PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2460, 24 December 1869, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, 22nd December.

MESSAGE NO. 3. Mr MAIN pointed out that the Opposition had opposed the Bill only until certain amendments which had been adopted were made on it. It appeared that the. only revenue ijp be looked for was to arise from the sale of lands; A very large sum of money had been voted for public works, roads, &c, but unless the Hundreds Bill, as amended, were brought into immediate operation there was no chance of that sum, about L300,000, being available. It might be that that state of things might be charged on the Hundreds Bill. That, however, he denied was the case, as it was the delay in bringing it into operation which would causse the mischief. It had been tried to be shown that there was an ill feeling between runholders and those who wanted the lands which they held. That was not the case, as the runholders had come to the conclusion to accept a compromise, provided they could get reasonable compensation. There was no difficulty then in declaring these Hundreds in six weeks. Let the Government then declare them, or else bear the blame for the results of refusing to put the Act in force. # Mr M'INDOE hoped that this discussion would be conducted as calmly and deliberately as possible, ani that nothing like imputations and personalities would be indulged in. The question was not now as to the merits or the principles of ,the Bill, but simply a discussion on the point whether the Bill should be brought into operation, or whether it should be withdrawn. It could not be discussed on its merits, because they had been endorsed and consented to by the Government and the House. He contended that the principles of the Bill had been distinctly assented to. He believed that the opposition to the Bill arose from the perversity of some hon members in adhering to their previously declared opinions. He believed he was right in Baying that a large majority of the members of the House were fully satisfied that the Bill ought to be brought into operation.

The SPEAKER called the hon. member to. order. By stating that there was a large majority in favour of the Bill, the hon member imputed that some members of the House had voted contrary to their convictions. Mr M'INDOE would remark that he believed that a large majority of the House were perfectly satisfied that the Bill should be brought into immediate operation. First of all there was the Treasurer, who had stated clearly and emphatically that he would vote with the Opposition, simply because, in his opinion, the Bill should be brought into immediate effect. He (Mr M'lndoe) spoke to him on the subject afterwards, and, in a conversation that took place, the Treasurer said that he voted with the Government merely for the sake of getting the amendment introduced to the resolutions which had been passed. He (the Treasurer) still admitted that the Bill should be brought into immediate operation. He then proceeded to show that half of the Executive were in favour of the Bill being brought into operation ; that had Messrs Bell and Haughton been present they, having supported the measure in the Assembly, would have supported it now ; and for the same reason the Speaker would have done so also. He knew what the voice of the country would be. He knew that every day the excitement which had been got up in regard to the Bill was subsiding ; and he did not think any majority in any constituency would give their consent to the resolutions which had been adopted. He believed that the Government themselves were beginning to be afraid of the position which they had taken up. He thought this was shown by their calling for tenders for certain public works, and asking contractors to wait for six months until they got thenmoney. It would seem by this that the Government anticipated, as the House had been assured by the Treasurer, that they would not be in a position to carry out the works which the Council had already sanctioned, The _ effect of refusing to bring the Act into operation would be to throw back the province for eighteen months, not only as regarded the revenue, but it would also have the effect of stopping that flow of emigration to the province, which every hon. member must desire to see.

Mr TURNBULL felt certain that the voice of the public was entirely opposed to the action taken by the Government, which would, he believed, act very prejudicially to the interests represented in the House.

Mr FRASER observed that it had been contended that the Act, if brought into operation, would create vested rights. He really did not see how any hon. member who had given the subject a fair consideration could come to such a conclusion. The Act was in force at the present time, and any rights it might confer on the runholder were now acquired. Any runholder could break up 10,000 acres of land, and if his run were taken he could claim compensation under the Act. He thought the refusal of the Government to bring the Act into operation, was a mere question of obstinacy on theii part. If they had put it into operation, and applied it to runs where the objectionable clauses would not have applied, and then came down to the House and asked to have it amended, instead of having a majority of one or two they would have had a majority of the whole House. Then he, for one, would have been quite prepared to have supported them ; for some clauses, he believed, in the interests of the province should be amended.

