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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1434, 17 July 1865, Page 2

Marlborough is bent on, not permitting Southland to take the lead in showing what new provinces can do.

A stranger rt&y of *|he Council niftcetibm m Picton and -Blenheim tells, as frjHjpt it to-day, •fefer viw told to thp f «wcfodit of selfJoverriing inen. credibly one uil&vtfie absurdity 4nd iMpimfr displayed by the mem>bero of 4be; Coi3tticil w oo# told in the report at all. We'should like to know what was gojjag on when th j reporters were turHiSdbut,and whpnjthfey retreated before the ten hours oration of Mr. Beauchttnp, or in,the ante rooms sacred (from ttieif gaze. But enough is before us to instruct and amuse. The story is very simple. The Superintendent and a minqrity wished the sittings of the Council to be held in Picton. A I majority of wholly unofficial meraberf! preferred Blenheim. The case, so fat, j might have applied to Chriatchurch and , iLy ttelton ten years ago. The majority I resolved that the Council, should move to Blenheim. But the SuperinItendant, holding the power to call the 'meeting where he choose, would pot jleave' Picton. Thereupon the majority went to Blenheim, ana held a CQuncil there; purged the estimates, resolved; on measures of reform, and condemned the Superintendent, with the purest unanimity, all to themselves. When the minutes of thesfc, meetings were fairly written out, they went back to Picton, where the Superintendent, Speaker, and a few faithful men had held their sittings with the utmost dignity, regardless of their comrades' departure. Then came the tug of war. An ingenious find facetious scheme was planned. The schismatics .walked in among their opponents, just as the minutes of the previous sitting were to be confirmed. They stopped this by force of votes, and confirmed, instead the minutes which' they had brought back with them from Bienhdim. The faithful minority were reduced, to great straits by this plundering of their hive ; and they seemed sinking before superior numbers, when a gallant member among their ranks rose at eight | o'clock in the erening, tnd spoke for ' it& and t-half hours, fo* nothing in the ' world but to prevent a hostile resolution being put to th 6 Council. This devoted conduct had its reward, for an amicable compromise was effected the next day, and a long adjournment was Agreed to, even till the 4th of October. We should like to know what the clerk of the Council is going to do with his joules j and we have a slight curiosity also as to wnat the electors will do with the members.