GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, August 21, 1855.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 851, 24 August 1855, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, August 21, 1855.

The House met at 12 o'clock, pursuant to Adjournment. Peliliotii. Mr. Merriman held in his hand a petition from the inhabitants of Auckland, praying for support to an educational system. It was the same that he had brought up on a former occasion, and had withdrawn on the ground that its prayer was a slight deviation from the Standing Rules. As, however, the petition could not now be altered, he hoped that the House, under such circumstances, would grant the indulgence of receiving it. After a few remarks from oi,e or two hon. members, The Speaker ruled that the petition could not b» received. Mr. S dwell presented a petition from certain pensioners who had been deprived of their cottages, praying for a Committee of inquiry. Received, read, and orde:e3 for consideration on Friday. Mr. Carlkton presented a petition f o « Y. Murphy, a pensioner, who had been deprived of IT* cottage and h co years' pension, praying the House to fc.ke his case into consideration. - Received. Mr. Carl eton presented a petition from Mr. J. .7. Pieicy, clirk to the Resident Magistrate Court and to the Legislative Council, represent jqj the hardship of being put on half salary for th» former situation. Referred to the Finance Co r.mittee. VitecinalioA of 'the Natives. Mr. Bacot, pursuant to notice, nue 'to move " That an address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, requesting him to procure copies of any correspondence between the Provincial Government of Auckland and the Vaccination Board appointed by tho General Government, regarding the best steps to be tak.tj for introducing a general system of Vaccination of the Native population." — Agreed to. Auckland Post Office. Mr. O'Neill, pursuant to noiicD, rose to more " That a humble Address be p e.ented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, bringing under his notice the present working of the Auckland Poit Office, and praying his Excellency to cause the necessary instruction* to be given for putting that establishment in a thorough state of efficiency, which is so urgently required to meet the increased commerce of the Province.'.' A circumstance had occurred that morning which would prevent him from making the remarks he had intended. He would forbear from adverting to the ttdious delivery.to the deplorable state of the internal arraugjaients of the office, but would only remind the House that a sum of £300 had been -voted last session as the salary of an efficient postmaster, but no appointment had been made ; also £300 for increasing the Po»t O*tt ce accommodation, a sum that had not been expended. Major Greenwood and Mr. Lee supported the motion. Mr. Sewell would prefer a committee of inquiry. Mr. Cromtton thought that the motion should have reference to the Poit Office system generally. Agreed to. Titles to Land. Mr. Hart, pursuant to notice, rose to move "That a humble Address be presented to Her Majesty the Queen by thin House, pray ng that step* may be taken to procure the removal of doubts affecucg titl s to land in the SettXi.

m*nts i i New Zealand formed by the New Zealand Gdm- J panv, held under Grants from the Crown." f ' ' J The hon. member moved the above in an elaborate; j. •peech of some length, but one of a purely technical char- , actor. He showed that, under the New Zealand Companv'n Ordinance, conveyance* were executed in a very , unusual way, causing titles to become subject to a variety of undefined and unknown liens ; and that, under the battlement Act, pa?sed with a view of blotting out the imperfection* of the former system, these very imperfections were perpetuated. There was not, he said, a Crown Grant . iwued under the land orders of the Company, concerning which a doubt might not be raised ; and it was to adopt means V removing those doubt* that he had proposed the prewnt motion. . , Mr. Travers, in seconding the motion, expressed approval of what had fallen from the hon member. . Mr. Sewell acknowledged the importance of extinguishinc the secret equities to which the hon. member had referred, as against the Crown Grants ; and of giving to the holder of these grants a perfect and indefeasible tit.c ; but he candidly confessed that he thought the House was, com- j petent of itself to carry that in o eff.ct v Mr. Hart briefly replied, arguing that it was a much hotter conrse to obtain a short Act of the Impend Parliament — Agreed to. Messages from his Excellency, Having been announced, the following were delivered to the Speaker by his Excellency's private Secretary : - No. 20— Referring to anitem in the Supplementary hstfmates of £75 for an increase to the salary of the Re•ident Magistrate, Auckland, and