The question was then put and, on a division being called, there voted :—

Ayes, 16 : Barr, Brown, Barns, Clark. Duncan, Gillies, Green, Henderson', Hutcheson, M'Lean, Mollison, Mosley, Murray, Reid, J. Shand, Thomson. Noes, 13: Ashcroft, Driver, France, Fraser, Hughes, Main, M'Dermid, M'lndoe, Seaton, G. Shand, Sibbald, Tayler, TurnbulL

On the amendment being put from the chair as a substantive motion, mMr M'INDOE intimated his intention of moving the amendment of which he had given notice, but the Speaker ruled that it could not be accepted, as it was exactly similar to one that had already been negatived by that House. THE SOUTHERN TRUNK EAILWAY. Mr THOMSON, in moving the resolution standing in his name, said the House had been called together to consider two questions, one the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act, and the other the Southern Trunk Railway. They had expressed their opinion, upon one question, and it j remained for them to express their opinion upon the other. He thought the sooner that was done the better. It was not his intention to introduce into this debate anything whatever that might have been Baid outside. He intended to confine himself entirely to the papers which had been laid -on the table of the House, and from thorn he | thought he was quit© justified in putting

his motion on the order pager. He was Jst against the Southern Trunk Railway; 0& believed tha sooner it was commenced. the better. Hon. members were no doubt aware of the circumstances which led to the proposal to form a Company to catty on the Southern Trunk Railway. In the 23rd session of the Council an Ordinance was passed, called the Southern Trtrok Railway Guaranteed Interest Ordinance. No. 2. According to that Act, the railway was to be carried out only by a Company ; and such Company was to h& registered under the Joint Stock Companies Act, 1860, within, two years from the date of the passing of the Act. gghat time expired on the 7th August lasl?* At the last sitting of the Council it was thought there was no probability of any Company being formed under the Ordinance to carry out the work, accordingly the Council passed Ordinances extending the time to the extent of three years, during which the work should be undertaken. The Governor gave Ms consent to the Ordinances. But as there waa doubt as to whether these would be assented to, a number of gentlemen agreed to form themselves inco a company, under the old Act, and to see- if they could not get themselves registered as a Company before August f. One of the gentlemen forming the projected Company, the hon^ member for Waikari (Mr Driver), had an interviewwith the Government on the 4th of June, when a memorandum of agreement was dra^n up by the hon. member at the head. of the Government, the hon. member for Dunedin (Mr Haggitt), and Mr Driver. This memorandum of agreement was never signed. It did not appear why it was not signed, but he thought that if hon. members would take the trouble to refer to the second clause in the memorandum of agreement, they would arrive at a conclusion that it was owing to the stringent terms of that clause. Those gentlemen seemed to have come forward in an emergency; and that it was not expected that they would incur any responsibility. All the responsibility waa to be thrown on the Government. This took place on June 4, Time wore on, and on the 2nd July the Government received a telegram from Mr Fox, to the effect that the Ordinance passed by tha House was not to be disallowed. This; was on the 2nd July—less than- a month, from the date of the interview Mr Driver had with the Government. It appeared that the Government made up their minds shortly after this to call for public tenders. The exact date did not appear from those papers, but they found the Deputy Superintendent writing to Mr Turnbull, one of the gentlemen who formed the proposed Company to that effect. (Mr Thomson here read the letter.) From this time to the 23rd September there did not appear to have beea any action taken, either on the part of the Government or on the part of the projected Company, so that it wottld almost appear that the Company would. not—so far as could be gathered from, the papers—make any "objection to the course chalked out by the Government—that in fact they did not object to that course, but approved of it; and he thought the Government, in agreeing to take advantage of the Ordinance grantingan extension of time, deserved the thanks of the House. The proposed work was a very important one—the greatest work thathad ever been contemplated by the province—and even if the Government ha&L come under any obligation to those gentlemen, he thought that, considering the Company was formed in an emergency, and considering that they would be more likely to come to better terms by calling for public tenders, he thought the Government would be justified in believing^ themselves perfectly free from any such, obligation. But so far as he could see from the papers, the Government came under no obligation whateTer. He had. gone over the papers carefully, and he thought none could read the memorandum; of HisHonour the Superintendent without: pain. . The gist of it and the subsequent correspondence seemed to be the relative merits of the original plan and the plait proposed by the Government. He was not going to enter into the merits of the two methods of carrying on the work. He was aware that weighty arguments might be brought forward for carrying out the work in the way originally proposed ; but the plan usually adopted in carrying out public works in the province was to calL for public tenders, and he thought thera was a greater probability of the work being more economically performed ire this way than in the way proposed. He believed that the gentlemen who ha£ come forward in an emergency, and formed a Company, in the interests of the? province, would now have no hesitation in cancelling any arrangement whicte might have been entered into with the Government, when they saw that the interests of the province would be best served by throwing the whole matter open to competition. He repeated, in. conclusion, that, on reviewing the facts o£ the case, the Government deserved the thanks of the House for the "way in whiclt they had acted. He therefore moved :-— "That this Council approves of the action. o£ the Government in advertising for* public tenders for the construction of the, Southern Trunk Railway."

