New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 13, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 351, 13 December 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 13, 1848.

A good deal of discussion has been recently excited in consequence of an attempt of the Governor- in- Chief to constitute a legislative Council in this Province. Immediately after his Excellency's arrival in the Havannah we republished from the Auckland journals the proceedings of the Legislative Council, from which it appeared that his Excellency was mainly induced at this time, as expressed in his opening address, "to establish a legislative council in this Province, in.or.der' " that the local authorities and settlers in this place should have placed in their own hands the means of adopting those remedies which their local experience may point out to, them as, those best suited" to repair, the' disasters that have occurred. We also ' the Provincial Councils' Ordinance,. that the settlers might have an .opportunity of forming a correct judgment of^ the nature, constitution, and powers of the Council which

it is proposed to establish. According to the -ordinance, the Council is to be composed of the members of the Executive Council of the Province, who are to be ex-officio members of the Provincial Council, and other members to be nominated by the Governor from among the body of colonists in the different settlements, the nominees or non-official members constituting a majority of the Council. Itfisc|ir^ently Reported that it is the intention of thftr Governor to nominate nine members from this settlement and three from Nelson, so that the number of non-official to official members would be in the proportion of 12 to 4 or 3 to 1. — Now a great and needless outcry has been raised by a - certain party against this arrangement. But we must bear in mind that the present is not a question of preference, whether we are to have a Council constituted as the proposed ohe*or a Representative Council, but whether we are to have any voice in the Government or not — whether, since we cannot receive the full amount we claim from the Government we should unreasonably refuse the instalment which has beea offered to us. The question of Representative Institutions was virtually determined for the time on the occasion of the - Governor's last visit to this settlement, when we were given to understand that he could not, consistently with his instructions, grant them, but that if the l6onstitution of the Council about to be established should prove unacceptable to the colonists it would be modified from time to time "so as to render it suitable to the advancing circumstances of the colony." It is also understood that Representative Institutions are withheld for the present, because the British Government conceive that the Local Government should have the exclusive direction of the expenditure of the Parliamentary Grant voted for New Zealand — that so considerable a sum of money contributed by the British Government should not be subject to the control or inference of the colonists; — that when the necessity for this grant ceases, when the money expended by the Government in New Zealand is entirely raised from the resources of the colony, then the colonists would have a right to claim a direct control over its application by means ,of their representatives. Now, even in a Council constituted* as~^the above, it would be competent for the members nominated by the Governor to' exercise a salutary influence on the Government by the expression of their opinions through an authorized channel, and any suggestions or representations for the benefit of the colony which they felt it their duty to make would be received with respect and attention, and would have its due weight with the Government. And this influence would operate not merely on our local, affairs, ,but would, by the proposed constitution of the- General Assembly, be felt in its. effects on the general interests of the colony by the share which these members wouldhave in the, alteration of those laws which cirdumstances have rendered necessary. And to make the measure further acceptable, it is proposed to hold the sittings of the General Assembly alternately at Auckland and Wellington. The proposed Council, such as we have represented it, — a temporary measure, an earnest of further and more Valuable improvements in the Government of the colony, an authorized medium through which the colonists might cause their wishes and sentiments to be expressed, a salutary check, by the preponderance of non-official members, on the Executive Government^ — might be made conducive to the best interests of the colony, and wbuld, we are persuaded) be acceptable to those moderate persons who constitute the majority of the community. . >r If then his Excellency should fail in receiving that hearty co-operation in this settlement which is so essential to the^ of his plan, we fear ;th,e failure must be attributed in a great' degree to himself. Instead of trying to obtain the assistance of those who would rejadijy concur with the Government in., the measures^ necessary to promote the advancement of the,, colony, his solicitations have 'been chiefly addressed to persons from whom he knew beforehand he was sure to receive are'fusal. By his re-

peated and ineffectual applications to a faction opposed to his government, he has er'alted them into undue importance, and has depreciated the Council in the general estimation. As we have no desire to travel out of the fair limits of public discussion, we shall only say that, with respect to one of the parties alluded ."to, we should have greatly applauded his conduct in refusing thq offer of a seat in Council, if we believed he had been actuated by a sense of what .was due to Jbiis own position, to the interest of his employers, ■ and to the community, since the' Manager of a commercial institution such as that to which we refer, ought' ,not only to be free from" any political bias, but should absolutely, refuse .to. interfere in any way with politics, - especially when that interference tends to place him in direct op- > position to the Government. It is but a brief period since his Excellency declared his., conviction cf the fitness of ithe inhabitants of this settlement for selfgovernment, will he now proclaim that this was an empty compliment, that, on a careful inquiry, out of a population of four thousand he was unable to find nine persons competent and willing to co-operate with the Gpvernment in a Legislative Council ? Does Sir George Grey seriously believe the cliquej to which he has applied, and which has so unceremoniously rejected his applications, constitutes the community of Port Nicholson ? Or is this merely a device on his part to amuse the settlers and to gain time, a specious pretext to advance ,the reputation of the Governor at the expence of the community ? It is with considerable reluctance that we feel constrained to enter-: tain these suspicions, and should be glad to see them remoyed by a different course from that which he has lately pursued.

"W)e have in type, and intended to re ( publish 'from the Neio Zealahder of November 29, the list of subscriptions raised by the inhabitants of Auckland for the relief of the sufferers from the earthquakes in this settlement, but for want of room must defer it to our next number. The , total amount subscribed is £636 : 6 :6. From "the inquiries instituted by the Wellington committee, it is believed that the balance, now lying in the Savings Bank, of the. subscriptions in aid of those who suffered, from the fire in 1842, will be sufficient to relieve every case of real distress.

Cricket. — A match will take place this day on Thorndon Flat, between eleven of the Wellington Cricket Club, and eleven select ted from the Officers in H.M.S., Havannak and the military stationed in Wellington. As there are some good' players on board the Havanrah the match is expected to be closely contested. The wickets will be pitched at eleven o'clock : tents will be proyided for the accommodation of the spectators.

Death by Drowning. — On Friday evening last, a little boy about two years old, the son of James Taylor, who lives on Mr. Boddington's farm at Fauahatanui, fell into the water near his father's house and was unfortunately .drowned. The water was so shallow that it is, believed the child must have been stunned by the fall. The body when discovered was quite cold. An inquest was held on the body on Monday by Dr. Fitzgerald the Coroner, " when a verdict of Accidental Death was returned.