A SPECIAL SESSION.

Evening Star, Issue 3049, 26 November 1872, Page 2

A SPECIAL SESSION.

This morning Messrs R. Stout, G. Duncan, and D. Hutcheson, M. P.O.’s, waited upon his Honor the Superintendent, and presented to him a requisition from members of the Provincial Council, asking him to call the Provincial Council together without delay. (A copy of the requisition appeared in our last Wednesday’s issue.) It was stated by Mr Duncan that twenty-seven membeis 1, had signed the memorial, while of those to whom letters had been sent only two had declined to sign. hay were Mr M‘Glashall, who positively refused ; and Dr. Webster, who, while wishing the Council to be called together, thought the session should be held after and not before the holidays, as asked by the r- quisitionists. Mr 11 utcjiicson referred to the necessity for bringing into operation the Highway Boards Vet, and the opening up of land for settleim-iP, a; strong reasons for cading the Council together. His Honor said the correspondence that had passed between himself and Messrs Cutten and Bradshaw would indicate his views on the subject.

(Memo, for his Honor the Superintendent.) Provincial Secretary’s Office, loth Nov.. 1872.

Wc, the undersigned members of your Executive, present our compliments to your Honor, and, in consequence of the present unsatisfactory state of affairs, advise your Honor to call a meeting of the Provincial Council at the earliest possible date, W. H. C.LTTEX, Acting Provincial Secretary ajjd Treasurer. J. B. Bradshaw, Secretary for Public Works and Goldfields, 16th November, 1872. Gentlemen,—ln reply to your memo, of yesterday’s date, in which you advise me to call a meeting of the Provincial Council at the earliest possible date, in consequence of “ the present unsatisfactory state of affairs,” I have to observe that, iu as far as the public interests are concerned, affairs arc not at present more unsatisfactory than usual, but, on the contrary, the departmental business of the Province is being promptly attended to. The Executive Government, as you are aware, is using every exertion to give effect to the votes and resolutions of the Provincial Council at its last session ; and notwithstanding the increasing demand for labor, will, I trust, be able to congra ulate the Council in due course upon most, if not the whole, of the works authorised by it being cither completed or in progress.— I am, kc., J. Macandrew.

With regard to declaring blocks of land open for settlement lie thought there should bo no delay. Of course it was necessary before the Provincial Council could deal with the subject that the Act should be brought into operation; and there must be certain d s ata upon which the Council’s action should be founded. That would take a little time, he supposed. There should he no unnecessary delay in cabling the Council together. With regard to the Highway Boards ques tiou, lie confessed he had not looked info it as carefully as he shou d have done ; he bad been waiting for a copy of the Act, which had not yet come down. Mr Stout remarked, in reference to an observation that had fallen from his Honor to the effect that to call a special sesdon just now would bo attended by very much personal inconvenience to members, that twenty-seven members had signed the requisition, while sufficient time had not elapsed to allow of replies from the member lor Queenstown, or the outlying districts of Southland, '1 bat showed that their convenience was not likely to be affected. H s Honor yould observe that the requisitionists did not base their request that the Council should be called together' on a w y difference of opinion that might exist, but solely upon public grounds. With regard to bis Monoi’s observation that the calling together of the Council would'only give rise to acrimonious debate, he (Mr Stout), on that questiop, might observe that delaying to call the Council together would not get rid of that debate, but on the contrary, the difference would gather stiength on its course ; and the debate, if it did take place, would be attended with still greater acrimony if the meeting of Council were delayed. He referred to the necessity of the Council being summoned to set aside blocks of land for settlement under the new Act, and to the fact that the requisitionists were unacquainted vith the views of his Honor's advisers on the land question. It was possible if their views agreed with those of the requisitionists, that they might retain office for some time. The Council was certainly in utter darkness as to whether the business of the ppuntry would be ca ried on m the way the majority wished. Ho thought that was a str.on ii ground, if they were to have anything like a responsible Government. t e thought the introducing of the Land Act alone would have been sufficient. There were other important matters, such as the Highway Boards Act, and the setting aside of blocks, that required attention. Although the Provincial Council coujd not elect the members of the VV aste Land Board which was done by iris Honor, his Executive, and the Governor, at the samo time the Council could know from the Executive whether pioper men would be appointed. He point d out that it was possible that, while his Honor would desire to see appointed proper men, }fe might be overruled by Ids Executive. The proper administration of the Act greatly depended upon the selection of the members of the Board. Besides, these appointments were really for hfe, and it was not likely that the Governor would remove a member except on sonic very grave or specific charge.

Seeing that such large discretionary powers were left in the hands of the Waste Land Board, the Council should know whether those powers would be exercised in accordance with the views of the majority. '• In Be grounds were urged independent of those contained n his Honor’s correspondence with Messrs Cutten and Bradshaw.

His Honor said he should be sorry to sec party spirit having anything to do with the appointment of members of the Waste > and Board. The Land Act should be administered irrespective of opinion; its meaning was so clear that he who ran might read ; and it was not to give effect to every set < f opinions. The great object of the Act was to make the Board non-political—such was the ostensible object of the Legislature. Indeed, some members of the Upper House went so far a to propose that no member of the Provincial Council, as well as General Assembly, should be upon it. Mr >tout observed that as the Board w-ia to be semi-political, that half of it should represent the views of the majority of the Council. His Honor said that whatever was the result, he should do all he could to make the Board uou-poiitical. He would give a very careful and deliberate consideration to the question raised ; and with that assurance the deputation withdrew.