NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, September 20. 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 953, 20 September 1854, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, September 20. 1854.

The intelligence by the overland mail of the proceedings in the House of Representatives appears to have been received in Wellington with a mixture of incredulity and astonishment. The Auckland news in this day's Spectator is taken from a New Zealander communicated to us from a private source, and in it reference is made to the previous number of that journal for an account of the scenes of violence which took place in the House, in which Mr. Sewell and Mr. Revans were conspicuous actors. It seems scarcely credible that these representatives of the people should have so far forgotten what was due to their position, that they should have been so lost to all feeling of self respect as to have acted in the manner they are described to have done. Yet there is no reason to doubt the fact. A message had been sent by his Excellency proroguing the House to the 31st ult.; the message was treated with disrespect, the door of the House was locked, the strongest language was made use of by some of the members, and from words they proceeded to blows ! We look with some impatience to the arrival of the steamer to enable us to lay before our readers a full account of these extraordinary proceedings. In addition to the extracts from the New Zealander, we have published the string of resolutions proposed by Mr. Sewell, which seems to have been the prelude to the violence and confusion that ensued. Unless some very material and unlooked for change takes place in the temper and conduct of the majority of the House, the first session of the New Zealand Legislature will be virtually brought to a close by the prorogation, and the members will, we suppose, return to their homes. And what have they done ? As far as the public business of the colony is concerned — nothing. Not a single measure of public utility has been passed, the Estimates do not appear even to have been framed. The whole time— upwards of three months — has been miserably wasted in an attempt by Mr. Fitzgerald and his party to grasp all the power and influence of the Government, to reduce the Governor to a state of abject dependence, by way of making him "the greatest Governor in the British dominions," and to upset all that had previously been done by Sir George Grey. Presuming on their majority in the House of Representatives, they aimed at establishing a tyranny of the worst kind "in the name of the people of New Zealand," and failing in their object, baffled by the calm and temperate but resolute course adopted by his Excellency, they have tried by every means in their power to embarrass and annoy him, and to throw the Colony into a state of hopeless confusion. The effect of their proceedings will be to satisfy every reasonable person of the unfitness of such men to be entrusted with the administration of the affairs of j the colony ; that any course must be preferable, any mode of governing a boon which would afford the means of escape from what would in effect be the irresponsible tyranny of Mr. Fitzgerald and his party; while- their violent outrageous conduct will throw discredit on the.lnstitu-

tions for which they profess to have so high a regard, and raise very serious douhts in the minds of unprejudiced observers, — if such men are to he taken as the representatives of the intelligence, moderation, and good sense of the New Zealand colonists, — whether the colony be really fitted to receive Eepresentative Institutions, whether Responsible Government can be established under the management or control of such persons. -«> The following are the resolutions moved by Mr. Sewell, and referred to in the article from the New Zealander :—• That any prorogation or dissolution of the General Assembly under the present circumstances, without »6king for supplies, is a practical denial of the rights of the People of New Zealand represented in this house, to control the public expenditure. That the expenditure of public Revenue without the authority of this house, except under the authority of the Provincial Council, is contrary to law. That this house pledges itself by all the means in its power, to sustain the rights of the people of New Zealand by enforcing in the strictest way the penalties of the law against all receivers of public revenue, with their sureties, who shall expend the same, otherwise than accoiding to law, and under the sanction of Acts of the General Assembly or of the Provincial Councils. That the Speaker of this house do forthwith cause notice to the above effect to be given to all receivers of Public Revenues and their sureties, and do cause the same to be published and circulated throughout the Colony. v That this house do present a respectful address to his Excellency, praying him to remove Mr. E. G. Wakefield from bis councils. That the house do further address Her Majesty, praying her forthwith to remove the present Executive Officers, being members of the Executive Council, from their offices. That the house do respectfully address her Majesty, praying her forthwith to establish the Executive Government of the colony on a basis of ministerial responsibility. That during the threatened suspension of the General Assembly, it is the incumbent duty of the Executive Government, as far as possible, without prejudice to the unity of the colony, to conform in all its acts to the wishes of the Provincial Governments, especially in all matters relating to the administration of the waste lands. That the prorogation of this House, at the present period of the session, and its convocation again at any short time, should such course be adopted, will have the practical effect of depriving five Provinces of the Colony of almost the whole of their Representatives in the General Assembly. That the Speaker with the following gentlemen be a committee during the expected recess, to prepare addresses embodying the foregoing resolutions, viz : Dr. Featherston, Messrs. Fitzgerald, Brown, Picard, Cutten, King, and Sewell. .o Programme of performance by the Band of the 65th Kegt, at Thorndon, Saturday, September 23 :— ; 1. Overture— Masaniello Auber 2. Cavatina— " This heart by woe o'er- "1 Wa n ace taken" — Maritana j 3. The Phantom Dancers Quadrille Jullien 4. Cavatina — Vi Raviso — Sonnambula. . . . Bellini 5. The Flower of the Field Waltz D' Albert 6. The Vienna Galop Strauss