Tuesday, February 5, 1856.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 899, 8 February 1856, Page 3

Tuesday, February 5, 1856.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment. Present — All the members. Reply to Superintendent's Addres s. The Council resolved itself into Committee, and the debate upon the reply was resumed. The Provincial Secretary having briefly opened the debate, — Mr. J. O'Ncij.l moved the following amendment :— The second jmd third clauses of the proposed Reply, viz: — " Agreeing with your Honour in thp principles upon which "the New Land Regulation are stated to be based, the Council will give their earnest consideration to the provisions through wh'ch the desired objects are proposed to be obtained. " The Council have received with gratification your Honour's announcement that no effort has been spared, up to the present time to advance the surveys." to be omitted and the following substituted :—: — " Without expressing any opinion on this occasion as to the desirability of effecting an alteration in the principles of the existing law regulating the disposal of the Waste Lands, we feel it our duty at once to state to your Honour that we cannot approve of any regulations, by which the immediate payment of cash shall be made, without any exception, an indispensable condition to the acquisition of land from the Crown." The fifth clause to be wholly omitted, viz : — " The Council fully coincide with your Honour in the urgent necessity for attending to the state of the Native population whether as regards their own condition, 01 their relation towards the European subjects of the Queen." The s ; xth clause, viz : — " The Council regret to hear from your Honour that a period of depression, though only of a transient nature, is to be expected ; but will use eveiy endeavour to co-operate with your Honour in providing against it, by whatever means may seem best adapted, upon consideration, to meet the circumstances," to be omitted, and the following substituted : — " We regret that your Honour should have stated ' that it is no longer doubtful that a period of gieat depression is at hand ;' — and from this we feel it necessary to record our dissent, in order that we may not, by appearing to give even the tacit sanction of the Council to such a statement, increase the mischief which it is calculated to produce. ; At the same time we take the opportunity of saying tli.it we feel assured that the check in its piospe.ity which this Province has lately received, will be in a great measure, if not altogether, removed by a judicious administration of the Government." To do justice to the lonsrthy discassion that followed would require moie space than we can spaie. Nor is this j much to be regretted, as much of what tianspiied was> a mere repetition of the first day's, debate. The amendment was ultimately thrown out on a di- , vision"; the numbeis of which wcie Noos, 12 ; Ayes 11. Mdior Gun EN wood, then proposed, as a second amen'lm»n. « Tl,,t ti,o ,«,« which reli>^ w llie a""c»p«uea depression be expunged." This an.endment was also thrown out, a division ha \ ing been called for, and showing the same results. The Reply, as previously moved, was then carried ; and I ordered to be piesented to his Honour the Supeiinlendent, by the Speaker, and as many as chose to accompany him. i The Council then adjourned till the following day— the j Provjjieial Seoretaiy taking occasion to lemark that, as ( there was no business on the paper, the Evcutive would j undertake to form a Council foi tie puipose of notice-, being sgiven. This would ob\iate the necessity of countiy \ members, who had no notices of motion, giving then at tendance on that d.iy.