The Westport Times. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1873.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1093, 29 July 1873, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1873.

The proposal made some few days since by the Premier, in consultation with Westland Representatives, that, in order to remove certain disadvantages which the County now suffers under, a Bill should be introduced making Westland a Province, comes somewhat unexpectedly, but is, nevertheless, a contingency that in the ordinary nature of things political was bound, sooner or later, to eventuate. The incidental motive that led. to a consultation between the Premier and Messrs Lahman, Harrison, Tribe and White, seeme to have been the duty incumbent on the Westland men of pointing out, with a view to some remedial measure, the anomalous and incongruous position of County affairs, inasmuch as the County authorities have no present power to either amend existing ordinances originally passed by the Canterbury Provincial Council, but unsuited to and defective in meeting County requirements, nor to make new ordinance;. The only course open being periodical appeals to the General Assembly for special legislation, but which amid the multiplicity of more pressing business, has been heretofore as often neglected as complied with. To cut the Gordian Knot of difficulty the Premier suggested, without much apparent premeditation, the constitution of Westland as a Province, and with this idea the Westland representatives seem to have most cordially acquiesced. They could hardly express any other than instant concurrence therein for the thought has been uppermost in the minds of Westland people so long that it has become, if not a ruling passion, yet a dominant idea to which all others affecting their political welfare has become subservient. As an institution Westland County has not been a success, a fact which its chief advocates are fain to admit. The primary plan of government might have been excellent, the theory of independent local control exceedingly good as an ideal, but in actual practice the result may be likened to the placing of too powerful machinery in a light steam boat. The County has been overweighted,, in danger of continual swamping, and has been driven into the shallows and miseries of constantly recurring difficulties, financial and legislative. Little wonder then that while admitting County government to be in many respects imperfect and vexatious, the Westland people have sought to give greater scope and exercise to the mechanism created, in order to save themselves from political annihilation. To this end the unification of the mining districts on the Coast under one system of local government which would be, in effect, an expansion of the Westland County system, has seemed most expedient, and a very strong argument in favor of this has been afforded by the long continuing maladministration of affairs by the Nelson Government on the South West Goldfields. The dissatisfaction existing and the efforts made from time to time to obtain emancipation from, or at least improvement of Nelson rule by the inhabitants of the Coast Goldfields has encouraged their neighbors in Westland to advocate a treaty of alliance. The efforts made to accomplish this during the last and previous sessions of Parliament, although futile and inconsequent, have not resulted in crushing out the idea, and the present suggestion of the Premier will not fail to again arouse the pent up energies of the inhabitants on the Coast to consummate their wishes. But the Bill to create Westland a province, if the present geographical boundaries are retained, will meet with opposition from that party in the House who advocate either the abolition or amalgamation of existing Provinces, condemning the multiplicity of petty governments as an unmitigated evil. Again if it is proposed to extend the new Provincial boundaries to comprise the South West Goldfields the Nelson members will instantly rise in arms and use all the efforts they cm possibly put forth to get the Bill thrown out or indefinitely postponed. In any case if Westland seeks to fight the battle ainglehanded there seems little chance of her being presently victorious. She will need instant and constant allies and must appeal to her nearest neighbors for such friendly cooperation as they can exert. It will be for the people of the Nelson South West Goldfields to decide whether to join with Westland in an effort to establish one system of Provincial government on the Coast, or still give allegiance to Nelson rule which in the past has been unprofitable in the extreme and bears little promise of amendment in the future.