Mr M'LEAN seconded the motion, and in doing so, asked the Council to bear with him while he entered into s few details. Since he had the honour to occupy a seat on the Treasury benches, he had found there were a great manypeople who proffered themselves to da everything for the province, and nothingfor themselves, but when it came to the point, it was found they would do everything for themselves and nothing for th& province. Such was the way in which. the hon. member for Waikari (Mr Driver^ appeared before the Executive one day afc au Executive meeting. The hon. member then appeared anxious to assist the Government in forming a Company to save the Railway Ordinances. The Government were anxious that the Ordinances should not be lo3t. After considerable discussion, tho Secretary for Land and. Works and the Provincial Solicitor were instructed to draw up an agreement for the consideration of the Government?. When he (Mr M'Lean) proposed that security should be given to the Government, to secure that the contractor should on with the work, he was considered insulting., But he considered that there should be. two sides to an agreement o£ this character. He would ask hon members to. read the latter part of the agreement, in which the whole of the tniaglay. He felt that the Government had to accept a great deal of responsibility,, .and that they should not enter into such, an agreement without something being done on the other side. Everything in. the agreement was "if such and such bat satisfactory to the said Company ;" buts there was nothing said about anything being satisfactory to the Government. When. he saw the agreement laid before the Government he determined that he would have nothing to do with it, unless there was something introduced, ia it to the effect that the works shonld be finished within a reasonable time; and the Goverament should bo at liberty ta take the matter into their own hands ojsl

certain conditions. This was rejected ; and he considered that the Government liad nothing more to do with the Company. Then the Executive telegraphed -to Wellington to His Honour the Superintendent. That telegram could not be found, but it was to this effect. "Is there any chance of the Ordinances being extended ?"

An. Hojf Member : Can you tell the -House the date of the telegram ?

Mr M'LEAN could not Bpeak as to the <late. It was some two daya before he started for Wellington. He had determined to see the matter out himself. When he Arrived at Wellington he found "that the Government were quite willing to •extend the time mentioned in the Ordinances. He, had stated that the Bili was ■passed and received the Governor's sanction. Under that Ordinance greater facilities were given to the Government; and iiiey were in a position to make better -<conditions with contracting parties. Under .It they had power to purchase the railway if they desired. They had even power to go further, for, by the resolutions of the Council, they could take L50,000 «out of the revenue. But they determined ">to submit the matter to public compe•ntition. And this was the sin which they, charged with being guilty of. He mow came to discuss the railway itself. The Government conaidered that the railway as originally proposed was too •expensive ; and the advisability of having &. 3 feet 6 inch gauge, instead of 4 feet 43£ inches, was debated. The Government masked Mr Paterson to reduce his plans *to meet his estimate of L375,000. A fter"warda it was found that by reducing the weight of the plant, and retaining everything as for the 4 feet 8£ inch gauge for "&he sum of L250 per mile more, the Government had this advantage, viz., that san equally good line with the safety of the: 4 feet 8^ inch gauge, would be secured.1 r2Phia was a geat deal. When His Honour ■&he Superintendent returned from Wellington, he wanted the Government to enter into the agreement after lifaey had decided to call for tenders. That ■was one proposition, made by His Koaoar: the other was that the construcT&ea of the Clutha line should not cost saere than L250j000.' He could not see that stated iti His Honour's memorandum; Haut it was very forcibly impressed on his jsnind that such was the case. Then, it ■•was stated by the hon. member that the ■Crovernment were bound to him in this "imatter under the agreement. Mr DRIVER asked who the hon. referred to when he said " the lion, member."

