ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 623, 23 July 1851, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the “New Zealand Spectator.” Wellington, 22nd July, 1851. Sir. —In the Independent of Saturday last there is a leading article on the subject of the resignation of my seat as a Member of the General Legislative Council of New Zealand. I should hardly have thought after seeing in the local papers the report of the proceedings Council, on the 3rd instant, on the Duties of Customs Ordinance,” (meager though that reportis, and incorrect in some respects) that any person would have had a doubt °n his mind as to the reasons which had influenced me in resigning my seat. I have, however, determined not to publish «y letter to the Governor-in-Chief, in which I tendered my resignation, not from any respect or consideration that I have for the “immortal ln «. ’ in regard to whom no language that I use will adequately express my disapproval their unjust and reprehensible conduct on t ? e .°. c ° asion alluded to, but solely because of e high respect which I entertain for Sir George 0 mus, » judging from his warm and Cl ble speech on the occasion, have been In?T? U ir disgusted; without my causing his hxeeHency unneccessary annoyance by pub- « T n g to, the world a detailed account of the c ounei°l US P roceedin S 3 of a majority of the vp?? < cause of my -esignation can be told in a tew words. iiannA 2 , n . d , mstant the Customs OrdiWhie\ T winch I had the charge, and upon wv had devoted a considerable portion of ’ng in r and . atten . t i°n out of the Council,) bean ali Yl ,. o ( mrnitte . e waa deliberately decided by almost unanimous vote of the Council that

the operation of the whole Ordinance should commence on the 7th August, the original time fixed by the Council having been the 7th July, thus gaining an extension of time of one month. But on the following day, however, after the Ordinance had passed through the Committee and the Report had been bought up and adopted, with its various amendments, by the Gov-ernor-in-Chief, the Ordinance was re-coftimitted from some unaccountable freak on the part of some hon. Members, and an amendment was proposed and carried by a majority of 9 to 4, on precisely the same information as that before the Council on the previous day, that the operation of the Ordinance should commence from the date of its passing the Council!! Not satisfied, however, with the perpetration of this act of inconsistency and injustice the Council, in defiance, of all decency and established custom in such important cases, decided by the same majority that the standing rules be suspended in order that the Ordinance be read a third time and passed at once, which was done accordingly, and thus the Ordinance came into operation 4 days earlier than was even originally intended, and 35 days earlier than was intended by the vote of the Council on the 2nd instant. By this, what I can only term, breach of public faith on the part of the majority of the Council the owners of Wines and Spirits then in bond in Wellington, by the levying of the increased duties upon those articles will be mulcted of no less an aditional sum tfian £BOO !! The other settlements in the Colony will also suffer to an equal, if not to a greater proportionate extent by the instantaneous operation of the Ordinance.

After the perpetration of such unparalleled and wholly unjustifiable acts by a large majority of the Council I considered, and do still con. sider, that I could no longer with honor or satisfaction to myself retain my seat as an independent member of that Council, which I therefore resigned immediately. In thus resigning my seat in the Council I wish, however, to guard against even the possibility of a supposition that by adopting that step I disapprove of Sir George Grey in his government of these Islands. I have disapproved of the policy of some of his Excellency’s acts, (for’instance I strongly disapprove of the estimates of expenditure for the ensuing year, now before the Council, which I consider are unnecessarily large in amount) no man being infallible, but of his Excellency’s general policy I still cordially approve; because it is, in my opinion, the best adapted to promote the prosperity and welfare of the colony. It would be an act of injustice were I to omit to say that his Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, the Hon. the Colonial Secretary for New Zealand, and the Hon, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Nelson are the three Hon. members who honorably and consistently voted with me on both divisions on the Customs Ordinance on what may not be inaptly termed the memorable 3rd July. Though I decline to publish the letter conveying my resignation to his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, if, however, there be any inquisitive persons of the “Poke-your-nose-into-other-people’s-business” genus who still wish to see that letter, I have not the least objection to shew them the copy of it. I am, Sir, Your’s very respectfully, William Hickson.