New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 12, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 394, 12 May 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 12, 1849.

The Legislative Council, as will be seen from our report of its proceedings, have already made some progress in the business of the session. Of the bills submitted to their consideration, one (the Naturalization Bill) has been passed ; another (the Bread Bill) has been thrown out ; a third (the Harbour Regulations Bill) has been withdrawn. Yesterday the Medical Practitioners' Bill was further discussed and amended, the Census Bill was read a second time, and the Bill for the appropriation of the Revenue was read a first time. In laying the Estimates before the Council his Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor entered into a detailed explanation of the different items of expenditure, but we have not space, at present, to do more than refer to this subject. We think the have acted prudently in rejecting the Bread Bill ; the price of flour in the different settlements in this Province is so moderate that there is little temptation, if the inclination exists, for adulterating it, while the increased cultivation of wheat by the natives, and the extension of agriculture, with the extension of the different settlements, afford a reasonable probability of its falling below, rather than rising above, its present * market price. Under these circumstances the natural effect of competition will afford the public sufficient protection without resorting to the somewhat cumbrous provisions of the Ordinance, which appears calculated for an older community and a larger population. We may also refer to the fate of this bill, and the general tone of the discussions in the Council, as a sufficient and satisfactory refutation

of the calumnies with which the non-official members have been assailed by "the would be wits, and can't be gentlemen," who in all the mortification of defeat and disappointment vent their spleen in their organ the Independent, the fit receptacle of their stupid malevolence. The cuckoo cry of the Faction has ever been that " the Nominees are puppets," with no will or opinion of their own,- sent- to the Council merely to give expression to the Will of the Governor. But the whole turn of the discussions, the rejection of the Bread Bill, has " showed the rogues they lied,"and will satisfy any reasonable person that the non-official members are unbiassed and independent of any Government influence, and only desire, in a fair and honest spirit to promote the interests of the Province, and this, we have no doubt, will become more evident as ther session advances ; while their numerical majority gives them a preponderance and substantial power which will be felt by the Government. Disappointed in this respect the Faction now claim credit for the course the non-official members have adopted, and endeavour to persuade the gobemouches who are weak enough to pay attention to what they say that this is their doing, and like Bayes, exclaim " This is my thunder." But they are as little likely to succeed in this plan as in their former one, they may be ready enough to claim credit, but they are too well known to be trusted.