Tuesday,DECEMBER 10th

Otago Witness, Issue 524, 14 December 1861, Page 5

Tuesday,DECEMBER 10th

The House assembled at 4 o'clock. Present' all the members except Mr. M'Master and Dr.' Purdie. ' • . Mr. Howokth said- that with regard to the desire expressed yesterday- by severel members, to .have all the correspondence i elating to the recent negociations with several gentlemen, I on the subject of forming a government laid on the table, his Honor considered that the correspondence was, in a certain degree private, and thai his producing it would form a bad precedent, but, that any of the parties concerned had his full permission to produce it if they thought proper. Mr. Hardy, had been induced to join the Executive, and the new Executive, therefore, consisted of Mr. Howorth, Provincial Solicitor; Mr. Hardy, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer, and himself, j Mr. M'Glashan said, that wlien he was asked to form a government, he replied that it was out of the question his taking office after the terms in which his Honor had spoken of him, at any rate until after a dissolution, which he was "of opinion was a measure absolutely necessary. He had no confidence in the new Executive. The House then went into Committee to consider the petition relative to the Jetty, presented 3'erserday, by Mr. Reynolds. The praj'er of the petition was, that the new Jeity might be erected in continuation of Rattraystreet, instead of Stuart-street, and Mr. llcynolds moved that the prayer be complied with. After a long debate the Committee divided as follows : —

The ..Chairman gave his casting vote with the aye';. The standing orders were then suspended to allow Mr. Gillies to move a vote of want of confidence in the Government, coupled with a reconwiftodation-to h> .Honor to ''pyn^t t!i« "Governor to dissolve the House, which he did in a long speech. Mr. Hardy thought that there was no necessity for such a long speech, or, in fact, for any arguments at all, as he had no doubt the one. Tic objected most strongly to an election j until after the next legislation, but he had no doubt several hon. members would be glad to get a new four years lease of their seats before that time. But such a course would be fraught with the gravest evils to the country, and it was very probable that it would debar the new comers from the exercise of their electoral rights for four years. There were only about 1000 voters on the roll now, and after next April there would be 5000 or 6000. It was very "well to say the majority of those might call on obnoxious members to resign, but would they do so? Owen Glendower says "lean call spirits from the vasty deep." Harry Hatspurs, reply is, "But will they come.' It was easy to ask members to resign, but instances had occurred in this Province to show that it did not always follow that they would do so. The opposition was a most admirably drilled opposition, and had most systematically refused to assist the Superintendent in carrying on the Government. It was the opposition who was to blame for himself and his colleagues being in office. Their factious, opposition had forced them into tlm position. Xhey would neither form a government themselves or let others do it. He felt that he would be wanting in his duty to the country if he had declined accepting office at this juncture. He was authorised by his Honor to state that he would be willing to concur with the House in recommending a dissolution as soon as the next legislation was completed. Mr. Reynolds denied that there was any factious opposition, as Mr. Dick, when requested to form a Government, had at once come forward and submitted the names of four gentlemen to his Honor. These names his Honor had refused to accept, and was it right,-, was it possible, after his Honor's address, that these gentlemen would force themselves on him, when it was evident they could not work together with harmony. As to members wishing to obtain a new lease of their seats, he might return the compliment and say that the Government were afraid of having their lease ( cut short. A dissolution wa.s absolutely necessary, as it was impossible for business to progress satisfactorily while the Executive did not possess the confidence of the House. If an emergency were to arise, they would be afraid to make any unauthorised expenditure, when the chances were that a factious opposition might censure or refuse to indemnify them. The Provincial Solicitor congratulated Mr. Gillies on the spirit of prophecy which had enabled him, as he said, to foresee all the difficulties which have arisen, at the time he proposed a dissolution last Session; but he thought that if Mr. Gillies had warned them of these difficulties at the time, the House would have had more faith in his inspiration than they have, when he tells them after they have occurred. He then spoke in terms of high eulogy of the character of, the present Superintendent, and s'.\id that one of the greatest objections the opposition had to him was, that he was too honourable, and would J not lend himself to jobs. He did not approve of the system pursued by certain hon. members of getting picked Select Committees to do little jobs, and giving the Members written instructions aa to the decision. ' One member of a Committee had unfortunately left his instructions behind him on one occasion, and they had fallen into their hands, and they were therefore aware of the way in which , affairs of this kind were managed. He believed that the motives of the opposition were corrupt, and were not intended to promote the public good. Mr. Patkuson said there was no" factious opposition, and thnt every useful measure in- " troduced by the Government had been passed. Mr. Dick had at once offered to form an Executive, but his Honor had insulted the gentlemen named, and through them insulted the House. They were hero a3 the representatives of the people, and the Superintendent was nothing more. They had as much right to say no, sw he had to say yes. Ho believed; the present Government did not possess the confidence of either thcllouee or the country.

