OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1188, 26 January 1864, Page 3

OTAGO.

[FROM OUR OWN COKRKSI'ONDEN I\] Dunedin, Monday, 18th Jan. rrmr great event of the month is the meeting liiih was held in the Princess' Theatre on Wednesday last, to consider the question elative to the Seat of Government to Cook s Straits. Over a thousand persous were prej. j n the body of the house, and on the at-ve among other of our influential and Win* men, were his Honor the Superintendent (John Hyde Harris, Esq.); tbe Hon. T> Gillies, M.H.R., Postmaster-General; ifcSrs. E. B.Cargill, M.H.R., M.P.C.; J. AVel M.H.E., M.P.C.; W. H. Reynolds, Mil k. M.P.C.; T. Dick, M.P.C. (Provind'] Secretary) ; 3 L. Gillies, M.P.C (Provincial Jno. Hardy, M.P.C.; Tolm Cargill, M.P.C.; R. H. Forman (SheG. E. Barton, J. A. J. Macgregor, James Prendergast, D. Campbell, C. T. Ick, j' S. Webb, T. S. Forsaith, J. Douglas, J. Hildreth, J. J. Ham.

The following account is extracted from the ' Otago Daily Times

The Superintendent took the chair, and said—l have called this meeting in pursuance of a requisition which was presented to me on Saturday last, and which, doubtless, you have seen in the daily papers. The object of that requisition is clear. To those of you, however, who are not aware of the exact circumstances under which we are met to day, I may state that at the last session of the General Assembly of New Zealand, in Auckland, certain resolutions were passed having for their object a permanent change of the seat of Government from Auckland, where it has been for many years past, to some port iu Cook's Straits. In Auckland, as you may have heard, public opinion runs very strongly in opposition to this movement, and it is scarcely to be wondered at that such should be the case, I have reason to believe also, that in this province public opinion is not unanimously in favor of the change. The object, however, of the meeting to-day, is not on the part of those, I believe, upon whose requisition it was called, to press upon you any particular views with regard to the question, but to give you a fair opportunity of expressing your views upon that question, which I think you will admit with me is one of the most important which can affect you as a province. I complain, and I think that the Province of Otago has a right to complain of the manner in which the determination to make this change has been come to. —(Applause.) This change has been brought about in the Assembly without any fair notice being given to the country that it was to take place. It is upon this ground, I think, that before any action is taken by his Excellency the Governor, upon the resolutions of the Assembly, time ought to be given for a fair and open expression of public opinion with reference to the matter. (" Hear, hear," and applause.) So strongly did I feel this to be the case, that so soon as I found the exact position in which the resolutions placed the Governor, I resolved to transmit to his Excellency, and I did transmit by the last mail, a letter written by me as Superintendent, urging him in the strongest language I could command, the justice of allowing the matter to be postponed, so far as he was concerned, until this province, at .any rate, has had a fair opportunity of expressing its opinion on the matter. —(Applause.) I believe that I should not have consulted your interests, or those of the province generally, had I not taken this step, and although the resolutions of the Assembly have placed the Governor in such a position that he is almost bound to act upon them, still I believe that a strong remonstrance, almost universally signecl by the electors —if you should disapprove of those resolutions of the Assembly —would have the effect of delaying any action until the matter had been again brought before the Assembly at the next session. Gentlemen, I am not going to ask you to express to me your opinions on the subject. You will have to-day a fair opportunity of declaring deliberately and calmly, whether you are of opinion that a transference of the seat of Government from Auckland to Wellington will satisfy all the demands of this great and rising province. Ido not think it will; but it is not my duty, as your chairman, to express any very decided opinion on the subject, and I will now leave the matter in your hands. Gentlemen are prepared with resolutions which will be submitted to you. At the same time, every gentleman present will have an opportunity of discussing those resolutions, of proposing amendments upon them, or of submitting new resolutions, if relevant to the object for which the meeting has been called. As you have asked me 'to preside over you, I now ask that you will give to every gentleman who wishes to address you a fair.and impartial hearing. I trust that the discussion will be characterised by temperance and moderation: and I have only now to beg that you will support me in preserving that order and decorum whielx ought to characterise all our public meetings. (Applause.)

