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New Zealander, Volume XXI, Issue 2265, 3 November 1864, Page 8

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. "Oh, that some pow'r the gift wad gio us, To see oursel' as others see us!" Srit, —I attended for an hour or two in our House of Council to-night, and, Mr. Editor, the scene enacted there this evening was such as could reflect no distinguished honor on that body. " See with what little wisdum my kingdom is governed," was the sarcastic remark of a sovereign, not himself remarkable for prudence ; and most assuredly " See with how little decorum our Council conducts itself," would aptly apply to our Provincial Legislature. lam somewhat hasty when I meet with any treatment bearing any traces of disingenuousness or duplicity, especially in one who may be placed in such a position a? gives him a title to consider himself my superior. From such a man I will not bear even such abreach of decorum and propriety of language or conduct, as I might pass unheeded in an equal or inferior. But that gentlemen on perfect equality in every respect should allow themselves to forget the usages of civilised society, forget their own position, as having been selected from among their fellow-citizens to perform the most responsible duty which by man can be conferred by man, viz., to frame those laws by which all are to be governed and guided, is really humiliating and deplorable, and much to be deprecated by all sober-minded men. That men may hold opinions on some matters differing widely from those of other men, needs no lengthened demonstration. But Sir, surely men, gentlemen of education and presumed to know the requirements of ordinary courtesy and complaisance, are likewise expected to observe the amities and suavities of civilized society. It does not by any means, strengthen an argument or confute or expose a fallacy, that a man resorts to strong, hasty, intemperate language, or unbecoming spithets. That reasoner is often, and justly, thought, to have some flaw in his argument, who indulges in violent declamation, who loses his self-command, who uses harsh acriminatory expletives, or descends to low vulgarisms. And even when his cause is just and reasonable, he not only gives his opponent a very great advantage over him, by working himself up into an excited state, but gives his audience room to conclude his argument must be weak, if not altogether wrong; and very often his passion gets the better of his understanding, and he only confuses his hearers without influencing their judgment. That some such aberrations of intellect occurred on Tuesday evening in our Provincial Council, " 'tis true, 'tis pity," and such scenes are " far more honoured in the breach than the observance," and "should be reformed altogether." It affords the thoughtful auditor little consideration or satisfaction, or hope, to hear his guides, his lawgivers, the guardians of his weal, so far forget their character as to make him hang hi 3 head, and wish he had not been present at a scene so unworthy a legislative body. As I was not present at the commencement of the fray, I do not pretend to say who was most in the wrong; and I sincerely wish.and hope such unmanly ebulitions maybe of rare occurrence ; they only retard the business of the House and of the Province, and may do harm, biit never can effect any good. I am, &c, Donald McCaskill. Parnell, November 2.

IMAGINATIVE ESTIMATES.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, —After careful perusal of the address of the Provincial Treasurer on the ways and means, I think that only two conclusions can be arrived at. First, that the expenditure presents nothing but those stubborn things, facts, and secondly that the source, of income is composed of hypotheses in the shape of figures, very much reminding one of Mr. Briefless, who when severely pressed by his creditors, sat down and made out his financial statement as follows: Dr. £ s. d. To Creditors (unsecured).. 450 0 0 Cr. £ s. d. Stock in hand Nil. Stock on neck 0 0 8 Anticipated probable contingences ~... 575 0 0 „ „ f/dftferred)... 832 0 0 £1407 0 8 Now this on " paper " presents, no doubt, a very cheering prospect of affairs. Our Provincial Treasurer, who plumes himself on his aptitude for office, on the strength of his success in private businesss, can hardly trace this success to baseless "probable contingencies," and if he had not adopted something more substantial in private, would hardly I think have occupied his present position, and the Council would have been spared a long evening of platitudes occasionally relieved, it is true by pleasant fictions, delivered in the suaviter in modo style in which the lion, gentleman is so gifted. I am, &c, Snarley Yow.