SUMMARY OF PROVINCIAL COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

Auckland Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 11, 26 February 1857, Page 3

SUMMARY OF PROVINCIAL COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

LITTLEEST of all hltle Parlkments stands prorogued. The Executive by this vigorous act have, until leckoidng day, “saved their bacon.’' They remind us of servant Sampson and servant Gregory, when they meet flunkies Abram and Balthazar in a certain “ public place.” Readers will excuse us if, at this crisis, we repeat rich bits of dialogue, which they will please to imagine spoken by public servants, christened respectively Sampson, Gregory, Abram, and Balthazar : — Sampson (Williamson) Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry coals. Gregory (Merriman) No, for then we should be colliers. Sampson (Williamson), I mean, if we be in choler, we’ll draw. Gregory (Merriman) Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar. Sampson (Williamson) I strike quickly, being moved. z. Gregory (Merriman) But thou art not quicly moved to strike. Sampson (Williamson) A Cog of the house of Graham moves me. Gregory (Merriman) To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand; therefore, if thou

art moved, thou runn’st away. Sampson (Williamson). A dog of that (Graham’s) house shall never move me to stand ; I will take the wall of any man or maid of Graham’s. Gregory (Merriman) Draw thy tool; here comes of the house of Graham. Enter Abram (Graham) and Balthazar (Daldy) Sampson (Williamson) My naked weapon is out; quarrel I I will back thee. Gregory (Merriman) How ? turn thy back

and run ? Sampson (Williamson) Fear me not. Gregory (Merriman) No, marry, I fear thee. Sampson (Williamson) Let us take the law

of our side ; let Shein begin. Gregory (Merriman) I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list. Sampson (Williamson) Nay, as they dare; I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it Abram (Graham) Do you bite your thumb at us, sir ? Sampson. (Williamson) Ido bite my thumb, sir. , Balthazar (Daldy) Do-you bite your thumb at us, sir ? Sampson (Williamson) the law on our side if I say —ay ? Gregory (Merriman) No. Sampson (Williamson) No, sir ;I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir. Gregory (Merriman) Do you quarrel, sir ? Abram (Graham) Quarrel, sir; no, sir. Sampson (Williamson) If you do, sir, lam for youl serve as good a party as you. Balthazar (Daldy) No better. Sampson (Williamson) Well,-sir. Gregory (Merriman) ' Say better; here comes

one of our friends. Sampson (Williamson) Yes, better. Abram (Graham) You lie. Sampson (Williamson) Draw, if you be men. Gregory (Merriman) Remember your swash-

ing blow. If readers need be assured that these passages do fit, or at least that we deserve praise for ingenuity in making them fit, why, acting upon Dogberry’s advice and leaving them alone till they are 'sober, if they make not then a better answer we will say —they are not the people we took them for. But to be serious ; —Sampson Williamson and Gregory Merriman have struck their “ swashing blow in other words, they have prorogued the Council, quite assured that the law is on their side. And so indeed it is. According to clause 16 of the Constitution Act —It shall be lawful for the Superintendent to prorogue such (Provincial) Council from time to time, whenever be shall deem it expedient to do so. Sampson Williamson has therefore not exceeded his powers in proroguing said Council. But Constitusionalists may find to their cost that the legally right is often politically, as well as morally, wrong, and their Superintendent’s “swashing blow” will peril the Constitution itself. Having law on his side we are unsurprised at his safe temerity. The Council had committed itself egregiously. Everybody despised, and flouted at it. Everybody believed it a nuisance. No member seemed capable of stating the public case as against both our factions, or of proposing a popular in contradistinction to a party policy. And while both factions were eager for triumph, neither faction seemed to be aware that Dangers retreat when boldly they’re confronted, While dull delay breeds impotence and fear. It was all along a case of “ one afraid” while “ t’otherdare not.” The “ swashing blow,” or flunkey coup d’etat of Sampson Williamson would never have been struck, if Progress flunkies had not many times allowed him, with