Mr M'LEAN referred to Mr Driver. "When the agreement was read at the meetangof the Executive, he (Mr M'Lean) said, .*' We do not enter into anything of such importance as this in a hurry. Let the T&hing be reduced to writing and the Executive will consider it." That would sahow that no agreement was entered into. At the meeting of the Executive, imtne<diately after His Honour's return from Wellington, the resolution come to was &his— u. That the conditions on which the "^Government are prepared to enter into with parties willing to sandertake the construction of the railway *be advertised in the leading papers in Melbourne, Sydney, and New Zealand, ~f?or four months."

Mr DRIVER: What was the date of -ShaU

Mr M'LEAIST: The 11th of September. Mr DRIVER: That was five months after the agreement was come to. Mr M<LEAN would not detain the Council longer on this matter. The Government were bound to advertise for from the fact that the Ordinance passed by the Council allowed them much .^greater facilities than were formerly held, sand in addition the Government had other offers. The Port Chalmers Railway was a very different thing indeed. There a Company had come forward, and T&he Government tried to make the best it could on behalf of the province; and it was entitled to do so. When the terms offered by the Governtment were submitted to the Company the Government were told that they were abisurd and ridiculous, and that they would raiever get anybody to eritei into a contact for the construction of the line on isuch terms. Yet some one had come for •ward and stated that he was perfectly prepared to take it up ; in fact, on better -terms. He (Mr M'Lean) thought that ifrom the letter which he had read to the Souse a few days ago, it would be plain ■Jhat the contractor was in earnest 3n the matter. The agreement would 'he ready for signature in two or ithree days ; and if the contractor did not ■sfchen sign, the matter would be submitted -to competition. The Government, having been told by the principal merchants in the city that the agreement asked to be signed was absurd and ridiculous, whena gentleman cameforward iand offered to take it up on those terms, -the Government could not possibly rethat offer. If they had refused to .-accept it, the Council' might think, and ■with some degree of reason, that the Government were determined not to allow 'itne railway to go on. But the Governiaaent was as anxious as the hon. member :Sor Waikari that it should go on, but in & way that the revenues of the province -.should be protected to the best of their 'cpower ; and in submitting the matter to tender, they were trying to protect sthe province.

Mr DRIVER said that the account of >ihe transaction given by the Ireasurer -was not altogether correct. He was like 'ihe witness who, when told to speak the T^ruth, the whole truth, and nothing but truth, had given a portion of the -truth, a considerable portion of untruth, iand not one-half of the truth.

Mr GILLIES called attention to the •remarks made by the hon. member.

The SPEAKER said the lion, member ,-^must retract his words.

Mr DRIVER was quite willing to do *so. He intended if possible to avoid of a personal kind, and to confine himself to the question. He <Mr Driver) then referred to the ■grisit of the late Provincial Treasurer to Auckland, also to the first negociations 'which took place between the proiposed Company and the Provincial Government, and said that certain members of that Government, knowing that le had paid some attention to the to construct a railway through ithe Clutha district, and that he was prepared to assist in obtaining capital, af certain conditions were made, conversed vwith him on the subject. He denied that 4he offer, as between himself and the Government, was ono of his own seeking!; the matter was arranged by Mr Gillies, yho evinced a great degree of earnestness in the matter. The conversation which took place between himself and Mr €*illies was a very friendly one, and it resulted in an agreement being made that lie (Mr Driver) should meet the Executive, on behalf of a number of gentlemen, ?to arrange for the formation of a Oomjpany, A meeting did take place, there being present the Superintendent, the leader of the Government, i;he Provincial Secretary and Treasurer, Mr Haggitt, the hon member (Mr Gillies), and, he believed, Mr Mouat. At any rate there were five members of the

