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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 205, 16 December 1864, Page 2

The s.s. Queen arrived yesterday from Auckland, bringing papers to the 13th inst. His Honor the Superintendent returned by this opportunity. Most of the southern members are also on their way home, the Assembly being virtually at an end.

Mr. Whitaker has resigned his seat in the Legislative Council. The Southern Cross of the 7th thus sums up the doings of the General Assembly;—

The question of the removal of the seat of Government and a proposal to remove the troops by the Ministry, has led to a lengthened debate; and the Government consented to withdraw their original resolutions and substitute others, which differed slightly in language but nothing whatever in principle. An addition was moved by the Auckland members, to the effect that the Constitution be suspended in the North Island until the conclusion of the war, and that meanwhile the Middle Island should enjoy the benefits of the present Constitution, and responsible government. 'lhe Southern members oppose this, being willing rather to ruin the North than surrender the management of native affairs, for which they have proved themselves so eminently unfitted. The following are the sets of resolutions and their amendments :

(The resolutions proposed by Mr. Wold, Colo•nial Secretary, were subsequently withdrawn by the Government.) Proposed b3' Mr. Atkinson, Defence Minister, and seconded by Major Richardson, PostmasterGeneral, as an amemdment on Mr. Weld’s resolutions :

1. That the House takes this occasion of expressing its loyalty and devotion to the Crown, its gratitude for the generous assistance rendered by the mother country to this colony, and its cordial appreciation of the gallant services performed by her Majesty’s land and naval forces in New Zealand.

2. That tliis House, having in its last session accepted the decision of the Duke of Newcastle upon the subject of the responsibility of directing and controlling the native policy of the colony, as imposed upon it by his Despatch No. 22, of the 26th February, 1863, which decision has been interpreted by the instructions of his Excellency the Governor, contained in Despatches No. 43, of 26th April, and No. 65, of 26th May, 1864, of the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, expresses its confident trust that these instructions were issued to meet a temporary emergency, and may lapse the moment a normal state of things shall be restored in the colony,

3. That this House does not dispute the claim of the Imperial Grovermnent to exercise a reasonable control over policy upon which the restoration of peace must necessarily depend, whilst the colony is receiving the aid of British troops for the suppression of internal disturbances; yet cannot shrink from the expression of its conviction, that the joint responsibility of Ministers has resulted in divided counsels, which have been productive of great evils to both races of her Majesty’s subjects in this colony, and have entailed heavy and unnecessary expenditure both upon Great Britain and on New Zealand. 4. That the resources of New Zealand have been already heavily burfhened, and their development retarded by the great sacrifices that have been entailed upon the colony by the native insurrbclion. That nevertheless the colony is resolved to make every further possible effort to place itself in a position of self-defence against internal aggression, with a view to accept the alternative indicated by the Home Government, viz., the withdrawal of her Majesty’s land forces at the earliest possible period consistent with the maintenance of Imperial interests, and the safety of the colony ; thereby enabling the Imperial Government to issue such instructions to his Excellency the Governor as may permit him to bo guided entirely by tho recommendations of his Constitutional Advisers in native as well as in ordinary affairs ; excepting upon such matters as may directly concern Imperial interests and the prerogative of the Crown. 5. That those resolutions be embodied in an humble address to his Excellency the Governor, requesting him to transmit them to her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. To which Mr. Robert Graham, Superintendent of Auckland, proposed the following addition, after the third paragraph:— 5. That in the present circumstances of tho colony, it is expedient, as a temporary measure, that New Zealand should be divided into two separate colonies. That the Southern colony should liave a Constitutional Government, administered on the principle of Ministerial responsibility. That the Northern colony should have such a Constitution as willenable the Imperial Govrrnment to exercise such control over the management of native affairs as will enable her Majesty’s Government to take such measures as it may deem necessary to suppress the present rebellion, and provide safeguards against rebellion for tho future. 6. That when the management of native affairs shall cease to form a special difficulty in tho Government of New Zealand, the two colonies be reunited as one colony under a single Government, to be established in the locality which shall be most convenient to the members of the Legislature, and for the general interests of the colony at large. 7. That her Majesty’s Imperial Government bo most respectfully, but strongly, urged to give effect,'without delay, to these resolutions.

8. That these resolutions be embodied in an bumble address to his Excellency the Governor, requesting him to transmit to her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Colonics. The House of Representatives rejected Mr. Graham’s proposal by a majority 35 to 18 ; and a similar set of resolutions in the Legislative Council were rejected by a majority of 1.

The natives appear bent on an outbreak to the North of Auckland. Matters are extremely critical, and a very slight cause may lead to an indiscriminate slaughter of the white population, and the destruction of at least two millions of property.