ESSENCE OF NEWS FOR OUR ENGLISH READERS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 160, 5 February 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

ESSENCE OF NEWS FOR OUR ENGLISH READERS.

The month of January has been a stormy month. All sorts of things have happened quite unexpectedly and out of the usual rou. tine. For instance, the Council met on the 18th, and to the astonishment of all parties, (especially the Herald), the Government got a licking! It happened thus :—The Government looked upon its being obliged to call the Council together as a grievous vexation and humiliation of spirit. In fact, to such a pitch of hopelessness had the worthies comprising that company arrived that it was proposed to shove the business through in one night. To this, however, the Opposition objected, and being unexpectedly backed by a reinforcement from what the member for Clive calls “ independent benches,” that is, being interpreted, the “ blocks,” the Government got a defeat, and were obliged to postpone the business of the meeting until the morrow.

The Superintendent, with that liberality of feeling for which he is remarkable, finding himself likely to get the worst of it, sent off, (at the public charge), a special messenger for the member for Porangahau; that gentleman being the back-bone and main-stay of the concern. The trusty bearer of the direful intelligence spared neither whip, spur, nor horse-flesh, and the result was that in the course of a couple of days the great Blucher made his appearance in a very dilapidated condition and in a very bad humor. To work the parties went in style, and the Government feeling somewhat reassured by the presence of the aforesaid member for Porangabau, got very cheeky, and indulged in a long tirade against Mr. Colenso, but were beaten by that gentleman upon a division of the house on a matter relating to the occupation of native land for their pains. Mr. Colenso made a speech upon some subject or other, to a portion of which Mr. Speaker took objection : whereupon Mr. C. pitched into that gentleman, and that gentleman pitched into Mr. C. The upshot of it was that the Speaker got the worst of it. Thus the opposing factions kept worrying one another through thick and thin until the great question of the Loan Bill came up. Hereupon Mr. Colenso made another speech, to which Mr. Speaker thought it advisable not to object. The member for Clive, with that lucid eloquence for which he is -remarkable, was good enough to give the assembled multitude the benefit of his opinion upon the subject, for which, of course, everybody was very much obliged to him. The only information of a novel kind in that oration was that he, the member for Clive, is the most independent man in the Council. Which fact would be open to doubt but for the reite. rated assertions on the part of the eloquent speaker that it was perfectly true. After which, the House being divided, the ayes for the bill were 11, and the noes, 2 ; and the ruin of Hawke’s Bay may therefore be considered as settled by a large majority. People unacquainted with the state of politics in the Colonies would not believe the quantity of foolish talk which is got through, and the little business done during one of the sittings of the local Government. The war progresses favorably. General Cameron whips the Maories whenever and wherever he gets a chance, and there is some hope that some time between this and the second deluge we may see the end of the business. In local matters apart from the Provincial Council meeting there is nothing of moment to record beyond the occurrence of a general inspection of the troops, both horse and f jot in the province ; at which exhibition the Commandant distinguished himself considerably, as was expected. A charge of cavalry was sustained with great spirit and the most heroic fortitudeJiy the Militia and Volunteers, who, finding that after the clouds of hostile

horsemen had passed, they, the Militia, were none the worse for it, felt naturally highly elated and much surprised. Justice Johnston has been so obliging a s to condescend to give us a look in, with a view to remedy any little defects in our moral arrangements that he might fall in with. Herein the great man was grievously disappointed, for to such a degree of virtuous perfection had .this community arrived that although he, the Judge, summoned a Grand Jury, and gave them a long lecture into the bargain, he could not find a man amongst them to be tried. Upon the whole, then, we may consider that the month has been one of unusual bustle and trilliancy ; and if Hawke’s Bay once gets through the like again without a simultaneous revolution we shall be very much astonished.