Executive present, besides the Superintendent. The whole affair was thoroughly discussed. Like anybody else about to embark in a work of such magnitude, he endeavoured to make as good terms, from his own point of view, as possible, and the Government, of course, did their duty to the public by keeping in view the interests of th9 public. With the exception of a few indistinct remarks made by the Provincial Solicitor, the Executive were unanimous in regard to the matters brought forward. In fact, the outline of an agreement was cordially arrived at.

Mr REID : What was the arrangement I

Mr DRIVER : It amounted to this, at at all events, that the hon member for Tokomairiro (Mr Gillies) undertook to visit that district, and to secure for him (Mr Driver), and the gentlemen whom he represented, the best terms possible in connection with the purchase of land, and some other person was to be told off to proceed beyond Tokomairiro. The I hon. member volunteered to see the parties to whom the land which might be required to facilitate the construction of the railway belonged,, with the view of effecting the best possible arrangements. That, however, was not the utmost length to which the unanimity of the meeting extended. The hon. gentleman at the head of the Government, and the Provincial Solicitor, were appointed as a Committee, representing the Executive, to draft an agreement upouthe basis of what occurred at the Executive meeting. The Provincial Solicitor, and he believed that hon. gentleman would bear him out in whathe stated, framed the agreement— according to his own views ; that he submitted it to him (Mr Driver) on the day before he went to Wellington, and he proposed no alteration, nor made any suggestion, but on the contrary, coincided -with the agreement as passed. He proceeded to Wellington, believing that the agreement would be drafted and signed. The first intimation which he afterwards had in connection with, the matter was, not that there was an objection on the part of the Government, but that Mr Turnbull, who was one of the seven gentlemen so much talked about, waited upon the Secretary for Public Works ; he found that he wanted to effect some trifling alterations, some of which, he believed, Mr Turnbull agreed to, and to some of which objection was taken ; and he was also given to understand by Mr Turnbull that the hon. gentleman confirmed the agreement by assenting to it in its altered form. For some time afterwards nothing further was said about the matter, the belief being that the agreement would be faithfully carried out; and the hon. member for Tokomairiro (Mr Gillies), when he left, was, he believed, desirous fo have the agreement carried into effect, because it was stated that he ultimately telegraphed. to the DeputySuperintendent that if the Government did not carry out the agreement in good faith, he would resign his seat in the Government.

Sir GILLIES said it had been stated on a previous occasion that the telegram was in answer to a private letter, and he would produce it if the hon. member obtained Captain Fraser's consent for him to do so.

Mr DRI VER: If the statement was incorrect, the lion, member was at liberty to correct him ; but, if the-Deputy-Super-inoendent had made the public acquainted with the hon. gentleman's telegram, he considered it would be no breach of faith on the part of the hon. member if he made known the contents of the Deputy-Super-intendent's le!ter.

MrGILLTES: Get his consent.

Mr DRIVER: He did not get the consent of the hon. member to publish his telegram. As regarded the telegram respecting the Ordinance, he was under the impression that it was either the result of a misapprehension or a clerical error in the telegram itself, because he was fully acquainted with the history of •-the-Ordi-nance. There was no request made by the General Government to have it disallowed.

An Hon. Member : What about the late Government?

