PROROGATION OF COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 148, 8 December 1870, Page 5

PROROGATION OF COUNCIL.

(By Electric Telegraph.) Dunedin, Dec. 7th, 5.25 p.m. The Council was prorogued this afternoon. The Superintendent expressed regret that they had not agreed with him upon the subject of taking advantage of the General Government Scheme of public works and immigration for the aggrandisement of the North Island at the expense of the South ; and stated he should at c-nce appeal to the country. lie proposed further a thorough re-construc-tion of the Executive, that the Superintendent should have practical control of all dep artments, being responsible to his constituents ; and that there should be only one paid member of the Executive — the treasurer — that economy can only be fairly carried out by amalgamation of officers. He stated there was a serious falling off in the Customs "Revenue, chiefly owing to the stagnation caused by the suspension of the Land Act.

The speech created considerable surprise and indignation on the part of the Council, a large majority of whom condemned Macandrew's speech as an infringement of their rights. The position assumed by the Superintendent is that of an autocrat, and people wonder whether (if he has his own way) the same course will be followed as in 1860. He has hitherto been kept in check and does not

like it, hence his desire for this extraordinary change.