Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1864

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 158, 22 January 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1864

It will not only be seen by our report that the Provincial Council has met, discussed, and departed, but that, differing slightly from most meetings of that description, some very important resolutions have been passed. It is, however, very unfortunate that the one great resolution of the batch, i.e., that the Council resolves that His Honor be requested to use every possible fair exertion to reserve certain portions of the Native Lands from the further pillage of the squatters, and which resolution was passed in spite of the strenuous opposition of the Government party, is likely to a dead letter. It is not verj likely that His Honor will take action in the matter. That gentleman, as Chief Land Purchase Commissioner, winked at the occupation of Native Lauds in cases where it suited his purpose many years ago, and has continued to do so to this day. Still, it is satisfactory to the outsiders to know that the majority of the Council are averse to that state of things, and have expressed their opinion to that effect.

The Speaker, we regret to be obliged to say, did not act in an impartial manner. The member for Waipukurau was allowed to enter into a very irrelevant abuse of One of the members for the Town, and the member for Clive was permitted to abuse everybody, without interference, and, what is more, without even the excuse of that abuse having anything to do with the subject at issue. But when the aforesaid member for Napier gets on his legs and indulges in a little eccentric ami perfectly harmless peroration, which, although not exactly relevant to the matter in hand, was not very far off, Mr. Speaker comes down upon that eloquent gentleman, and a small scene ensues, the upshot of winch is that Mr. Speaker gets the worst of it. These scenes are very bad, and the causes which give rise to these scenes are worse. The Provincial Council is a deliberative assembly, and so long as a man does not go beyond all bounds of relevancy, and conducts himself with decency and decorum, the Speaker ought not to interfere. T he conduct of the members for Waipmkurau and Clive was ridiculous, to say the least of it ; while that of the member for Napier was perfectly harmless, to say the most of it. The sitting was upon the whole satisfactory, although longer than was expected. The Government got a very severe handling, and are now in a very shaky condition ; the resignation of the Superintendent is by no means unlikely. If he can command a majority in the “ house," he certainly labors under the disadvantage of being dreadfully in the minority out of it. The Government party are very free in their use of expletives, such as “ factious opposition,” but, unfortunately for them, their case is so extremely bad, that it is ten to one that the “factious opposition” will be carried thiough by the people, in spite of strenuous resistance. The Loan Amendment Act was of course carried through, Messrs. Colenso and Bousfield alone voting against it. The fact, unfortunately is, that since the Act was virtually passed there remained but small opening for resisting the Amendment. Wo shall,

however, touch upon this subject again shortiy- . We are very glad to see that there is a great inclination on the part of the Town Electors to put out Messrs. Smith and Kennedy, in consequence of their gross neglect of the interests of their constituency in opposing Mr. Colenso’s motion upon the subject of the Native Land Purchase Ordinance, We hope that this desirable object will be effected. Mr. M Lean himself has, by right, forfeited his seat for the same reason. We feel convinced that no independent constituency can or will allow their representatives to support the gross breach of that vital ordinance which is now going on, to the ruin of the many for the aggrandizement of the few.