THE SUPERINTENDENT AND AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 18 August 1864, Page 6

THE SUPERINTENDENT AND AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

(From the Soutulaxd Times, August 4.) Disgusted as our readers must by this time be about the misunderstanding between His Honor and tlie Provincial Council on the subject of an Executive Council, we think, now the business of the Session is over, that it may be useful, both for the people of Southland, and also for those of the other Provinces, if we give a short resume of the quarrel. Some who may not have taken the trouble to wade through the wearisome columns of a Southland Provincial Debate, may perhaps be induced to read the story when placed before them in a condensed form; and, we say it with all due respect, that some of the members of Council themselves may be able from this short account to know better what really was the gist of the matter than they were whilst sitting in the House. The members of a New Zealand Provincial Council are not generally very highly gifted, either as regards eloquence or an aptitude for legislative business, but in both these respects we are reluctantly compelled to admit that the Southland Provincial Council is very deficient. The fight between His Honor and the Provincial Council began in this wise. Knowing from past experience that there might be a hitch in forming an Executive, the Superintendent, in his address, alluded in touching terms to the difficulty. The Provincial Council, in the reply, also mentions the difficulty, and hints that His Honor " will see the necessity of at once "appointing such a Council from the '* members who possess the confidence and " support of the Provincial Council." The campaign was now opened. Mr. Tarlton stated that on the. following day he would endeavor to prevail on His Honor to form a new Executive. He moved a- series of res olutions relating to th c present depressed state of the Province, and recommending a certain line of action. We next come to one of those peculiar documents which Dr. Menzies is so well able to concoct. The Council are favored with a "message." He insinuates that the House will perceive that he is quite ready to form, ah Executive, ..and. act with their advice. ' The ProvinciaL Treasurer .wished for a : discusgipn.'pn. the resolutions <he had • submitted, but the ; House, preferred waiting till a new Executive had been formed. Mr. Pearson then said he had been able

to -form one, -with the co-operation oi other : gentlemen ;: they were quite . ready to commence work so. soon as .His Honor had, entered into a ".compact " with them, that he would be guidec by their advice.; His Honor -refused to comply with the. terms offered. „ A special agree-.; ment was necessary, because Mr.- Pearson was not . quite, sure , whether His Honor had not the legal right to retain, all, the power in his.pyvn hands, -and. treat -his. Executive as he always had done, viz., — - as a cipher., He -said lie would see His ' Honor : again on ; the subject, , and, [ submit to him the - opinion. :of the House. Before the adjournment, however, and . after some more ' business had been transacted, and, :it had been discovered that the 7 £45,000 advanced by the G-eneral G-overnment, to . give temporary relief to the Province, was i taking wings to itself in a very remarkable manner, Mr. Calder moved--- ,;, , " That this Council having heard the explanations of those members who have unsuccessfuUy : endeavored to form an Executive, are of opinion that the spirit of the memorandum, submitted by . them to His Honor the Superintendent, substan- > tially embodies the views bf this House with regard r to the formation of an Executive." ; Mr. HowEH/ seconded the resolution, which was carried without further discussion. \ "We may remark in passing that seconding t that resolution, and, at an earlier stage of I the session saying he was sorry to hear I Mr. Wilson stating a falsehood, appears 3 to be about the extent of Mr. Howell's [ legislative exertions. But, to continue. . We have next a set of resolutions by Mr. s Chalmers, to the effect that the Council were alarmed at the determination of the ' Superintendent to govern without an t ' Executive, or, at least, without an Execu- „ tive which was more than a farce. There „ were four resolutions, but the other three 3 did not directly bear on the question oi the Executive. The fate of those resoluwas postponed in' order to see if the c Superintendent would change his mind t and give in a little to the wishes of the s Council. Mr. Pearso.se had an interview II with the Superintendent, but he resoll utely, or rather, doggedly, maintained his c position, referring to the proceedings of s the last session of Council. He 7 asserted that he always had taken the * advice of his Executive, and been guided by their decisions "in all matters in •_ " which legislation gives them a consulta- ', " tion power,'" and expressed a willingness i to consult them on other matters where 1 he might, if he chose, decide without sue! ' y consultation. We all know that that is c not a correct statement of the case, nay c more, that it is in direct opposition tc - the truth. Mr. Tarlton, with thai 2 peculiar class of eloquence for which he is so celebrated, told the House thai . he did not see what the cause o: t of the disagreement was. And then Mr t Harvey made a speech, the fluency o: * which was only equalled by the strengtl ) of the language, which was many degrees over-proof. Mr. Harvey, however, tool ; a sensible view of the case. If he usee • terms which were out of place, and if the • manner was bad, the intention was good 1 He was of opinion that the Genera' t G-overnment should be memorialised tc > remove the Superintendent. Before the Council adjourned it was settled that Mr ! Calder should bring forward a motior embodying Avhat the former speaker ; had suggested. At a subsequent sitting Mr. Calder read four resolutions relating to the above. The fourth of the list wag the most important. ' 4. That, seeing the Superintendent refuses tc act in accordance with the wishes or advice of the Provincial Council, this House respectfully, but earnestly calls upon His Excellency the Governor, to dissolve the Council forthwith, or to take such steps as he shall think necessary* to prevent the further ruin of the interests of the Province, as well as for the protection of the credit of the Colony." These resolutions were postponed to allow Mr. Pearson to bring forward one on the same subject, which he did, asking His Honor if he had any financial scheme by which the Province might be extricated from its difficulties. It then came out that the resolutions which Mr Tarlton submitted in the earlier part of the session were the only ones which His Honor was prepared to submit. Mr. Pearson's resolution was withdrawn, and Mr. Calder' s were then discussed. After much talking they were passed, with the addition " That the Speaker be requested to forward a copy of the above resolutions to the Governor." Mr. Tarlton's were then discussed in committee and finally passed in the following form : — "That this Council is of opinion that all Provincial Loans, raised under the authority of Ordinances, which have received, or that may receive, the assent of His Excellency the Governor, should receive the Colonial guarantee by Act of the General Assembly. That the necessity for such action is urgent, and that the General Assembly should be summoned to meet at the earliest practical time, hi order to take tliis matter into consideration. That the charges for interest and Sinking Fund, on such loans as may be obtained by any Province, should be retained by the General Government, from the Land and Custom's revenues of such Province as they arise. That the Superintendent be requested to communicate with the Superintendents of the other Provinces, in order to ascertain whether they will co-operate in beinging such views before the General Legislature. That Mr. Speaker be requested to transmit copies of the above resolutions to the members of Assembly for the County of Wallace, requesting them to support in the Assembly the views embodied in these resolutions. That a memorial embodying the spirit of these resolutions be presented to His Excellency the Governor." Mr. Chalmers' original resolutions were then discussed, and passed with various alterations. Such is a very brief outline of the " great fight," between His Honor the Superintendent, and his Provincial Council ; and we are compelled to say that the whole proceedings, or a great part of them, were conducted in a mostunsatisfactory manner. The matter rests, for the present, where it begun. The Superintendent has come off, in a manner, victorious; but the ProvincialCouncil have the satisfaction of lmowing that they brought forward an infinity of resolutions, and still occupy the ground they took up <at the beginning of the battle. We sincerely trust that 'we, shall never have again to chrphiele so useless a session.