WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 157, 7 January 1854, Page 6

WELLINGTON.

Panama Steam Routk.—We have been informed by a gentleman (whose information maybe relied on as correct), a passenger by the " Northfleet," that it is finally settled that the line of Panama Steamers are to make Wellington their first port of call; and also, that Messrs. Willis and Co. have obtained the contract from the Company, for the supplying of coals, and were to despatch a vessel laden with coal direct for this port early in Oct.— lndependent. Small Farms.—A large and important meeting has been held to promote the introduction of small farms into this province, when 99 shares were subscribed for. The several felections were ballotted for by the subscribers, and its Tesulls gave general satisfaction. The following resolution was unanimously adopted by the shareholders. "That the Committee be instructed to request the Members of the Provincial Council of Wellington, to recommend to his Excellency the Governor that,—in consequence of the great demand for small farms —' The whole of the district bounded on the one side by the Tararua range, and on the other by the Ruamahunga and the stoney plain, be set apart for a period of three years, as a reserve for that purpose."' An address, accompanied with a purse of two hundred guineas, has been presented to the Rev. R. Cole, M.A.. on his le'aviug Wellington for England on a visit to his parents. The Amateurs of Wellington had their usual concert in the Hall of the Athenssurn on Thursday the24th ult.: " the room, says the,/redependent, being filled with an attentive, appreciating, and highly-delighted auditory. The programme comprised specimens of several of the " Masters of Song," but its chief strength lay in those thoroughly English compositions, the Glee and Madrigal." Provincial Council. Edward Daniell, Esq., had been elected for the districts of Wanganui and Rangitiki. Dec. 20.—-On the motion of Mr. Ludlam, a Select Committee on Roads had been appointed, viz., Messrs. Ludlam, Bell, Revans, Brown, and Waitt. Committee of Supply.—The Provincial Secretary, in moving that a supply be granted, shewed the various sources from which the Provincial Revenue would be drawn, the total amount of which he estimated at £18,053 lls. 6d.; and afterwards enumerated the several offices it had been proposed to create, stating the salary affixed to each office. On the proposal to vote £500 per annum as the salary of the Superintendent, considerable discussion ensued ; but ultimately, on the motion of Mr. Bell, this item was increased to £600. Dec. 21.—A question on a preceding day•whether the Council were acting legally in calling their laws " Acts," having been raised by Mr. Wakefield, and referred to the Judge for .decision, to-day the Speaker informed the Council he had received that gentleman's opiinon. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary, the report, which was a lengthy one, was read by the Clerk. It gave the Judge's reasons in full for ■ stating that the Council was legally competent to style their laws Acts, that the Constitution Act did not bind them to call their laws Ordinances, that they might give them what appellation they pleased ; and condudeOy stating- that there was nothing in the Act'nwking it imperative on ihe Provincial Council to call their laws Ordinances. In the Committee of Supply, on £400 bein"proposed as the salary of the Provincial Secretary, Mr. Moore objecting to the sum as too . iiigii, and proposing to substiiuie £300 instead, Mr. CiilF'trd^ntade the following observations: lie " congratulated the public on the and

great important change which the Constitution had effected in the economical views of some honorable "ei'tlemeu. In 1850 the revenue of Weiiingtini amounted to upwards of £13,000, the whole of which was spent in official salaries. No, lie itejrired parti on, there was a por-lin.-i set down fur public works; the Government .u.mkuer and his contingencies were estimated at a cost of £82, and this was thus devoted to pulHe icorkr,! Me read an extract ironi (be speech of the Lieut.-Governor which set forth that the revenue was not then equal to the expenditure, and used the argument that ihc. thfji- (ijlicjis of Government, when compared with the revenue, were apparently very costly, but they would not appear to be so when me revenue became "reuier. The same sirjrumeiit be thought wiMiisi !ij>j>ly equally to the oilicers under tl.'t present 'Govi-rnment. At

Unit period there appeared to be no lion, members to take the part of Public Works versus Salaries, though they must have been quite as mudi wanted then as now. At present £10,000 was spent in public works out of £18,000, then £S2 was spent out of £13,000." Mr. Brown said, " He was quite disgusted with this reference to the past Government; let them consider the salaries with reference to the duties of the office, and to their present means, like business men." £400 per annum was ultimately agreed to, without a division. The salary to the Clevk to" the Provincial Secretary was fixed at £175 per annum ; and the ■whole of the items under the head of Provincial Treasury agreed to. The Harbour Department, Police, and one or two minor items having been agreed to, the Council adjourned. Dec. 22.—0n the items under the head of Colonial Hospital being read, considerable discussion followed, Dr. Dorset, stigmatising the establishment as little better than a propaganda —all the servants being Roman Catholics. Mr. Clifford replied, and on the suggestion of the Colonial Secretary, proposed the appointment of a select Committee to investigate the entire management of the Hospital. The items passed the Committee. £300 was then voted to purchase a house at Karori, as a Lunatic Asylum. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary, that each member residing six miles from the town should receive £25 for his extra expenses, Mr. Moore moved as an amendment " that it wasinexpedienttopay members extra expenses," which was lost on a division, and the original motion adopted. The House then adjourned. On the following day, Mr. Revans gave notice that he should move on Friday next an address to the Queen on the iuconvenience ■which arose from the non-convention of the General Assembly. In Committee of Supply, on the motion of the Provincial Secretary, after considerable discussion on each proposition, the salaries of Speaker, and Chairman of Committees,* were fixed at £200 and £100 respectively. The Independent, in a wrothy leader on the reply of the Provincial Council to the Superintendent's address, alluding more particularly to its adoption by the Provincial Secretary, says : " A more objectionable document than the Provincial Secretary's draft reply to his Honor's address, scarcely could have been framed, except, indeed, such a curt, abrupt, and unintelligible generality as the single-sentence reply suggested by Mr. Wakefield. " We are almost surprised that the Provincial Secretary so readily adopted it; he might, we think, have with equal propriety have taken the first sentence out of " Enh'eld's Speaker," or the " London Letter Writer," or any other such book as is to be found in most academies for young gentlemen, and copied it out for a reply. It could not have been more senseless, or, as the Provincial Secretary mildly observed to Mr. Wakefield, ' unmeaning.' "We must not, however, be too 1 ard on the Provincial Secretary; perhaps he did not perceive the drift of Mr. Wakefield, (we think, indeed, he does not always 'penetrate a wily design, screened by a plausible demeanour:) it was, however, sufficiently apparent to us, and to many others with whom we have since conversed on the subject. It is a part of Mr. Wakefield's theory that Superintendents should be puppets —miniature Queens —and we expect before the end ol the Session that he will get up and propose that a certain sum be set asTde for the purpose of enabling the Sergeant-at-Arms to engrave a neat miniature of His Honor the Superintendent—sn profound, is his (Mr. Wakelield's) admiration of His Honor, and so keen his sensibility lest any affront should be offered to so important a showman. But we can tell Mr. Wakefield that he is here mistaken in his calculations; 'just as much us he was about the Crystal Palace, or any other of his blunders Superintendents of Provinces were designed rby the Constitution to bf. working men, and it will lie found that our Superintendent will not. consider that he does his duty by the public by permitting himself to be used as an elegant tool and ima.»e.' 5

Mails for .Sydney, London, Adelaide, TTobnrt Town, and India, per the Ewjlv, will close ibis day (Saturday) at noon. W. L. ifowAiin, Postmaster.

Birth.—At Chrisiclwreh, Dee. 28, the wife of Mr. W. li. Tosswill, of a sun.