NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 885, 7 October 1854, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [From the Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 4.] The political intelligence from New Zealand, conveyed by the Queen, and of which the letter of our correspondent, together with an extract from the " Southern Cross," which appeared in our impression of Saturday, will have enabled our readers to form 6ome idea, is of such a character that, painful as the task must be, we cannot feel ourselves justified in passing it over without some comment at our hands. Amid the various conflicting results which have arisen from the experiment which has been made in , that Colony towards solving the great question of , Responsible Government, one fact, at least, stands patent and displayed in most unenviable colours to the world at large, and that is that the first Session of the New Zealand Parliament has, up tc the present moment, proved a total and a most disgraceful failure. The letter of our correspondent, to which we have already adverted, has set before our readers so distinctly the history of the General Assembly of the Representatives of New Zealand from its first meeting on the twenty-fourth of May last, up to the crisis which has resulted in its prorogation, or, in plainer I terms, its dissolution, that we feel that it would be mere tautology to rccapitulata it. One fact, however, will speak volumes for the efficiency of the Assembly—a fact which our readers will hardly credit. During a session of two months and a half, only one bill has been passed, and that one had for its end the authorisation of the sale of spirituous liquors "onthe premises," for the use of the

honourable members. It would*bc almost pardonable to imagine, did we not believe that our neighbours in New Zealand were a more temperate race, or perhaps subjected, from local causes, to less fiery temptations than our own fellow-colonists in New South Wales and Victoria, that this Bill was the moving cause of the extraordinary scenes which the walls of their Council Chamber have lately witnessed. Hincfons tt origo mali ! Butbethisas it may, we defy the annals of any representative assembly to present us with a parallel scene to that which took place at Auckland, on tho 17th of August, 1854. Wc may call up recollections (parvii commonert magna) of Cromwell's dissolution of the Long Parliament, of the celebrated scene of the Jen de Paumc at Versailles, or of the outrages committed in the name of order and reason in the National Convention —but they dwindle into insignificance when compared with the very disgraceful display of disorder, and even personal violence, which characterised the proceedings of the House of Keprescntativcs of New Zealand on that occasion. We will only quote one mereeau from the report of the proceedings of the memorable 17th of August, as a specimen of the whole — Ncc diversa tamen," for the entertainment was varied, though characterised by the same features of indecorum and total obliviousness of the merest courtesies of civilised life : Mr. Mackay entered the house, and went to take his umbrella from near the chair where he had sat; when there was * pause, and loud cries of '* order," The Chairman requested Mr. Mackay to take off his hat. Mr. Mackay went up to the Chairman, took hll hat off to him, and put it on again as if to take some papers out of his pocket. (Loud cries of " Take off your hat.") Mr. Mackay said he meant no disrespect but here were the Gazettes which he had got in the street, proclaiming th« prorogation of tht Assembly.

On his handing these to the Chairman, sereral members snatched them out of his hand and crumpled them np. He then threw one on the tabic towards the Chairman, aid said, read that for their information. (Loud cries of " Turn him out.") Mr. Mackay said he had as much right to lit there as any of them.

Mr. Sewell then rushed upon Mr. Mackay, laid hold of him by the back of the neck with his left hand, and struck him repeatedly in the ribs with the other.

Mr. Hart, keeping a respectful distance, cried out— '• Oh, Mr. Sewell I Mr. Sewell I Mr. Sewell I- Oh, do not! do not."

Then Mr. Carleton ran up, laid hold of Mr. Mackay by the arms, and finally forced Mr. Sewell away; but severs! other members continued to hustle Mr. Mackay. He broke loose from them, and, standing in the middle of g the house, flourished his umbrella over his head, and defied any of them to turn him out.

The Chairman, at the top of his voice, endeavoured to reitore order, but with no avail.

A cry wai then raised for the Chairman to report progress. With that, Mr. Mackay coolly climbed over the rat.il into the gallery, and went out at the gallery door.

And this is only one example—others there ara which we will not sully our columns by inserting. We can hardly wonder, after'an exhibition of this very dignified character, that Sir George Grey, knowing as he did most intimately the tempers of the men with whom he would have to deal, was somewha* reluctant to call into active conflict such turbulcut spirits, and therefore left this unenviable task to his more military successor ; but, at the same time, whether this was his object or not, it must be a subject of congratulaton to those who have the true interests of that Colony at heart, that his mantle has fallen upon an officer who has shown himself so well able to sustain his dignity in a position, and at a crisis, of almost unparalleled perplexity aud difficulty. The unshrinking firmness which Colonel Wynyard has evinced in resisting every attempt to coerce or bully him into a departure from what he felt to be the straight line of duty deserves the highest praise. It may not be irrelevant to state a fact which we feel assured will gratify many of our readers that Colonel Wynyard has already evoked the lively gratitude of the New Zealand colonists, for having at th eearliest possible opportunity, called into.action the suspended Constitution of the General Government of the Coloyn, and that this gratitude has found evidence in a proposition, which has been amply and very generally responded to, to present to Ins Excellency a piece of plate which shall be worthy of the occasion which called it into being, and also serve as a lasting record in his family of the deep obligations which the Co lony feels to wards him both in his public and private capacities. The amount of subscription has been limited to one pound, and confined, we imagine, to the settlers of the five Supcrintendencies of New Zealand. Had the subscription been, extended to the inhabitants of the adjacent Colonies, wc are confident that very many individuals would have felt themselves happy in the opportunity of thus testifying their high appreciation of his Excellency's public and private character, as well as of tendering some acknowledgment of the courtesy and hospitality which he has invariably shown to "those strangers whom either business or pleasure have induced to visit that very interesting country. And certainly, as far as the interests of the colonists of New Zealand arc concerned, there can be little doubt that their obligations to Colonel Wynyard are doubled by the firmness which he has shown in the present crisis, and by the calm and dignified maimer with which he has treated an attempt at coercion and dictation of the most insulting and offensive nature. We need hardly assure his Excellency of the sympathy of all the. sister colonies with him in the arduous responsibilities which have fallen upon hm—and of tious seusc of duty and honour may find its reward, not only in the confidence of the people committed to his charge, but moreover in a renewed expression of his Sovereign's approval.