enclosing correspondence with regard to that officer and his department—Referred to the Finance Committee. No. 23— Transmitting information regarding the Uueen•treet Wharf, in accordance with a resolution of the No. 24—' Referring to an item on the Estimates of £600 for the salary of the Bishop of New Zealand, and transmitting copy of a despatch from one of Her Majesty's Secretaries of State, to the effect that his Lord^ • - ship's salary was no longer provided for *yrPari»attient; arid that his Excellency was to request the General Assembly to make the necessary provision. After a few words from hon. members, this messa ge was ordered to stand an Order of (he Day for Friday. No 25— Enclosing correspondence with reference to the amount claimed to be due to Wellington, and other mattera,— Referred to the Finance Committee. No. 26 — Transmitting correspondence between the Superintendents of Canterbury and Nelson and the Weneral Government, on the distribution of the land fund.— Referrel lo the Finance Committe?. No. 27 —Transmitting abstract of the probable receipts and expenditure for the prasent financial year. Referred to the Finance Committee. N o 28— Referring to au item on the Estimates of £7000 for barracks at Taranaki, and enclosing correspondence with reference to the same. Referred to the Finance Committee. Keio Zealand Bank. Mr. Hart, pursuant to notice, rose to move " For leave to bring in a Bill to establish a Joint Stock Bank, to \>c called the New Zealand Bank." The Bill he proposed to introduce was of the nature of a private Bill, but it was. one of considerable p'.iblic interest ; for no doubt could edst of the great facilities that were afforded to commerce by a well managed banking institution. The existing bank was no doubt a source of great public benefit, but, at the same time, it had an injurious monopoly of power. It was the receptacle of large deposits, and was the means of much capital lying idle and unproductive. By its rules it had also to confine its accommodation to the mercantile community, to the exclusion of agriculturalists and other classes by whom the colony was most benefited. The hon. member referred at some length to the advantages that would result from the establishment of the bank in question, and concluded by urging the House to accede to the motion. Mr. ShWKLL said that the necessity of a new bank was apparent from the fact that the share holders of the Union Bank had received a dividend of 30 or 40 per cent. He pointed out several objections to the Bill, particularly *s4s»t clause which limited the liability of the share holders to double the amount of their shares. He thought that the Bill should be accompanied by a good law of bankruptcy. Mr. Travers had not the dread of the limited liabil ity principle that seemed to influence the hon. member ; but thought that there, were some safeguards not to be met with in the Bill, and feared that the hou. mover could scarcely expect to get it through this session. Mr: Forsaith thought that, in the piesjnt state of the house, the introduction of a measure of so much impor- j tance was inopportune. He would suggest its withdrawal. Mr, Merriman said that the question was not one of detail but of time. He thought that the Bill had a most dt'sirab'e object in view, and s-bould be intio'luced. They wanted a bank that would establish a bianch in all the Settlements, and one that would not exercise undue political influence. Mr. Brown said that the proposed measure was tantamount Id the introduction of another merca l.mift,cstabln>h--msnt. and the House was only called upon to givj it facilities for sue ; ng and being su^d. If the principle on which i* di I business was favourable, the public would deal with it ; otherwise, they would deal with another The public w juld have due notice of the co.nsiitution of the new bank, and would certainly be the be-.t judges whether or not t \.as to be trusted. He thought the introduction of the Bill very desirable. Mr. Hart replied, showing that the paid-up capital of the bank would be amply sufficient to meet all its engagements. He- supported the limited liability principle; arguing that, if its liability was limited, its credit would be'liinited in proportion. Motion agreed to. The Bill was brought up, and read a first time. Acts of Parliament. Mr^RAVERS, pursuant to notice, lO'e to move " For le4R to bring in a Bill for bringing into operation within the Colony certain Acts of the Imperial Parliament." The Acts referred to were— one for removing certain übubts connected with the Secondary Punishments Act, and the other for pi eventing the personal estate of a deceased person for being levied upon in satisfaction oi" a mortgage that had been granted, in his lifetime, upon his real estate. The hon. member said that much hardship and injustice had been obviated in England by the passing of this Bill. Mr. Hart bore testimony to the same effect Motion agreed to. The Bill *ras brought up, and read a first time. Military Protection. Mr. Travers, pursuant to not ; ce, rose to move •' That a respectful address be presented tv his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, pr-y«ng him to lay before this House a copy of a despatch from the Duke of Newcastle to Sir George Grey, dated 9th June, 1853. on the general subject of the military protection to be afforded to New Zealand." His object was to obtain a ducament to complete a series. As they would shortly be called upon to vote money in connection with this matter, he thought it advisable that the House should have all the papers that bore upon the question.