THE NEW COUNTY OF WESTLAND ACT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 393, 3 November 1868, Page 3

THE NEW COUNTY OF WESTLAND ACT.

(Erom the Grey River Argus?) One of the few good results to this •di«trict from a very profitless session of. Parliament, is the New County of West land Act, which passed late in the day aud fortunately escaped the " slaughter •of the innocents" with which every session is wound up. This Act has been framed upon the recommendations of the County Council, and is a great improvement upon the crude Act under which the County was established. It confers upon the Council the power which, from the we contended it ought to wield—that of disposing of its own revenue by direct vote, instead of having to " recommend" the various appropriations. Its control over the revenue of the County will now be supreme, as no Governor's Delegate will for the future hold a veto-power over its votes, to say which of them will be brought into force and which quietly shelved. The Council is now declared to be a corporate body, with a common seal and power over the County much the same as a Borough Council has over a Municipality —the power to make and enforce bye-laws, and to hold property in trnst for the County. It will have full control over all main roads and bridges with power to levy tolls thereon. But the greatest concession to the principle of local self-government which is made by the Bill is the placing of the power to elect the County Chairman in the hands of the County Couucil, instead of, as heretofore, his being the nominee of the G-overnor, and the division of the Cold Field Districts into electorates—that is, in place of there being a general election of members for the country districts, each mining centre "will now returu a member of its own, who will represent the individual interests of the several districts, as well as the larger and more general interests of the whole County. These electoral districts are arranged thus :—Eor the towns of Hokitika and Greymouth, two members each, and one member for each of the following : Paroa, Arahura, Kanieri. Totara, and Okarita, which is a very fair and equitable distribution of the representation of the County.