THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, December 15, 1857. LUCEO NON URO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1092, 15 December 1857, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, December 15, 1857. LUCEO NON URO.

"If I have been extinguished, yet there rise thousand beacons from thesnark I bon-"

The General Assembly has b.en summoned, by proclamation in the Government Gazette, for the 81st of March, 1858. The period of the Appropriation Ast will have been outrun, by several months; but it would have been idle bringing away the Southern members from their homes while it was as yet impossible to offer any business of real importance for their consideration. For until the result of Mr. Sewell's mission to England was definitely known, neither policy nor measures could be resolved upon. Honorable members would have been reduced to pass the time in political sharp shooting, and after amusing themselves with a few changes of Ministry, would have been doomed to see sth Session pass away, almost infructuously, from the fact of no bills baying been; prepared for them during the recess. This, had they been summoned, red-tapeistically, to the day originally appointed, would have been, subject for much more serious complaint than the present noncompliance with formality. It is dangerous to prophecy 3 but our own impression is, that the present ministry will stand. For there is almost no material from which another ministry could now be formed. FitzGerald of Canterbury would perhaps he able to succeed, were he present, and willing to take office. For he is personally much liked—• an old favourite in the House. But he hasbailed for England;, and even had he remained in the Colony, had resolved, we believe, not to accept office again The Wellington party, in the House, has been too much damaged by late events to shew a firm front. They have .'.'hatched their crocodile," and have been well nigh devoured by it. At all events, they come forth sorely crippled from the conflict. And we can scarcely puppose that Mr. Fox himself has any expectation of coming into power , for if he had, he would not have been so

; «»«% M\ to. declare that be had by to* Auckland -Members, in reference to the q'uesv'tioSoiofv the seat of Government. He knows very well that he wap, not dupedi J that he was dealt . foirly with, staunchly, and uprightly throughout, ~ not even turn a blind eye to the arrange- j mentis on the subject, but saw, with both eyes open, what was going on. He knew them, not at second hand, but of his own knowledge. The Otago men—at least the present members, have signified an intention of not coming up. It is difficult to say which side they would otherwise espduse,butin all probability they would be found in tke opposition ranks. New Members from Otago, could not arrive until a very advanced stage of the Session. Canterbury is not' hostile, and Nelson'we presume, is what it was strongly ministerial. The first passage at arms will probably settle the state of parties in the House. If .they be at all evenly balanced, another lung Session may be effected. If there be a decided ministerial majority, a couple of months may suffice to get through the necessary business. For although . there be much work to do, we apprehend .that the ",: Assembly will make short work of it. For it is the 1 party fighting, in the contest for power,—not the real business, that absorbs the time. Experience has shewn that comparatively few of the Members take much interest in the bills, unless when seeking for assailable points. Another reason for holding out expectation of

a short Session, is this:—that for the first time, the business will have been prepared, and matured, during the recess; at leisure, and with time for consideration, not hurriedly, as heretofore, during the intervals of hot debate. The Responsible Ministry have already done the duty which, prior to four Sessions respectively, the old officials neglected, or were unable to fulfil.