General Assembly.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 127, 8 October 1868, Page 3

General Assembly.

<fc Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct 6 and 7. [by submarine telegutaph.] On Tuesday, a Bill was introduced for the settlement of the debt between Canterbury atid "Westland by arbitration. Mr Hall's resolution, affirming the desirability of the session being held earlier in future was passed. The financial statement is to be based on nine months' receipts and expenditure, the fourth quarter serving as an estimate for the following year. On Wednesday, in reply to Mr Fox, Mr Stafford said there were only a few technical bills to be introduced, giving effect to sundry resoliifiops already agreed to certainly none involving party discussion:.jT[|i reference to a dissolution, he couldpmy return the same answer as before! {He did not think an election in the present state of excitement would conduce to the preservation of the unity of the colony ; he would brave a good deal to preserve that. He quoted the late meeting at Christchurch in illustration of that. There was nothing in the report of the speeches or resolutions recognising themselves as colonists of New Zealand, but only of a portion. On the other hand, there had been so much expression in favour of a dissolution, by the leading centres of population, that it would be the duty of Ministers to watch the course of events, and if a normal state of peace returned to consider what advice should be given to the Q-overnor. Ministers were not in office by their own accord,or with their own wishes. It was not, therefore, a personal object with themto remain in, but he would taken.o step which tended in his opinion jtoi aj disruption of the colony's unifcyu '-■ \ There is a 'gpierjil exodus of members this week* ijthe session will close at the end of nexVweek.