The following resolution was then moved by Mr. James Prendergast, barrister of this city, and seconded by Mr. Barton, also barrister:—

" That the removal of the Seat of Government to Cook's Straits, proposed at the late meeting of the General Assembly, would not only fail to remedy the defective administration of the Government in the Middle Island, but would at the same time seriously injure the administration of the Government in the most populous and progressive portion of the Northern Island ; and this meeting protests against the action taken by the Assembly, in forcing on the decision of such an important matter without affording the people of the colony an opportunity of expressing their opinions thereon, and in inviting the interference of the Governors of the Australian Colonies in a purely New Zealand matter."

Why these two gentlemen were selected as mover and seconder of so important a resolution, I do not know. Bqth are new porters amopgst us, and can know very little pf &e\y Zealand politics, or the various bearings of the separation question. Indeed one of the speakers (Mr. Barton) confessed bis complete ignorance as to where Wellington was, and wished to be informed of the geographical position of Cook's Straits. However, the speakers spoke at great length, and succeeded in obtaining the attention of the meeting for more than an hour. When the resolution had been moved and seconded, and before being put to the meeting the Superintendent asked if any gentleman present was desirous of speaking to it. There were loud and long continued calls for Gillies. When this gentleman after repeated solicitations stepped forward and said —" In the position in which he was placed it would no doubt have been most improper in him tq have attended the meeting with any intention to take part in its proceedings; and it was only in obedience to the call of

the meeting and the chairman, and with regard to the resolution proposed by the last speaker, censuring wholesale the representatives of the province for their actions in the Assembly, that he felt called upon to make a few remarks. He felt that the remarks of the last speaker, more than anything else, enforced the position taken in the first resolution .* for it was evident that the proceeding of the Assembly had not been reported to the people of Otago, or that the last speaker had not read them. Otherwise he would have known that these members were not as one man in supporting this removal of the Government to Cook's Straits. That speaker would have known, as he (Mr. Gillies) would have the meeting and the province to know, that nearly one-half of the Otago members strenuously opposed the removal; and he would say that if the members for the province had been united in the course which the honorable member for Dunedin (Mr. Yogel) and other three of them took, the meeting would not have been there that day protesting against the removal of the seat of Government to Cook's Straits, but they might have been congratulating themselves that the seat of Government had been removed to Dunedin. (Applause.) He would have preferred another opportunity rather than the preseut, for vindicating his conduct as a representative of Otago in the General Assembly. He had intended, ere then, to have called a meeting of his constituents and to have explained what he had done—or rather, what he had attempted to do, and had been frustrated in doing—for the province and the Middle Island. The difficulty of obtaining a proper place of meeting had prevented [ his doing this. He still entertained the idea; but probably the meeting would pardon him, if he took the opportunity of shortly stating the position of affairs, both in regard to the seat of Government question and other matters in which the representatives of Otago had been unjustly dealt with by the press, not of this province, for they had met with the approval of that press, and he believed, of their constituents. The late Government fell to pieces of its own accord. It was not put out; there was no wish, on the part of any member of the House, that he knew of, to turn the Government out, but merely that it should be strengthened for carrying on with a vigorous hand those measures conceived to be necessary for the pacification, permanently, of the Northern Island, and for preventing any further war, which he believed, and he thought the meeting would believe, could only be done by the exercise of a strong hand. When the Government had fallen to pieces, the difficulty was to find another. It was found in a coalition of members representing Auckland, Wellington, and Otago. Mr. Fox, of Wellington, one of the ablest men in the country, was called upon to form a ministry. He, with the greatest generosity and the highest moral courage, invited the present Premier, Mr. Whitaker, to take that office, he himself submitting to take the second place for the sake of the country ; and he (Mr. Gillies) thought that Mr. Fox deserved well of the country for what he had done. He (Mr. Gillies) had the honor of being asked to become a member of the Government. He could rather have put aside the invitation, and asked that another honorable and gallant member for Otago should have been selected in his place ; but he was pressed, and he did not feel that it was his duty to his constituents or to the Middle Island, to refuse, more especially as he had for long felt that the Middle Island had been suffering _ under grievous evils with regard to the administration of Government. He felt that only a Middle Island man could appreciate the difficulties under which we labored ; that it was an opportunity which ought to be embraced of obtaining, possibly, proper Government for the Middle Island; and that was therefore bound to embrace it. He found that the opinions of his colleagues agreed with his own, that there should be, virtually, a separate Government lor the Middle Island—that there should be, not a Lieutenant Governor for ■ the island, as had been somewhat erroneously said, but a Lieutenant Governor for New Zealand, leaving the Governor at liberty to choose his spot of residence whereever he pleased, whether in the Middle or the Northern Island; but that at any rate there should be a full staff of Government officers in the Middle Island, to carry on the business, so that we should be no longer subject to the delays incident to the extreme distance of the seat of Government, This was the proposal agreed upon by the present Government, and agreed to unanimously. Mr. Fox brought forward a motion to give effect to that proposal; but it was opposed most vehemently by those whom he should have expected most to support it —by Middle Island members. The Canterbury members, almost as a body, opposed it, one could well guess why, but he would not talk of that. It was opposed by five members for Otago, two of whom declared, in their places in the House, that there were no evils in the Middle Island to be remedied—hear, hear)— on account of the distance from Auckland ; that they were illusory; that they had existed in a little degree at the commencement of the gold fields, but that under recent management, they had passed away; and that now things were managed quite as well as it was possible to expect. The meeting might hear of his astonishment, and that of the Government in hearing such statements. What was the consequence?—(Cries of " Name," and "Who were they?") The press had already given the names and the facts as well as he could give them, and he would rather be excused from going more particularly into the matter. But members from Otago opposed the giving of a separate Government to the Island, first, on the ground that there was no necessity for it, and second, because it would be the first step towards Separation. That was the great bugbear ; and it was so worked m the Assembly that 'when they came to count their supporters they found that the Government would be in a minority on the measure. One honorable member for Otago brought forward an amendment

