WELLINGTON.

Southland Times, Issue 544, 20 August 1866, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

Tuos'kv, Auiust If. }Vtv,'o;Mi tv? conclusion of tha > : e|>ava« i;i;«M iblxV 0, OU this iI:V l:i?t WOftk, :Uld th» Prsnvi-ii St-vto uoat, whioh is to be ■a: '-In m-m w^»y, 'ho t>ol<H:v! at-nos-h,v>b^!i of :\;\ ttU'ympt to be :si*',d«j to -M- r»Ii i Stafford, ov >t le-wt the r '-formation of h:.s Ministry ; an I " Total ll^.-vn^fu -tion" has besu tried as a wsircry ')y the Independent newspaper. Hut it "must be recollected that Mr Stafford's cliim to be considered a valuable Minister is generally admitted by the House of Representatives, and that no opportunity has yet been offered for either the proof or the disproof of the grounds on which that claim rests. If he has carefully handled the finance of the colony for the past nine months ; if he can show that his promises of rigid economy have borne fruit ; if he has so dealt with, the British Government and the money market as to secure the fullest justice and fairest terms for the colony, while preserving its credife at least as high as when it passed into his keeping ; then j the House will praise him for his past acts — the more, if hi 3 colleagues have been less than usually efficient. But he has to deal with the "future as well as the past. He will to-morrow, by the mouth of Mr Jollie, explain his financial proposals, including the plan of colonial defence. Of what all this may be the House is profoundly ignorant as yet. There has been a small " remnant " of the separation debate in a recrimination between Mr Dillon Bell and Mr Whitaker, involving Mr O'Eorke, of Auckland. In the closing speech of Mr "VYhitaker last Tuesday evening, that gentleman referred to Mr Bell's commendation of Mr M'Lean, Dr Featherston, and himself. He wondered, he said, to hear such highly complimentary language used, for one of those three had at one time held a very low place in Mr Bell's esteem. In 1860, Mr Bell had said in the House that Mr M'Lean was unfitted either by ability or education to preside at the Kohimarama conference. If Mr M'Lean was then unfit to take the chair at a Maori runanga, how was it that he deserved such laudation now ? Mr Bell promptly denied the truth of the quotation said to be made from his speech in 1860, and demanded to know who reported him as having used those words. Mr "Whitaker named Mr O'Eorke, and' produced a written paper with the words in question under the hand of that gentleman. Next morning, Mr O'Eorke being absent, Mr Bell asked leave to speak on this personal matter. He said he could find no record in the reports of any such sentiment having been uttered by him. On the contrary, he found four or five distinct reports of an opposite opinion of Mi' M'Lean, being expressed by him, which he read. On the following day Mr O'Eorke appeared in his place. He said that he had mentioned to Mr Whitaker his recollection of Mr Bell's remarks m 1860, heard in the gallery before -he was a member of the House — he was sorry that the charge had gone so iar : hn.d it been in his hands, and Mr Bell had given it the denial which he did, }\$ would have withdrawn the charge at once, believing that it must be made in error. He was sorry Mr Whitaker had not done so. As to the words quoted, he was quite certain they had been used ; his memory was very clear on that point. But he would not undertake to assert that Mr Bell had not used them (as Mr Bell said might have haa&gened) by way of quotation. Mr "Wnfcaker said that it would have been easy for him on Mr Bell's denial to withdraw any charge resting on his own authority ; but he could not do so, in the case of another, whose truthfulness he would have seemed to be doubting. But for that he would have let the matter drop at once. There was a report a short time ago, that the government meant to issue £500,000 of the 1862 debentures in place of the same amount of 1863. The difference is, that the former are secured on the Laud Ec venue of the colony ; the latter are not, and therefore the former would have been an additional and peculiar burden on the South. Mr Hall has asked whether the report is true, and has been told that it is not. Among the bills being pushed on, a few deserve special notice. The Supreme Court Judges Act simply declares that in^the absence of the Chief Justice the senior Puisne Judge shall be considered the Chief for Vice- Admiralty and other purposes. The Vagrancy Bill is almost identical with the Victorian Act and the Ordinance adopted since the goldfields period in Otago. There is a similar law for the prevention of crime in England, rather more" severe, but Vd£ course riot wholly suitable to our circumstances. The Eegistration Amendment Bill provides that all, or" most of the Eesident Magistrates are to take claims to vote, instead of separate Eegistration Officers being appointed as hitherto. Further, the Eevising Officers are to be appointed by the Judges of the Supreme Court, iustead of by the Government. Thirdly, the roll is to be made up a month earlier ; that is, by the first of September instead of October, the annual claims being given in at the same period as at present. There are minor matters about objections, altered claims, &c, before the Eevising Officer, but they do not affect the majority of the public. These and all the bills heretofore mentioned have been quietly passing stage by stage through both branches of the Legislature in the dullest but most respectable manner.