WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 213, 26 August 1862, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

(from oun pffx conuESPOXPE^T.) : 1 "*" '" " "*~ tWellington, 24th July, 1862. (The following letter, hiving been sent by v Bailing vessel, via Canterbury, only came to hand yestenl-iy.) • There has been a naval enquiry on the Whit? Swan's wreck. The Court, consisted principal/ of the Harrier's officers, the Senior Lieutenant being President. The result has'uot been made public yet, but sufficient is known for ma to say that it is quite certain that the vessel oucjiii never t;> have been where she was. It appear*; that, at the outside, she was not more than ,i mile and a half oli'shore, and the Captain will probably be found culpable to that extent at least.-

The Steam Committee is most assiduous in its labors, having an accession of strength, in the Speaker (tor Marlborough), and Air. Atkinson (for Turanaki), so that all tfic Provinces are represented, Ocago, Canterbury, and Auckland doubly so, if we are to look upon Mr. Crosbie Wnri as the representative of anything but the Government, it is too early to anticipate results, but Jut us hope that something permanent, if' nut ultogvthur satisfactory, may bo determined upon. Ido hope that an euueavour will be'made to Ilx the whole cost upon the colonial funds, ana not render the sciiemo adopted liable to iiisarcimgemei.t by the vagaries of Provincial Governments. Lee Provincial Government subsidize as much as they please for any extra steamer they may locally require, but the postal service of the colony i hold should not be liable to interrupt tions, simply because Provincial Governments may not be able to agree with each other. The laic negotiations tor a Cook's Str.iit and Svdavv BteanK-r is a case in point—Captain Hall insisting on sending the boat to four ports, while itirce dLiemU rates of subsidy wore to bo in existence ; Canterbury and Wellington, Lla'JJ each ; Nelson, LIOUO ; and M:irlt»-.>rough, LtiUj. Tue ti,< two, of coui>e, immediately decline such term*, and' tho whole fulls through ; fortunately, tiie Swan's loss necessitated a re-an-a:i<p;iieut,";uul, for the present, the Sydn-y boat calls fit all notwithstanding. The \V. S. N. aud Co. (which coin^s to a close next month) has fallen in for pickings, :r.-..'l is engaged to supply dtiii:i»jncies on the WVst Coast. Don't be surprised to bear of the Chamber of Commerce giving Mr. Ward a dinner, alter wiiat they iiave done and said—first lauding and then bespattering—you will be picparcd toi* rij.y inconsistency on their part. Like the Exj: seina>i who only required a guinea on eu«!i eye to render him completely bliiid, perhaps the Chnmber ;md riceani Company (for they appear t;> be so dovetailed together that you cannot separate one fro:n the other; will be unable to set* any defects in Mr. Ward's arrangements, :is they dil (and, ro a large extent, unjusriy so) be tore tliu Wonga and Sturm Bird were subsidised fur a monthly trip. I was not wrong in my expectations of yesterday being a null nighl. Mv.jor Richardson "mov<;d his two motions, relative to Turmiaki matters, and won golden ojiinioii.l from all sides. In saving su I tiii:.l: it a.-> well to guard your re:;;ici.s from supposing that in anything I have written, or m.iy write, relative to Ota«o, I alo-.it my a/unions to my market. Possibly, I shall oitcii do, its ! \mv,i done before, select my ware* with reference tlieroto, dwelling on matter* and p.rsons connected with Otago more fully th:in I Huould do were 1 writing to another Province. Il is natural to suppose that your n-aders are f.ir more interested in what Smith of (Jta^o 8.13*3 and does, than in anything connected with Junes of Auckland ; and it U only reasonable, therefore, that 1 should endeavour to satisfy that interest ; but they may depend on my bein^r p-rfcetly i'idilKirent as Ui wln.-ther I please or o.'llrrt by" any opinions I way express. 1 shiil tu-If.-iv.iur t> expifjs them honestly, and nil I dcaire i > that they will give me en lit for so doing.

