WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 2991, 19 September 1872, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(FROM our own correspondent,) The charges made by Mr Stafford, Mr Sheehan, and others, condemning the AgentGeneral and Government in not obtaining immigrants from Ireland —so paltry, as was observed at the time, as it was merely speaking to constituents —have been also disproved ; for, as Mr Ormond informed the House, the Government had just received a despatch intimating that Mr Farnall, the agent from Auckland Province, had neon despatched to Ireland specially to select emigrants for the Colony. The expose of the Superintendent and Provincial Secretary of Wellington was merited. It shews how these schpmera attempt el to impose upon the Government, and if anything would induce members to vote for the withdrawal of the scat of Government, it is the machination of those most disinterested individuals. Pressure had been put upon the Government to have the contr-ct for the Masterton railway signed before the meeting of Parliament, but Ministers (lid not see through this, and declined sacrificing the interests of the Colony to meet the desires of this mend cious pair. 'lhe Government, ■\fere loyally disposed towards plie Province, but would not consent to the overtures of those gentlemen, and that was one of the reasons why they had ceased to support the Government. If Mr Stafford obtained tlufr support, and wished to keep it, it would only be on terms that the present Government declined. The support given last year by the Government to tiro Wellington debts Bill, which was opposed in a block by the Stafford party, the passing of which bad resuscitated the Province, was nothing to them. The building of the Wanganui bridge, the materials of which were lying useless on the banks of the river, was a more nothing, unless power was now given to them to dispose of that bridge, which had been mortgaged to the Colony on account of the advances made to the Province by the General Government. The Native Minister bad settled the long-standing Manawatudifficulty in respect to the lands, but that also was of no account. M r Ormond gave a specimen of Mr Bunny’s style of addressing Ministers on the occasion of his Paul Pry visits. He had said in an interview with the Premier, “If you hand over to us the execution of the Public Works, don’t you see it will bo much better for you, for suppose -we do the work extravagantly, that s nothing to 3'ou, iho Province will be changed with it, and we shall be bound to support you when wc come to the Assembly. This will be a first-rate political move for you.” The difference of

opinion that existed between this Paul Pry and the heads of departments was owing to In’s financial inquisitiveness and audacious bounce. He denounced the officers of the Treasury when he found that he could not got money, and went about the buildings in a state oi furore, asserting “ that they would rot be stamped upon ; they had put the Government in, and they would put them out.” The Government, therefore, wisely, it cannot be denied, rejected the support of these two gentlemen at the price it would cost the colony. Such is a slight sketch of Mr Ormond’s speech, which will be printed in Han surd ere another mail leaves for the South. Several Otago members have proposed that this speech should be printed for circulation through the Province, so as to enlighten the electors in up-country districts, as there will be little chance of the Dally Times doing so, as they believe. Although this debate has no doubt had the effect of delaying business, it will show to the people the actions of the Government throughout their difficulties in initiating and organising the scheme of public works. It will show that their actions have been wise, and for the best interests of the Colony ; and that now, when the country is at peace, and expenditure decreasing, .and advancing prosperity has taken place, that a set of men under the rule of Mr Stafford have rudely, by intrigue and design, wrested the further development of the scheme from the hands of those who initiated it, upon false premises and false conclusions.

(For eon tin nation of News see fourth page,]