The Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, 4th OCTOBER, 1866.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 426, 4 October 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.

THURSDAY, 4th OCTOBER, 1866.

"NDLLIUS ADDICTUB JUBABE IN VERBA MAUIsTEI/*

Decidedly the most important item of intelligence brought by the mail yesterday was that of the decision of the General Assembly to bold its next meeting at Christchurch. We must own that it came upon ns by surprise, and was for some time altogether unaccountable, especially as it was accompanied by the still more startling rumor that the Seat of Government was to be permanently established in that city. This latter report proves to be an exaggeration, though it is, beyond doubt, after all the actual aim of the Separationists iu bringing forward such a motion.

The reasoning of this party may be clearly understood to have been as follows ;—“ Let us get the next meeting of the Assembly at Christchurch ; we will then secure the continuance of its sittings there. The Northern provinces will not be content to be governed from such a distance, and so we shall succeed in gaining Separation. The Assembly is at war with the press of Wellington city, and will, out of spite, carry through the first portion of our programme, and it will be comparatively easy lor us to manage the remainder.” And so the House was gulled. Members who profess to abhor the idea of Separation were entrapped into voting for the motion. Even the two members for Hawke’s Bay were, mirahile dictum , to bo found voting with the ultra-separation party, and against the Ministry.

For some few days before the night of the debate, a rumor seems to have prevailed that a resolution for the transference of the next session of the Assembly to Christchurch would be proposed to the House, but it does not seem that the Government party paid it that attention that it deserved, reasonably supposing that at a time when it was necessary to impose heavy additional burthens upon an already over-taxed people, in the shape of stamp duties, and the still more abominable newspaper tax, in order to meet the necessary expenditure of the Government, it would be most absurd to involve the Colony in the additional expense of a removal of all the paraphernalia of governmeet to the other island, for a temporary purpose, and for no sufficient reason ; and therefore it was that the aim of the Separationists was accomplished—albeit by the slender majority of one. The debate itself came off on the evening of Monday last, when, in Committee of Supply, Mr Whitaker moved “ That in the opinion of this House the next session of the General Assembly should be held at Christchurch,” and repudiated any hostility to Wellington, or ulterior object, as Separation, or the removal of the Seat of Government. He, however, did refer to the meagre reports of the proceedings of the Assembly given by the Wellington press, and thought that some advantages would be gained by changing the locality of the sittings of the Assembly. Mr Vogel, in seconding the resolution, defended the local press, and showed that the Government had, by depriving the trade of the profits of Government printing, put it out of the power of printers to undergo the expense of reporting fully; hut thought certain advantages would be derived from a change, par. ticularly the riddance of local influences. He did not think the expense of the change ought he considered in view of its advantages. Mr Haughton said that local jealousies would probably be greater in Canterbury, with its fifteen members, than in Wellington, with its nine; and the expense would be great. Major Richardson objectedon similar grounds, 1 aod asked if the province in which it was

proposed the Assembly should meet would bear the additional expense. He viewed it is an attempt to upset' the basis on which Wellington was constituted the Seat of Government-

On the question being put, there were, for the resolution, 27 ; against it, 26. The following is the division list:—

Ayes, 27. —Messrs. Ball, Bell, Burns, Campbell, Cargill, Carleton, Clark, De Quincy, Graham, G., Graham, R., Henderson* Hull, Macandrew, M’Lean, Moorhouse (teller), O’Neill, J., Ormond, O’Rorke, Paterson Potts, Reid, Yogel, Ward, Whitaker (teller), James Williamson, John Williamson, and Wood.

Noes, 26.—Messrs Atkinson, Borlase Bradshaw, Brandon, Bryce, Bunny (teller), Cox, Curtis, Featherston, Fitzberbert, Hankinson, Haughton, Haultain, Jollie, Ludlam, Oliver, O’Neill, C., Parker, Richardson, Richmond, A, J., Richmond J, C., Stafford, Taylor, Watt, Wells, and Wilson. The motion being agreed to, Mr Gracroft Wilson proceeded to propose “ that a respectful address be presented to his Excellency the Governor, praying him to place on the estimates the sum of £40,000 for the purpose of carrying out the motion, which, however, be afterwards withdrew, proposing instead the following addition to the original motion, —“ and this House pledges itself to sanction the necessary expense.” Carried by a majority of five. The original motion, as amended, was then put, and carried by a majority of four.