Yet even this gesture did not appease Westland’s stalwarts, who still clamoured loud and long for the right of self determination.
Sir Arthur Guinness
As a result of this agitation the General Government, in 1868, enacted legislation by which the government of Westland was taken out of the hands of the Canterbury Provincial Council, and placed under the jurisdiction of the General Government and a body to be elected and known as the Westland County Council. This was the beginning of the end, and five years later, on December 1st, 1873, the Province of Westland came into being.
The election of the new Provincial Council, which took place on January 9th, 1874, resulted as follows:–Superintendent, J. A. Bonar; members, for Hokitika J. White, F. Tabart, W. Todd; for Greymouth H. H. Lahman, C. Woodcock, E. Wickes; for Arahura R. J. Seddon, M. Houlahan; for Kanieri E. T. Robinson, S. Mitchell; for Paroa A. R. Guinness, P. Dungan; for Ross H. Cuming, J. McGaffin; for Okarito R. Canavan. This, the first and only Provincial Council of Westland, had but a short life, for on November 1st, 1876, the
