MR GILLIES'S IMPARTIALITY.

Evening Star, Issue 3199, 22 May 1873, Page 3

MR GILLIES'S IMPARTIALITY.

To the Editor.

Sib, —The defence which Mr J. S. Gi lies, the Speaker of the Provincial Council, has attempted to make in justification of the charge made against him for partiality towards the Reid party is very lame indeed I, as one who was present during the whole proceedings on Monday last, saw plainly what was going on, and a grosser piece of partiality practised on the part of a Speaker could flot hqvc taken place. He must evidently have thought to hiingcllj “ This is the last time I will sit in this chair, and 1 may as well favor the party to whom I belong is long as it remains in my. power to do so. ’ Immediately after Mr Reid had commenced to make his speech in justification of the course pursued by himself and bis party, the message from his Honor the Superintendent, containing the proclamation proroguing the Council was handed to the Speaker, who laid it aside unt l Mr Reid had finished, in spite of the remonstrances of Mr Bastings and other members of the Opposition who asserted that there was now no Council. No sooner, however, had Mr Reid finished than Mr Fish rose to reply, when the Speaker, thinking it time to put on the extinguisher, opened the letter and read the proclamation proroguing dm Council, which having been done he left the Speaker’s chair. It is to $e hoped for the good of the country that neither Mr Gillies, jior any of the party to whom he belongs will ever again eater that chair.—l am, Ac., Progress. Dunedin, May 22.