VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Issue 971, 19 June 1868, Page 2

VICTORIA.

I: (EBOM OUB OWN COEBESPONDBHT.) ' Melbourne, June 12. The Parliament of Victoria was opened ft r the new session on. Friday, the 29th Mijyrby-" His the Governor, Sir Henry Manners Sutton. Great excitement was the orcfer of the day, all classes evincing an anxiety to learn the course events were likely to take. Speculation ran high as to whether the opening speech would be a statesmanlike declaration of a determined policy, or an evasive and insincere utterance of

words. It appeared to be generally considered to have been the latter. . His Excellency simply stated, "he deplored the delay which had taken place in open : ing Parliament ; referred to the visit of H?E.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, and the attempted assassination at Sydney ; congratulated the community upon the pubiic spirit displayed under the long continued '=' dead-lock,' and said that supplies would at present be asked for only to liquidate the liabilities already incurred," and indicatedthat'' it would be necessary to negotiate a small loan to complete the waterworks already commenced, andpreventtheir falling into ruin." Great dissatisfaction was expressed at no mention having been made as to the Darling Grant, in both Houses of Parliament. In the Council

Mr Murphy designated the vice-regal speech as "shifty" and " dodgy," and other expressions of disapprobation were freely shown by many members. In the A.ssembly the question of the reply to His Excellency opened a debate that after lasting three days has eventuated in the determination of the Assembly to maintain the position the M'Culloch Ministry had previously assumed upon the question of the. Darling Grant. Mr Walsh moved the reply, a perfect echo of the addres3 itself. Mr M'Culloch, in a speech which for power and logical reasoning has scarcely ever been heard in the colony, moved as an amendment, an address, embodying the history of the events that had led to the crisis and repudiating the right of the Imperial Government to interfere in colonial legislation. The debate that ensued was marked by serious thought and settled determination, while void of that declamatory matter that often mars a good cause. The discussion was carried on for a period of three days, and resulted in the adoption of M'Cullocli's amendment. It was a long affair* contaning eleven clauses, pointing out the events that had caused the deadlock, and expressing censure upon the Duke of Buckingham for his interference in what was purely colonial i affairs, and evincing a determination on the part of the Assembly to withhold its confidence in any Ministry that refused to carry out the opinions of the House, as expressed in the passing of the Appropriation Act 1867, and which opinions had since been endorsed by the country. The tone of the address throughout was firm and outspoken, as the subjoined extracts will show : — When wo consider that the state of affairs which Your Excellency deplores has arisen out of the proposed grant to Lady Darling, we feel bound to express our surprise and alarm that your Excellency has been advised to avoid this subject in your Excellency's speech. We cannot regard this omission otherwise than as an attempt on the part of your Excellency's advisers to ignore the deliberate decision of the country. Our attention has been directed to an official ] communication from the Secretary of State for 1 the Colonies to your Excellency, published by

your Excellency's authority, in which the | Secretary of State, on the part of Her Majesty's Imperial Government, suggests or directs that your Excellency should not, in a certain, event, recommend the vote to Lady Darling'to the Legislative Assembly, except on a clear understanding that the grant would be brought before another branch of the Legislature in a particular form. Entertaining, as your Excellency is aware we do, feelings of profound and devoted loyalty to Her Majesty, and of attachment to the Queen's supremacy over this portion of her dominions, we are constrained to inform your Excellency that we regard this communication from Her Majesty's Imperial advisers as a violation of the constitutional rights of the Legislative Assembly, aad as a dangerous infringement of the"- fundamental principles of that system of responsible Government which has been secured to the people of "Victoria by an act of the Imperial Parliament. We inform your Excellency that no understanding npou thi3 subject will be entered into with your Excellency by us or by our authority, and that we reserve for free discussion and final settlement within this Chamber the question of the form of the grant to Lady Darling, and of all our other grants to the Crown. . The concluding paragraph. says :— We are prepared to make ample provision as well for the requirements ot the current year as for the grants of the last ; but we feel it to be our duty to inform your Excellency that the grant to Lady Darling — to the payment, of which the public faith was three times pledged by the lato Legislative Assembly, and which has been expressly approved of by the people at the recent general election — possesses, in common with the other unsatisfied grants for the year 1867, the first and the strongest claim in point of time and of paramount obligation upon the attention of the House. We trust

that Your Excellency may be advised to take immediate steps for enabling us to carry into execution the decision of the people which Tour Excellency has so recently sought for and obtained, and we beg leave to inform Your Excellency that this House will withhold its confidence from any Administration which may seek to evade, or which shall delay to give full and immediate effect to that decision. His Excellency, in reply to the deputation presenting the address, expressed the gratification he felt at the sentiments of loyalty embodied in the address, and the recognition by the Assembly of the "justice of the principles on which the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the colonial possessions of the Crown has of late years been founded." He said, ".And on the other hand, I regret to learn that the Legislative

Assembly regard as an exception to this general rule the despatch of the Secretary of State to which my attention has been directed in this address." Having explained the position he occupied as the' representative of the Crown, and the relationship existing! between the Crown and Colonial Governments, he then said : I concur with the Legislative Assembly in recognißing fully the fact that the proposed grant to - Lady Darling is a question ti be locally decided ; and I am now, as I have hitherto been, prepared to acquiescp in the settlement of the question, no matter on what basis, in the manner in which alone" according to the law and Constitution, it can be locally decided, namely by the concurrence of the three branches of the Legislature. The Legislative Assembly will, I am aura, bear m mind that the formation of a new Administration was rendered necessary t>£ the absolute' and re--peated-ismiaerHßy my formei advisers of their lesicmations ; that my present advise-s, having previously declined to accept the responsibilities of office, finally accepted them only after my other attempts to form a Government had failed; ami that s until the hew: Administration had been formed, I was not in a position to aßk for any of those supplies so urgently; required' for the necessities of the state, or even to meet Parlia- i

ment. Whatever differences there may be amongst the members of the Legislative Assembly, pr between the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council, concerning the merits or form of the proposed grant to Lady Darling, I mo3t earnestly hope that the restoration of legislative co-operation between the two. deliberative branches of the Legislature, by the absence of which cooperation the welfare and prosperity of the country have for so many months been paralysed, will be held paramount to all other considerations Under these circumstances, I trust that the Legislative Assembly will not desire that the essential offices of the Executive Government should be vacated, while the pressing necessities of the state are unprovided for. The Assembly met on the following Monday, Bth June, when the result of the interview with His Excellency by the deputation appointed to present the address was debated. Mr M?Culloch moved the following resolutions : —

