THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 411, 1 September 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1868.

The triumph of the Government in the recent struggle between the Central and Provincial parties in the House of Representatives, and the declaration made by one of its most conspicuous members to the effect that the Government would always be ready to listen to the applications from outlying districts, and in each individual case endeavor to provide a remedy for the evils complained of, have given a fresh impetus to the movement now on ,- foot throughout the Colony for the extension of local self-government upon the County System. Petitions having this object in view have been poured upon the table of the Lower House in profusion sufficient fully to prove the fact that there is ' throughout the outlying districts of the Colony a dnep-seated desire on the part of the inhabitants to escape from the thraldom' of Provincial Governments, and to cxerciee

a more immediate and direct control ovor the expenditure of the portion contributed by themselves 'to the general revenue, Jt is the more to be regretted that any action which may be taken by the Government to extend the County System will for a time remain open to question, for it must be borne in mind that in passing the Westland County Act last session Parliament acted ultra vires of the Constitution of the Colony. This was admitted after the County had been some months in existence, but a request was then sent home for the Imperial Parliament to pass a Validating Act for Westland, and also to grant power to the New Zealand Legist lature for the future to create Counties outside of Provinces. Every confidence has been expressed by the members of the New Zealand Government that this request would be acceded to, and that these Acts would be at once passed through the Imperial Parliament. We can see no reason to doubt that so reasonable a request would be immediately complied with. It was expected tha.t the last home mail would have brought some positive information as to the course determined an by the English Government, and that the country will receive some assurance from headquarters that the movement for local self-government which it was then engaged in was a perfectly legal one — rquite in accordance with the Constitur tion of the Colony as amended, But no stich assurance, has pome, although Mr Stafford has again expressed his belief that ere this tijne the Westland Validating Act has become law. That is merely his individual opinion, and let us hope that it may provo to be correct. But in the meantime, although Westland continues to exist as a County, it is, as it were, merely by suffrance, as the next mail may (which is not at all likely) bring the intelligence of the refusal of the English Parliament to alter the Constitution Ast of this Colony. It is to be hoped that no illiberal policy will be pursued. On the contrary, we believe, with Mr Stafford, that the reasonable request of the Colonial Government will be readily acceded to, and that perhaps by next mail this County will have the satisfaction of knowing that, as such, it is in reality a recognised integral portion of the Colony, and has ceased to be, what some Pro, vincialists still delight to call it in the House of Representatives — ' ' That portion of the Province of Canterbury known as Westland." There is every reason to suppose that Parliament will be in session until the next English Mail arrives, but in the meantime steps will be taken by the Government to provide a general measure capable of extension to every portion of the Colony, somewhat after the nature of the other measures lately passed, the necessity for which will become more apparent as the Provincial System gradually fades away, and that of Road Boards and Municipalities, radicating from a strong Central Government, takes its place. Recent proceedings in Parliament have shown that the friends of Provincialism are not strong enough to stop the tide of destruction which is slowly but inevitably washing from them the last hold they had on the revenues of the outlying districts of their several Provisoes. The days of their favorite system of mis-government are numbered, and probably the present session of Parliament will see the establishment of one strong Central Government for the whole Colony, or, possibly, one Central Government for the North, and another for the Middle Island, with the subordinate machinery of Counties, Road Boards, and Municipalities in full working order.