WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 166, 11 March 1854, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

[From our own Correspondent.] February 4,1854. (Continued from our last-) The amendment proposed by Mr. Bell was eventually negatived by the same majority as before. Mr. Wallace, who had stated in an early part of the debate that he could not vote for the first amendment because he thought the whole power, as to the correspondence, ought to be in the hands of Government, caused great surprise by dividing against Mr. Bell's amendment,, which proposed to give them that power and to make them responsible for it. Mr. Wallace, as he walked over with the Government, was greeted with loud laughter and ironical cheers from the opposition. Had he voted according to his opinions, as publicly expressed hardly an hour before, the Government would have been in a minority of one. In consequence of these two divisions, Mr. Wakefield desired to move a resolution embodying the protest of the minority against the conducting of the correspondence nominally by the Council while really by a party Committee. But the Secretary opposed such a motion being made without the usual notice, and treated the making it at all as a breach of an honourable understanding come to some clays before, that no further business involving a division should be brought on, in consequence of which Mr. Watt, a silent, but thorough supporter, had gone to the country. As the notice would have postponed the motion till after the proposed short recess before the formal prorogation, and as the Government had brought on the business which involved a division, the op-position did not feel themselves responsible for the alleged breach of the honourable understanding, and prepared to resist the attempted prohibition to place their opinions on record. Mr. Wakefield moved the adjournment of the House till the following Monday; and explained that he was forced toavail himself of that provision'in the Standing Orders, by which, as in the House of Commons, such a motion may be brought forward every quarter of an hour, and spoken to by any member. A warm debate ensued. Mr. Kevans accused Mr. Wakefield of being actuated by doubts of his friend Mr. Godley; but was triumphantly answered by Mr. Wakefield,. who repeated his praise of Mr. Godley in stronger terms than ever, and declared that he kept up the most intimate and confidential correspondence with him. ftir. Itevans then, but with a bad grace, expressed his belief that he had made a mistake. The Secretary opposed the motion, introducing some of his most flippant and undignified jokes, and declared himself ready to " sit it out." Mr. Bell also opposed the motion, saying the minority had had an ample opportunity of expressing their sentiments, on the discussion of the two rejected amendments. But when Mr. Moore and Mr. Ludlam had both spoken at some length in support of the adjournment, and it was remembered that such a motion could be renewed every quarter of an hour, the Secretary, who had accused the minority of having no real object but that of obstructing public business, offered to test their sincerity by agreeing that the other business of the day should be got through first, and that Mr. Wakefield should then have every opportunity of bringing forward his proposed resolution, in the nature of a protest, for discussion. This proposal was at once accepted. The House adjourned for an hour for refreshment,, having been already four hours in warm debate. At seven o'clock they re-assembled. A resolution was agreed to in Committee of Supply, authorising the Superintendent to expend not exceeding £2000 in the encouragement of steam communication, in whatever way he may think fit. The Secretary said, that if it should seem expedient, the Government would not hesitate to.advise the expenditure of as much as £4000 on so important an object, coining to the House afterwairds for indemnity, if some sudden opportunity should arise so as to- preclude the possibility of obtaining the sanction of the Legislature beforehand. It was then resolved to address the Governor, begging him to refrain, from remitting to England any part of the one-fourth part of the laiulre.venue allotted to the N.Z. Company by !-arliament, until a proper examination should have been made into the alleged debt. Mr. Wakefield alone dissented : not as approving of the unjust inuioiion of the debt, which he had used great efforts iv England to aveit, and

which he would still resist as cordially as any man : but because he could not be a party to recommending: the Governor to commit a breach of the Constitution Act, and to seize money in Iransitu for those to whom it does not yet legally belong—a course)which he thought would seriously prejudica the colony's case against the Company when it should be fairly enquired into. A conversation ensued on a subject, incidental to the audit question, involving Mr. St. Hill in an investigation before the Executive Council as to his conduct in respect to the conditions on which he had offered to assist in that department, and to information thereupon which Mr Brown had obtained from him, and repeated in the Council. The decision of the Executive Council had not been made; but Mr. Revans took occasion to "explain and partly to withdraw some expressions, very offensive towards Mr. St. Hill., which he had used on the former occasion, in his place as Chairman of Committee of the whole House. The report of the Emigration Committee was brought up. It expresses a belief in the possibility of obtaining- a supply of labour from Australia, and proposes means, almost exactly similar to those projected, but afterwards abandoned upon enquiry, at Canterbury some four months ago. The report was accompanied by a protest on the part of Mr. Wakefield, who records his opinion that the evidence taken has been too meagre to justify such a conclusion, and that the difference in the rate of wages between the respective colonies precludes the hope of obtaining any large supply of available labour from Australia. The continued emigration from Wellington toAustralia, consisting now in a great measure of women and families, certainly confirms Mr. Wakefield's view. After some formal business had been gone through, Mr. Wakefield brought forward his motion respecting the Committee on Correspondence. It was to the effect of an instruction to that Committee to inform the Agent in England that the Council had here departed from its usual rule of appointing five members, including- some from each side of the House, by naming a Committee to represent the majority only. The Secretary offered no opposition, and the motion was adopted. The Council then adjourned for a fortnight, when only the formal completion of business will take place, and the House will be prorogued till November. The Speaker gave a ball on Thursday last to the members of the Council and a large party of friends. Feb. IV. The adjournment of the Provincial Council has produced a state of rest, very welcome to those who were engsged in the animated debates of the latter part of the Session. In case you think it worth while to reprint any of these for the instruction of your readers, let me seriously warn you against the recent reports of the Independent. In that paper of the Bth inst. you will find, instead of a genuine report of the very important and interesting debate on the Audit question, a mock report of the speeches of Mr. Brown and Mr. Wakefield only, professing to be made by a " special reporter," and bearing the appearance of careful and accurate reports, —or, at least, vory likely to be so considered l>y persons at a distance, like yourself. Let me assure yon that the report in question is a pure fabrication, with just sufficient similarity in order of subjects, and in a few expressions casu-ally thrown in, to conceal its falseness, and to mislead readers at a distance. Here, of course, it is known to be a joke ; and considered witty, or the contrary, according to the judgment of the reader. The absence of any other report oi the debate in question is the circumstance likely to deceive readers into the belief that this jocose one is the correct report. By referring to the Spectator, whose editor has taken »reat pains to publish copious and accurate reports, you will_ find able and impartial reports of the speeches on both sides.

BISPOTITEI> FINDING OF GOLT) IN THE WANganui.—The press of the Spectator was "stopped" on the 28th February to announce that "old had been found in the Wanjranui, on a section he]onj>in»- to Major Durie. Fortunately for the eolonv, alter llie sjiecimeus had been carefully analyzed by Drs. Premlergast and Forbes, it turns out that the correspondent of the Spectator had mistaken "iron pyrites" for the more precious intital. The Independent adds: —"So

vanishes the golden prospects of Wanganui, We recommend the gallant gentleman who laboured so assiduously at washing, and digging the Major's garden, to try the potatoe diggings: we can assure him from the present market price, that they will pay well. They will search long and dig deep ere they find gold in the post-tertiary deposits of the Wanganui." The Wairapa races were held on the Bth ult. The weather being favourable, the attendance was good, including several ladies on horseback, as well as many visitors from Wellington and the neighbourhood. The sports seems to have given great satisfaction to the company assembled. A meeting of members of the Church of England, was held on the 28th ult, at the School Room, Thorndon, to receive the reports on the Schools, and other business. The Yen. Archdeacon Hadfielcl in the Chair. The report stated that the amount of subscriptions had increased during the last year from £54. 125., to £87 18s. 6tL