DUNEDIN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 238, 16 November 1866, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

Nov. 10. The twenty-second Session of the Provincial Council was o jened on Tuesday the Cth hist. The address of His Honor the Superintendent has reached you by telegraph, I shall refer to it as being before your readers. It is very ingeniously constructed to catch nil parties, it lias entirely failed in giving any assurance of confidence on the sincerity of the Government. The document, indeed, reads more like an election speech than a state paper, and is full of glaring mis-state mentsand exaggerations. A keen eye is shown to the approaching strugule between the old and the new identities, and an attempt is made to ride to popularity by endorsing the late disgraceful ebullition of {Addle ignorance and credulity by a series of vague charges against the General Government, ant the action cf the Assembly in its late session. The now powerful goldfields' element is attempted to be conciliated by a promise to bring down resolutions respecting a j reduction of the export duty on gold, while the [action taken upon the subject by tho Superintendent himself in the General Assembly entirely I precludes the possibility of credence being given I to tho Government for an earnest purpose on the matter. i The Reply was moved by Mr Orhcll, the new member for Waikouaiti, who certainly did justice to thi subject; stringing a number of j vague genera ities together in a speech considerably below th i usual average of such first efforts. Mr. Landels (Tokomairiro) with discreet silence [made no observations whatever in seconding. Mr Orbell evidently looked as if he had been entrapped by his good nature, to a not very satisfactory arrangement. Mr Monat then rose and at once diss:pated any idea which might have been entertained as to Goldfields Members having swallowed the bait of the promised resolutions as to (lie gold duty, by plainly telling the Gpvernmcnt that he did not believe in their rincsrity, and asking them to consent to an amendment on this particular clause of tho Reply, which should be definite, and, at least, give the promise of results. The Government eventually refused to accept this—it was negatived—theGoldfields Member's preferring to allow the whole subject to lie thoroughly discussed upon Mr Haiighton's resolution, which stands for Tuesday next. This gentleman, bye the by, made a most vigorous onslaught upon the Government, in the course of the debate ; touching upon the various paragraphs of the Address, and especially stigmatising their conduct in taking credit for public works not even initiated, and attempting to salve overthegoldfields by promises never intended to be fulfilled, and on asking the Council to express "regret for the Legislation of the General Assembly during the late Session" without advancing a single fact or argument in support of such a proposition. Mr Dillon Dell in a most able speech went through the whole question of the action of tho Colonial Parliament during the last few years, showing clearly that there had never been any disposition cxistant in that body to interfere with the Province and their legitimate sphere of work underthe Constitution Act. The honorable gentleman also went very fully into finance, and ended by proposing as an amendment upon clause ten of the Reply, by inserting after "we regret that" in the first line, the words "in the opinion of your Honor's Government" so that the clause would read " We regret that, in the opinion of your Honor's Government, the . Legislation of the General Assembly, during the late session had a tendency j to interfere with the performance of tho responsible duties devolving upon us." After a pro-, tracted debate, which at timas assumed an acrimonious character, the amendment was carried in the teeth of the Government, by 15 to 13. This majority would have been more considerable, but a division not having been expected at the time, Messrs Isaacs, Brown, Paterson, Lloyd and others were absent. The Provincial Treasurer and his friends looked awfully disgusted, and asked for an adjournment to consider their position, this was of course granted. The Council' will not meet before Monday, when, it is understood, that the Government will intimate that thoy have placed their resignation in the hands of the Superintendent, and will ask for a further adjournment, in order to allow time for the necessary arrangements to be made.

I notice that your member doos not appear to consider it a portion of Lis duty to give regular attendance at the sitlingf of the Council, and there appears to be a feeling that he is either indifferent to the duties which he has undertaken to perform, or that some other influences are at work to prevent his being in his place when his presence is most required by the party with which he should be naturally allied. This, by the way, Ihave only to express a hope, whoever may bo the next representative of the Duuatan, that ho will attend regularly, and not on occasions such as referred to above, leave au j m portsn t district practically 'unrepresented.