PLROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1490, 18 January 1861, Page 5

PLROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

"The Council met on Tuesday evening?, pursuant to adjournment. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock 1 . Prrsh st. —Messrs. Allen, Birry, Bowler, Brandon, Carpenter, Carter, Fitzherbert, Hun* ter, McLtggan,Toomitli,Wakefield,Warbutton and Woodward. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The Speaker laid on tbe" table a copy of* The Statutes of Mew Zealand, 1860," and read the following reply to the letter of the Speaker, enclosing copy of the resolution passed by the Council ou the 27th November, 1860 . -- Colonial Secretary's Office, * Aucldahd, 22nd Dee., 1860. Sir, — I have the honor, by, the direction of Mr. Stafford to acknowledge the- receipt of your letter of the 3 Bth ultimo, enclosing a copy of a Resolution of the Provincial Council, requesting the Governor to dissolve the Legislature of the Province of Wellington without delay, and in reply, to inform you that, as the Government has always refused to advise the dissolution of any Provincial' Legislature, on the request of only one branch thereof, his Honor the Superintendent of W.-Uijigton has baen req-iested to state whether he concurs in tha prayer of the Resolution. " .ill 1 have the honor to be, Sir, Your very obedient servant, 1 . E. Emott Emoto,^ Fbr the TJhder-Secrataiy. The Speaker of the . . ' " ' ' Provincial Council, Wellington. ... , Mr. Wakefield moved that the reply be printed. The Pbovincial SBORBrABT, ssconded the motion. Agreed to. , The Pro. Seorktaby said, that with the permission of tiie House, he would read the communication to His. Honor the Superintendent referred to in the reply. Hiving read the letter ftora the Colonial Secretary, which was similar to the reply, Mr. Fitxherbert suggested that the Council should adjourn for a sret-k in order to afford the Superintendent, who was then absent in the country, time to inform the Council as to the answer which he should send to the Colonial Secretary's communication, and he hoped that the b on, gentlemen " on the opposite side would concur in his sugges* • tiou. Mr. Wakevield said, that with the permission of the House hq wished to make a few observations on the suggestion of the, hon. member opposite. It was a suggestion in which neither he himself nor those who acted with him could take any part After hearing the Under Secretary's letter to the Council, and that of the Colonial Secretary to the Superintendent, he considered that it was beneath the dignity of t ie house fur hon. members to dance attendance o.i the Superintendent like so many lacqueys. He was about to ask the concurrence of hon. members opposite in the following resolution, aud he hoped they would acquiesce in it that evening, otherwise he should give notice of it as a motion for the next sluing d y:— That, in consequence of his Excellency's reply to the Memorial of this Council for a dissolution, it is desirable that the appeal to the constituencies, which the granting of a disolution would have, afforded, should be made by means of a general resignation, on the part of the -Superintendent and all tho members of the Provincial Council. He thought the time had come that by a simultaneous resignation they should appeal to their constitueuls. There was one part of the question which he would, not shirk— one on which he received numerous and which he had no desire to shirk, but to put it plainly and fairly before the House. He w mid caudi.lly admit that jit., had escaped his notice at the lime of passing the resolution praying for a dissolution, it was that in case a dissolution wis granted a large body of the inhabitants of.the Province would be virtually unrepresented (ot the uext four years. Thosa who bad heen sttuck off the roll last year owing to the imperfections of the .Revision Law, and those who had, siuce acquired qualifications would he excluded from auy voice in the Government of th* province for four years where is. by a simultaneous resignation the term of office of the new memberV would expire in Novemb. r next, by which time this large body— the pit- , sent non-electors would have an opportunity of getting themselves put on the roll. He felt that be did not at the present time represent any constituency, and he was desirous of ro* deeming the pledge he had given when the resolution was adopted, that in the event' of v dissolution being refused he should resign his seat. The Provincial Secretary thougbtthatthe reply could scarcely be construed into a refusal. It was precisely the same reply that the Super* | intendent had received' to !}his application lor a dissolution and therefore he thought that ihe Council had not been put in any exceptiomi position. With respect to the resolution proposed by the hon. gentleman opposite he would observe that after struggling together as ihey had done for more than three years, that whs not the time for them to forget that official courtesy that was due to his Honor/ by adopting such a resolution without giving him au opportunity oi informing the 0 mnoil of the course he was prepared to adopt. He would not anticipate the course the Superintendent might take. Whether he would say " I have asked once, ahd have been refused,, and therefore will not be a party to a seoond applicatutn' or whether Huj Honor would concur iv the request. Supposing they. adjourned for a w«ek v then if thQr Superintendent refused his concurrence, the hon. member would be justified in asking them to assent to bis resolution which at that time tbey could not do. He thought t'-.at courtesy would dictate the propriety of an adjournment. Mr. Toomath was about to address the House when ''..;' ".'■"• "'. "';• . ' The Speakeb reminded the hon. gentleman that as there was no > motion before the .House no debate could be permitted. Mr. Wakefield gave uotice of his intention to move his resolution ou the next si Hi ug. day and there being no other business helore the House the Council adjourned to Wednesii.iy, Wednesday.; ' V_. ,'/ : .*- •• There heing oply;\eigfiji;.mßmheiß..'pro^fi.tj-.'v there was consequently)" tro House." ,-.,,-' i -u/' .-: _ .ThTOSD^yV .','\\] J;~i-]>, \-:^:\ Oily two members, Messrs. \-' •Huj-ter^aud;^;;;;' Allen- were- present. /,';'„ '■:/.r-i'";' >'.'.' 'V.-J;-.-.'^-.''" ;.*'- ;•'"'•;-'■ The Speaker informed ! them that;; he ) had r^; received a communication from;^the^iuwn;; uj^iii^ ; hers. that it was not their^ ih^tiotf^tp^^Uend^;,^ . and adjouruad tiie House".* '^')-ii6s^J^%#&^