— Agreed to. Native Lands in Nelson and Canterbury. Mr. Tkavers, pursuant to notice, rose t.> move "That «t respectful address be presented to hi-- Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying him to inform the House of the nature of the arrangements entered into with the natives for extinguishing their title to the lands in the Provinces of Nelson and Canterbury, partly referred to in the Financial Statement presented to the House on the 4th September, 1854, and -whether the funds originally set apart for the purpose of the said purchases are still in the hands of the Government, ami if not, how the «aine have been expended, and also of the probable time when the purchase w 11 be completed." Certain arrangeme its , had been made with natives -who were interested in lands in Nelson mid Canterbury. These arrangements much to the disap • pointment ot emigrants ami others, had not been comi pletgd. He was very desirous of obtaining some iuior- , joaißn upon the subject.— Agreed to. ' Nelson Post Office. Mr. Tbavers, pursuant to notice, rose to move "That a respectful Address be presenttd to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying* that he may direct that the Postmaster at Nelson t.hall m future attend at the Post Office at 10 o'clock, a.m., instead of 11, and that the same Post O.fice be kept open until 4 o'clock on Saturdays, instead of being closed at 2.' ' The hon. member referred to the ill management of the Post Office, Nelso i, but believed it waa only necessary to bring the matter formUly* utii.-r the notice of the Government to have the evil'ie noved. -Agreed to. Claim of Staff Surgeon liacot. ■ Mr. Cablkton, pur*naut to notice, io?e to move "for copies ot all correspondence in the possession of the General Government regarding a claim alleged by StaffSnrgeon Baeotto'a Grant oi House and 40 acres of Land at or near Howick." The hon. member said that, as the question would probably be again before the House iv tl.e form of an inquiry, he would ntn >t refer to it at length. Mr. Bacot had come out under certain conditions, the most important of which was the prospect of promotion, anda grant of a cottage and 40 acres of land. Hitch in to the latter had been disallowed, and the immediate object of his (Mr. Carleton'*) morion was to place the ground* of such disallowance before the House. - Agreed Election o? Colonel Wynyard a* Superintendent. Mr. Carleton, for obvious reasons, was unwilling to debate on the question of Colonel Wynyard's Superintendency; he would say as little as pos ible in moving the return, reserving a full statement for his reply, should a reply be needed. But he trusted that the motion would be allowed to pass without opposition. This wan not a mere Provincial question— it was a question affecting the General Government aL»t>, and

within She eog&isanee of the House. He confine himself to a single illustration, lie | believed that, during th » second Session of the Frovmjcial Council, the presence of Colonel Wynyard, Governor and Commander of the forces, Was urgently rei quired at Taranaki. But being also Superintendent ot i the province of Auckland, he had local duties to perform, which would not. brook his absence. The correct interpretation of the Constitution Act was* also invoked , in »hi* qu^'ion He believed that the holding ot tne | S'luprintendpncv bv the Acting Governor was abso- , lutely illegal ; and that all the nets of the Provincial Council which had been absented to by Colonel Wynynnl would have to be passed again. He was prepared to <ro into the legal argument concerning the lncom patihilitv of the' two offices, but thought the House would not require it. H» Excellency had been required to resign bv a despatch from the Home. Government, and he (Mr. C.) wished to learn whether the objection had been taken on the ground of illegality, or of mere impropriety. Should the objection be not so distinct as absolutely to secure them against any Commander of the forces standing for the Supermtendencv again, it might become necessary for. the Assembly to move in the matter. Agreed to. , The Speaker here intimated that, according to the i