CHAPTER V. THE SETTING SUN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 25

CHAPTER V. THE SETTING SUN.

The new or third. Council met pursuant to the advertisement of the principal Returning Officer on the 10th September, 18G7. It consisted of the same number— viz., twenty — but the pei*sonneL was in some measure changed. After some skirmishing Mr .J P. Taylor was re-elected Superintendent by ten ayes to eight noesMr. Wilson being elected Speaker. As already mentioned " The Southland Provincial Debts Act, I860," passed by the General Assembly, had. given immediate relief to a large extent to the province the Colony having undertaken to pay its debts by the issue of cle1 Dentures, the land fund being impounded as security. During the renewed term of office of Mr. Taylor resolutions were passed at different meetings of the Council, to complete the Oreti line of railway with iron rails as far as Winton, and to build the Inver- . cargill to Mataura line of rail, with land grants of 00 000 and 1 150,000 acres respectively. Also to complete the Oreti line by cash payments in lieu of land, the interest of the Provincial debt being capitalised to the end of 1868 as proposed by the General f Government. The Bluff Harbour and In vercargill Railway was ». leased, for a short term. On the 2nd Dec, 1868. the tender of Messrs. , Abbot and Packham to complete the Oreti railway was accepted. During the sixth session the Executive that met the Council ; having resigned, a fresh one was formed consisting of Messrs. > Calder, Pearson (Provincial Treasurer). Ross and Pratt, i The seventh session was opened, after as long delay as possible, on the 17th August, 18(if>, with inter alia the in- _ timation that his Honor had during the recess dismissed g his late Executive and appointed a fresh one. The cord once again had snapped. This time there was a determination on the part of the Provincial Council that there should be no more waiting for the clouds to roll by. On the 20th it passed a resolution by fifteen ayes to two noes entirely approving of the conduct of affairs by the late Executive, describing its dismissal by the Superintendent and appointment of another as " unwarrantable." His Honor thereupon resigned, withdrawing his resignation however, almost immediately on the Colonial Secretary allowing a dissolution of the Council. Meanwhile his Honor, Mr. James Ma^andrew, Superintendent of Otago. had on the 19th May 186!) forwarded to the Superintendent of Southland a resolution of the Provincial Council of OUgo offering to re-unite the two provinces, three Commissioners to be appointed by each Provincial Council to fix terms, with power to choose an umpire— such basis to be ratified by each Provincial Council. On the 23rd August it was almost unanimously resolved by the Southland Provincial Council "That this Council appoint three commissioners to meet with three appointed by the Superintendent of Otago, to confer as to a basis of union between the two provinces and to report the same to the Provincial Council within one month from this date. Commissioners to be Messrs. John Ross, W. H. Pearson and the mover (Mr. Johnston), with power to call for persons and papers." Last scene of all it was resolved " That in the opinion of this Council, it is expedient that a dissolution thereof should, take place after the meeting of the commissioners on the subject of Re-union with Otago, and their report to the Council has been received." The Council was immediately prorogued. Thus within two years after his reappointment as Superintendent, Mr. Taylor was again deposed. Mr. William Shakespeare, a writer of fair repute and knowledge of human nature, has remarked, " But man, proud man ! Drest in a little brief authority, Plays such fantastic tricks before high Heaven, As make the angels weep." ICHABOD. On the 10th November, 1869, the fourth Council of Southland met pursuant to notice of the principal Returning Officer. Mr. W. Johnston was elected Speaker, all the members being present. The one issue of the meeting was Re-union with Otago versus Autonomy. Mr. William Wood was proposed as Superintendent; as an amendment Mr. Cuthbert Cowan was proposed. For him there were eight ayes and

eleven noes, so he was out of it. The original motion being put Mr. Wood was elected by twelve ayes to seven noes. Mr. William Wood was a gentleman of means whose successful conduct in the battle of life showed a shrewd hard head. He had been for some time settled in Invercargill, where he had acquired property in sections, and sat as mem ber for Campbelltown in the Provincial Council. He represented the town of Invevcargill in the General Assembly and was afterwards raised to trie Upper House. He died some years ago. Mr. Wood as Superintendent, on the 2ith November met the Council with the following opening in his address, " The embarrassments in which the province is now involved have resulted in a crisis that must be met by a decisive policy which witnin a reasonable pmod may be expected to afford relief." Thet>e, he continues to state, consist of floating liabilities amounting to £35,000, a public credit so thoroughly impaired that emigration from rather than immigration into the province prevailed ; while "The provincial estate cannot be utilised, the public creditor is unpaid, the salaries of the public servants are many months in arrear, and the ordinary revenue is wholly insufficient to provide for the necessary machinery of government." The recommendation made by the Provincial Government was that there should be a reTinion with Otago. Messrs. W. H. Calder, J. Wilson and W. Johnston were the Executive to face the Council, Mr. Calder being the Deus ex machine/.. During the recess three Commissioners, Messrs. J. L. Gillies, W. H. Reynolds and Jas. Shand had been appointed by the Otago Government to act with Messrs. W. Johnston, W. H. Pearson and John Ross — the Southland commissioners appointed by its Provincial Council at the last session before dissolution to determine the basis of re-union between the provinces of Otago and Southla nd. These gentlemen had met at Invercargill on the 29th September, 1869, and drawn up a very comprehensive report for adoption by the respective Provincial Councils interested, the " Soiithland and Otago Union Bill " having been passed by the House of Representatives during its session in 1869. On the 2oth November Mr. Calder moved a series of resolutions adopting the aforesaid report of the re-union commissioners. After considerable debate and several amendments proposed and negatived, the resolutions moved by Mr. Calder were carried by eleven ayes to six noes. Those for it being— Messrs. Calder, Johnston, Daniel, Macdonald, Petchell, McGillivray, Dalrymple, Toshack, Kinross, Lyon, Bell ; against— Messrs. McNeill, Lumsden, Webster, Stewart. Dr. Mennies and Basstian. The Damoclesian sword had fallen, there was nothing further to be done than to ring down the curtain on the province of Southland. The brook had met the river, its individuality lost. The historiette of Southland becomes the history of Otago.