LEGISLATION IN EAST AND WEST CANTERBURY.

West Coast Times, Issue 355, 12 November 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

LEGISLATION IN EAST AND WEST CANTERBURY.

(FIiOJH THE rEESS, NOV. 8.) We cri gui c sympathise wIJi the annoyance that has been felt by many members of the Provincial Couucil, especially those from Westland, at the manner in which the present sessiou. avowedly held ovly for a sho.., t ; me, and fo/ the transaction of particular bus'iess, has been hitherto wasted. The West Coast Times has lately published a series of letters f 'om its special correspondent at Chvisvchurch, which "express very graphically, and with no little naivete, what is no doubt the prevail'ng impression among the Westland members and others who have watched the proceedings of the Council for the last fortnight. In Westlaud, as the member for Hokitika rightly observed, the work of legislation has still to be done. In -East Canterbury, where the inachineiy, general routine, and fundamental p.-inciples of government have long been settled, the attention of the Council is directed to the practical working of the system, and to its application, with the needful modifications or enlargements, to the successive developments of provincial affairs. But on the bther side of the province the work which has long ago been accomplished here has still to be begun. A system has to be a"ranged, a policy initiated, and the principles on which that policy is based to be defined, discussed, and adopted, and the present session of the Provincial Council has been expected with corresponding eagerness as.the time when this important task would be undertaken. Assuming the writer of the letters alluded to as the exponent of the. feeling that animates the representatives of Westland, they seem to have fully prepared to enter upon this duty. They are here to do gallant battle in the cause; brimful of facts, figures aud arguments, expecting to encouuter the most strenuous opposition, ,but bravely resolved to champion to the uttermost the rights and interests of Westland at any hazard or against any odds. To their surprise and chagrin they find their ardent enthusiasm quenched in the cool waters of indifference. Instead of the sea of political troubles, the turmoil of ceaseless contests, into which they were preparad to plunge, everything is calm and debonnaive. The rights or wrongs of Westland or anywhere else appear to be perfectly unheeded. The Council seem to be merely playing at politics. They meet night after night, ask a few questions and pass a motion or two, with a comfoi table consciousness that everything is going on as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. The Provincial Secretary sits on the Treasuiy bench, a most gentlemanlike Gallio ; while the Councillors, like 60 many Sz'r Charles Coldstreams^ survey every matter that is submitted to their notice with a languid remark that " there's nothing vx it." The fault of all this rests with the Government. The Provincial Council is not wont to bo indifferent to public affairs, and its apparent listlessness, which has already begun to wear away, ' will disappear altogether whenever any real business is brought before it. Precisely the same state of things was obseia r ed at the commencement of the last session of the General Assembly. The Government then had no business to bring down, so the House of Representatives held formal meetings, put a few questions, talked a little, and adjourned — just as the Provincial Council has been doing. In fact the proceedings of the past fortnight have been little more than a mere form. The Couucil was summoned, as was explained by the Superintendent in his opening speech, only to pass the estimates and a few measures of immediate importance, and it was exhorted to use its best endeavors to terminate the session as soon as practicable. The House was probably not unwilling to comply with his Honor's request, but then ie was found that the Government, after advising his Honor to call the Couucil together with an express injunction to be speedy in their work, had no work for them to do. The estimates had not been framed and the Bills were not ready. Night after night the order paper appeared without a single notice from any member of the Executive, the sittings were" unprecedently short, and at last the House had to adjourn, for want of any business to employ it. For all practical purposes the Council need not have been summoned till this week. Under such circumstances it is not remarkable that there should have been an apparent want of earnestness ; but we have no doubt the debates for the rest of the session will redeem the character of the Couucil. The financial statement — fruitful subject of discussion — has been, for the third time, positively promised to-night. The programme of the Government, considering the financial state of the province, the urgent claims of particular districts, and the large public works which it is understood are to be proposed, is looked for by the public with much interest ; and we are greatly mistaken if the debates to which it will give rise in the Council will be marked by axiy deficiency, either in earnestness or ability. Old Dudley Perse, of Roxborough, a bold rider aud a keen sportsman, after taking a bigh -wall, completely disappeared, there being a "drop" of double the height. When Lord Gort cried out, " What's on the other side, Dudley?" the answer Avas, "I am, thunk God!"