standing rule 0 and orders, he would call the orders of the day, the first of which was the Consideration of Message No. 12. Mr. Misrrim*w said that this message, having reference to old land claims, covered correspondence which had been ordered to bs printed, but which was not ready. The matter had been considered last session by a select committee, and he would now move that his Excellency's message be referred to a committee consisting of the same hon. members. Agreed to. Messages 13 and 15. Mr Thwbrs said that these messages both, referred to one subject— that of the military defence of the colony. TWe- House had that day called for a despatch upon the. same subject, and he would therefore move that ms Excellency's messages No 13 and 15 stand as an order of the day" for Tuesday next. Agreed to. Hftssoae No. 19. Mr. Sf.wf.m. said that this mrssage had reference to the New Zealand Conmanv's debt, ancL as an. Hon. member had moved the apDointraont of a committee on the same subject, he would move that message ISO. 19 do stand an order of the day for Tuesday next. Agreed to. Land Claimants' Ordinance Amendment Bvl. The Ho se went into committee on the above bill, and a few verbal alterations made in its clauses. The House lesumc-d, and the chairman of committee reported progress. , . The bill as amended was read a second time, and its third reading ordered for Tuesday. Barracks at Taranaki. Mr. Sbwell withdrew the motion on this subject standing in his name, it having been anticipated by one of his Excellency's messages. Stems reserved fo, Purchases of Nathe Lands. Mr. Sewei l, pursuant to notice, rose to move,— " That a respectful Address be presented to his Lxcellency the Officer administering the Government praying him to lay before the House an estimate of the sums to be deducted from the Ordinary and Land Revenue now under appropriation as first charges, specifying in particular the sums, if any, which will be required foi the purchase of Native Lands, during the currency ot the period of appropriation, including a statement ot all outstanding liabilries in account of the purchase of Native Lands." The object of the motion would be apparent to the House. Last year a certain amount < f the land levenue had been placed at the disposal of the. House, yet his Excellency had not hesitated to expend £30.000'0r £40,000 of that amount in the purchase ot native lands. It was an extremely inconsistent, if not an illegal course, and one calculated completely to derange the finances of the colony. For the Government to give the House the disposal of a certain sum aud | then to expend it on purposes other than those for \ which the House had designed, was to ask the Assembly j to deal with a sham. He hoped that no such calamity i would again happen to the country. j Mr. Tv WEits agreed wit'i the hon. member as to the evils which would result ironi a course which deprived the Provinces of those funds on which their very existence depended. IK' would go further than the hon. member, and saj that such a course was positively ! illegal. Atttu the rirst eh n-gos on the land re\onue the ProMiice acquired a vested interest in the suiplus ; and j if that sui plus were to be withdiawn in such a manner, a finani ul rebellion might be expected to ensue. Major GKir.Nwooi) said that, from the capricious character of the natites, it was necessary to have the means of purchasing land at tha moment it was offered ; utheiwisc, ihu purchase would be postponed indefinitely. If the- Gen ernor was to be called upon to resene the sum that would be required for that purpose in course of the year, such a reserve would necessarily be a very large one indeed- peihaps £100,000. Mr. Hart concui red with the hon. member. It was (quite possible that the House, in* its zeal to place a limit upon the expenditure of his Excellency, in this particul r, might be the means of doing serious injuiy to the colony. Mr Power had recently had a conversation with Mr. McLean, who had mentioned many instances ot j natives who had come up to sell, but, theii \iews not having been met at once, they hail gone away disgusted. He therefoie thought that no restriction should be placed on the funds available for this purpose. Mr. Bkown gave a familiar illustration ot the state of things complained of, in the fact of the Piovince of Auckland having been refused, for the present, any part of the land revenue. Instead of £20,000, the sum said to have been reserved, the financial committee had found that no less than .