CORRESPONDENCE.

Marlborough Press, Volume VI, Issue 56, 15 July 1865, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Marlborough Press.

THE OPPOSITION.

Sir, —Wishing to witness the manner public business is transacted in the province, I attended the meeting of the Provincial Council on the 6 h instant. From the reports current I expected to hear some strong language from those members in opposition to the Government wno a er tr - in< T to get a Council of their own at Blenheim where they could tax the towns and laboring and industrial classes without encountering any unpleasant truths, were-forced to return to their allegiance at Picton. Words.would fail to describe the scene as witnessed in toe Council Chambers on the memorable 6th July, memorable for several reasons ; one because it must make known to the electors the class of men who represent them. When Mr A. Beauchamp "'as addressing the house upon some question concerning the Superintendent, he was allowed to proceed with his speech for a short time, when he was interrupted by a member of the opposition who tried ail he could to stop him (Mi. Beauchamp) from continuing his argument. From that time until Mr Ward called the attention of the Speaker to the fact of strangers being present, all sorts of artifices were tried, nothin ir was left undone by some members to stop proceedings, as far as Mr Beauchamp was concerned ; but with such admirable tact and good humour did lie withstand their efforts to put him down that he could not, had lie tried, adopted better means of exasperating bis political opponents. The scene befose. the Chambers were cleared was beyond description. If it were possible to report the proceedings correctly and forward them for insertion in one of the respectable papers of the old country they would be refused admission on the ground that such monstrous exaggerations could not obtain admittance into their columns, yet it would be only a correct report of the proceedings as they took place in our Provincial Council. Gentlemen, would be or should be gentlemen, calling themselves the representatives of the people, who acted in the manner they did on Thursday night, showed plainly that it would be be'tter for the people themselves that they were not represented, because it is as impossible to “touch pitch and not be defiled” as it is to be represented, or rather misrepresented, b\ such men, for their acts show a reflected light upon the people who place them in office, and acts of the elected recoil upon the electors. The most bitter political enemy of the members fot. the Lower Wairau district could not have wished any worse fate to have befallen -hem than that some of their own constituents ha 1 been present at the meeting on '1 liursday. If after that exhibition they were thought capable of representing any body of e'ectors in the Provincial 'Council it should be taken us a sign of the times, that the people do not take any interest in the question ; and for the future auv person, gentlemen or otherwise, might for their part occupy the places of trust in the province. During the meeting I wondered if any person present wanted pointing out the distinctive traits of a gentleman It would not require a discriminating mind to judge between two classes shown there. On the one hand Mr Beauchamp, who throughout all the display against him, never betrayed by a word or gesture that he was at all annoyed bj the abortive attempts of his opponents, and Captain Baillie, who, mindful of the dignity of his office, and knowing so well the bearing to assume in the midst of all the hubbubs around him. In opposition to this was the bearing of some of the non-government members, gesticulating, .shouting, using language which would not he toleiatcd in respectable society, “ splashing in the froth of their own rhetoric.” and for want of sense and argument using loudness of language, trying by bluster to conceal their deficiencies. In that scene it needed no great amount of judgment to distinguish between those who were gentlemen and those who thought they were. I have occupied so much space that my letter had bcttci he closed, particularly as I am not an eleeter, if I was I would try if the electors would uot take steps to prevent the Council being brought in disrepute by the behaviour of some of its members, and to prevent such scenes as the public Were witnessed on Thursday night. I am Sir, &c., Eve Witness. Picton. July 10th, 1865.