AUCKLAND. GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZEALAND. [From the New-Zealander, June 7.) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 935, 19 July 1854, Page 3

AUCKLAND. GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZEALAND. [From the New-Zealander, June 7.) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

{Continued from our last.) Mr. Sewell, in resuming the debate, addressed himself to some of the difficulties of a legal and technical character connected with the subject. The question raised by the resoi lution before the committee was of great importance. The house was asked to take on itself in some measure to control the head of the Executive in the choice of its Executive officers. It circumscribed the choice of those officers by proposing to limit the organs of Government, to some extent, to persons possessing the confidence of the House of Representatives, one or more of whom should hold seats in that House; i and the question was whether in addressing the head of the Executive with that object, the house was going beyond its legitimate functions. The question resolved i'-self into two points — the first broad and general, whether there be anything in the Constitution Act bearing against the introduction of Responsible Government as a principle of action ; the second, whether there be anything in the constitution of the present Executive officers to pre- \ vent it. As to the first point, he thought the degree of control which the house might exercise over the Executive departments of Government, depended on their control over the public expenditure. Mr. S. then referred to different clauses of the Constitution Act and contended from them that the Act intended to place the establishment of the General Government under the control of the General Assembly. There was no doubt the principle asserted by the proposed resolution might interfere with the present Executive officers, but that was not a necessary consequence. There were va.ious means for attaining that end, arrangements might be made to obtain for them seats in that house, and if the policy and measures then proposed were agreeable to the house, all difficulties would be at an end, everything would- go-wellr ~Mr. S. entered at great length into considerations connected with the second point, and contended that under the Act of 1846, the principal Executive offices of Attorney General, Treasurer, and Secretary were provincial only, not general. All the revenue, after deducting charges of collection, was made provincial ; and out of the revenue of each Province a civil list of *6000 a- year was reserved to provide for the public service. The Act of 1846 provided by means of Provincial civil lists, for the payment of Provincial public officers. The Constitution Act sweeping away the old Provincial institutions created new means of providing for the public service. It would rest with the General Assembly to pass a measure creating a revenue,, whereupon the Civil List j would come into effect subject to be dealt with as the Legislature should choose. He then dwelt at some length on the anomalous position •of the House, that in England all important measures affecting the general interests of the : .country were brought forward uundejr minis-

t'eHal' i-esponsibility, and were carefully pr «■ pared by responsible persons conversant with, the business, and that unless such a course 1 were' adopted here it would be far better to ab-r stain from legislation, and concluded by ex-, pressing his belief that the only means to prevent New Zealand being broken up into six. small disunited republics, would be the establishment of a strong General Government, respected by and acting in harmony with the Provincial Governments, in order that when needful it might effectually control them.

Major Greenwood was strongly in favor of Responsible Government as the basis of all good government, but foresaw difficulties in its application to the existing state of things in New Zealand. In the total absence of distinct parties advocating broad principles of policy he did not see how any two or three hon. members were likely continually to command rr. » jorities on grand questions before the House, and unless they could do so this would lead to the continual formation of new ministries. Again he thought it would be impossible, under the uncertain tenure of office to find members from distant Provinces willing to neglect their ordinary avocations and accept office ; the effect, therefore, would be to confine the selection of officers of. Government to those members representing the Province which was theseat of Government, who "would be legislating, naturally perhaps even unconsciously, with provincial prejudices, for all the other Provinces. He then referred at some length to the importance of Auckland in the amount of its population and trade as compared with any other province, and yet as represented in that house it was reduced to a state of political insignificance, representing in fact a constant minority on every question affecting conflicting interests between the North and South. He would, however, support the motion before the House, trusting that the difficulties he had alluded to would be remedied by the sense of justice and impartiality that actuated the House.

