“The Press” In 1866

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 16

“The Press” In 1866

July 26 Last night began the great spectacle of the session—the debate on separation. This debate seems fated to become an annual institution—the Olympic games of the Assembly; or rather perhaps the Saturnalia, when every member from every province may have has fling and speak his worst about his neighbors, without fear or favor . . . It seems there is a kind of triangular duel going on in the Assembly between the Separationists, the Provincialists, and the Centralists: while by way of confounding the confusion a little more, the Separationists are fighting among themselves as to what kind of separation they shall demands and the Provincial-

ists as to the form or direction in which the provincial system shall be extended. Auckland wants to be separated from the rest of the colony. Otago thinks herself as able to stand alone as Auckland, and makes a similar proposal. Others want to separate the North from the Middle Island, to be followed, we suppose, by a sub-separa-tion of Auckland from the rest of the North, and Otago from the rest of the South . . . It may be presumed that the combatants know what they are about, and have a clear perception of the objects they are individually striving after; but to the spectator the whole scene resembled nothing so much as Sir Walter Scott's description of the battle of Flodden, as se&> through a thick fog.