an altogether unbiassed, opinion, and we anticipate that that di - j cusaion will not be delayed many days. To that opinion considerable deference will, no doubt, be paid, but not such deference as it would otherwise deserve if there is to be a persistence in the blind belief that the present movement is either in Greymouth interest or at Greymouth instigation — a fallacy which the facts should long ago have exploded. To the circumstances in which that fallacy may have originated, and to several of the debateable ■ points .which have, r been fairly raised by speakers at the late meetings in other places, we shall refer anon.