£66,787 had been already expended, and that, at present, there was a balance unaccounted for of £37,000. He thought it highly necessary that a sum for this sei vice should be fixed and adhered to, in order to save the whole colony from financial confusion. Mr. Forsaith said that, if the House meant that his Excellency should name a limit, and be bound down strictly to act within that limit, lie (Mr. Porsaith) must express his dissent. The existence of many Provinces depended on the acquisition of territory, when offered to the Government. Every one knew that the native was a creature of impulse, and. when he offered to sell, the Government should be in a position at once to buy. lie believed that, if his Excellency acted as the House would appear to wish, he would commit an infringement of the Constitution Act. Mr. Cahllton*, in referring to the steps that the Government had taken in the matter under discussion, said that the process had been a very curious one. The first provincial minute of his Excellency had informed the House that purchases were unadvisable. The House, acting upon this, made no provision for such. In October, the sum of £20,000 was estimated for the service. It was lately intimated that £15,000 had been expended over tni* estimate, and now it appeared that, instead of £35,000, the actual expenditure vras over £66,000. Mr. Sewrll replied at considerable length. An hon. member had seemed to entreat forbearance on the part of the House in this matter ; but was it possible to see an expenditure of £66,000, and a consequent confiscation of the land fund, without taking some notice of it ? Were the Provinces to be drained of their capital for the purpose of purchasing land in Ahuriri for paatoral purposes ? The sum now to be expended for land in that district was £8300, and the annual rent of the land so puTDhased would not probably 9xeeed £100. They had placed implicit faith in his Excellency ; and yet, , notwithstanding his implied engagement with the.House, the whole revenue of the colony had been swept away in purchases from the natives. Was that a ground of forbearance ? He did not hesitate to say that he did wish his Excellency's hands to be tied in "this matter ; and he (Mr. Serell) was prepared to maintain intact, to far as he could, the rights of the Provinces to the surplus land revenue. Motion agreed to. Salary of Resident Magistrate, Nelson. Mr. TnAVB«B, pursuant to notice, rose to move, — •• That a respectful address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying him to lay before the Home any correspondence between the Superintendent of Nelson and the General Government on the subject of the appointment and salary of the Resident Magistrate at Nelson." The holder of that office was also registrar- of deeds, the salary to which, according to the estimates, was nil, but, in reali-y £2-50, as that amount was voted by the Provincial Council. The hon. member menfoned other particulars, which he was desirous should be inquired into. Agreed to. . Native Hospital, Taranaki. Mr. Crompton, pursuant to notice, rose to move, — " That a respectful address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying that Returns be laid on the table of this House, shewing - the quantity of bedding and medical stores^ applied for by the Colonial Surgeon at New Plymouth for the use of the Native Hospital in that Province since the month of June, 1854. The quantity supplied of each article applied for, together with an explanation of the lum-supply of such articlet as may have been applied for, but have not been furnished." The -hps^ pital at 'f aranaki^was in an unfit state for any emergency that might occur. The bedding was all bor-

rowed, and there was a great deficiency in drugs. If an outbreak »hould occur there wa§ no provision whatever for the reception of wounded natives. Mr. O"Sniti could not understand why the Province of Taramki had its hospital supported by the General Government, while the other Provinces had to support thtetr own. "V Agreed to. Beport on Native disturbance*. Mr. Cuompton, pursuant to notice, roie to move, — " That a respectful address be picsented to his Excellency tl.e Officer administering the Government.praying that a copy of the report of Mr. George Cooper on the native* disturbances in the Pnnince of New Plymouth, dated in August last, be laid on the table." The hon. member said that, through what he supposed must have been an oversight, this document had not been sent down with the others on the same subject. Agreed to. Returns connected tbith Land Claim*. Mr. Browx, pursuant to notice, rose to move for,— 11 Returns of all lands in the Province of Auckland claimed by private individuals, disposed of or otherwise interfered with, in contravention of the resolutions concerning land claims passed by the House of Representatives 14th September, 1854.— Also', copies of all correspondence which may have passed between the Government and private individuals with reference to requests which may have been made by such individuals that the Government should abstain from interfering with any lands or claims, of the classes referred to in the resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on the 14th September, 1854.