u Tj,at in the opinion of this House it is essential to the welfare of these Islands that the colony should moin Inter one General Executive Government remain^ underone ue r^at it ig not desirable that a distinct Fxeeutive Government should now be estabished in the Middle Island, as the first step would thereby be taken towards a separation of the two islands; and that, in orde ' l . o ™2f™ t Jf Govern? Assembly should be in a central part of the colony. This was seconded by another honorable member for Otago. It was no use teltag the Assembly that those gentlemen did not represent Otago, for they stood -to to foir, and it would be assumed as thev did represent the province. 1 he resolutions in favor of a separate Government had

to be withdrawn. What happened then ? In the course of a fortnight, finding themselves strong enough, substantive resolutions were brought forward in favor of the Cook's Straits scheme. They were carried suddenly, when only one or two members had spoken, by the exercise of the power under one of the Standing Orders, of moving " That this question be now put." A number of members walked out of the house in disgust, refusing to vote when placed in such a position ; and although the motion was then carried, it was again brought forward a week later in the still more substantive way of referring the selection of the place to the Governors of the Australian Colonies. Against this he and other three of the members for Otago fought to the utmost; but they found themselves overborne by numbers —by the very numbers which, if the members for Otago had beeu true to their trust, would have caused the Government to be seated at Dunedin, instead of " somewhere in Cook's Straits."—(Applause.) Every person who remembered the history of the colony must know that there existed, and had existed from the very foundation of the colony, a deadly feud between Auckland and Wellington; and he believed that this feeling of antagonism never would be effaced. But Auckland was fully prepared by her representatives, by the tone of her public press and the general state of opinion outside the House, to have said, "We don't care for the seat of Government for ourselves, but it shall not go to Wellington. We will allow it to go to Dunedin —not to Canterbury, which we believe to be an enemy." Had the members for Otago been equal to the occasion, and seized upon that tide in the affairs of the Assembly, we might have had, with the full concurrence of Auckland, the seat of Government planted at Dunedin, instead of in Cook's Straits. (Applause.) He had said thus much simply in his own vindication, and that of the other members who had acted with him; and he did not think the meeting would be inclined to include them in the sweeping denunciation conveyed by the motion of Mr. Grant. (Applause.) As to the resolutions of the Assembly he had spoken and voted against them to the utmost. It now remained with the constituencies to do their duty. He would only ask them to consider whether it was worth while to remove the Government to Cook's Straits—whether, in the wellchosen language of one of their members, it was worth while to add to the misgovernment of the Middle Island the misgovernment of the Northern Island; whether it was better to suffer the ills we had, until we could redi'ess them thoroughly by having a Government in our inidst, or that we should continue to be misgoverned and achieve nothing else than the misgovernment of Auckland also. He really believed that that was the only question, as relating to the matter which the constituents had to consider and decide. (Applause.)