Mr DRIVER could not speak of the late Government in the matter. Regarding statements respecting the attempt to effect the disallowance, he reminded the House that if those who were accused of making such an attempt had sought to carry out that which they were charged with, it would have been done despite the visit to Wellington of the hon. member (the Provincial Treasurer). But no attempt, to his knowledge, was made on the part of the House of Representatives to effect the disallowance of the Ordinance. On his (Mr Driver's) return from Wellington, he communicated with the Provincial Government respecting the carrying out of the agreement in connection with the railway. To that communication he received no reply, but other correspondence ensued. The matter remained in the position mentioned, the Government making no proposals for modification or alteration; and he, for his part, denied that the Government, through the Provincial Treasurer or any other member, ever asked any guarantee ; It was distinctly stated that no guarantee was to be given. The matter was allowed to be hung up until shortly prior to the present session, when some movement was noticeable. Now, he did not believe that the Government were more earnest in regard to the contemplated Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway than they had been respecting the Clutha Railway, and that when the present session was brought to a close the same position of things would be found to prevail. At the present time there was absolutely nothing before the Home. They had been told that there was nothing binding on the proposed Company ; if, however, hon. members read lhe agreement they would find that there Avas nothing binding on the Government. They demurred to the payment of a few preliminary expenses—a matter perhaps of L2Qo—to initiate and put matters en a proper footing ; even in regard to that matter they were protected, inasmuch as the expenses must first be approved of by another party ; and the Government, by the preliminary agreement, could protect the revenues of the province in every possible way. There , was nothing to prevent them inserting in the contract any stipulation they might deom necessary, and presuming that the company dissented from any of the stipulations, the expense would have been minor in amount and they would have ascertained what really could be done; but now the affair was hung up. He could not see how the Government could reconcile the action they had taken in regard to the two railways ; they went to the extent of breaking faith with gentlemen whose time they had occupied and who were prepared to enter into arrangements to construct the Clutha Railway, and afterwards contracted with a private individual for the construction of the Port Chalmers Railway. The hon. the Treasurer had told them that the two things were different; they were of course to this extent—that one railway would go in one direction, and the other in. another. It was patent that if tenders were advertised for in connection with the Port Chal-

mers line, there would be numerous applications ; but the expense in connection with the Clutha Railway would be considerably greater, and therefore it was the more probable that it would have to be carried out by a Company, inasmuch as private individuals would not be likely to come forward. Hence the greater necessity for advertising for tenders in connection with the Port Chalmers than the Clutha Railway, He asked whether, under all the circumstances of the case, the Government had not acted inconsistently in regard to the two proposed works ? Had it not been stated that the Government were bound to the contractor, so long as he met the views of the Government? He had no direct personal interest 'in the vote, but he maintained that the Government had acted inconsistently. In referring to the alleged sincerity of the Government in respect to the Clutha Railway, he would refer the House to a notice in the Government Advertising Sheet. He; (Mr Driver) then^ proceeded to refer to the incompleteness of the > plans and .specifications—a fact which was not calculated to induce anybody to undertake the carry- i ing out of the work; the probabilities, \. however, were that some preliminary-ar-j rangements might be entered into. The; Government would perhaps adduce some:) particulars as to the kind of line contemplated, also as to the plans and specifications, and what would: be refused. Jt was absurd to ask people to send in a; tender to construct a line, arid such a line,; in the absence of proper specifications, upon which the Government did not pay one shilling in the way of construction, merely a guarantee ; to ask people to do this, with LlO/000 added, was simply absurd. In fact, it really did seem as though the desire was to prevent, rather than to induce tenders being sent in. Under the circumstances, he did not believe that the Bum of LIOjOOQ would be received, unless the party forwarding the money was placed in the possession of private information as to what sort of & tender would be accepted. Besides this, they had adopted the detective system of enquiring into the means at the disposal of persons who came forward. Those conditions were fair and reasonable for the Government, to . ensure its being carried out, if they came to anything like an agreement; but, until they arrived at that length, the issue of such a proclamation did suggest the conclusion that the desire was to prevent rather than facilitate the construction of a railway. If any individual, except himself, were to forward a cheque for LIO,OOO, and intimated that he was. prepared to enter into an &x----rangement for the construction of a line, the Government, he thought, would be bound to deal with him as to the mode of construction—to- anybody, in fact, that statement would apply, except, perhaps, himself; and then the result would- be that a private individual would obtain an advantage over ©ther contractors, because he might make, terms with the Government which the public were not aware of, and on which terms hundreds of other persons might be willing to undertake the work.

