PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2396, 6 December 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

dire Speaker took the chair at noon. Several unimportant questions were asked of and answered by the Government. On moving that the report of the Select Committee on the Tuapeka District Petition he referred to the Government, the subjoined letter from Mr H. Bastings was read. Its reading was interrupted by disapprobation at certain passages, and enabled Mr MTndoe to give a flat denial to the statement contained in the Tuapeka Times that ho had stated the signatures were forgeries “ Having become aware through various sources that certain statements have been made relative to the manner in which I conducted the presentation of (the above-named petition, and that such statements have been made both in and out of the Provincial Council, I consider it my duty both towards myself personally, as well as towards the matter 1 had in hand to draw your attention to certain facts which will i am satiefied, utterly refute the statements to which I have referred, and in doing this 1 have the honor to request that you will lay this letter before the Committee ; Ist Relative to the presentation of the petition to his Honor the Superintendent, instead of to the Provincial Council—it was by the advice of a member of the Council who was of opinion that the petition should go to the Council through his Honor. 2nd. I am accused of having delayed the presentation of the petition until after the debate upon the subject took place in the Provincial Council on Thursday, the ddth Nov. was over, and it is further al- 1 leged that I did this for a “purpose,” but what that purpose was is not stated by any one. When entrusted with the petition, I went to Dunedin as early as possible, consistent with my private engagements, and arrived in Dunedin on the night of the 21st of November. That gave me but a short time to canvass the city for signatures, and did not know that any debate then pending had anything to do with the matter I had in hapd. I am absolutely guiltless of the charge of having delayed it in the slightest degree, but, on the contrary, can prove that I worked hard and dilligently to get the matter through. Allow me to add the charge of having delayed the petition “fora purpose,” is an enigma to me. If those who make the charge would only state

their meaning, I might certainly be able to ■ frame a reply. 3rd. I understand that cer- • tain honorable (?) members of the Provincial i Council have stated that some of the signa- i turcs are forgeries. To this slander I have ■ simply to reply that I am in a position to prove the genuineness of every signature, and , canuot more aptly end this communication i than by answering you that the accusations “ begin with a lie, go on with a lie, and end with a lie.” lam strongly of opinion that it will be found that the public of this Province will have an increasing disrelish for assisting the commonwealth if such unfounded statements for party purposes, are made against the bonafuh's of individuals who come forward actuated by a desire to benefit the Province and enhance its prosperity.” The motion and a proposal to print the evidence was rejected. The Appropriation Bill passed, and several unimportant motions were carried. The following message from the Superintendent was road : “The Superintendent desires to direct the attention of the Provincial Council to his message No. 3, with a view to reconsidering the resolution to which the message refers. After a pei sonal interview with one of the members of the General Government, the Superintendent is more and more convinced of the folly of the Province of Otago standing aloof and denying itself the immediate advantages of those public works which other Province'- are hastening to avail themselves of—works which this Province cannot possibly construct out of the revenue—and for which it cannot find funds without the aid of the Colony. The Superintendent would earnestly submit to the most serious consideration of the Provincial Council how far it is worth while sacrificing the progress of the Province and the development of its resources to a feeling of a cpticism as to the power of the Colony to carry out the financial scheme which has been adopted almost without a dissentient voice by the representatives of the people—both Provincialists and Centralists. The Superintendent has no doubt 1 whatever as to the results of the policy in so ■ far as relates to the successful negotiation of the loan: in which case, as the matter now , stands, the question, in so far as Otago is concerned, simply resolves into the fact that i while the credit of the Province has been — ■ if indeed it has not already been pledged—to • a-Colonial loan for reproductive purposes, the Province is content to relinquish its claim to any share of such loan. The Superintendent ventures to hope that the Provincial Council 1 will further consider the subject with a view , to modifying or rescinding its previous reso- ; lution to the intent that immediate action may he taken towards water supply on the Goldfields, the construction of the Southern ; Trunk Railway, and Parliamentary Survey i of a line from Lawrence to Tokoraairiro. It is’a matter of sincere regret to the Superintendent that his responsible advisers and himself have not been able to work hand in hand relative to these matters, and that he has therefore no means of communicating his views to the Provincial Council, and of recommending the policy which he deems ‘ best, excepting by the very unsatisfactory l medium of messages in which his advisers do no 6-concur. “J. Macandbew, “Superintendent. Mr Clark, in moving the reply to his • Honor’s message, No 2 (published in our Thursday’s Issue), obtained leave to withdraw the following sentences and words from the concluding paragraph : “ The Council canuot look on your Honor’s message in any other light than as another infringement of the Constitution.” “In impugning motives,” “has received your Honor’s constitutional rights,” and “ Although the Council has condescended to answer your Honor’s message, No. 3, it would take the liberty of remarking that this is not to be understood as an acknowledgement on the part of the Council that your Honor has any right to send such a message.” Mr Henderson seconded the motion. In a really good speech, Mr Haughtou characterised Mr Clark’s conduct as of a most extraordinary character, in bringing the message forward in the way he did, and afterwards striking out the offensive parts, defended the .Superintendent’s action, and expressed his thorough approval of the financial scheme, and his belief that the money required to carry it out would be raised. Ho also stated his opition that he knew the author of the article upon it in the Home Nans, tire reading of which last evening appeared to afford Mr Thomson such satisfaction and Mr Reid’s “tail” such high glee ; and hinted that oue need not go from home to find him. The debate was adjourded until to-morrow.