I have given Mr. Gillies' speech in extenso because it has been the subject of much comment, and has given rise to very considerable discussion out of doors. After Mr. Gillies had concluded, Mr. Yogel rose to speak, but met with several insolent interruptions from one, Mr. J. G. S. Grant, who is an invariable attendant at our public meetings, and seldom fails in creating disorder and confusion.

Mr. Yogel, after explaining his reason for accepting the representation of Dunedin in the General Assembly, went on to say : —lt was nearly two years since he was present at a not dissimilar meeting held in that same theatre, having for its object, avowedly, the cause of Separation. He took part in getting up that meeting, and he had taken part also in the action that sprang from it. It had been said that the Separation movement had not been a success, and many were inclined to laugh at what had been done. But he contended that the movement, from its origination, had been a great success. The cause of Separation was then unknown ; now it had travelled, and was known throughout the length and breadth of the colony. Whereas, in that theatre was originated the Separation movement, and it had but few adherents outside, now they knew that it was advocated, heart and soul, by the residents of the next largest and most important province—the province of Auckland. They knew that throughout the colony Separation was advocated by all those (or with very few exceptions) who were enabled to look upon the question from an uninterested point of view, There were some who opposed the movement from conscientious and perfectly disinterested motives; but so far as the action of the last Assembly was concerned, the cause of Separation, or of a separate Government for the Middle Island, was lost entirely through the interested conduct of the Cook's Straits members, who had a personal interest in voting against the Government proposition. _ It could not be expected that a great political reform could be brought about in a moment, or in a single year ; but viewing the sympathy now felt for this movement throughout the colony, —and considering that but for the conduct of certain members the object with which its supporters started two years ago would have been absolutely carried this session in the Assembly —he said that the cause had met with great success, and that those who took part in the former meeting had every reason to congratulate themselves. They were not now asked to insert the thin end of the wedge—their action today would be to knock the nail home. II they expressed a unanimous opinion on the subject —if they took judicious action, and represented to the Governors ot the Australian Colonies the impropriety ot their interfering in a purely private matter to the colony, and against the wishes of large sections of its people—the whole ot the removal of the seat of Government conspiracy would fall to pieces, and next session they would secure a separate Government and Executive for the Middle Island. (Applause.) It was known to persons cognisant with the subject, that the pretence of a Commission to decide between the three places in Cook s Strait was a mere sham —that Wellington was destined to be selected —that it had sufficient interest to use and reasons to adduce why it should be preferred before Nelson or Picton. Therefore, he should speak of Wellington as the place intended for the seat of Government. If he was asked why it should not be, he would advise those who asked it, to look around, not only there, but to any part of the province, and then to say whether it was not an absurdity that they should be governed from a town that really he did not think boasted so many inhabitants as were at that moment present in the theatre. It was absurd that they should be governed from a place that was fully 50 years behind Dunedin in every symptom ot public progress. Wellington could not possibly sympathise with this province, and it would be much

better to continue to be governed from Auckland that could better understand their wants than those wants would ever be understood if the Government was thrown into the Wellington sleepers, who would no more sympathise with Otago than if it was governed from the Chatham Islands. (Applause.) A separate Government in the Middle Island would imply the giving that attention to Middle Island affairs which had hitherto been altogether wanted. He did not for a moment undervalue the resources of the Northern Island. He thought that with a Government fitted for itself, and knowing its peculiar features and Wants, it would make vast progress and become a glorious colony. It was the attempt to keep together two islands so different in their requirements that resulted in absolutely bad government for both. He believed the Northern Island might be made a great colony, and that with a proper Government in the Middle Island we should have a colony of which, in every way, we should be proud. He felt satisfied that by dividing New Zealand into two, they would secure two colonies, each boasting of greater material prosperity than the present colony, as united, enjoyed. (Applause.)

