PETITION OP THE WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

long period of services and duly voted by the Council, and that the Provincial Treasurer has received special instructions from the Superintendent to make no payments for expenditure incurred on account of the Provincial Council. 15. With regard to the first part of this statement, the Council submits that under the practice of Responsible Government professed by the Executive of this Province the Superintendent is represented in the Council by his advisers or colleagues, who themselves propose amendments which they have agreed upon with His Honor, and that when such amendments have been discussed and rejected, the formal repetition of the discussion on their second proposal by messuge would be an useless proceeding involving a waste of time to the members and of money to the public. It will be labour in vain for the Council to deliberate over enactments if the Superintendent can be allowed to decline receiving them on so frivolous a pretence. Moreover the Council doubts whether the Constitution Act allows the Superintendent any alternative as to receiving Bills duly passed and presented to him. Further by this arbitrary refusal of any decision as to the Governor's assent, the Superintendent has disabled himself from returning the Bills with amendments on the reassembling of the Council, because the Constitution Act does not provide for any further proceeding with a Bill which the Superintendent may have refused to deal with in any one of the only four ways prescribed by the Act. 16. In reference to the second part of the Speaker's statement it is impossible for the Council to discuss measures even of appropriation for the public service carefully and with a due regard to the public well-being and economy if the necessary services of attendants and printers are virtually withheld by the Executive in refusing to pay for those already performed as voted by the Council. 17. The Council is perfectly willing to make further appropriations of public money for the maintenance of the ordinary Provincial establishments if attendance and printing be secured to it in accordance with provisions reasonably made for that purpose ; but under the circumstances made known to it by the Speaker's statement, it has no alternative but to assure your Honorable House of its willingness, on condition of being secured in those requisites, to duly consider the public accounts, with a view whether to indemnify the Provincial Executive for such expenditure as it may properly have incurred in the interval, or to further provide for the ordinary public service during a reasonable future period. 18. The orders of your Honorable House preclude the Provincial Council from appending confirmatory and explanatory documents to this petition, but the Council respectfully submits that the Speaker will be prepared to supply such documents should they be required in the course of any proceedings whicb you may be pleased to order in relation thereto. 19. Wherefore the Provincial Council of Wellington respectfully prays that your Honorable House will cause inquiry to be made into the above allegations, and will take such steps as may,seem to you expedient for preventing any further continuation of a conflict between the Superintendent and the Provincial Council which not only amounts to an utter denial of Legislative independence to the people's Representatives and an arbitrary assumption by one elected Officer of dictatorial and unfettered control over the public funds, but also renders unavailing all efforts, however sincere and impartial, to consider and decide on various measures tending to secure economy in the public expenditure, to render the Province attractive to a numerous in-coming population, and to foster the sound progress of colonization. And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. &c, &c, &c. GEORGE HART, Speaker. Provincial Council Room, Wellington, 22nd March, 1860.

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