PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Friday, February 1, 1856.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 898, 5 February 1856, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Friday, February 1, 1856.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment. j Present—all the members. j i

Superintendent's Address. On the motion of Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Graham, the Council resolved itself into a Committee of the •whole Council, for the purpose of considering the Superintendent's address.

Leave of Abse nee. The Provincial Secretary said that Notice 2 on the list having been disposed of, he would move that the chairman do report progress, and ask leave to sit again, in order that the Council might deal with Notice 3 on the pappr. Agreed to, after opposition from Mr. Powditch, in whose name the motion stood, who thought that to consider the third notice before the fourth, was an unnecessary deviation on his account. Mr. Powditch, with leave of the Council, amended his motion, and moved for leave of absence for one month from Tuesday next. '^ Agreed to. The consideration of

The Supet intendent's Address havin" been resumed in Committee, Mr.° TAYLoa rose to move the adoption of the reply of which he had given notice on Thursday. It was, he said, as such documents usually are, a mere echo of the address. There was nothing in it which would in any way bind hon. members ; its language left them quite unfettered—free afterwards to vote, on any of the questions referred to, as they might deem best for the public good. In its reference, for instance, to the Land Regulations, it expressed no opinion upon the Regulations themselves, but simply assented to the principles upon which they were said to be b .sed—those of fairness, impartiality, and economy. He thought that no hort, member could object to this. With'regard to tHe native population, he had no doubt that hon. members were prer ared to coincide with his Honor in the necessity of doing something to arrest the progress of intemperance. That a period oi depression was at hand, he thought no one could deny ; and although, in the language of the address, that depression was likely to be only of a tranl^sient character, he thought it was not the less necessary that the Council should co-operate with his Honor in bis endeavours to provide against it. A pause having ensued, and the question being about to be put by the Speaker — Majoe Geeenwood had been waiting till some member of the Executive had convinced him, by argument, that the principles involved in the reply were right. The reply stated that the Council agreed with the principles on which the new Land Regulations were based. He did not agree with these principles at all. The address stated that a period of depression was at hand, and the statement had gone abroad to the neighbouring colonies. He believed that there was no real depression. But he believed that a check had been given to the energy and jdevelopment of the oountry by causes which he would not then mention. Welt, they had been told of a period of depression, and also how to get over it. How was that ? Why, by growing barley instead of oats. Perhaps his Honor would next tell them when rain might be expected, as he (Major G.) wanted feed on his farm. He did not think that the reply should be voted hurriedly— thtt, like schoolboys, they were to be told by the Superintendept what to do, and all that sort of thing. The hon. member for the Northern Division (Mr. Taylor) had expressed a hope that the Council would take the measures of his Honor into consideration. Of course it would; but he, for one, was not going to thank his Honor, as in the proposed reply, for giving information which he (Major G.) believed to be the very antipodes of correct. He hoped therefore that the matter would be well considered. Mr. J. O'Nbill said that it was only due to the Council that information should be afforded by the Executive, They had bean told in the Superintendent's

