THE SITUATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3201, 24 May 1873, Page 3

THE SITUATION.

To the Editor.

Fir, — It must be a relief to many of your readers to hear that a writ for a dissolution of the Otago Provincial Council has been granted by his Excellency the Acting Governor, in spite of the mcrrodal presented by Mr Reid and his party against his doing so. In the opinion of all liberal men and men of progress, a dissolution is tbe only mc.-ns of getting over the present crisis. The Council, after having been in session about a fortnight, actually got through no business, but the members continued to squabble and adjourn from day to day, to the expense to the Province of about L 50 0; and even supposing the same Council were to meet again, wc should have exactly n repetition of the same scenes which have lately taken place. And who has been ihe primary cause of all this disgraceful squabbling and waste of time and public money? No other person than Donald Reid. He it is who is pretending to have the good and welfare of the country at heart, and yet we s- e in him the very man who has been the cause of the waste of time of the other members of the Council, and of the public money, for no other course than that of personal spite and animosity towards Mr Macandrew. Why so many of the country members have beep following him I am at alos to make out. It cannot be on the question of policy, for it has been admitted that the Reid party were quite contented With, the policy which Mr Macandrew and his present Exceptive carrying out. Ob, could Mr Reid’s followers but see through the dense mist which at present surrounds them, they would perceive that they are now, and have all along been pursuing a course both prejudicial to themselves and to the progress of the country. I have no hesitation in saying that the new election will not cost the Province so much money as what the last meeting of the Council has; besides, in little more than a year hence, the Council will dissolve, as a matter of course, through effluxion of time. Mr Macandrew, with the popularity which he at present possesses all over the country, is certain of bung again returned as Superintendent, whoever may take the Held against him : in fact there is not another man in Otago but himself who could hold tbe reins of Government at the present time. As for Mr Reid, beyond Lxa few clodocratic followers, his conduct and himself do not possess the sympathy and confidence of the country. However, it is a consolation to think that not many of those members who have been backing up Mr Reid will have the chance of again taking a seat in the Provincial Council, —I am, &c,, Progress. Dunedin, May 24,