LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 119, 21 May 1870, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

On the Council meeting, Mr. Luckie said that he would state the result of the :QoniereaceJby.-.t!«br^fip.utation.-wliicb-:had-waited ,oa r tlia r Superintendent that morningj- ahd-^agauAn the afternoon. On the sjßcon.d^JGaftlo.n^(H^^ been, wade in the .proposals td thevSuperlintendent as. being-more likely to meet hisviews, but in those he did not altogether concur, but suggested instead that Exe6ujtive-£hduld_c6nsist oE fiv& members/ the Provincial Secretary and Solicitor being ex officip members, the three others being responsible officers. Of these five members four might have seats in th'e : Council . - That proposal gave rise 'to an interesting conversation, and the deputation then left for fche -purpose "of lay ing the matter before the Council. He (Mr._ Luckie) was of opinion that it should again be referred io the~Select Committjee, and that the Council should at once adjourn for the purpose of allowing it: to., meet, and bring upiTsecond report. Substantially, the "Superintendent . proposed that there should! be five, members of the Executive, the Provincial Secretary, the Provincial Solicitor,"and the Provincial Treasurer, and. two. ; other,'-,, members to, be taken from the Council. In the event of an adverse vote, .the -Treasurer and fjhe two members' taken : ft om- the Council should retire. HeHhimself had argued that it WQuld ; be advisable, that, the Solicitorship should be made a redip'vable "office, but the ! Superintendent seemed' to think that. a legal gentleman who was so thoroughly! ~acquainted~with~"the past and present affairs of the province as the present holder :of: the "office shpuld: 3>e. retained. Mr. Donne would wish to ask Mr. Luckieif he thoughtlhere was any prospect of a happy solution' of the question,- because, if not he would prefer.. that the -Council should .go on with the business before it, and if there was a crisis threatening, let it come. Mr, Luckie .was not hopes that an amicable settlement might be arrived at, though of course it was impossible to give a decided answer to'Mr. Bonnets question, but he, trusted and Jbjelieved that if the -Superintendent and. the members of the Executive saw that there was a real determination on the part of the Council to carry out certain propositions, they would i place no obstacles in .the way. From the fact of" the Superintendent having expressed a willingness, to meet the deputation again this^evening' if necessary,, they might "augur that fie : was desirous of giving <iue deference and r respect 4 to the wishes of the Council. ' The Provincial Secretary stated that £his -was; purely a matter between, the Superintendent and Council, and. the Executive hitherto had taken no part in it. An adjournment then took place for a short VtihiV' in, order to allow the Committee to jlraw jip a Second report. ' On the Council res.unjing, Mr. Wastney brought up the report, which was to the effectthat the Execiftif e Cotincil should coinsist of five members, to be appointed by theuSuperintendent, four of whom, including Proyinoial Secretary, might have seats in, the. Cbancil, . the Secretary not: to be subject to removal by an adverse vote, but the three others to retire on a distinct resolution of the Council to that' effect,' It L also recommended that the Superintendent should have a casting as well as a deliberative vote. Mr. F. Kel:lin<3 objected to the Provincial Solicitor being made a responsible officer, ' for it must "be remembered that he was also Crown Prosecutor and that if the Council removed him he might still be retained in the latter capacity, "by the General Government, thus necessitating a double salary. Mr. Shephakd said there was no necessity for the Solicitor to be in ; the Council unless he chose to do so, and therefore he nee>j not be made responsible. The report recommended that only three members of the Executive'should be responsible, and there was no occasion for Mr. Adams to be one of "that number. He considered that the greatest latitude had been left to the Superintendent. Mr. O'CbNOR was disposed to accept the report. It did not altogether meet his views, but it led to a compromise, and that, he thought, was attaining a great object. Mr. Luckie, in reference to Mr. Kelling's remarks, stated that if the Solicitorship were worth having at all, it should be held in higher estimation than appeared- to.be the case with the present holder of the office, who had said the other night that he did not care a pin whether he had it or nofc They must set themselves free from such expressions of

opinion, and as the Coun&il had it now in their power to carry out jtheir wishes, he hoped they would adopt the report, which would be productive of excellent results. jr.he_Bhado.wjprop.Q3aLjnade..by..the_Superintendent did not, give the Council that hold over the members ofjthe Government that it should have in. accordance .with all constitutional^ .principles, and he iherefore. . trß_sieA:..that the general feeling ... of, concurrence ,shown in the Committee would be maintained in the rQguncil. The report was then adopted. Tfjhe Council then went ' into .Committee upon a series of resolutions bearing .upon the candidature, election, . and resignation o|;Mr t , Frankly n which, after a long: and somewhat acrimonious debate, were earned in their entirety. On the Council resuming Mr. Reid, in moving the. adoption of the resolutions, said that in carrying them through Committee he felt that, the Council was bejng dragged through 1 the mire — ■ he hoped through the last of the slough of despond. in which they had been -since the commencement of the session. . He. had ; however felt that the, resolutions were necessary, and hoped that some political good would arise out of a political evil. Some, business of a formal nature was then, transacted, a^nd the Council adjourned until this. morning. 'This Dat. On the Council meeting at 11 o'clock Mr. Wastney stated that the deputatioa had .again waited on the Superintendent, wjjo stated that although his own opinion, was not changed, yet he agreed to accept the proposals of the Council and would cause a Bill embodying their resolutions to be prepared and sent down. Mr. Shephard asked whether the^Superintendent had consented to assent to such a Bill OD its; being passed. Mr. Lpckie said that hiß Honor, although not expressly stating that he would not withhold his assent, had clearly indicated his intention to assent to the Bill, and to carry out the wishes of the Council as well and as faithfully ashe possibly could. The bill would, if possible, be sent down, on Wednesday, and he hoped and believed that it would prove a satisfactory termination to the difficulties in which they had lately. been involved. The Council then adjourned until Wednesday evening at 5 o'clock.