Mr. Reynolds next came forward and said that he came to the meeting unprepared to speak—(Oh! oh!) —seeing that he had been in the dark as to the nature of the resolutions to be proposed. He wished, however, to say that the proposer and seconder of the motion, and especially the former, had shown a thorough inacquaintance with the affairs of the colony. The proposer said that the removal of the Seat of Governments at this time would be injudicious. Ha Mr. Reynolds) went to Auckland as a Separationist, and he was one still. But his views, as expressed after he was elected, were different from those of many gentlemen. If the Assembly would have granted complete Separation he would have accepted it. He might state for the information of the meeting that it was never intended that the Seat of Government should come to Otago—it was intended it should be at Canterbury; that three irresponsible ministers should be at the head of the Government, and that they should govern the Middle Island. He knew very well the Postmaster-General had stated publicly and privately, that he did not wish the Seat of Government to be in Dunedin, but at Canterbury. He heard from a Canterbury member —(Cheers) —and he should have been perfectly satisfied, for lie agreed with the Postmaster-General, if there was to be a Lieutenant-Governor for the Middle Island, the Seat of Government ought to be at Canterbury, and not at Dunedin. (Hisses.) It would be unjust towards the extreme settlements both of Nelson and Picton, as well as to Marlborough, to place the Seat of Government at Dunedin, just as much as it would be to place it at Invercargill. (Disapprobation.) The mover of the resolution said, that the member who brought on the movement, Mr. Whitaker, was a party to it. He thought that had been explained by the PostmasterGeneral. (A person in the meeting asked a question.) He (Mr. Eeynolds) was not thereto answer questions. He was quite willing to give his opinions if the meeting wished to hear them, but he would take another opportunity of expressing his opinions more fully. He would not detain them long; he merely asked to explain his own views. (Interruption.) Then he stated that the parties who agreed to remove the seat of Government were very much in fault for not first consulting their constituents. Now, he -could not see how hon. members going 1100 miles from their constituents could consult them. His interests were in the province in which he had lived thirteen years. He had devoted much time to its interests, and therefore it was not likely that lie should sacrifice his interests for the sake of Auckland or Wellington, or any other place. He might have erred in judgment, but he defied any one to say he had acted otherwise than honestly since he had been connected with Otugo. He did not think Mr. Grant's amendment applied to him at all, nor did he know to whom it did apply, because Mr. Yogel stated that the members were all at sixes and sevens on the subject; so that if that amendment had been seconded and carried, it could not apply to all our representatives in the General Assembly. (Cries of 'Divide.') The Postmaster-General stated that, had the Otago members been united, the seat of Government might have been at Dunedin instead of Auckland. Now, he might state one thing. He went up there thoroughly opposed to Wellington aud everything Wellingtonian, but when he went to Auckland, he found justice could not be had from thence. The Auckland members, to a man, would refuse every tiling that was wanted for the Southern Provinces, and when a question was asked by one of the members for Otago with regard to the extension of the representation —it was necessary to bear in mind that Auckland had sixteen representatives and Otago nine—the Auckland members refused to give any additional members to Otago. The Postmaster-General stated that, until the next census Avas taken, he should decliue to. have any bill introduced to amend the representation. He could produce Auckland papers to prove what he asserted, There was another point which he wished to explain, and that was, if the Middle Island was governed by a LieutenantGovernor, and three Ministers, they Avould be irresponsible. It was stated that they were to be responsible to the General Assembly, but his idea of separation Avas, it' a Lieutenant-Governor and Legislative Assembly were given, the seat of Government to be in Canterbury —he did not stipulate for Canterbury, but for the Middle Island — by that means the expenditure might be reduced and the establishments reduced to something like a municipality. That Avould suit him exactly, aud he believed it would suit his constituents. But it did not suit those Avho proposed it. They wanted a Government and a Lieutenant-Governor, and three Ministers Avho would have been subject to the Government at Auckland and the Assembly at Auckland (No, no.) It must have been so. Mr. Gillies said the resolution passed for the removal of the seat of Government Avas passed in an under-hand way, or something to that eftect. He could not understand lioav he could put it in that light. He believed there Avere 28 members in its favor and 23 against it, and therefore he did not think that would be called a thin House. He might say , there never was a fuller House all the time he Avas in the Assembly. He might say further that he Avas fully prepared that the Seat of Government should go any Avhere else, if it did not come to Dunedin. * They might return their representatives as they pleased, but at the same time the removal of the Seat of Government to Wellington was the best thing that had beeu done for New Zealand.—(Loud

