ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington. April 18, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 909, 19 April 1854, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington. April 18, 1854.

Sir, — I have read a letter said to be ad. dressed to the New Zealander in the Independent of the 15th inst., containing 1 surmises as to the motives of Mr. E. G. Wakefield in advo. eating the principle of ministerial responsibility in the general government of tl.e colony. The writer introduces what he says on this subject hy remarks on 'Mr. Wakefield's political charactei, betraying an ardent wish to damage that gentleman in the estimation of the people of Auckland as much as he can. To this end he would have his Auckland readers belL ye th it Mr. W. appears now, on the occasion of the coming meeting of the General Assembly, for the first time, as an advocate in favour of the principle of ministerial responsibility. Now any body here, who has paid any attention to political matters since the proclamation of the Con* stitutinn, must he astonished at the effrontery of ?uch a statement. The very reverse is the truth, as far as my observation goes. I have read, I believe, all that Mr. Wakefield has spoken or written on the subject since his arrival amongst us, and it seems to me that Mr. W. has never missed an opportunity of enforcing the excellence of this piinciple. Indeed, his perseverance in dilating upon it, and the part taken by him in the Provincial Council respecting it, I verily believe, has been the main cause of its being understood and appreciated as it is. I have been in the settlement from its foundation, and I am sure that until Mr. Wakefield came amongst us I never heard the topic of ministerial responsibility discussed, or even mentioned by any one, not excepting the most ultra libeial champions of popular rights. But I want to tell you what Mr. Wakefield did respecting the principle of ministerial responsibility in our Council, in the gallery of which I sat whilst what follows took place. When the Council proceeded to business after the election of a speaker, Mr. Wakefield immediately pointed out that the first step in these proceedings was to ascertain who were the advisers or ministers of the Superintendent. He insisted that nothing beyond matter of mere routine could be gone into till an Execnt've Council had been named by his Honor and their names communicated to the house. In reply to this Mr, Fitzherbert begged that a vote on some very urgent financial arrangement might he made an exception, and promised that a bill for the establishment of an Executive Council should be introduced as soon as possible. A bill was laid upon the table in accordance with Mr. Fitzherbert's promise in a day or two afterwards. The first clause of this bill provided that the Superintendent should conduct "in his own person in all its necessary details the business of the Government," using the very words of some old instructions from the Colonial Office to the Governor inChief. There was nothing about the Executive Council advising the Superintendent. He stood alone as the author of all the measures o his government, and of couise bearing all the responsibility belonging to them. There was not a vestige of ministerial responsibility in any part of the bill. Almost immediately after entering the Council Mr. Wakefield called the attention of Mr. Brandon to this defect in the Bill upon which that gentleman, taking up the book of Ordinances and Colonial Office Instructions lying on the table, said " Oh, we took the words from that." Mr. Wakefield replied " Oh ! we have had enough of that old system, we must have a diffeient one now." Mr. Brandon seemed dumb foundered at the reception of his extract from the Colonial Office Instructions, and Mr.

Wakefield struck out the obnoxious words, and after consulting with Messrs. Hart, Lurilam, Brown, Moore, and Renal], proposed what is now the first clause of the Executive Act, whereby ministerial responsibility is established in this Province. His amendment was unanimously adopted by the Council without any remark from eitlier Mr. Fitzherbert, or Mr. Brandon by whom the bill was brought in. it will also be remembered by all who attended to the proceedings of the Council, how perseveringlv Mr. Wakefield insisted on and at last carried the point of resignation of seats by members on accepting office under the Superintendent ; a poinl which his Honor rather deprecated than recommended in his opening speech to the Council, and which the Provincial Secretary and Solicitor opposed, till th*?y found that a majority of the Council agreed with Mr. Wakefield. The writer in the Independent is very eager to make out that all Mr. Wakefield's exertions are directed to the object of obtaining office for himself in the general government ; and many hope that this is true, because that they have learnt to appreciate hi;? political ability and great expeiience; but if it should prove true others will be surprised who believe Mr. Wakefield's declarations to his friends, that the state of bib health, as well as the personal objects with which he settled amongst us — namely, after a life of labour, rest and quiet in the colony of which on his arrival amongst us he was greeted as the founder — enti ely precludes the thought of his ever, under any circumstances, undertaking the labours and responsibilities of official employment. Such declarations have been so frequently and openly made by Mr. Wakefield, with the addition that he intends to retire into private life as soon as the Constitution shall be fully established, that the writer in the Independent cannot be ignorant of them ; but this is of no consequence since his only object is to disparage Mr. Wakefield in comparison with Dr. Featherston, Dr. Dorset, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Brandon, and others of the Constitutional Association, who really did not understand the meaning of ministerial responsibility until they were taught it by Mr. Wakefield. Their morbid jealousy of him, as displayed in almost every number of the Independent is well understood on the spot ; and the patient good humour with which he bears it, aggravates their hostility into a monomania. You will not have failed to observe that the writer in the Independent treats ministeiial responsibility in the General Government as a secondary object, which may be wisely sacrificed for the present in order to obiain increased powers for the Provincial, Governments. I suspect there is more in this than appears on the face of it. Ministerial responsibility for the whole colony involves a change in the seat of government ; for everybody sees that it would be impossible to form an Executive Council satisfactory to the Southern Provinces unless the seat of government were removed to the centre of the colon y ; and our great men here would have to play second fiddle if the General Government came to Wellington. This is a matter to be carefully watched. Notwithstanding the deep public interest of Wellington Province in having this the seat of General Government there are some personal interests the other way. I mean Provincial ambitions which would be gratified by dispensing with General Government altogether so as to have unlimited local 1 power in t\,e\r own hands, and would be mortified by the residence here of the Governor and the Executive Councillors with an annual meeting of the General Legislature. This letter in the Independent has an appearance of craft which provokes suspicion, and since its publication re:ret has been expressed that the subject of the seat of government was not considered at the recent public meeting when our members in the Assembly declated the objects with which they should go to Auckland. Pray, Sir, be vigilant. Any one who under any pretext seeks to postpone the establishment of ministerial responsibility in the General Government, must be treated as a special foe to this town and Province. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, VIGIL.