PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Tuesday, November 1st. The Council met at 3 o'clock. SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 862, 5 November 1853, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Tve sday , November Ist. The Council met at 3 o'clock. SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH.

Moved by Mr. Reyans, seconded.. by Mr. -Waitt: — ..:,., ... That this Council regard the Addreis of his Honor the Superintendent with deep interest, and beg to express their intention to take the various subjects alluded to therein into their serious consideration. Resolution carried. , ■ > Mr. RnvANs<«id he would follow up the resolution by dealing with one of the subjects mentioned in the Superintendent's speech. The resolution he was about to move applied for over the land fund from the time the Superintendent had been placed at the head of - the Executive. Mr. Revans then moved : — That his Honor the Superintendent be requested * to require that the proportion of the Land Fund, ordered by the General Government to be* retained pn the hands of the Land Commissioner, to be applied to the purposes of immigration in accordance v with the terras ot the Proclamation of the4tb March

1853. i& transferred to the management of the Provincial Government. Seconded by Mr. Waitt;^ ' Mr. Wallacb thought Mr. Revans compelled j to carry out the engagement he had entered j into Amoving the nfst resolution, by bringing the. -speech under 'discussion , that eacn member migM nave, the opportunity of e'xpVelsin'g his opinion tin the difcereh* portions bif it ' ' Ster a few doservations from Mr. Waken'ela fth Fi«BEWJfcfe* %%% understood Mr. Revans' resolution fo oe si'mpfy ah acknowledge i ment tsf his HbndV's address, leaving members unpledged as to the bourse ttieV wotlld pursue, j He Would call It in dite $efete \\nWeanlng, tnd vet it *a» full '<X rn^anThg and good purpose, fee MiotigM it highly desirable the Council should do nothing to prevent the free communication of his Honor with the Council ; nothing could be more business like than to take the subjects referred to in his Honor's address and pass resolutions with respect to them, leaving members unfettered on the discussion of the es.timates as to the course they should pursue. He must own he 'felt a disposition to laugh when the hdn. member asserted that any member was compelled to talk whether he could or not. •^''Mr^'LtftotAM.-in moving an amendment on the "motion of the hon. member for Waira'rapa (Mr. Revans) in which he proposed to consider • the Superintendent's speech seriatim, was bound to say he' was deceived by the previous resolution, which stated that this Council would take the speech into their- consideration, when he found they were asked to consider a resolution referring to one particular point, and would be precluded from going into any other part of the speech except by a formal resolution. He would, therefore, move as amendment ' that his Honor's speech be considered as a whole, because he thought it highly important tfaat the inhabitants of the Province should know the opinions of this Council on the- policy to be pursued in the future Government of this 'Province by a-n expression of such opinion on the whole speech, and not on any particular of it. He also thought SHcha proceeding necessary, in oider that his Honor the Superintendent might be in possession of the opinions of this Council. Mr. Hart seconded the amendment. ' After some discussionthe-Council divided on the amendment. For — Messrs. Wakefield, Brown, Wallace, Ludlam, Renall, Moore, G. Hart, Agatust — Messrs. Brandon r Dorset, Fiteherbert, Lyon, Revans, Waitt, Watt. The Speaker gave his casting vote against the Amendment.

MESSAOK FROM SUPERINTENDENT. A message was received from the Superintendent -submitting to the- Council drafts of the following Bills :— , • •1 . A <BiH to ■establish an Executive Power 'for the Province. 2. A Bill «to vest In the Snperintendent certain powers heretofore exercised by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the late Province of New Man§ter> , _ , 3. A Bill to make payable to the Treasurer of the. Province all -noes,, forfeitures, and penalties, recoverable by sunvrary proceedings. 4. A Bill todeelare that certain duties heretofore required to be performed by the Colonial Treasurer, or Treasurer of a County or District, shall henceforth be performed by the Treasurer of the Province.