disapprobation.) In explanation he might say that it' they wanted Separation, Auckland would join Otago to obtain it, if they did not want, it they would be governed from a place with which communication could he had every three days. With Auckland as the Seat of Government, the present war would soon be put a stop to, in order to show that the removal of the Seat of Government was absolutely necessary. (Time, time.) Mr. Vogel's remarks in reference to the population of Wollington were exaggerated, when he said it was not larger than the population assembled in that theatre. He could not positively say what the population was, but he thought 15,000 or 1(5,000. (A voice, the population is (5000.) Mr. E. B. Cargill went from the boxes on to the stage, and presented himself amid cheers and hisses. He said lie would not occupy their time at any length; but he felt himself under the necessity of saying a few words. ITe had felt a little doubt of the propriety of his coming there, but he hoped he should be allowed to say a few words of explanation, as his name, if it had not been used directly, had been directly pointed at. He was in some doubt as to the exact purpose of the meeting. He found it was stated to be to discuss the removal of the seat of Government, but judging from the remarks that had been made, he must regard it as a

Separation meeting. He should have been

glad to have known the resolutions to be submitted, but had not had t he privilege. Several allusions had been made to himself and other members for Otago as having betrayed their trust in the Assembly. He gave that statement a very pointed and direct denial. It was impossible for any person to say that of him because he had done everything in his power to frustrate any Separation in the colony. He had first and last expressed his strongest opinion against that movement (hear, hear) —and it was his special object in moving the amendment which he did in the Assembly to the resolution of Mr. Fox, for he considered it was putting in the thin end of the wedge towards Separation. He did not wish to say anything disrespectful of the meeting, but he did not know whether it was a fair x*epresentation of the people of Otago, or of Dunedin only. If it was to be so regarded, he thought it extraordinary that the first resolution should have been entrusted to two lawyers—(laughter)— two gentlemen for whom he had great respect, but who had not been long resident in Otago, and who certainly had betrayed remarkable ignorance of the subject from the beginning. It argued the necessity of a good deal of special pleading that this had been done. The Otago numbers had been taxed with having betrayed a trust in setting their faces against Separation. He retorted that upon them, for they in arguing in favor of Separation, allied themselves with a section of the Assembly with whom it was most unseemly to be allied. He meant the Auckland members, who were known to be bound

hand and foot to do the bidding- of their

constituents in Auckland, and who did as they were bid to do. With them there was but one alternative —the seat of Government at Auckland, or perish New Zealand. He was amused to hear it stated that in the Auckland settlement only, men could be found worthy of being called legislators; and to hear it said that on the borders of

Cook's Straits no newspaper was read, and in that unhappy place the number of inhabitants did not exceed those assembled there. If the cause could not be supported better than by such mistakes as those, it could not be a very good one. He did not think his remarks would have any great effect upon the meeting, but he was not prepared to pass the resolution, for if passed, it was a distinct condemnation of the part taken by some of the members of Otago. (Divide.) He did not know what they wanted.

The Superintendent said he really must remind Mr. Cargiil that the resolution was not in favor of Separation. He did not say the tendency of it was not in that direction, but it was not to that effect.

Mr. Cargiil must bow to the chair, and would say nothing further respecting Separation beyond repeating he had gone beyond his duty in doing everything he could do to—to —(great laughter, and cries of "Brush up, Cargiil,") —he must leave them to imagine what he was going to say. To come to the direct matter of the resolution, he thought the removal of the seat of Government to Wellington or some parts of Cook's Straits was a judicious proceeding. It appeared to be a most reasonable proceeding —(no, no," " order, order.") Considerable inconvenience had resulted from the great distance that the Seat of Government stood from the rest of New Zealand, and he found oue member of the Government who had just spoken, affirmed that he (Mr. Cargiil) had stated the evils did not exist. He did think that that gentleman had iu an unseemly and somewhat exaggerated form stated' somewhat like what he had said. What he did say was, that some of the statements of the inconveniences suffered had notmuch foundation, and he thought it resulted from the absence of proper information on the part of the individuals making these statements. He thought there had been considerable inconvenience, and it would be advisable to have the Scat of (Jovernment somewhat nearer. In fixing upon the place of the Seat of Government, they were bound to choose a central place, and that meeting would stultify itself by passing a resolution affirming that it would be proper to move the Seat of Government to one extreme ol the colony instead of the middle of it. He did not think the Seat of Government being in Dimcdin would be much advantage to Otago. If men were wanted who would be slaves to their constituents, let them look at the example of Auckland, where the members did as they were bidden, and dare not do anything else. He did not think he need say anything further, as the question of Separation was tabooed —he would leave the matter therefore as it stood. (Applause.)