— A150, copy of the correspondence — refused to the Provincial Council — between Mr. Salmon and the Government respecting the settlement of his claim to land at Wananake/' In moving for these returns the hon. member said that the resolution of the House of Representatives therein referred to had not been carried out. The land claimed by private individuals had been, in several instances, interfered with— a course which was neither respectful to the House nor fair to the claimants. The second . returns were for correspondence whiih would tend to throw light on the reasons tor such interference. The third clause referred to a case which had been settled on different and, it was supposed, more favorable grounds than the cases of other persons, and the corres pondence relating to which had been refused fo the Provincial Council. Agreed to. , Expenditure of Survey Department. Mr. Taylor, pursuant to notice, rose to move, — "That a humble address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government requesting a return shewing the expenditure on account of the Surveyor- General's Department for the past year, and that his Excellency will be pleased to transmit a statement of the proposed expenditure for the ensuing year." The Surveyor General's department had hitherto administered the sale of lands in the Province of Auckland, and, of course, had been paid out of its land fund ; but now that the Provincial Council had created a new body for that purpose, it was necessary for the House to know whether a Surveyor General's department for New Zealand was to be kept up, and for what purpose. Agreed to. Apportionment of Members. Mr. Portek, puisuant to notice, rose to move "That a respectful address be presented to the Officer administering the Government, respectfully requesting his Excellency to send down a Bill to adjust the number of members for each Province in proportion to the number of electors in the same, in accordance with the Constitution Act. And to pray that a dissolution of this Assembly may not' take place until the Bill has received Her Majesty's assent, and is brought into operation here." After some preliminary ob&ervations, the hon. member said that, as an illustration of the principle he was desirous of seeing adopted, he would take Auckland as a ground work. It ha i an Electoral Roll of about 3,000— a number which would give 12 members for every 250 electors. By this system every Province and District throughcut the colony would be fully and fairly represented. With regard to the proposed dissolution—if such took placeman y districts in the colon v would be left entirely unrepresented for a period ot syears The proper course was for this matter to be adjusted first, and Responsible Government introduced afterwaids. Major Grfi n vood would support the motion upon the bare principle of justice. The Constitution laid down a numerical basis for the apportionment of members. In the South there was no doubt that the Provinces had more members in proportion to their constituenoie* than Auckland had. The latter, therefore, was unfairly represented . Mr. Hakt believed, in reference to the present motion, that his Excellency would feel himself pledged by his circular; otherwise," that circular was a deception No resolution of that House, constituted as it was, in such a matter, could affect the detei initiation of his Exjtelleney. If such a resolution were acted upon, the circular could be viewed in no other light than that" of a trftp. It was on this ground he took his stand, but still, if the census had been fairly taken, the number of members that Auckland returned was quite equal to its share. Mr. Lee hoped that, if the motion were not carried, the House would pray his Kxcellency to delaj the in • troduction of Responsible Government (oh, oh) until the disadvantages under which the colony was labouring, in this respect, weie removed. Mr. Travers oppposed the motion utterly irrespec live of any of the principles involved in it. Had members from the South anticipated the possibility oi such a motion being introduced, they would have taken their pLices at any amount of inconvenience. H. 1 had attended at great inconvenience, in order to legalise the public expenditure, but by no means to entertain a measure involving radical changes. But, looking at the principle involved, he believed that the population of Auckland was about 13,000, and it had 12 members; Nelson had about 6,000, and had 6 members ; Wellington had from 8,000 to 9,000, and had 8 members, so that the present apportionment was strictly on a numerical basis. For his own part, he wonld rather tender his resignation than have such a question forced upon the House in its present state. Mr. Mtsrriman believed that Auckland should at least have four more members ; but still, he considered that the question was brought forward inopportunely, and