WELLINGTON.

Southland Times, Issue 709, 14 August 1867, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(feom ottb own corbespondent.) August 3rd. "We have experienced a 30ifc of lull in our political world. Shortly after the disposal of the important question of the administration of Native affairs being j handed over to. the provinces a great storm was expected, and predictions of a fio-ht of unusual proportions had been freely made, but the cleverness of the gentleman at the head of affairs proved too much for the opposition. Thus, from a motion embodying a direct desire of inquiring into the whole financial system of the colony, it became a resolution having simply reference to the financial ajustment necessary to be arrived at for the purpose of settling the Native difficulty, as the committee to be appointed should direct. The Government got the packed committee — proposed to be formed of the Superintendents of the various provinces — altered without any dissent from the other side, and a more suitable number of names were added by ministers. "What will be produced by the action of the appointment of this committee remains to be seen and is entirely a matter of conjecture ; the general feeling here seems to be even in the ranks of provincialists, that very little of any tangible form will come out of ifc. Now that they have got their white elepbaut, they hardly know what to do with it. The great question of the moment is the introduction by the Go- • verntnent of those measure; so long spekeu o? as likely to revise ml renovate entirely, the defective and inoperative system against which so numerous and just complaints have been made for many years past. The two Bills proposed have been read a first time, and will come on for discussion in a few days ; they are of gigantic proportions, one, the " Local Government " Bill, containing actually no less than 406 clauses, and covering 87 pages. The other, the " Municipal Corporations" Bill, provides for the legal wants and requirements of towns and cities, and does away with the unseemly illegality of most of the local enactments passed by various Provincial bodies, with a view to establish self-administrative bonrds having power to impose rates, and to collect them. An instance iv point was shewn a few days ago, when the judges of the Court of Appeal decided against the power of the Corporate Town Council of Blenheim, of either assessing rate-payers, or causing a tribunal to be formed having jurisdiction over defaulting householders. The general opinion of various members representing divers communities, as to the admissiuility of the new system, and its probable effects on the welfare of different settlements, seems to be unanimous as to the benefits likely to accrue from the introduction of the measui'e. but many express an opinion that it may be questionable whether the moment is not ill chosen. They deplore the present unsatisfactory state of things brought about by Provincial institutions, but in the present confused position in which the financial relations of various Provinces stand -with regard to the General Government, and when taking into consideration the still unsettled and undetermined native difficulty, they regret that the radical and organic action taKen by the Government had not been effected long ago, when the various territorial revenues of Provinces had not been frittered away by the natural consequent action of the unchecked powers given by the constitution to Provincial administrators. It is thought that the local Government Bill will not pass in its pi'esent shape, but with proper modifications and amendments it will probably ere long become law, unless the members of the Provincial party are. more successful than they have hitherto been in acting in unity, and not thiok of the division of the spoils before they have actually possessed them. Considering the financial state of the colony, and the value of its debentures in the home market, it must be a matter of surprise,, and as yet unexplained, that the sinking fund of the three million loan of 1863, has been invested by the crown agents in the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Ceylon, and other colonial securities, instead of General Grovernnient debentures of New Zealand. On the reason of such inadvisable i"r"°-tment being asked by the Hon Mr Johnson, Major Richardson, on behalf ul the Government, expressed his inability to comply with the request, iurther than that other instructions had been given to the agents at home, and not complied with. Tne Government have at last resolved to consolidate in a substantial form the hitherto very disconnected enactments and ordinances regulating the summary administration of justice, and the various offences relating to unlawful appropriation are dealt with in a rather voluminous statute, denominated " Larceny, and Other Offences Act, 1867." It embodies most of the felonious offences above named, the adjudication upon which was, until now, entirely based on Bullish euacLuii±nts, and renders the administration of justice more simplified and easily determined in its classification. Mr Travers's motion, that the laws of. divorce be brought within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court was carried, and met with general support in the House. Major Heaphy, V.0., in the lower House, and Colonel Kenny in the Legislative Council, brought resolufions einuudviug the unanimous feeling of ..ioch .iioustfs reg.iraing the unseemly iii.:nner in \vhu - h -Mr George Grey and the Government of fcue colony have been treated by the Home office, with respect to the calumnious charges brought against them by Colonel Ware and the Imperial element generally, ever since the sndless native difficulties have commenced ; and a resolution expressive of the sense of the coloaists will be laid before the Parliament of England. A case of infanticide lately occurred n our city, and the supposed culprit, a

half-caste named Maria Bake, was committed for' trial for wilful murder; a woman called Mrs Lockyer, was also arraigned on the charge of aiding and abetting, and also committed ; bail being taken in her case. The Kennard ' melo drama' is not at an end yet On the 27th instant, the public were rather startled at the sight of a large barricade having sprang up during the night, and access to the new wharf extension being again prevented. However, the Provincial authorities very soon settled the matter by directing a large body of police, headed by the Provincial Solicitor, to storm the new works, and carry them in a most summary manner. No new attempt on the part of the contractors to recapture the disputed property has yet been niade, but the general feeling appears to be that it was up seemly, to say the least of it, on the part of the Provincial authorities, to use their Executive officers in asserting their rights in a legally disputed issue, involving a question of disputed contract between them and Mr. Kennard, as civil contracting parties. It is generally assumed here that the present Ministry will not be turned out of office, and even should the votes on the " Local Government Bill " be adverse to their views, such inimical action will not have the effect of causing them to be replaced by a new administration. Although ultra-Provincialism is strongly represeiited at present in the lower House, it is well known that the public at large sides with tbe adherents to Centralism, and are quite aware that the various Superintendents leading the opposition have not the right of assuming to represent disinterested public opinion. V our members have been very zealous in. their endeavors to unite their efforts to those of the right thinking men composing the moderate party of the Assembly. Mr Hankinsoa in particular, although not so prolific in his orations as your Invercargill representative, Mr "Wood, has indirectly been of much effective use to the furtherance of ideas tending to the promotion of a central organisation and administration of tbe colony. He seems much liked, and his opinions carry weight, and are undoubtedly appreciated. The heaviest gale felt since the year 1861 raged throughout the province on the 31st of July, and only began to abate yesterday. The damage done was considerable, and the repairs it will necessitate to roads and bridges and other public works will amount to several thousand pouuds.