The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1854.

New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 866, 2 August 1854, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1854.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aira'st at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

With the exception of the proceedings last evening in the House of Representatives (no doubt a notable exception) there has been scarcely ffny business of real importance in either branch of the Legislature since our last issue. The House of Representatives, which did not assemble in sufficient numbers to form a quorum on Friday, stood adjourned, according to die Rules, to \2 o'clock yesterday, but at that hour another adjournment till six in the evening took place, and no inconsiderable sprinkling of honourable members might have been seen mingled amongst the crowd assembled in Queen-street at the nomination of candidates for the honor of representing our good city in their bodyHere, where public amu-semfnts of every description are few and far between, it would be ungracious to grudge our southern visitors such recreation as they may have derived from an excursion down our harbour in our new inter-colonial steamer, or from the scene of yesterday, in which political excitement was, for the most part, fully and agreeably restrained within the limits of good humour and material forbearance; especially ungracious would it be, considering the laborious assiduity with which those of the members who are prominent in the management of business have toiled from day to day and week to week, both in the House and in Commiitees, for now more than two months. Still, without indulging in anything meant to approach even the verge of unfriendly criticism on this point ! we may remark that it is high time that several of the more important measures were before the Legislative Council —seeing that it has not been judged expedient by those with whom the arrangements rest that those measures should be making progress (as some of them, we think advantageously might) simultaneously in both houses. The Legislative Council, undoubtedly, has got through such business as came before it with very commendable promptitude. A Return laid on the table yesterday showed that the Council has passed all the measures, eight in number, that have been laid on its table, (for one which appears in the List—the Deeds Bill—is not yet in the hands of Members) ; while the House of Representatives has not yet passed more than three or four out of about fifteen that have been introduced. We are far from intending to institute any invidious comparison, and we are fully aware that several of the measures before the house of Representatives, from their nature and magnitude, required lengthened discussion, and that this fact, together with the greater number of members there than in the Council, will to a considerable extent account for the difference. Rut making every allowance for these and any other circumstances tending to the same conclusion, still the state of public business does induce a wish that the proceedings could be more rapidly expedited and [docs suggest the question, when, at this rate, is the Session likely to close ? Yesterday evening the House sat from six o'clock till past eleven. Most part of the sitting was devoted to the re-consideration in Committee of the Waste Lands Bill (which now appears on the Paper under the designation of the " Public Lands Dill.") Mr. McAndrew moved the addition of clauses designed to exempt Otago from the operation of the portion of the Rill which enacts that no Terms of Purchase or Regulations shall include appropriations of any part of of the price for specific purposes. After a long debate the motion was negatived by a majority of 12 to 20. Other amendments were subsequently proposed, one of which by

Major Greenwood—intended to extend to soldiers and sailors the privileges of remission of purchase money already granted to Officers-was lost by a majority of one, 14 voting for it, and 15 against it. Mr. L. O'Brien rose to propose additional clauses, but the hour was then so late that it was resolved to report progress, with the understanding that at a future stage Mr. O'Brien's proposition will be considered Mr. Fitzgerald having requested permission to place the committal of the Executive Government Bill on the Order Paper for this day (Wednesday), Mr. Wakefield vigilantly took care of his own Notice on the subject of the Auckland share of the New Zealand Company's Debt which stands for consideration to-day, and which he, not without sufficient reason, feared might be postponed if a question likely to occupy so much time were to come first. After some discussion, Mr. Fitzgerald admitted the right of precedence claimed by Mr. Wakefield, and we may therefore anticipate that this most important question will come on to-day. The second reading of the Marriage Bill also stands amongst the Orders for this Day. Last evening Mr. McAndrew presented a Petition in support of it from the Deacons' Court of the Presbyterian Church in Auckland. Mr. Mackay gave notice of his motion on the Customs Duties for Friday. Mr. Forsaith gave notice of some important amendments which he means to propose in committee on the Executive Government Bill.