he should vote against ii. To ask the House to adopt the piinciple of the Resolution was to ask it to stultify itself, as it had already deterred the consideration of the Pension Bill until after the proposed dissolution. If the subject had been brought forward at a different time and in a different manner, he would have voted differently. Mr. O'Neili said that the Northern Provinces contributed four-ninths of the entire revenue of the colony, and were surely entitled to four-nintl s of the representation ; yet they only returned twelve members. He could not conceive why hon. members who took a different \iewofthe question should attempt to support that view by holding out threats. Mr. Bacot would vote against the motion, for the simple reason that Southern members were not there to take their own part. Mr. Taylor regretted that he could not vote for the motion of the hon. member for the Suburbs. He agreed that Auckland ought to have more members ; but, as the House was at present constituted, he thought it would be m >st inexpedient to enter upon so important a subject during the present session. He believed it would be taking an unfair advantage of the Southern parts of the colony, and to this he could not be a party. He would not be drterred by an implied fear of meeting his constituency, from giving hi 9 vote as he thought proper. A sense of duty required him to oppose the motion. Mr. Forsaith could not see that the motion, if car. ried. would, either theoretically or practically, inVblve the least ir justice. If the hon. members from the South were not in their places it was their own faults. A fair construction had not been put on the language of the circular ; and the true aspect of the question had been altogether misrepresented If. Auckland were to have an increase of members, would not other Provinces have an equal increase ? Where then was the injustice ? The very fact of the Southern members offering the opposition they did, was presumptive proof of the necessity for re-adjustrnpnt. The question of dissolution had been altered by the recent vote of the House. His Ex-~ cellency might now say,-- As you have not tho tght it necessary to comply with the condition laid down by the Secretary of State, there is no immediate necessity for affording ihe colony an opportunity of revising its choice of representatives. Auckland had claims for an ■ increase of members, both on the ground of wealth and population. The whole revenue of the colony was £230,000, of which Auckland alone contributed £101,000. Mr. Porter, with the leave of the House, would withdraw the latter part of his motion— that referring to a dissolution. Mr. Merriman would then support the measure, as he considered that its most objectionable feature was withdrawn r Mr. Sbwbli, could not understand the language of Auckland. If the circular referred to did not convey to the Southern members this intimation,— Be so good as com,e up to pass the Appropriation Bill, and then be dissolved, the English language .had a differenttfieaning in Auckland to what it had anywhere, else. , The hon. member referred to fhe .finances of the colony fcwojeet that had been touched upon by Mr.Torsaith)«nd said that not only was there a deficiency in tho accounts of tho

Colonial Tmmurer of £ 11,000. but his firm beliet was that the, colony'}- ni thtt moment, wu* £50,000 in debt. He denied tKat Auckland had any rißht to additional members, and .considered that the hon member tor the Snburbs, in bringing forward such n motion, had put a (treat wrong upon the Southern members, and had drawn a great roproach upon himself. Mr. C'aklkton was aware that the question could not come to a ; division— that the Sonthrrn members, by retiring, could force a count-out ; he was aware that he could not be obliged to declare himselt, one way or the other— that no one, unless he chose, could know which way he was inclined. But he did no choose to screen himself behind o count-out ; he should state his opinion, without regard to consequences. He ad.nitted that the amendment — the striking out of the pungraph praying that a dissolution might not take place, had Tory much improved the motion ; so much that he would have been able to give the hon. mover a vole, but for a conclusive reason, which he would piesently offer to the house. The peculiar woidmg of the motion had attracted his attention ; there were two motions in one,— a" motion about adjustment of representation, and another &bout dissolution. He had spoken of this to the mover; he had strongly urged the propriety of withdrawing the latter portion, the real < bject of which was clear, to those who were behind the scenet. But no argument could prevail; he (Mr. Foiter) declared positively that nothing would induce him to make an alteration ; that he would stand to the double motion to the last. But yet, for reasons that could