LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 111, 12 May 1870, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

The Council met at five o'clock. Present, all the members. On the motion of Mr. Wastney, a deputation was appointed to confer with the College Governors on the desirability of making some alteration in the manner in which the Governors are for the future to be elected. On the question of the unauthorised expenditure being brought forward, Mr. Gibbs moved that the amount be reduced by £62 10s ., that being the sum paid to Mr Dent in excess of last year's vote. He did not think that the Superintendent would really have set at defiance the vote of the Council, whose dignity and usefulness had been thus infringed. Mr. Rutherford seconded the amendment, as he thought if the Council was to be defied in that manner it was high time for it to show that it could do something more than bark. The Provincial Secretary thought that members were not aware of the particulars. There was no doubt that the Superintendent had uttered an unwise threat, and it was the opinion of the Executive that he was wrong in doing so, but at the same time they fully concurred in the expenditure, and thought that it was for the interest of the Province that it was spent. The additional salary was for additional duties performed. Mr. Franklyn hoped that the Council would reject the amendment, as Mr. Dent deserved not only the salary paid to him, but the thanks of the Council, noth withstanding the tirade of abuse poured out upon him by Mr. Gibbs the other night. He trusted for the credit of the West Coast that its members would not allow so deserving an officer to be deprived of his salary. Mr. Donne would vote for the amendment. It had been ingeniously suggested by the Provincial Secretary that the money had been paid for additional services, but there was nothing to show this, besides the question was not one of £50 merely, but whether the Council would suffer its expressed wishes to be violated with impunity. Mr. Reid hoped that in spite of the remarks ' which had failed from Mr. Franklyn — of whom, with every desire to be charitable, he must say that he bad displayed very

crude ideas of his duties and very considerable experience of Billingsgate language — the Council would adopt- the amendment. He knew nothing of Mr. Dent, but there was an important principle to defend. The subject was not new to the West Coast members, as it had been felt by them last year to be one of their extreme grievances and they looked upon it as a subversion of all principles on which the Council was constituted. It was impossible to dissociate the threat and the payment of the money. The threat might have been forgiven, but its execution showed that a deliberate insult was intended. Mr. Luckie objected to the wording of the resolution, which was, however, shown by the Provincial Secretary to be in accordance with the Act. Mr. Shephard felt considerable regret in being compelled to vote against the Government on this question, which was one invoking a great constitutional principle. The money had been paid in the face of a direct vote of the Council to the contrary. The Executive had assumed a power belonging to the representative body alone, 0 power which the people should never allow to slip from their fingers. Could the question have been put into any form in which he could conscientiously have voted for the Government, he would gladly have done so; but, as it was, he must support the amendment. Mr. F. Kelling would vote for the amendment, as he considered it the duty of the representatives of the people to be particularly jealous of their power over the purse-striugs. Mr. C. Kelling thought that the Superintendent had spoken most rashly, but at the same time he considered the explanation of the Provincial Secretary to be perfectly satisfactory. Mr. Collins said, as it r/as merely the principle to which members objected, and the Provincial Secretary had stated that the Executive did not agree with the Superintendent in the threat he had made, he thought they might fairly accept the explanation and vote the sum. Mr. Wastney said that every member had felt most acutely last year the contemptuous style in which the Superintendent had defied them. He should vote for the amendment, as he could not conscientiously do otherwise. Ameudmentput — Ayes 13, Noes 5. Several Select Committees having been appointed, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Donne, that it was desirable that additional representation should ba afforded in the General Assembly for the Goldfields in the district of Westland North. The Speaker was requested to transmit a copy of the resolution to the Colonial Secretary. A lengthy discussion took place on Mr. Reid's motion, that the Superintendent be authorised to make immediate purchase of the Orawaiti Bridge, with a view to the same being thrown open to the public free of toll. Certain returns were moved for, and, on the motion of Mr. Eeid, a Select was appointed to consider that paragraph of the Superintendent's address which referred to the Lunatic Asylum. Mr. Donne moved for all papers, telegrams, or other correspondence connected with the resignation, tendered by Mr. Franklyn of his seat in the Council. He did so because it was openly alleged that Mr. Franklyn's resignation had been tendered some time ago. The Provincial Secretary stated thai; when at Westport, a deputation had waited on him, to which he had mentioned that Mr. Kynnersley was appointed a member of the Executive, and that if he could be induced to enter the Council, their interests would be better served by him than by any other member. Acting on this, Mr. Franklyn wrote to the Superintendent, tendering his resignation, and at the same time wrote to Mr. Kynnersley telling him, why he had done so. The letters were read by the Superintendent and Mr. Kynnersley at the same time, and the latter finding that Mr. Franklyn had evidently resigned in the belief that he (Mr. Kynnersley) would take his place, at once telegraphed to him, and on the same day a telegram was received withdrawing the resignation. Mr. Luckie was astonished at such a confessiou. The idea of the Superintendent receiving a member's resituation, and then allowing him to withdraw it was perfectly new in the annals of representative government. The vote of- want of confidence of the previous eveniug had actually been lost by the vote of one who had no business there. Mr. Franklyn said he had resigned his seat on the condition that Mr. Kynnersley should take his place. Though the circumstances had been perfectly well known

no notice had been taken of them, and it ■was a strange coincidence that notice of the present motion should have been given five minutes after his vote on the previous evening. In reply to a question from Mr. Shephard the Provincial Secretary Btated that the letter containing the resignation had been destroyed as it was looked upon as withdrawn. Several members having expressed opinions condemnatory of the action of the Superintendent in permitting the withdrawal of the resignation, Mr. Donne replied, and said that he was surprised, ashamed, and humiliated at the discovery that had been made. The Government had been tampering with representative institutions, and if explanation were needed it had been furnished on the previous evening. As for the member who had jumped his seat in the Council, he might say that he would neither speak to him, eat with him, drink with him, walk with him, or sit in the same room with him. Motion agreed to. The Council then adjourned until this evening.