MR. WELD'S RESOLUTIONS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1596, 2 July 1861, Page 5

MR. WELD'S RESOLUTIONS.

from me new aeaianaer, vzna June. The proceedings in the House of Representatives during the past week must have puzzled the uninitiated. Mr. Fox had given notice of a motion, for Wednesday last, "to enquire into the : state ofthe country," and had moved for several returns calculated to throw light on the subject. Ou Tuesday, Mr. Mr. Weld gave notice that, on the following day, he would move as an amendment to Mr. Fox's notice, the following resolutions: — Ist. That the establishment within these islands of a sovereign authority, independent of the British Crown, is incompatible with the security of the colonists, the civilisation of the Natives, and the welfare of both races." 2nd. " That it is the duty ofthe colony cordially to second the measures taken by the Imperial' Government for the usserliqn of Her Majesty's sovereignly,* and for securing a lasting peace." "3rd. "That if, unhappily, negociations should fail, this House, relying on the best practical provision being made for* the protection -of life and property, does not shrink from the consequences of a resort to force." In what sense these Resolutions would have been an amendment of Mr. Fox's motion, we are at a loss to devise. No doubt, if carried, they would hav e - served- the party purpose which their framers probably had in view, of stopping enquiry into the state of the colony ; aud would have committed the House of Representatives to a proposition pregnant with consequences of the gravest character to the colony.for, the third resolution, which declared that the. House would not "shrink Jrom the consequences of a resort to force," was au adoption; of tbe, entire responsibility of .the war,' would Jtavft justified the Home Government in hold- . ing (as the Duke of Newcastle held of the Taranaki war) that any future war would be peculiarly a "settlers' war," and would have placed the colony entirely at the mercy of the Home Government, without power , of remonstrance in reference, to the expense of such a war. Now, if there is one thing more important than another it is, that, if the colony should unhappily be plunged in a fresb war for the suppression of the King movement and the raaiqtenancee of the supremacy of^the Crown, it should be distinctly understood that it is not a settler's, but an Imperial war ; and that the Government of the colony should not by any act of its oWh, such as its proceedings at the commencement of the Taranaki war, involve the colonists in responsibility, either for the conduct or for the consequences of the war. The Governor has fortunately, in the terms of submission proferred to the Waikatos, distinctly affirmed that he has beeu commanded by Her ■Majesty " to suppress unlawful combinations, „nd maintain Her Majesty's supremacy" The war, accordiug to this announcement, is an Imperial war, and though it may be most becoming in the colonists to second the action ofthe Imperial Government in the matter, it would be folly and madness to abandon so good a position, and make it own "peculiar" war. Such, howe/er, would have been the necessary, lo>ica>, and unavoidable consequences of Mr YVeld/s third resolution. The opposition, of course, saw at once the advantage of taking issue on this point alone, apd contining the discussion for tbe present to the issue offeied by Mr. Weld. Mr. Fox immediately gave notice that he would withdraw his motion, and leave Mr. Weld to move his resolutions as a substantive motion, a course which he had intimated bis readiness to pursue. On Wednesday evening accordingly 1 , Mr. Weld brought his. resolutions before the House, in a speech which, if it was not remarkable for force ' or 'perspicuity, had certainly the merit of being * /t_6d^raW l 'in tone,'wa|s ( J less dognpatio thau the addresses 'which usually proceed from the Ministerial tableland was yery far from adopting the " ultra Wgorous prosecution" line of argument with, which the moverof the address, a week ago, alarmed the House. As soon as Mr. Weld had concluded, Mr

Carleton moved that the resolutions be put seriatim, which was carried without a division. On the first resolution, which simply affirmed thejincompatibility of any authority independent of tbe British Crown, the House was not a iittle astonished to hear a solitary "No," from Mr. ', Curtis, one of the members from Nelson ; a gentleman whose ecpntricties have, on more than one previous occasion, attracted particular intention ; and the astouishment was still greater ij^en he proceeded to demand a division. What his particular object was in placing himself in so singular a position as that of being the only member of the House who could be fouud to deny the Royul Supertnacy,is unexplained; but on members taking their sides, Mr. Curtis stood alone, and according to the rules of the House (there not being two tellers), no division list was made out and uo division recorded. The first resolution, therefore, passed. On the second resolution being put, Mr. Firth, one of the members for the City of Auckland, pioposed as an amendment, " that if unhappily, negoeiations. should fail, this House, relying on the best practicable provision being mado for the protection of life an- property, is of opinion that it is the duty of the colony to second the measures taken by the Imperial Government for the assertion of her Majesty's sovereignty and securing a lasting peace." . He s-tated that, if this lesolution weie carried, he should move to strike out resolution 3 ; and he proceeded to argue, at some length, the importance of our putting on record onr opinion" that the war was an Imperial one, at the same time" -''tbat we proffered our readiness, in case of necessityito give our best assistance in aid ofthe Imperial cause. The amendment seemed to take with the House, and, on being pat, was carried without a division ; after wbich, the third resolution, as originally proposed by Mr. Weld, was abandoned with the consent of the Government. "• . ' Looked at from a party point of view, there is no doubt that Mr Weld's amendments were a; great great mistake. With the exception of the third, they were of a character such as the opposition was as ready to affirm as the Government could be ; while, as to the third, it was certain that the House would not accept the position which it sought to establish. Consequently they could only he carried by submitting to such a material alteration as really took the back bone out of them, and put them- in a form in which the opposition itself might have stood their sponsor. It would have been much better tactics in the Government to have pushed on Mr. Fox's motion, in the discussion of which it would have beeii easy so to have compared the general conduct of the Government with its conduct in reference to 'the -war, as to have thrown the ranks of the opposition 1 , into confusion, and probably have eecured to the Ministry an easy victory. The opposition may now congratulate itself on the war question being put on one side, and whenever Mr. Fox'b motion of want of confidence (of which he has given notice), comes on, he. may find that his greatest . difficulty has been cleared away by the kindness of his opponents. And the Colony may congratulate itself, thanks to the amendment, on having escaped the fatal dilemma of being placed, in reference to any coming hostilities, in the same false position as they were placed in by the Ministry in reference to the Taranaki war. | Though the House itself seemed thoroughly satisfied with the result, there was not a little disappointment in the Stranger's Gallery, " behind the chair," and in the rooms beyond. It had been expected that a lively and exciting debate, would have engaged the House foi a good many hours, and every available seat and square foot of standing room had been occupied from the moment the doors were opened ; and not a few of the fairer sex being among the. occupants of those darker recesses of the House* to which the want of gallantry ofthe Assembly bas condemned, such of tbem as may take an interest in - listening tb r the word-combats of our statesmen. It is a pity that oueor two points in Mr. Weld's speech should not have been replied to ; but any attempt to cause a discussion on them would . undoubtedly have hurried the House into a two night's debate, which, on a foregone conclusion, would have been so much time wasted, and could not materially have affected the larger issue which must be tried before many days are over, namely: whether the present Ministry are * he men to whose hands the safety of the colony *is to be trusted at this the most important cisis of its existence.