impunity, to bite his thumb at them. Their cowardice invited aggression, and aggression accepted the invitation. Cross Carleton runny tines said —he sa.d so a few hours before the sw&sh’a g blow came—that he did not rise-to oppose the Executive ; that in point of fact there was no opposition. Admitting so mu.C'u was admitting too much Parliamentary Government without an organized opposition, is, like the Iliad without Achilles, or Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. Prorogation became inevitable just because there was no systematic opposition upon principles any andevery body could understand. Wanting such opposition, Parliaments or Councils are either tongueless blocks, or blocks with tongues far more than enough. Some veracious author relates that Roger Bacon, of marvellous memory, expended much time in the manufacture of a talking head ; but that said head talked so much and to so little purpose—kept up, to the no small annoyance of its manufacturer, such an everlasting tittle tattle, that he knocked it to pieces. Had our nimble-tongued Provincial - Head, of something considerably softer than wood, by the people who made it been treated in similar manner, no sane man would have wondered, however much he might have been- - grieved. Of course Council proceedings on Thursday were very similer to those “ enacted” at the previous sitting.. Speaker Bartley resumed his seat, considerably worse for wear Before doing so he as usual read prayers, which as usual heralded in what, in pithy though inelegant language, is called a jolly row. We have frequently seen the British House of ’ Commons turned into a bear-garden. Upon this occasion, immediately after prayers, honorable members converteh the Council Chamber, not into a garden for the exclusive use of bears, but into an arena where all sorts of wild and monstrous animals display their peculiarities. It did in fact recall to us the Surrey and Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens just about feeding time. Gregory Merriman addressed many observations to the Council in reference to a now •well-known “ conciliatory proposition” someof which were reverse of “ concikatory,” aster example the oblique and “ subtle” insinuation that a subtle spirit (Carleton) was squat like a toad at the ear of Speaker Bartley just as the Devil a long time since was squat like a toad at the ear of Mother Eve.\ Of this “conciliatory” insinuation, Carleton took no notice, but rose and then said what before we have adverted to, namely, that he was not the leader of gentlemen on his own side, and that there was, in fact, no opposition ; but having uttered these words he seemed oblivious of them immediately after andasked the Executive what proposition could be made by them'(tbe Opposition) without a dereliction of principle.. For bis own past he Would listen to nd overture till Mr. Abram Graham hed been received, as member of the Council. Up again started Gregory Merriman who talked “ a hurricane,” and called God to witness that what he had said was from the bottom of his thoroughly legal heart and for the good of bis country. His wordy hurricane meant a change had come over the spirit of his terrible dream, and that then he was quite prepared to resign hia seat if Graham and Dvldy would follow the patriotic example.

Thia “ conciliatory proposition” rejected,, and the house' all but emptied of strangers, locks were put upon the doors, and as a Scrupulously accurate brother reporter, with apparen gusto observes “books and chess and viands of all sorts were provided in abundance for the few members left almost alone in their glory,” helped, we hope, by the no doubt illustrious but certainly unfortunate “few strangers” who stuck to their seats. Not until eight o’clock on Fridy evening was fresh air let in upon these unhappy political martyres by the Open Sesame of “ a Messa’ge from his Honor the Superintendent.” Ou receipt of that Message, accompanying which was a copy of the Proclamation proroguing the Council, there was considerable agitation and much cry with little wool. But before locking up time the Council was - amused, and excitable strangers in the gallery much excited, by a scene in which Gregory Merriman and Robert Graham were chief actors. According to Mr. Graham when he on part of his brother pre posed to Gre t o y Merriman that by way of unfixing the fix, in sweet companionship with Abram Graham and Daldy, he (Gregory Merriman) -should “ resign,” the latter was very indignant. Robert Graham, happening to mention the opinion of that functionary’s constitutents, he with more candour than prudence-said—D n their opinion. Charged with having said so ; he denied it, exclaiming, with eyes turned towards heaven, how fortunate that I have a witness 1 This witness was colleague Buckland who remembered perfectly wl.at tock place during the conversation alluded to, and was certain that the opinion for which bis hon. colleague did not care ad ava; tl e “lega?* opinion of his constitutents. Gie c ory Merriman again declared Robert Graham’s statement pos itive falsehood. Robert Graham demanded a retraction of the offensive expression, whereupon Gregory Merriman '' explained,” and th®.matter dropped.