be appreciated, he had veered suddenly round, and offered to strike out the woids. That hon. member, though in the habit of giving himself credit for firmness, was in reality the most thorough weather- wit in the house. The alteration being made, however, he, (Mr. C ) would have voted for the motion, but for a reason that was plainly unanswerable. That was the Governor's own position in the matter. His Excellency hud sent a circular to the ' South stating that the business of the Session would be confined to two bills, and the greater number of the Southern members had consequently thought ,ijt.nqt worth their while to attend. The statement nrnonnted to a pledge ; his Excellency could not send down anotKer bill, for the circular would then become a trap ; and he (Mr. C.) would not be a party to asking the Go\ernor to commit a breach of faith. Otherwise he saw no objection to inviting his Excellency to send down a bill. He believed, himself, that Auckland was not fully represented ; he did not found his opinion upon a numerical basis, but upon her comparative general importance. He would even have been curious to see what sort of a bill would have been sent down ; certainly a very different bill irom that introduced last year by the member for the Pensioner Settlements, which he (Mr. C.) had been compelled to vote against. That bill had been only a party move (No, irom Major Greenwood) it took away the power of marking out electoral districts from the Assembly, and gave it to the Governor ; that Governor being himself a party man. He was perfectly in order in calling the Governor a party man. for he was then Mr. Superintendent Wynyard also, after a desperate contest for the office. "He, (Mr. C.) was quite in crder, for if his Excellency chose to have two faces, like Janus, it was lawful to address whichever face one pleased — the laughing iace, or the crying face ; or if his Excellency, in virtue of being also commander of the Forces, chnse to have three heads, like Cerberus, he (Mr. C.) had a perfect right, like Sybilla, to drop the medicated cake into whichever mouth he pleased. 11le t fame rabida tria guttura pandens, Corripit objectam. His Excellency was to have the right of marking out electoral districts : now if such a power were given to him (Mr. C.)— and he was avowedly a party man (a laugh) he would engage to secure the' return of a majority of either way of thinking. Had he voted for a bill with such a provision, he would have betriyed his party. Had that bill been passed the .Progress party to which he belonged, would be no longer in existence ; it would have been annihilated by that bill. He would very much like to see a proper bill, but not such a one as that. The object of the present motion, however, was not that which appeared upon the iace of it. The mover knew that he could not carry it, for want of a house. It was not a bill that was sought, bu' a party end. The motion had a hidden meaning— it had a leference to coming events. There was an election coming on, and this was an electioneering move. A powei tul handle would be made of the votes on this occasion ; the motives of those who opposed the motion would b'. 1 perverted. He had foreseen this, from the beginning of the Session ; he was quite aware of the cry that would be raised ; he had counted the cost, and did'not care. He might have been silent, but did not choose to back out of the difficulty. But he knew what the object of the motion was ;— to force Lim to vote against it. (The Speaker interposed - the, hon. member was out of order— he could not impute motives.) Mr. Carletdn stood co>rected He would levtrt to his first position, — that the Governor was pledged. The Governor could not comply with the motion, and he (Mr. C.) would never be a partjr to asking the Governor to commit a breach of faith. Mr. BroWn was extremely sorry that the question before the House should have been introduced at the present time, as it was ons that could not be entertained without leading to angry feeling. It was a subject of the utmost importance and one that, the sooner settled the better ; but it was also one which, under present circumstances, should not be entertained. Mr. PoiiTEit biiefiy replied. When he brought forward the same measure in a full House last session, it was said to be the wrong time ; when he brought it forward in a thin House this session, it was al6o said to be the wrong time. The fact was that it was ne\erthe right time with hon. members to do justice to Auckland. The House divided the question of leave being granted to withdraw the latter part of the motion. On the division Hsis being handed the Speaker, he announced that there were only 11 members present, and that the House stood adjourned. Adjourned accoidingly.

Wednesday, August 22. There was not a quorum at 12 o'clock, and the House was adjourned till the following day.