address, that his " policy would be developed and explained by these gentlemen ; instead of which, a reply hud been written, and simply handed to another hon. member to read. Why did not one Of them get up and j explain ? He supposed that the hon. member who occupied chair No. 2, knew his strength, and therefore would not deign to explain anything. That hon. membur, he presumed, had counted his noses ; he was able to say to one, Go, and hegoeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; and to his servant, Do this, and ho doeth it. But was it right or proper for his Honor to denounce as unsound— to attempt to abrogate by force of numbers, laws which were Agreeable to the majority of the people whom they affected ? The new Land Regulations had been said to be based upon principles of iairness and impartiality. He did not think so. They were intended for the benefit of the moneyed class only. They raised a barrier in the way of the labouimg man getting a homestead for his old a^e. And all because, forsooth, his Honor would not allow the poor man to ' burden himself with land. Yes, out of the overflowings of his lo\e, he would refrain from placing such a temptation in the way of the poor man. His Honor would have that cla^s to ba nothing beyond hewers of wood and drawers of water. On the part of his Honor and his Executive, the*e Regulations were a foul attempt to draw a line of distinction between the settler and the labourer. They weiv virtually saying to the settler, Here is a. fine oppoitunity for you to get gain— unblushingly telling the labouiing man, Thus far shalt thou come and no farther ! The Provincial Secretary nuned that the words "foul attempt" be taken down. Mr. Meuriman said that the language complained of was not stronger than he had often heard in that chamber. The course being pursued by the Provincial Secretary was merely following up a threat in the loader of the 'Southern Cross.' Mr. Buckland characterised the motion of the Provincial Secretary as an attempt to burke the proceedings —as an indecent obstruction to the business of the Council. ' Major Greenwood did not think the words com- i f/plained of a bit stronger than were necessary. ] ' Mr., Schultz could not agree with the remarks of the j last speaker. He believed that due courtesy had not been observed by the hon. member for the city. The words used were such as might possibly tend to a breach, j such as that which had already taken place in a higher assembly. He could not see that observations in the 'Southern Cross,' or any other paper, had anything to do with the question. The Pkovincial Secretary would not press the motion. The opposition was very welcome to attack him j as long as they pleased ; he could take very good cave of himself. Ihusuau.elj as ever d.ishonestv was attributed to the Provincial Government, he would have the words taken down in future. The Chairman said that he had not been called upon to decide in this matter. But he would now remark— being in committee he could do so— that he thought the words used were exceedingly strong. He would put it to hon. members whether words calculated to excite, should not be avoided. Mr. O'Neill, in continuation —The Provincial Secretaiy, by the interruption, had diverted his thoughts from the subject, and had shewn himself to be a good tactician. The assertions contained in the Address would do a great amount of mischief. Some of them were totally unwarranted, and he thought that the Executive should not be satisfied with themselves for having put such words into the mouth of the Superintendent. To say, for instance, that the export trade of the Province vvas equal in 1839 to what it is now, was too absurd. The whole address was a bundle of fallacies, and he regretted that the fifth session of the Council should have been opened by such a speech. Then they had the twin-sister of it in an answer written by the hon. member for the Bay of Islands, and pro- j posed by the hon. member for the Northern Division. Address and reply, in fact, were written by the one hand. — that of the Provincial Secretary, There was no mistaking the fine Roman hand. He concluded by repeating that the Regulations, for which the Provincial Secretary hoped to win so many laurels, was a barefaced attempt to elevate the wealthy settler at the expesce of the poor labourer. • Mr. Dilworth trusted that the Executive would not treat with contempt the request for information. Until that request was complied with he would defer speaking ; to the question. Mr. Mhkkimax would docidedly vote against the reply, unless some explanation were given. (Mr. Carleton — Hear, heaT). The hon. member for the Bay had cried hear, in a jeering tone. Why did he not get up in his place and speak ? Why did he not use and explain, instead of trusting to having a supposed majority at his back ? Major Greenwood said that the hon. member of the Executive had cried hear, hear. He (Major Greenwood) and other hon. members wanted to hear, but could hear nothing. The PitoviuciAL SccRL-TARt said that he had been challenged over and over again by hon. members, who had, by so doing, shewn their unaequaintance with parliamentary practice. There was one hon. member of that Council who seemed to consider it his particular vocation, not only there, but in the House of Representatives, to set him (Mr. C )<hnvn in the matter of parliamentary practice Fortunately, that lion, member, as yet, had been invaiiably wrong. (Name — from Mr. Merriman). If he named, he would also be obliged to refer to past debates, which would be out of order. It was usual in the House of Cgmmons for those members who were more immediately connected with the ministry to reserva their remarks till an advanced stage of the debate. He thought he could not do wrong m following the same practice ; nor was he anxious to obtrude himself upon the Council. Mr. Boylan said that the Address of the Superintenden % completely ignored all promises of conciliation made at the hustings. His Honor must have known at the first blush that the way to conciliation was not to sacrifice all the principles that had been enunciated for the last two years in that Council. They were asked to adopt an address, expressing approval of the spirit in which the new land regulations were trained, when, in the opinion of many hon. members, these regulations were conceived in the most absolute spirit of landlordism. From these regulations ( the immigration and military clauses had also bepn left out. The address referred to the probable withdrawal of troops ■ f rom the Colony ; and what better check to the Native population could be conceived than a class of good military settlers. A remedy to the state of things that might follow the withdrawal of the troops had been sugestcd in paitnerships with the natives. The idea was Utopian. Every one who knew anything of the native character was aware that in 8 cases out of 10 the Maori would beat and bully the white man. One principle was enunciated in his Honor's Address which struck him (Mr. Boylan) with profound amazement. Emanating irom the Provincial Secretary, whose political antecedents were well known, it yet descended into the very depths of rowdyism. There was never so unconstitutional a piinciple propounded. It was, that the City Council would not be revived until there was a marked demonstration in its favor. What demonstration was wanted? Was it a public meeting } The Provincial Secretary knew well that a public meeting afforded no indication of public feeling. It had been proposed to substitute a Board of Work?, but, to speak of nothing else, there were a variety of sanitary and other measures which it would be utterly impossible for a board of works to deal with. And when the Provine al Government camp, as it one diiy would, to direct taxation, it would find that the people would not consent to pay their money, to be expended by an irresponsible body. His Honor, in his Address, had indulgeJ in. a prophecy of forthcoming depression, but he (Mr. Boylan) quite agreed with the hon. member for the Pensioner Settlements that, in this, his Honor was completely mistaken. The prediction had a more formidable aspect from the fact that it emanated not only from a Superintendent, but from a bank director. Although not an old hand, he yet remembeied the time of the California mania, when produce, now worth £50, could have been bought for £3. The Union Bank then sent a gentleman to the Province who stopped discounts like the shot of a gun. Much embarrassment ensued, yet every tradesman managed to pay 20s. per pound; and everything ultimately revived. He did think that the marked allusion to a period of depression was most unhappy. It was putting the Province in the position of a tradesman whose credit was first ruined, and who then wanted to borrow. What were they to think of the state of matters, when they heard an pinion expressed by one bank director.andknew that an opposite opinion was entertained by another. The Superintendent might well have complained of tightness in the money market, but had gone an unwarrantable length in piedicting a serious depression. (Conclusion in our next.)