That ■whereas the responsible Ministers of the Crown for Victoria have riot informed the Legislative Assembly that they are prepared to advise the Governor forthwith to recommend to _the Legislative Assembly the grant to Lady Darling r and havp refused to support, as a 'Government, the inclusion of that grant in the Appropriation Bill for 1867, it is declared' by this House,; that the Ministers by whom the Crown is at present advised are not entitled to the confidence of Parliament, and .that this House prays that Hiß Excellency the Governor will be pleased to dismiss them from his councils. That this House has been and is most anxious to assist Ministers of the Crown in obtaining supplies necessary to the discharge of public liabilities, as locally decided upon at the general election, but that the present advisers of the Crown have set that decision at defiance, and refuse obedience to the public will. That a Ministry, which, with its supporters, cannot form even a quorum of the Legislative Assembly should thus be permitted to suspend public business and the resumption of public payments, is a calamity which calls for immediate remedy. That the present advisers of the Crown do nofeonstitute a responsible Government, and that this House therefore requests the Governor to restore responsible Government by their- removal. -■ That this House -is -gratified to learn that the Governor is 'prepared to acquiesce in the settlement of the question,: no matter on what basis, in the manner in which alone, according to the law and Constitution, it can be locally decided j'.andthat, as the unconstitutional position of the present advisers of the Crown is the first obstacle to that settlement, this House trusts that His Excellency will see fit to. replace-them - by. other advisers, : who, rin accordance with the law and the Constitution, shall enjoy the confidence of Parliament. A long debate ensued, which lasted over two sittings. Prom the first it was known that the resolutions would be carried by a very large majority, but it was not expected that such a. sweeping .".want of confidence " vote would have been carried with only fourteen dissenting voices in a house of sixty members. The public expression of satisfaction was great. The stranger* gallery was crowded during the whole time the debate was going on, and outside the house multitudes congregated and waited with patience, hour after hour, to learn the progress that was being made inside, while at short intervals cabs would arrive from the suburbs with parties anxious to know the result. The determined stand made by M'Culloch and Higginbotham,' is generally approved, and

so strong has become the feeling of indignation at the interference of the home Governmont. in the dispute between, the Council and. the Assembly, that if a dissolution of the Assembly is granted, it is almost certain that the M'Culloch party will enlarge its ranks. Many who formerly blamed the late Ministry for their "no surrender " policy, have how become strong supporters.. The struggle is now looked upon more as a conflict between Imperial rule and colonial selfgovernment than anything else.- His I Excellency Sir H. Manners Sutton was i received on the occasion of his going to I open the parliament, with hisses and groans, not intended so much as a mark of dislike to himself, as a denounce-' ment of his superiors, under whose instructions he is acting. His Excellency has declined to dismiss his present advisers, unless the House can substitute another Ministry capable of terminating 1 the "dead-lock," and carry on the business, of the Government ' in unison with the Council. Thus the crisis instead of approaching a termination/ is becoming more complicated. It is scarcely reasonable to think that the Governor will attempt to carry on the Government with his present advisers after the vote that has-been passed.- He is. certainly placed in a diftv; cult. position. He miist either go in opposition to the instructions emanating from Downing-street and accept the fate of Sir Charles Darling, or assume despotic sway and govern in defiance of

public opinion and constitutional law. :> The only, hope is that the indignation felt by many in the Council at the interference of the Duke of Buckingham will lead to the passing of resolutions condemning such interference, advocating a reconstruction of the Council, and such other conciliatory measures as may be thought likely to open the door for a compromise. Mr "O'Shannassy has taken the initiative in this matter, and probably he may be able to move the Council to join with the Assembly in condemningImperial interference in colonial legislation, and define the power of the two houses of parliament so clearly that no future disputes can arise between them. Unless he can succeed in doing this the crisis will continue. It is certain that^

the Assembly will not yield on any. other terms, nor will they proceed with business until some such understanding has v been come to. In the meantime we are in a state of confusion worse confounded ; contractors, government officials and other crown creditors are clamorous for the settlement of their claims, and the public generally, while willing to endure even greater inconvenience than they have yet, in order to maintain ,in *** integrity Responsible Government, would receive with satisfaction any compromise thatcouldbe honorably made. ; - I have written so much upon politics that little time is left for any general remarks. Business has^-not-fluctaated. much during' the last month. Tne yield of gold has been steady, the returns 'from the various fields being fully as good as could have been expected at this season of the; year, especially in the Ballarat district where a new rush has taken place. The Eiji Island's settlements continue ', attention, but not to. any considerable

extent. Should the report ot the agents of the newly formed Fijian Commercial and Banking .Company, .however prove . favorable, a very large number will leave ■here for those islands. The recent report of hostilities having broken out 1 on some of the islands has had an influence . upon many who did contemplate leaving for Oavalu during this month, but wh.9 now purpose waiting until further intelligence isreceived. . _ , :i : { .. . ; ; _