THE PREMIER ON WEST COAST GOVERNMENT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1264, 17 August 1872, Page 3

THE PREMIER ON WEST COAST GOVERNMENT.

The debate on Mr Cuiiis's motion deprecating "hasty changes " in Provincial boundaries, &c, took place in the House of Representatives on the 7th inst. The copies of Hansard which wo have received only bring up the reports to the 6th, but In the Wellington Independent there is a necessarily brief summary of the debate, from which we extract the report given of Mr Fox's speech :— Mr Fox> in response to the challenge of the hon. member for Timaru, desired to inform the House that the Government had. & very ctefioite opmion on tb& matter, , and he would state briefly the course the Government proposed. The hon. mem* ber\» motion itself was divided into two parts, the first of which he would, if the rules of the House would permit him to do so, state at, once to be the silliest he had ever seen on the paper. What did it deal with ? Nothing in particular. It reminded him of a schoolboy theme — one of those harmless, trite assertions which amounted to nothing greater than the commonest of truismß. , He did not think the time of the House should be occupied in discussing such self-evident propositions, and he would leave it to produce what effect it might upon the House. The part from which the hon. member hoped to gain no inconsiderable advantage was the second "part, but the hon. member should have borne in mind that the fowler should not set his trap in sight of the bird. The hon. member knew very well that the question was one between the Superintendent and the Province of Nelson and the inhabitants of the Gold Fields. He knew very well that a Bill was to be brought in which would interfere with portions of the Province over which he exercised some control, and he saw that the case against him was so strong that it was likely to be carried. What then does he do ? He immediately endeavors to get the House to pass a motion to prevent any action being taken on the West Coast Gold Fields, and he invites the assistance of the members from Otago and Auckland, because, as he told them, they are in imminent danger of being served the same way. But the member for Port Chalmers hud carefully avoided the trap set for him, and he hoped to find him supporting the Bill to be brought in by the Government for the placing of the West Coast Gold Fields on a mnoh better footing than they stood upon at present. As regarded the agitation on the West- Coast, he knew that he and his colleague Mr Reeves were going to get a great olowing up from the hon. member, who, of course, gave his own reasons for it. He might be permitted to say that the real object of his visit to the West Coast was not, as had been stated by the hon. member for Parnell, ia sketch the glaciers. It was this : that ' 4tyo members of the Government — and it Upplied to previous Governments as well—

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had always been in a state of mystification in regard to affairs affecting that part of the Colony. They were continually being charged by members from the West Coast with not understanding the position of matters, and he determined that he would make himself acquainted with the necessities and requirements of the various districts by personal inspection. Having done so, he was ashamed now to think how great his ignorance was. in reference to that part of the Colony. Reference had been made to the agitation on the West Coast, and to his having fomented strife in the district, but from what he saw when he arrived there it was too true that it needed no one to go there for the purpose of encouraging a feeling of the kind. There was enough discontent and cause for it in the locality ! it needed no interference from without. The hon. member then passed on to the motion before the House, and Btated that there was no reason in the nature of things for a debate on abstract propositions such as the one before them, which laid it down that before they could deal with a portion of one Province in the way the Government were about to do they must endorse a proposition referring to every Province in the Colony. He saw no necessity for anything of the kind. Certain members of the House were well aware that the boundaries of the Provinces were set down by Sir George Grey, assisted by two very well known gentlemen, who with pincers and rule cut across the land of the Colony irrespective of geographical or other considerations. They could not now rectify by one act the numerous errors occasioned in this way, and they were very numerous he admitted. Every case should now be treated on its own merits. The House had over and over shown the direction of its wishes on this matter, and amongst other Acts they had upon their statute book was one which authorised the Governor, on the petition of a certain number of persons, to constitute a new Province in any part of the Colony. Of course he admitted that there were cases where the boundaries were most inconveniently situated, and one of these occurred in the Province from which the hon. member came. There the Province of Nelson was divided from the County of Westland by the River Grey, and a dispute had arisen between the Superintendent of Nelson and the County Chairman as to who should pay the signalman employed there, and because those two gentlemon could not agree — because they could not come to an arangement as to which of them should have the privilege of pulling up the signals and which should pull them down — was it necessary that the House should pass a law to interfere with the boundaries of 0 (ago and other Provinces ? They were not governing the country for the benefit of the Superintendent of Nelson or for his Province. There were other interests to be consulted; the Government had to see 1 that all parts of the Colony were attended to, and that he understood to be the proper duties of Government. He should support the motion for the previous question and he felt bonnd to say that if the motion, were carried, it would not prevent the Government bringing forward the Bill of which they had given notice.

The Eye is one of the most delicate organs of nature, From the fear of appearing ancient, many persons will refrain from artificial aid when really needful. %is absurd, and only aggravates the defect and causes disease of the optic nerve, which may become chronic, and finally result in premature blindness. The optometric treatment not only remedies defective vision, but it has frequently restored the eyes to their proper functions from a state of comparative Dlindness. It is the only accurate method known to modern science for detecting the several affections of the eyesight, which comprise Myoma, Presbyopia, Dipiopia, Hbmeraloma, and Chromatopseodopsis. The various eye dieases, such as Amacrosis, Catabact, Ophthalmia, Staphyloma, Specs, or Films on the eye, and any other defects, can only be detected by Mr SOLOMON'S combination of Optometrio and Ophthalmoscopic observations. There exists an erroneous idea, that when once glasses are adopted, they can't be discontinued. Such is only a fact when non-nrofessionals are resorted to. Dondbrs, who is acknowledged to be the highest authority on the science of optics, says in his treatise on the refraction of the eye :— "So far from short-sighted-ness improving in advanced life, as is popularly believed, it is too frequently a progresaive affection, and every progressive Myopia is threatening with respects to the future,' inasmuch that if not checked in due season by the aid of Suitable Glasses, the vision will be irrevocably lost. Spectacles or eyeglassrc, if injudiciously selected, usually Aggravate the evil they are intended to remedy. Therefore, an oculist of reputation should always, if possible,, be consulted as to the choice of them." He further states; in reference to long-sighted people, "that Presbyopia, or weakness of sight, is as natural a concomitant of advanced life as grey hairs or wrinkles. It is occasionally met with in young persons, and may be the precuraoi of Amaurosls, hence suoh cases should be carefully watched, and the advice of an oculist regarding tho choice of spectacles is well worth his fee," Mr S. will shortly issue a small treatise on the different defects and diseases of the eye. Mr SOLOMON, the inventor of the Optometric .apparatus, is the only man in exiatenco of whom the warranted pure Brazilian Pebble Spectacles and Eye Glasses, Optometrically guaranteed to the precise focus of sight, are obtainable. Mr SOLOMON'S Consulting Booms are at Johnson's Private Family Hotel, Mackay street.— Ad vt.

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