When Mr. Cargiil had closed his remarks, and after some slight interruption, the lirst resolution was put to the meeting and carried —using the precise words of the chairman — " by a considerable majority."

The second resolution was moved by Mr, J. L. Gillies •—

in order to defeat the resolutions adopted by the Assembly and to promote the proposal of the foregoing resolution, a committee be appointed to prepare and forward an address to his Excellency the Governor, requesting him to delay taking action on the resolutions of the House until after next general election; and also addresses to the Governors of the Australian Colo;iies, protesting against their acting iu a purely New Zealand affair, in a manner clearly opposed to the wishes of the people of Auckland and Otago, who constitute a majority of the entire population of the colony; and that the committee be authorised to promote by every legitimate means the objects of this meeting.

The resolution was seconded by Mr. Hildreth, but was opposed by Mr. John Cargiil

and Mr. Reynolds, neither of whom put their opposition in the form of an amendment. Mr. J. S. Webb, editor of the 'Daily Telegraph,' then moved the last resolution—

That the following gentlemen be the Committee, with power to add to their number: —J. Prendergast, G. Burton, J. Yogel, J. L. Gillies, Mr. Hildreth, C. T. Ick, M. Holmes, T. B. Gillies, T. S. Forsaith, J. J. Ilam, and the mover.

This resolution was seconded by Mr. C. T. Ick, and carried also by a large majority. Those of your readers who take an interest npon so very important a subject as the separation of the two Inlands and the next whereabouts of the seat of G-overnment, will find in the preceding digest the opinions of our leading politicians on the subject. I have conversed with a great many people since the meeting, and I draw the following conclusion which you may accept as a prophecy—a mere assertion with little to support it, or just for what you may think it worth. It is this. At the next meeting of the General Assembly, the members for Auckland will unite with the members of Otago, together with a few who will, be coaxed over to their side, and a resolution will be passed declaring for Separation. Otago will become the seat of Government for the Middle Islaud, and Auckland for the IS'orth Islaud. That this will come to pass I feel well assured. Canterbury nor any other of the opposing provinces will bo able to prevent it.

A dire calamity has fallen on our province which threatens ruin to our stockholders, graziers, dairymen, and many other interests. Pleuro - pneumonia has broken out, and general consternation prevails amongst all classes. The mail closes suddenly, that I must content myself with giving you a mere outline of the dread calamity. The disease made its first appearance (so far as is at present known) in a herd of cattle belonging to J. Jones, Esq., of Waikouaiti. These consisted of 230 head, and had been imported from Twofold Bay (Victoria.) Thirty of these died, and Mr. Jones, having been immediately acquainted with the circumstance, forwarded a communication to his Honor the Superintendent and the Provincial Executive. Mr. Logan, the Cattle Inspector, and other gentlemen at once proceeded to "Waikouaiti to examine the dead cattle. The examination indubitably proved that pleuro-pneu-monia was the cause of death, the lungs of the animals being quite putrid, and showing all the signs of violent disease. A deputation of stockowners and others interested waited upon his Honor the Superintendent to urge the necessity of prompt measures being taken for staying the spread of the infection. His Honor at once issued a proclamation I prohibiting further importations of cattle from Twofold Bay, and declaring the district of Waikouaiti infected, and subject to certain restrictions necessary to prevent the spread of the disease. An Inspector has been appointed, but it appears some unaccountable delay has taken place in his proceeding to Waikouaiti, and w r e learn with regret that some few cattle which had been depasturing with the infected herd have been allowed to be drafted and turned out, thus increasing the danger of infection to the other herds in the province. Mr. Jones has with noble disinterestedness consented to the destruction of the whole of his herd, rather than run the risk of jeopardising the cattle of his neighbours. It is to be hoped that prompt and careful precautions may succeed in confining the disease. The report circulated yesterday (Sunday) that cattle, the property of Mr. Shand, at Green Island are infected, turns out to be too true. A public meeting is, I am informed, to be called to take the most prompt measures to prevent, if it be possible, the infection from spreading.

