THE END OF THE SESSION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 5

THE END OF THE SESSION.

(By our Dunedin Correspondent). May 19. The travesti on legislative government, which has for the past fortnight been enacted within the walls of our provincial senate hall, has at length received its quietus by proclamation from His Honor the Superintendent, proroguing the Council. To-day, honourable members ii^ustered in full force in anticipation of the closing scene of their sessional career — mauy of them doubtless to take a farewell lounge in the comfortable arm chairs which are the glory of our Council Hall, and to earn their last 19d llfd in the service of the province. The Speaker took the chair at two o'clock, and after prayer and the transaction of some routine business, the leader of the Government (Mr. Tolmie) rose, and in a short speech, stated to the House the then position of affairs between the Council and His Honor the Superintendent — shortly, that there was no probability whatever of any solution of the difficulty being arrived at. Mr. Tolmie was frequently interrupted by hon. members rising to points of order, o - nng to his introducing debateable matter into his opening remarks, and his assertion that the Council consisted of about 12 Reidites ; 17 followers of his own government ; and about 15 members who were not attached to either party, was received by members on the Opposition benches with ironical cheers, and, although it called forth from the Speaker strong remarks at the honourable member's line of speech, Mr. Tolmie and his party seemed to derive intense satisfaction at managing to say this much. On the Opposition side, Mr. Reid rose to address the House, moving its adjournment in order to enable him to speak. He accused the occupants of the Government benches in being the real obstructionists, in so far as they made no effort whatever to meet Dr. Webster (the last gentleman who had been sent for by the Superintendent) in his endeavors to form a coalition Ministry. Dr. Webster's efforts to form a Ministry had been rendered futile by a resolution passed at a meeting of Mr. Tolmie and his colleagues, to the effect that they could not entertain any proposals which included in any proposed Mini&try the name of him (Mr. Reid), and this, of course, rendered all further negotiations with his (Mr. Reid's) party impracticable. During the course of Mr. Reid's speech, a message arrived from His Honor the Superintendent, complaining of ti.j want of courtesy which had been shewn to him by the Council in not acknowledging and replying to previous messages which he had sent, complaining of the waste of time which had "taken place during the time

She Oonncil had been in session, and intimating that, in consequence of there being no prospect of the formation of any Government which could carry on the business of the province, he had decided on proroguing the Council, in view of re-, ceiving the assent of the Acting-Governor to a dissolution. Something in the form of a letter (containing the proclamation of prorogation^ was then delivered to the Speaker, but as it had come in some unofficial or unparliamentary manner, the Speaker ruled that he could not receive it as an official prorogation. For the next ten minutes or so, our unusually quiet Council Hall assumed the appearance of the oft-quoted bear garden, and the " forty thieves " went at it tooth and nail (metaphorically). The Speaker's ruling was called in question by more than one stentorian voice ; some asserted there was no Council. His Honor's prorogation paper having been received ; members jumped up and sat down again, after having gabbled over a few words, unintelligible amidst the din ; others cried "Chair ! chair ;" the übiquitous Mr. Fish was on his feet, and paid no attention to the Speaker's request that he would resume his seat, while Mr. Cutten eventu- . ally suggested that he should be taken into custody by the Sergeant-at-Arms ; and for some time the scene continued to be exceedingly un dignified and discreditable. The Speaker finally managed to restore order by appealing to honourable members' own dignity ; and Mr. Reid then continued and finished his speech. Mr. Fish seconded the motion pro forma, and proceeded to give his views on the situation ; but his eloquence was nipped in the bud by the Speaker's declaration " A message from His Honor the Superintendent. The honourable member for Dunedin city will please resume his seat." The Speaker then read the document, j which was His Honor's proclamation proroguing the Council. It was received with loud cheering, hisses, and other demonstrations of approval and dissent by members, and the large number of strangers who occupied the galleries, and the session of 1873 then broke up and the members dispersed. With the signature of Sir George Arney assenting to the dissolution, will end the political lives of our present representatives, and the excitement of a general election, with its attendant expense and party feeling, will then ensue to keep us alive till the Council again meets — next time, let us hope, for the despatch of business, and not for a repetition of the deplorable squabbles which have characterised the session just concluded.