Mr.' Disk said that the Superintendent had grossly insulted the gentlemen he had" proposed as the new Executive. He had even hinted that they were inclined to make free with the pVblio funds-; 1 and although he was willing to>;ascribe the address to the Executive tinstead of4he Superintendent, it was scarcely Siossible\tjiat they could accept office under hat gentleman until, at least, after a dissoluion. It was necessary to appeal to the country to see whether he possessed the confidence of the people. It is true he was not alluded to in his Honor's remarks, but he felt bound to uphold those he thought worthy of 'being his colleagues'. The Executive for the la^t five • months had neither the confidence ;l; l of the House or . the- country afid as- it was impossible to get an Executive from the majority iw the House, there must be a dissolution. The hqri.' member who had joined the .Executive did not add to the confidence of the House in' it, . for- his past career was that he had always spoken- on^ one side and voted On the other; ' He would not say with what Jntention, but contracts might have something to do with it ; at any rate, he objected to contractors being members of the Government. If he could see how it was to be done, he would like to postpone the dissolution till after the formation- of the new roll, but he could not. The Provincial Solicitor was not fit to conduct the business of the country in consequence of his blindness, and the other members had no commercial experience ; they were not the men we want ; not the able far-seeing intelligent men to lead us to fortune, and the highest pinnacle of power and place ; to make Dunedin the capital of New Zealand. The Provincial Solicitor had indulged in low personal abuse ofmembers, but he thought this was quite complimentary coming from him ; if he were to say a good ..word about him, he would be certain he was doing wrong. He had indulged in the lowest basest scurrility of the Old Eailey, and, after his defence of" the Superintendent, he thought that gentleman might well say, " save me from my friends." The Provincial Solicitor had made some of the most unwarrantable and unreasonable assertions ever made in the House, which was p:vying a great deal. Who 'ssid the Superintendent had forforfeited the confidence of the country ? They asked for a dissolution that the country might send people to the House willing to co-operate with his Honor. What would prevent his re-election ; there was as much reason to believe that he possessed the confidence of the country now as he did at the last election, and lie might be re-elected with a Council prepared to work with him. It avos a very diuerent thing asking for a dissolution and seeking to displace the Superintendent. The representatives of Duneden were no small clique. It was the merchant princes of Dunedin who should have a principal' share in the Government. ilr. Cuttisn s-.vid that after tlie eloquence of the Merchant Prince opposite, he felt the disadvantages under which he would speak. The lion, gentleman had administered a reproof to the Solicitor for speaking in the Old Uailey style, but in all his experience he had never heard a speech so thoroughly in that style as the hon Member's own. The Execn- i tive knew quite well that the)' were in a minority, aud then; was no use in passing the vote "unless Mr. Gillies wa<) prepared to form j a Government. Tlie object clearly was to get a new lease of four years of their reals, aud to get rid of the Superintendent for he could not nee how the gentlemen on;io-* ..uc vuutu woriv' netter witu tne bupeantendent after a dissolution, .'than they could now. The remarks, of which they complained, would not be wiped out. Tho object of the opposition clearly wan to deprive the new comers of their "rights for four years. It would severely injure the country, n, dissoluwilling to consent to a dissolution as soon as the new roll was made up. The gentlemen opposite ought either to form aGovernmentor abstain from opposition. He would not object to their coarse language if they would take the Government on their-Sown shoulders, but he did as long as they refused to do anything but vent their spleen. Ho had once taken office under a gentleman when it was more distasteful to both parties than in the present case; and Mr. Dick, who had induced him to do so, was then profuse in arguments about self-sacrifice and the good of the country. He presumed that Mr. .Dick considered himself as of the exalted character he had described as the character the Superintendent should possess. The principle of contractors being in the Government was not a good one, but Mr. Hardy's contract had been entered into some time ago, and was a very small one.- He remembered once a member of the Executive getting a contract to the amount of £35,000' The hon. member did not like to hove his little game spoiled, and to have to wait for a chance of becoming " his Honor." What was the boa. gentleman's own past career, when he was a member of the Government ? There never was such a session : each member of the Executive disclaimed everything that the others did; he left the Government in a state of confusion, joined the Opposition, aud immediately found fault with all he had done himself. On one occasion he got dreadfully indignant at a letter of the Superintendens's,!and,"on consulting the books, it appeared that $ had been submitted to him and approved of byvhim. Where were the great public wprks hetfjhad ' done? There was one strange machihjy, Certainly, for deepening the harbour, which na would call "Dick's spoon ;" and when he <sfQod for Superintendent, it should be • carried .about as a trophy, and would, no doubt, his election in that Government' no o^eliad any confidence in — daily votes of cen'sutc were passed, as no one had any confidence in any one. Nothing could have been done to more effectually damage Provincial Institutions than their present conduct.. They were striking their death-blow, merely to enjoy a debate. Messrs. Walker, Martin, and M'Glashan then addressed the House, and the Mover having replied, the House divided as follows :—: —

The House then adjourned. In reply to questions, the Government stated — Ist. That they, had not as yet called for tenders from the various banks in consequence of the Government being unable (owing to the present unsettled state of affairs) to answer several questions. 2nd. That tlie subject of establishing a Gold Receiving House Vaa under consideration. 3rd. That-theyWld not intend -to charge any ( fee on Golcl.scjAt by. Escort,- as the export duty, was Biifficiei>fr''t6'pay expenses. 4th. That^ thejs, 'had sent to Australia to obtain a competent iCivil Engipeer. ' ' ' < v

Ayes,. 10. Messrs. Patorson „ Hepburn „ "Fejiwiek „ Kilgour „ Dick „ Reynolds „ Healy • „ M'Glashan " Tayler « Gillies (teller) Noes, 8. Messrs. Todd i „ Martin „ Steel „ Oswin „ Hardy „ Cutten „ Howorth „ Walker (teller)

Ayes— B. JNoes— 3. Messrs. Dick Messrs. Cuttcn Patcrson Howorth Gillies Walker : >Healy Martin Taylor Todd Fenwick Steel M'Orlashan. Oswin Kilgom- llcunic licynoids teller. Hardy, teller.