iXSD mxVKNUfi. After a good deal of discussion eh. Mr. Revans' resolution Mr. Wakefiem» rose to move an amendment, the object of which was, not to impede the measures of Government, but to enable them to hare a Responsible Executive as soon as possible. Until there were members of that House representing the Government, all discussion on the Superintendent's speech and on the policy of the Government would be stifled, because at present nobody was responsible for anything. He would, therefore, move that the Council do proceed' with the Bill for creating an ExeCutivs. If they passed the Bill j-apidly through all ite stages, the members of the Executive would be at once appointed, and would be able to answer in that House for the policy of the Government. That the consideration of subjects connected with th« appropriation of theßerenueto Provincial purposes be postponed until there shall be in this Council members representing the Executive Government. Seconded by Mr. Lu.llata. Mr. Fxtzher&ert wished to observe that if it had been agreed to ask for any appropriation of money by the resolution before the Council, he should deem it exceedingly unbecoming in him not to afford every information, but no appropriation had been asked 'for, and far from seeking to stifle, the members supporting the Government had courted every possible discussion, they had invited going into every detail in the consideration of his Honor's address, and he thought therefore they stood acquitted of any wish to stifle discussion, He agreed it] was' highly desirable that an Executive Bill should be passed as soon as possible* but some excuse was to be found in the circumstance that they were not thoroughly acquainted^ with the, usages of a Legislative House. If they had been allowed to follow their 1 bourse in considering seriatim the different points in his Honor's speech, the hon. member would have found there was no intention on their part that' discussion should be stifled. The hon. member then informed the Council he was authorised to say he had been offered the office of Secretary to the Province. After making this announcement he would take permission to say a few words on the question of the responsibility of the Executive officers of the Government, a question of very great importance, on which the .whole prosperity of the Province depended. In consenting to become the responsible adviser of the Superintendent, he looked to receive from the members of that Council, in the discharge of his onerous duties, a certain support free from faction. He was . not prepared to shrink from responsibility, and on the point as to whether members accepting office should return to their | constituents, as there were different opinions on that subject, he would state the course he intended to adopt. After having referred to one or two points connected with this question he should withdraw, and take no part in the discuision. By the Act a period of fourteen

days must elapse before a member could be reelected ,after resigning bis' seat; a certain dejgree of practical incoqvenience would a'ris"e from members who had accepted office going back to their constituent^ bat; ho temporary hicbnvdtiien'dd should lie; perniittled to weigh agalnßt the introduction of so^tnportaht a pWncipjk He Would a"\lude to another matter, the difference between hereditary power and ihe He&'d of an, Executive elected for a snort time. The principle of an appeal to the constituency had been eata ilished'in the former case frdtn a jealousy lest the Crown should interfere with tVie independence of members. On trie other Irand it, was possible a Superintendent might arise, who might seek by giving office to influence the members of that Council. He was desirous of putting hon. members in possession of both sides of the- question. He hoped hon. members would recollect that if they gave a factious opposition to the officers of Government, they must be prepared to take their places. He would' take a brief glaifee at the precarious position of the responsible -advisers pfi'the Government. They mustjgo out of office with his Honor the Superintendent. They, must go out of office when, they to. have the confidence of his Honor, affd , thirdly as it was competent -for then-Goundil '-.to cause- the removal of the Superintendent, it was much more so for them to cause the removal of any subordinate officer.' ■ On ' these ground's, he would claim the generous"and-fair support of the Council. It was not to be expected that, i on any paltiy bill, if they-cpuld not command; a • majority they -should go out of office. They '■ desired to carry out tne principles for which , they iiad been so long agitating. They did not i seek for the freehold, or eyen the leasehold of office, it was> only as tenants at will that they had accepted office, that they claimed the cordial and generous support of the Council, and they had a firm reliance that this feeling would not be a mere sham, but »n earnest desire to to support men who had come' forward from an enthusiastic desire to carry 5 out Responsible Government in its integrity. Mr. Brown and Mr. Renall both disclaimed any intention of offering a factious opposition to the Government. After some further discussion, the Council divided on the amendment, the numbers being equal, The Speaker said that a? no principle was involved, as the original resolution* was simply to the effect that it was advantageous to see a sum of money in the hands of the General Government transferred to the Provincial Government, he should give bis casting vote against the amendment.

I EXECUTIVE &IL&. Mr. ReVans moved :— That the further consideration of Hi'? Honor's speech be postponed until thefe shall in this Council meftibers representing the Executive Government, aVid that'ito other business shall be undertaken until t*he Executive Bill be disposed of. Mr. Wakefie'ld seconded , the motion, and after complimenting the hon. member for Wellington (Mr. Fitzherbert) on his speech, observed that in order to proceed- as quickly as possible, if instead of considering the Standing Orders, they proceeded .with the Bill for establishing an Executive Government in the YroA ice through all its stages they, wduld be enabled to discuss the polteyof the Government at, an early period. Mr. Brandon said he had been requested by his Honor to take charge of the bill so far as he was aware there was no desire t6 fcdnfine the discussion dn the bill within nafrow limits. The hon. member concluded by movifcg that the hill be read a second time. Mr. Ludlam thought it Would be more in order for the hon. and learned member first to obtain leave to bring the bitljn. Leave was then given to bring in the bill, which on the motion of Mr. Brandon, was read a first time. Mr. BftANDdN moved the second reading of the Bill to-morrow, after which the Council adjourned to \ past ll o'clo6k.on Wednesday.