Well, than, Major Richardson won golden opinions for himself. I had never heard him speak before, except a lew words when he tabled these motions. I was totally unprepared for the style and matter. .The former was very lucid, and calm almost to a fault. It was not the style we generally look for in Parliament; but very much like that'which, we might expect, to characterize an address to a Young Men's Improvement Society. It was a fatherly style, without an assumption of authority—a style much calculated to win its way into the minds of ordinary hearers. The mutter was excellent; there was no intentional bias, though the whole speech had a smack of the camp about it. It was argumentative, poetical, witty, narrative, earnest, and- in capita! tiiste. The Majo'.-* talked about dales in Devon, church bells pealing; in the stillness of the Sabbath morn, and all the poetry'connected therewith "like" a boos ;" praised alike Governor Browne and the present Ministry with a hearti-ness'that-showed his sincerity, and anon blamed the latter in a manner that proved him to be acting tinder the dictates of duty ; set the House in roars of laughter at his application of the eraryfancies of" ljord Monboddo, that eminent philosopher," regarding the proce*'. of.'development -, restored'their attention by the narration of military experiences in A!f>hnn and thePnnjaub.nud made alto t'other a- telling speech to the House, which would have been equally so to the gall ry if the Majo.* had not stood in a position wlura -•"-ir/'ely any of its closely-packed occupants could ■cc him.

No debate followed on the first motion, and th« second almost passed without raising one—ministers (as they afterwards explained) not «*i:.>?!;-ig to throw any obstacle in the way. .The dclmc, when, however, it was fairly started, soon glanced oft" into a totally different direction—the position of responsibility in which ministers stood relative to n-ttivc affairs. Mr. Weld (whose mole of speech is' pain fill'to hear, until, I suppose, yon get accustomed to it, designated if " a great unrniity and.a sha •," when Mr. Ward and Mr. BcJl name to the rescue, the former appealing lo what the Hou-e hud resolved on the subject last year, and affirming that only to that extent had the ministers accepted responsibility and'no farther, while 'the latter (who.had been'"jy sort of hall minister for Home months after Sir Gorge Grey's arrival, showed that ministers hid acted in accordance with the spirit and limitation of last year'd resolution.- The wind was no" longer east, and Mr. Stafford admjtte-J that heretofore it had not been ." a groat unreality and a -'sham." and urged ministers to define their position for the future, ami by "a judicious mixture of patronage a;id taunt, brought out Mr, Fox in that peculiarly sarcastic manner which ho now and then indulges

in, to the great delight of the gallery. The debate had this good result, that ministers promised

to table resolutions next day ou the subject of the relationship intended to exist between the Ministry and the Governor on Native matters.

With regard to the intbrm.jton asked for by Major llic!iard«on, it appears that there was sorav. irrtgularily in form. The mover expected the CAuii'i! Secretary to give the information during tiie tli-l-atp ; while thu Colonial iSi.tTet.uy said he expi-cted that alter the m >tions had been affirmed no opposition being offered by the Government, the Major would next day found a question on them, attaching to that question not merely his individual weight, but that of the whole House. Excuse me for tints dwelling on this subject: but I have no doubt your readers will forgive me for having trespassed on your space in thus noticing tlie debut of their own. " Honor." By-the-way, Mr. Stafford (alluding to Major Richardson having styled himself the youngest mem her in the House, and only three weeks old), called him a "Young hopeful"—a name by which he will probably bo known during the session, just as his colleague, Mr. Dick, was known by that uf "Jews-harp-Dick." last session. The Budget whs postponed because of the reluctance of members to go into business until the native relations between Governor and Ministry are settled. Air, and Mrs. Layard left yesterday en*route for the Cape, whither Mr. Willis, the assistant private Secretary has already gone. Captain Bulkeley, of the 65th ia as Aide-de-camp to bucceed Mr. Layard in the etiquette duties, Mrs. Bulkeley doing the honors of Government House.

July 26th. I am happy to say the " Town oi Uiiuton Bill" lias been knocki-d on the head. Invenargill ia to remain the name of Southland's capital. 1 v. as fortunate enough to meet Captain Cargill in England on several occasions, and knowing how he sacrificed tempting appointments in India, for

the paltry one ot Company's Agent at Otago; and .knowing also how his whole soul was unfedtlshly ahsorbeil in the successful planting of the Scotch b'»!»»ny, I have evyr regarded him as~ one of tho.se whose nature doC3 honor to oar race—as one of'those who le«ul us ti> fee! that the spirit of former heroes still thvla a homo in these degenerate'iJavd. I should havj felt pain, personally, if the Town of Clinton BUS had been curried.