NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, February 4, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 888, 4 February 1854, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. S aturday, February 4, 1854.

In our present number will be found a full report of tbe debate 'on the resolulutions of Mr. Brown relating to . the" Audit which, with the circumstances arising out of it, has excited an unusual amount of interest. The hon. member deserves great credit for the manner -in which he has so repeatedly brought this question before the Council and the public, and compelled the Government, however inclined they might feel to evada it, to give some intimation of their intentions with respect to this measure. It is worth noting that though the Provincial Secretary and the supporters of Government could agree to Mr. Brown's address to the,, Superintendent on the Audit, which it will be remembered was unanimously adopted by the Council, yet when the hon. member moves resolutions which are intended to carry out and give practical effect to the general principles contained in that address, the Secretary immediately tells the Council, if these resolutions are adopted the Government will resign, hoping by this kind of intimidation to get rid of this awkw ard and disagreeable question. If the Secretary and the legal adviser were to carry their threat into execution, we have no doubt the public would hear the announcement with considerable composure, being perfectly assured from the experience which this session has afforded, that any change must be for the better. We shall only, at present, briefly refer to \ the most unjustifiable attack made byj Mr. Revans on Mr. St. Hill, an attack which excited the indignation of the independent members of the Council, and caused him to be sharply called to order at the time, as it has since called forth a considerable amount of disgust from the community. Mr. Hevans Las on

several occasions complained of the strong' sympathy for English feelmg* and principles entertained by members of the Council, in which it is plain he hqs no part. We can only say that such language and such an attack as he then thought proper to make against an absent person, afid one so highly and deservedly esteemed as Mr. St. Hill, might i have been natural enough at a meeting' of Californian miners about to carry out lynch law, of Ameiican sympathisers, or Canadian rebels, but was certainly not to be expected in an assembly of British subjects deliberating under Free Institutions. In some remarks which he made last night in alluding tfcy his observations in Committee, he attempted to qualify and explain (hem as not meaarng to make any personal reflections on Mr. St. Hill, but merely that that gentleman had not the same vivid feeling as himself in favor of free institutions. We think the hon. gentleman has done what he could to show that these institutions have been granted too soon, if the Council is at all influenced by his opinions or conduct. Out of this has arisen a sort of threat towards Mr. St. Hill, on the part of the present Government, who affect to be reserving their decision as to the course 1 they intend to pursue; and the Provincial Secretary, while talking last night "of maintaining at all hazards the dignity and supremacy of the Executive Government," gave sufficient indication of thesort oflibertylikely to be enjoyed under his 1 rule. It is plain, however, from what transpired last night, he found the Government had placed itself in a false position, with regard to Mr. St. Hill, which it isdesirable for them to abandon as speedily as possible. What Mr. Revans said last night might be considered a retractation of his -charges against Mr. StHill, and what the Provincial Secretary said shews that the Government retracts its practical threats against that gentleman.