OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 508, 16 September 1857, Page 4

OTAGO.

By the Eclair we have copies of both Otago papers to the 29fch of August. The ' Otag-o Colonist' is very wrath at some of our comments upon their.Lite dealings. We have always wished well to that province, and wished that its Government would accommodate it&elf to the prejudices of the world on many sof the points on which it appears to differ from

them. As for the "sectarian prejudice and religious bigotiy," which are supposed to be our motives, we are not conscious of being actuated by suoh influences ; unless, indeed, it be " sectarian prejudice " to admire an adherence to contracts, and "religious bigotiy" to regret that expenses incurred for Otago by this province are not repaid. The most important news is the change of government in the province. The announcement, which is of importance as relating to a province where parties have been formed with unusual distinctness, is made in these terms :

Mixistkkial Changes.—Our readers will observe from an announcement which appears in our issue of this day, that Messrs. Young and Cutten have been appointed members of the Executive Council, the latter gentleman also holding the oih'ee of Provincial Secretary. It may be known to the generality of our readers that negotiations relating to this change in the Executive have been pending for the last month. The other changes effected are, that Mr. Proudfoot resigns his seat in the Executive, and Mr. Reynolds is to be Gazetted out. Mr. J. Cargill retains his seat, Mr. M'Glashan continuing to act as Provincial Solicitor and Treasurer. The latenessin the week at .which this change, of Government has been made precludes us from noticing it more fully.— Witness, Aug. 8. The "Witness" thus comments •on . the occurrence in its issue of the loth instant: —

The recent change in the Executive of the Province has produced greater excitement than might have been anticipated, and like most changes, has not given universal satisfaction. But when we come" to look into the matter, it is evident that the noncontents are chiefly of the extreme parties on either side ; thus we find a portion of the extreme opponents to the Government dissatisfied because the whole of the old Government has not been rooted out, and the staunch supporters of a section of that Government are equally discontented, because there has been any change at all. Neither of these extremes appear to us to' be justified in the position they take. There can be little doubt that to the injudicious action of the ultra Government supporters, the rapid and increasing growth of the opposition was mainly attributable, and we (irmly believe that had there now been a_ total change in the Government, there would in_ all probability have been,:sooner or later, a re-action, more or less violent, in proportion to the rigidity, with winch the new Government might have acted. The recent change, however, need not have surprised the public to the extent which it has done. The decrease of the majority _by which the Government carried its measure during the last session, in consequence of .elections which have taken place in the interim, might very reasonably have paved the way to the contemplation of some modification of the Government at least during the ensuing session. That it has occured at the present time we think is a decided gain to the interests of the Province, as it will enable the new ministry to prepare in a satisfactory way such measures as may be found necessary, which in the present state of affairs of the Province, we believe will be found to be not incorisiderable in point of number or importance ; and, judging from the aspect of the political horizon, conducting the Government will be by no means an easy or agreeable task.