NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, July 5, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 931, 5 July 1854, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, July 5, 1854.

We have on different occasions directed the attention of the .public to some of the Acts passed in the 'last-session of the Pro rincial Council, shewing their mischievous tendency or the clumsy inefficient manner in which they have been put together ; to-day we invite attention for a few minutes to the Officers and Contractors Act. It will be remembered, in the discussions which ensued in the Council on the subject of Responsible Government, when the Government party tried hard to stave off' the practical operation of this principle as regarded themselves^

that finding- after several discussions when they obtained a bare majority by the Speaker's casting vote, they would be compelled to act on this principle and resign their seats on accepting office, the Provincial Secretary at last proposed a resolution that every member on accepting office should pass through the ordeal of a fresh election, and towards the fagend of the session the bill to which we have referred was brought in. Its professed object is to secure the independence of the members of the Provincial Council, and for this purpose it is enacted that any person accepting- any office of emolument under the Provincial Government, or who shall in any way "directly or indirectly undertake, execute, hold, or enjoy any contract or agreement" shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the Council, and shall be liable to a penalty of One Hundred Pounds penalty if he presume to sit or vote in it. The third clause provides that "nothing in this Act shall extend to disqualify for reelection any member whose election shall under its provisions be made void." It was immediately seen that under the pretence of securing the independence of the members the Act was really levelled against one of the most independent members of the Council, whose honesty of purpose, and censistent opposition proved very inconvenient to the Government party, and who they were determined at all hazards to get rid of, if it could be conveniently managed. It was shewn at the time that the effect of that part of the bill as it now stands, which refers to Contractors, would be to narrow to the public their choice, already sufficiently restricted, of men eligible as members of the Council, and to deprive them of the services of valuable and independent men, — and it was suggested that the Act should be limited in its application toe ntracts above five hundred pound s. This did not at all suit the purposes of theGovernmcnt party, they had an object in view which they were bent on gaining, and the Act was accordingly hurried through in its present shape. This object they have gained as regards the member we have alluded to, as will be seen by Mr. Moore's address to the electors in this day's Spectator. Butitremains to be seen whether the electors will allow the Government party to steal a march on them in this way, or suffer themselves to be cheated by this artful idodgc out of the services of one of the most useful and most independent members of the Council, in whose honesty and consistency they have shewn they have the highest confidence. Referring again to Act it will be seen that while the [third clause provides that any member whose election is thus made void is eligible for re-elec-tion, the first clause enacts the election of any member to be void, who holds or enjoys any contract or agreement. Was this designedly done, or is it to be set down to the blundering of the Provincial Solicitor ? In the mean time these contracts, which were annual under Sir George Grey's government, are made half yearly by the Provincial Executive, just to throw additional impediments in the way of those who may be affected by them.

Death by Drowning. — Yesterday morning two persons belonging to the Salopian, one the cook of the vessel, the other a half caste, were sailing towards the shore in a small boat belonging to the vessel, when a sudden gust of wind upset the boat and both its occupants were thrown into the sea. The half caste (a son of Ebberley's) who was a gnod swimmer, gave the other man, who could not swim, the oars to support him until assistance could reach them fiom the shore, and struck out for the Salopian, and was shortly after picked up by Houghton, who put off very promptly to their assistance. The other man was unfortunately drowned and his body has not yet been found. The boat disappeared altogether.