The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1998, 31 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1875.

The Superintendent prorogued the Council on Friday night, in a speech in which he thanked the Council for the care and attention which they had devoted to all matters connected with the interests of the Province.* As far as the length of the session is concerned it has been in a measure satisfactory, but this is due more to the management of the Provincial Treasurer than the inclination, of members. On the part of the latter there has been a desire to interfere with matters beyond their power; as for instance, the question of abolishing Provincialism and the Native Lrnds Purchase enquiry. the former Sir George Grey, ?n his prorogation speech, says :— ♦• I have transmitted for the information of the Governor the resolutions you

passed and forwarded to me, in regard to the proposed Constitutional changes, which would abrogate the Act ofParlia--1 ment which was passed in 1852 for the purpose of granting a representative Government to the Colony of New Zealand." It is plain that the resolutions referred to are those which were adopted on the motion of Mr Sheehan,.the resolution previously passed not having been forwarded to Sir George Grey, because it was decided that the same should be rescinded as soon as passed. Notwithstanding the rather unusual course taken by the Council in adopting One resolution and then recalling it to substitute another of different import, they have umnistakeably pronounced in favor of abolition, and so far as their opinion possesses value it will tell in favor of abolition proposals. The other subject which the Council discussed in a free and easy manner, animadverting in unmeasured terms upon the conduct of officials on the strength of the collective gossip of members of the Council, was the Native Lands Purchase department. No doubt there is very good ground for criticism in this direction, but the Lands Purchase department is amenable only to the, Governnie.nt of the Colony; and it ■would 1 have rendered* the Piovinco and Council ridiculous had the motion for a commission been carried out. The Superintendent has an undoubted right to bring under the notice of the General Government any irregularities on the part of officials of the Land Purchase Department which may come to his fknowledjje, and we do- not = believe ?that his representations would be disregarded- But if they, were,'as'a member of the House of Representatives he would still possess the power of moving for a Select Committee of the House, which would elicit more than a Committee of the Provincial Council could possibly dp, andy have weight Nith the' House. But the course proposed in the Council was the one best calculated to defeat the end in view, byputting the General Government into antagonism. This question will assuredly be considered at the next session of Parliament. There have been so many complaints against the system, of lands purchase that the Government must perforce take some notice and institute a rigid enquiry into the operations of the past year. The agents of private purchasers have, it is said, circumvented the Government agents ; and some of the latter have been charged, with what seems like a breach of trust, by acting for individuals while receiving salaries from the Government. -The looseness which has been manifested by lands purchase officers in their operations deserves condemnation; and the Government will not escape censure.if it be proved that they have connived at the practices of some of the agents of speculators by allowing them to acquire land on which public money had been advanced. Information of this kind the Council might have acquired, but to be ! of practical use the ground would have had to be gone over again by the Assembly, and the labors of the commission would have been useless and: expensive; so that it is not a matter for regret, that in this respect the intentions of the Council have been defeated. We may say briefly, the session has been uneventful. The limited means at the disposal of the Council have been judiciously distributed. Each representative has done his best to get a small sop for his own district. The legislation of the session has been of a miscellaneous character—principally amendments of former acts, as we anticipated it would Be; 'The shortness of the session, we assume, is "due to several causes. One, as ye previously stated, is the excellent management displayed by : the Provincial Treasurer in pushing on the work. Another reason we believe might be found in the announcement that Sir George Grey declined responsible government. This disarmed the opposition which asserted itself at the commencement of the session. With an Executive of two members, one only being a salaried officer, there, was no inducement for aspiring Councillors to show their power and carry motions adverse to the Government, especially when it was known that- the Superintendent and his principal" adviser were directly opposed on the one great point of Provincialism. A third reason" we believe to be the wart, of unity amongst the members who would have formed an opposition, owing to indifferencebegot cf the conviction that this would probably be the last session of the -Council. Members laboring under this conviction necessarily lacked enthusiasm, and shoitenedthe session by not obstructing the business rather than by expediting it, although Sir George Grey compliments them oa the wisdom and fairness displayed in considering the questions laid before the Council. '