Mr. Wakefield entered at some length into the question alluded to by the previous speaker, as to how the recognition of the principle of Responsible Government would affect the special interests of the several Provinces, and more particularly how that principle would affect Auckland. He expatiated on the natural advantages of the Province, particularly its great facilities of water carriage, and read an extract from the Spectator of the expression of his opinions in the Provincial Council of Wellington with reference to this quesiion. He said this was the expression of a general opinion, and that it might foe said such general expressions were not worth much. They had an example of this in the amendment before them, which admitted in the abstract all they desired, but denied it all in practice. (No, from Mr. Forsaith). Yes Sir, Mr. W. continued, the hon. member's amendment goes to postpone sine die any application of the principle far which they were contending. It was like the conduct of two persCDS tvho are quarrelling, who are persuaded to admit in ihe abstract the wisdom and piopriety of forbearance and Christian charity, but who request in the mean time they may be allowed to* fight it out. "Wakefield th^i read from the" Spectator atf extract from his'speech at the public meeting at Wellington on €th March, referring to the same subject, and said he referred to two examples only which he was anxious to bring before the attention of Northern members on matters on which they felt strongly, and on which he was prepared to concur with them, on -the principle that identical legislation for North and South would often be most unjust. ITe then at considerable length explained how he conceived such arrangements might be made as should satisfy the peculiar wants of the North, illustrating his argument by examples from the manner in which legislation is carried on in the Imperial Parliament as regards England and Scotland, and also in Upppr and Lower Canada when these two* Colonies were united under one Legislature nnd one Executive. He referred to the instance ; of Lord Melville having been the member for Scotland in Cabinet, and proposed that some gentleman who enjoyed the confidence of the members of the North should be selected to oceapy the position of minister who should I 6 charged with the care cf Northern interests. He ihen went into the question of the seat of General Government, which he said he regarded as a postponed question, but he conceived that a Responsible Government ought to be in a more central spot, and that the course of events will settle the question in favour of seating the General Legislature in some central spot. He argued strongly against the separation of Auckland from the other Provinces which, he was convinced, would not be acceded to, and expressed his belief that there was not" any strong feeling among the southern members as to the necessity of an immediate settlement of the question of the removal of the seat of Government.

Mr. Forsaith contended the real question at issue was not the advantage of Responsible Government in the abstract, but the expediency of its immediate applicaiion to' this colony. He was not opposed to Responsible Government,and would not object to any plan for removing the inconvenience at present existing in the v mode of communication vrith the Executive,which did not involve the immediate admission of ministerial responsibility in its integrity. The hon. member then proceeded to notice some of the topics touched upon by Mr. Wabefield and referred to the opinions expressed by him, especially the report from the Wellington papersof his sayings at a public meeting. He (Mr. F.) confessed the course adopted by the hon. member was extremely puzzling. It would be 1 recollected by the house that not long ago aletter appeared in one of the local journals of this Province, signed by the honourable member, in which he earnestly cautioned the people' of Auckland against placing reliance upon the* Wellington papers.

Mr. Wakefield here rose to explain : he said he had especially excepted the reports of" these meetings which had appeared in the Spectator, from which paper he had read them to the hou3e. It was the style of reporting in another Wellington paper which he had found fault" with in his circular addressed to the New Zea--land press; Mr. I-'orSaith continued— -The honourable 1 member had certainly cautioned us against' reliance on the Wellington press, and he (Mr;. F.J had great difficulty now iv. determining;

which he ought to rely upon, the reports of the press or upon the hon. member's letter. He then proceeded in detail to answer the several topics advanced by Mr. Wakefield, and concluded by saying that to his mind, his (Mr. W's) explanations neither sufficed to answer the question which had been propounded, nor to commend the expediency of supporting the immediate introduction of Responsible Government, and that if hon. members were determined to adopt a course which must exclude Auckland from a due share of power and privilege there would be no alternative — the cry of separation must be raised.

Mr. Cotten, spoke at great length in favor of the motion. He alluded to the difficulty of communication from his Province (Otago) with the seat of Government, and to the uncertainty of legislation from the disallowance by an irresponsible Executive of bills passed by the Provincial Councils, and said that the difficulties might be yet further increased oa the arrival ot a new Governor ; unless Responsible Government were granted, under which a community of the Anglo Saxon race can alone be satisfactorily, efficiently and harmoniously governed.

Mr. Pioar3 spoke in favor of the motion, and, in answer to some of the objections that had been raised to Responsible Government ; and felt no doubt if the system of Responsible Government were carried out, as he trusted >t would be, the teeming thousands who would hereafter fill these lands would look up to it as their chief glory ar.d held fast to it as their chief good. After a few vrord3 from Mr. O'Neill,

Mr. Clifford considered he shosld not be fulfilling liis duty to his constituents, if he did not declare to the hou9e their longing desire to have Responsible Government immediately and practically brought into operation. It had been asserted both in and ost of that house that New Zealand was act ripe for Responsible Government. The sans thing had been stated at the South.butresponsihleGovernraenthadbeeneatablished there, and things began to work smoothly. It was also stated that a great difficulty in working Responsible Government would be the constant chr.ng3 of ministry, by reason of factious opposition obtaining adverse majorities ; but there was also a heavy responsibility on the opposition, who in the event of the resignation of those in office must be prepared to take their places, and this kept them from pushing matters to extremities. With respect to the alleged difficulty of finding fit men to carry on the Government the supposition was absurd ; once let Responsible Government be placed within their reach and he would answer for it, men would be found to carry it into full operation, He concluded by expressing his belief that the Officer Administering the Government, having called together the General Assembly, would not leave unfinished the work he had begun, and he (Mr. C,) felt a guarantee had been afforded of their fitness for Responsible Government in the ability, temper, and moderation that had characterised the proceedings of that House. On the motion of Mr. Carleton, the Committee adjourned until Monday at II o'clock.