LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN WESTLAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 128, 14 February 1866, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN WESTLAND.

The Grey River Arsus of Saturday last ha tho following on the Bolieme for the local admi* nistration of Westland, propounded by the Canterbury Press -.—. — ' '

Tho principle of the system ekotohed out by our contemporary is precisely that whioh we proposed some time ago, only that the Brets substitutes for iv Resident Commissioner under the General Government a Goldfields Seoretary, responsible to the Provincial Counoil. Our contemporary also agrees in the necessity of a Local Board, by whose advice the chief officer is to be guided in the expenditure of the local revenues' We confess we were not prepared to find so liberal a proposition emanate from Christchuroh, and we candidly admit that if some suoh plan of administering tho affairs of tho West Coast were adopted, wo should bo disposed to put Separation on one side. What we contend for is the expenditure of the revenues of the distriot accord- . ing to the wants of the inhabitants. It matteis little how that bo done, so long as the desired result is obtained. Separation is ono of ' those , > desperate remedies whioh should only be used 89 a last resourco, and we advocated it because wo folt assured, judging by the past, that the West Coast could never be satisfactorily governed under existing arrangements. We hail the pro« position of the Press as at once a concession to • tl)o publio opinions of Westland, And ng an mdi* ©Atlon of tho birth of more liberal idoaa, If the w*t Exwuitlve rwl Counoil w\\\ Jionoatly iuppor|

a liberal measure of self-government for Westland, and the granting of Municipal Institutions to the various districts, there will be Httle moro , heard of the cry for. Separation. But there must be no shuffling, and the electors of the West Coast must determine to send no men to the Council but those who will consistently light for the local administration of affairs.