. The pressure on our space compels \ts to hold over the remainder of our report. The following, however, is the speech of His Honour the Superintendent proroguing the Council: — Me. Speaker and Gentlemen" of the

'ProyinciaJj Council

Having disposed of the special business of the session, it now only remains for me to thank you for your attendance.

Although the results of the session, as respects the placing in the market of land for settlement—the construction of the Southern Trunk Railway-—and immigration—have not been such as I could have desired, or might have anticipated, I am at the same time fain to hope that the session will not prove fruitless in other respects.

Your various resolutions, respecting public reserves, reunion with Southland, water supply on goldfields, Mining Surveyors' report, &c.,&c, shall have my best attention.

On behalf of the Governor I have this day assented to

" The Cattle Trespass Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1869."

" University of Otago Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1869."

" Moeraki Land Sale Ordinance, 1869. Appropriation Ordinance, No. 2, 1869-70.

The following Bills I reserve for the signification of the Governor's pleasure thereon,

"Education Reserves Management and Leasing Ordinance (No. 2), 1869." " Dunedin Reserves Management Ordinance, 1869."

Gentlemen—l may say that, although diversity of opinion is the very life's blood of free institutions, there is at the same time a certain unity of action which is highly essential in order to the proper development of the resources of a new country. To me, it is a matter of deepest regret that there does not appear to be this unity of action among us. I trust it may not be deemed out of place in me to express a hope that we may all become more alive to the responsibility of our respective positions, and to the fact that we have committed to us the power, if we will only exercise it, of adding very largely to the sum of human happiness. ■

There is at our disposal a territory replete with all the elements of wealth and prosperity, capable of supporting in comfort a large population, and the fault is mainly at our own door if the counlry does not progress more rapidly than ifc is doing. Gentlemen, let each and all of us strive to be influenced less by party spirit, and more by enlightened patriotism, and depend upon it this country will very soon present a different aspect.

There is only one other matter which requires" special allusion from me, viz., the proposal to dissolve this Council. This proposal is based upon various grounds. First, " the present crisis in the affairs of the province;" second, " the number of important changes proposed at the present time ;" third, ■" with a view of enabling the various constituencies to express an opinion upon the alteration made in the land laws by the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act;" and fourth, "the proposed reunion with Southland." Ab regards the first reason which is urged, lam not aware that, there is at present any peculiar criois in the affairs of the province, which calls for a dissolution, excepting it be the impending dead lock, which is likely to result from not immediately placing land in the market for settlement. This crisis, however, it seems to me may be averted by much more simple and effective means than a dissolution of the Council.

As to the important changes said to be proposed at the present time, I am not aware of them. With respect to the third reason urged, viz., that of affording to the constituencies an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act, it appears to me that this matter has been already so far disposed of, inasmuch as that as respects the principle of the Bill, you have ! concurred with the representatives of the I province in the General Assembly ; and I

believe there is very little doubt that the

proposed amendments will be assented to by the Assembly without any further manifestation of public opinion. Moreover, it appears to me that the constituencies will be, in a much better position to express an opinion as to this measure, after having seen its practical working, With; this view, it is very desirable that the Bill should be put into operation at once, so as to afford the constituencies ample time to judge of its merits before they are called upon to elect representatives to the Colonial Parliament. It should be borne in mind that it is not by a dissolution of the Provincial Council that the constituencies can give practical effect to their views upon this question, but by a dis'solution of the General Assembly, which dissolution, by effluxion of time, takes place next year. Aa regards the fourth reason—viz , the proposed reunion with Southland — I would remind you that thin question has been before the country for the past two years and a half ; it was one of the leading questions propounded by me as a candidate for the Superintendeneyj and ! one which met with almost universal acceptance; and I have no doubt that the resolution which you have passed on the subject, fully represents the mind of the country. Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore, I am unable to see that there is any good ground for a dissolution now, or any great practical end likely to be gained from it, the more especially, seeing that the Council has only another session' before it will be dissolved by effluxion of time.

Gentlemen—l now declare this Council to be prorogued, and it stands prorbgued accordingly.

23rd Dea, 1869.

J. Macandhew, Superintendent,