A ErXIC OF AX UXFOKTtXATE SOVEREIGN.—A correspondent of a provincial paper gives tho following account of Marie Antoinette's shoe, now preserved in the Museum of Sovereigns at the Louvre:—On the 19th October, 1793, when Sanson descended from the scaffold after executing the unfortunate queen, lie saw one of the soldiers on duty endeavouring to arrest two boys who had concealed themselves under the guillotine during the execution. One of them had dipped a handkerchief in the royal blood, and the other held a shoe which had fallen from the platform. The boy with the handkerchief was taken, and was only saved from the guillotine by his tender age. The other boy got off with the shoe, which lie and son kept as a relic till IS6O, when the latter carried it in a velvet bag to Count Horace de Viel-Oastel, conservator of the Museum of Sovereigns, by whom, of course, it was gladly accepted. The shoe is small, considering that she was a tall woman. Slang.—ln the present day slang is assimilated with lamentable facility. It enters largely into the composition of parliamentary wit; it helps to point the style and enforce the arguments of writers in the press. People now are not courageous—they are " Plucky." Nothing is ever long—it is "lengjthy." We form resolutions not immediate!}*, but "right

away;" we enter into engagements " on our own hook." The desire to write in a popular style is the cause of this, and the public encourage it, Slangiuess is considered smart, and indicative of it knowledge of affairs and society. It is amusing to. observe the complacency and quiet self-esteem with which most men will utter a cant phrase of the d;u\ as if they had themselves invented it on the spot, and it were something superlatively brilliant and felicitous. "Neither you, nor I, nor any other man," has induced many a foolish fellow to think, himself a born wit. " How's your poor feet?" a year ago cheated half the natives of Cockaigne into the belief that they wore gifted with a special genius for repartee. The heaviest t'aee kindled with unwonted delight, the dullest. voice chuckled with conscious fun. as the words came forth. And every one laughed, and was fully persuaded that he hau heard the sarcasm for the first timo, and was delightfully surprised at its readiness, point, and applicability. This, however, is a habit of the uneducated, and has not yet infected the higher classes of our periodical literature , though it is unpleasantly conspicuous in the cheap comic journals.—.Dickens's .'HI the Year Rvuiul.'' A uvino Ka-ka-po, the ground parrot of New Zealand, brought by Dr. Hector from the West Coast, is now an object of some interest. This parrot is large, of a mixed green and yellow plumage, and has some hairs round the bill. It has small or no power of flight, and its habits are strictly nocturnal. In these two features it presents a singular difference from parrots generally. Sitting with closed eyes and drawn in head, it has in tlu> day a very owl-like appearance. It feeds readily ou potatoes and sustains confinement well. It shelter* itself, in a state of nature, in holes in trees. They are usually captured by a dog, as happened to this specimen. This bird, rare in New Zealand, is the only one of its genus existing; the only other species was formerly found in Philip Island, but is now quite extinct. Remains of the New Zealand specics are found In the limestone caves of Collingwood, Nelson, associated with those by species of Moa. Like the Dodo, or Solitaire of Philip Island, the Ka-ka-po seems destined in no long time to disappear entirely.—Melbourne. Leader. Anoxhkr New Mkt.vl. —Siderium. —The new metals, we suppose, are envious of the new asteroids, and are doing their best to keep pace with them in revealing themselves to modern science. Another new metal has just been discovered, in the development of his invention for the production, on a. com • mercial scale, of the metal magnesium, which it is. hoped will at no distant period be extensively used as a substitute for silver, Mr. E. Sonsiadt, of Loughborough, has, it is said, discovered a new metal in the " carcasse" remaining when the chloride of magnesium is obtained by evaporating and igniting the chlorides of magnesium and sodium. In many of its reactions this new metal corresponds almost precisely with iron, for which metal it has probably hitherto been mistaken. The new metal appears, at present, to o cur invariably in connection with magnesium, which cannot be entirely freed from it.—» The Engineer.