WELLINGTON MARKETS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 19, 15 February 1845, Page 3

WELLINGTON MARKETS.

" SHIP HOTEL YARD, MANNERS STREET, TE ARO. First flour, per ton, £14 ; bread, per 21b. loaf 3d to 3§ d ; fresh butter, Is. per lb. ; cabbage, each, Id. to 2d. ; carrots, per bunch, 2ot. to 3d. cheese, 7d. to Is. per Ib. ; ducks, 3s. to 4s. per pair; eggs, per dozen, Is. to Is. 6d. ; fowls, per pair, 3s. to 3s. Cd. ; geese, 7s. to Bs. each ; hams, 6d. to Bd. per lb. ; mutton, 6d. to 7d. per lb. ; maize, 2s. 6d. per bushel'; potatoes, new, and Id. per lb ; potatoes, old, per cwt., 4s. pork, 2J. to 4di~per lb.^' peas, per peck, Bd. to Is. ; Rice, l|d. to 3d. per lb. ; rhubard, 6d. to 9d. per bundle ; rabbits, Is. to 3s. each; Spanish onions, 3d. per bundle; turnips, 3d. per bundle; turkeys, 12s. 6d. each ; veal, Bd. to lOd. per lb. ; beef, 3d. to 7d. per lb.

We have not received any official replyto the inquiry we made last week, respecting the ejection of a Member to represent this Settlement in the Legislative Council ; hut we have heard that his Honor the Superintendent declares, that the election at Nelsoij. was " all a mistake " ; for that Mr. Sinclair had no power to sanction such a proceeding, but was merely authorised to consult one or 2 of the principal settlers upon the subject. Seeing that every act of the Local Govern* tnent has been " a mistake," we are of course bound to acceept this explanation. Nevertheless, we cannot forego the pleasure of publishing Mr. Domett's letter, and w& would assume His Honor that it at least is "no mistake." ,- .

To Dr. Munro, J.P., tlie Hon. C. A. Dillon, Fras. Otterson, Esq., J.P., and the gentlemen forming a Deputation from the. Meeting held at the Court House on" Saturday last.

Gentlemen, — I thank you sincerely 4qt ther honor you have done me in choosing me. to represent this Settlement in the Legislative Council. But I beg you to excuse me, when I. declare my determination not to accept the trust your partiality would confer upon me. My reason for this course is simply this — The Legislative Council, as you know, is composed of his Excellency the Governor, three official members under his control, and three non-official members, to be chosen now by universal suffrage, The Governor intro-. duces all measures whatever, and has t cast- . ing vote in addition to his own. All measures introduced then are Government measures, which Government can always carry in spite of the opposition of the non-officials, being in. number five to three. And that the thus possessed will always be used in such instances, we have the experience of all the Sessions of the Conncil to pr£j%. _ Such being the compos! tion*f,sie Legislative Council, it appears to me in*t the only case in which it is useful, or even ratioasfcfor the public to.- semi a Representative to^i^rhr

when the general policy and spirit of the Government are such as that public approves of. Their Representative then may possibly be of use in supporting, improving, and rendering more palatable to his constituents the measures introduced by Government ; his opposition too, not being necessarily of that sweeping kind which is crushed as a matter of course, may be advantageously exerted in checking or overthrowing such parts of Government's policy, such of the details of its measures, as he may believe detrimental to the public in the section of it he represents. But -when tht whole policy- and every act of the Government is calculated to meet with the most decided disapprobation of the public, it is evident y i He for the latter to send a Representative to a Council so constituted. For his conduct must be, in such case, one unvarying course of opposition, no compromise being possible, no middle line discoverable. And such opposition will as invariably be put down by the Government party with their superior number of votes. Your Representa- j live becomes then a puppet, his sitting in that case a farce. Now the Government of this country, as at present carried on, I for one do most sincerely ohlievs to be one of the latter. To it I can conceive no relation possible for a Representative of Englishmen but that of unqualified, uncompromising, unrelaxing opposition. For surely Captain Fitzroy is so pledged to the policy he has uniformly acted upon, that no abandonment of it, no change in .it is to be expected from him. Such opposition being useless in a Council so constituted, you will excuse me, gentlemen, if I confess my want of ambition to go through the mockery of attempting it. 1 should be sorry too, by accepting the trust you so partially have proffered n,e, to publish my acquiescense (of however little sonsequence it be) in this attempt to obtain for the Legislative Council of this country some of the credit and importance, while it has none of the actual character or practical operation of a Representative body. If such a Government should hereafter be established in New Zealand as a popular Representative might either usefully support or usefully oppose, and you should be pleased to express the same wishes as on this occasion, I shall then be most happy to show myself in that particular as now in all others. Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, (Signed) Alfred Domett. Nelson, January 26, 1845.