THE SPEAKERSHIP.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2594, 10 June 1871, Page 2

THE SPEAKERSHIP.

To the Editor. Sir, — In your issue of yesterday your correspondent “Elector” suggested that you might reprint the leader of the Tuapeka Time* of Thursday last, the subject matter of which clearly indicates that in the election of Speaker the Reid party in the Conn oil, including four of the City members, voted against Mr Reynolds in order to shew the strength of their opposition to the Superintendent. It is well known that the stronghold of that party is in the Tuapeka district ami that the Tuupeka Times is their recognised organ. Such being admitted, I think a few extracts from the leader referred to would be, apjireciated by a Large number of your readers who have no opportunity otherwise of knowing jts purport. And as it is very generally known that two members of that party are all-powerful in the management of the above-named paper, we may very fairly conclude that the tactics adopted by Mr Reid at the opening of the session Vad been arranged previously to that date, ns unfolded by the Tuapeka Thunderer in a few extracts which I enclose.

I hope you will be able to insert them, a< it clearly shews that Dunedin with its thousands of populate n, and seven members, is in but a secondary position to Lawrence with its hundred or two, and Brown, Bastings, and Co., who scheme and pull the strings for the Government and party.

Yours, &c., Tojftiv. Dunedin, June 9. [kxtract.] The voting for the appointment of Speaker may lie taken as a fair indication of the strength and composition-of - the two par ti sin the Council. . , . Long hefo e the Ck unci! met, it was hinted that the ap pointment of a Speaker would he made th te t of the comparative strength of the Government and Opposition, and tin; Council evidently understood it as such. The large majority for Mr. Reid’s motion was not, we suspect, owing so much to any objection to Mr. Reynolds or preference for Mr. Gillies, as to the tacit understanding that each racm her should, by his vote, declare whether thpolicy of Mr. Reid or that of the Superintendent should -receive his support during the session. The Government must have been cognizant of this, and the pretence.on their part of s eing nothing in the division but an indication of the members’ opinion of the eltgibi ity of the candidate proposed, was so transparent as to deceive no one. The glove was thrown down, and the refusal on their part to take it up was the strongest possible admission of weakness. Nothing could more conclusively show the opinion and temper of the majority of the Council on the differences between his Honour and his former Executive than the choice they had made of a Speaker. ... By a majority of two to'one they have rejected a near connection of his Honour, who has, during a political career ex,ending through the vrhole history of the proviu e, uniformly retained the'highest character for integrity and This has ostensibly been done on the ground that he.is a strong partisan—though it is scarcely hinted that lie allowed his party 7 feelings ti influence his conduct as Speaker. . . . It was thought expedient to open the session with a display of the strength of the Oppo sition, and the election of a Speaker was a convenient occasion. Air Reynolds was therefore discarded, not so much for his own shortcomings, as for the offences ,of which Mr Mccandrew has been guilty during his canvass. Ho is the real delinquent for whom Mr Reynolds has been made thescapegoat, and the display of strength was intended to intimidate him. Kor was the majority satisfied with merely displaying their strength. The rejection of Mr. Reynolds would have sufficed for this. . . . The party chose Mr, Gillies, who certainly can lay small claim to .very temperate views, of to much moderation in urging them: But the measure of the party’s tuiamph, or his Honor’s humiliation does not consist of this. Of all Mr Macandrew’s - opponents, the oldest, the bitterest, the most invefcrate and persistent, has been Mr Gillies. For the last ton years, in the Council, in the Executive, and on the busting, he has sought for every.opportunity of encountering him, and his opposition has generally been successful. He has made his Honor, his history, and his failings, his particular • study, and has thoroughly mastered the subject. . . , At its first meeting, two thirds of its members offered him, by election of a Speaker, a most flagrant affront.