THE LAST DAYS OF THE SESSION.

West Coast Times, Issue 329, 12 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LAST DAYS OF THE SESSION.

FBOM IRE AVELLINGTON OORRKSrONDENT OP THE TIMES. t Friday, Oct. 5. I can only write a few lines, to catch (if I may) the Star of the Evening, which, being on her way Avith cattle to Lyttelton from Napier, put in hero from stress of weather. If the Avcather changes from a southerly gale to a northerly breeze, the Star of the Evening Avill anticipate the next regular steamer. On Tuesday, after the mail boats left for North and South, the House of Representatives met Avith a sadly diminished front >and many vacant places. Twenty -three members — one-third of the representatives — had gone to their homes, and hardly enough remained to suspend, if necessary, standing qrclers. In consequence, Aery little discussion has taken place on the A r ast amount of business Avhfch has been gone through ; and measures of the highest importance have passed both Houses, if not with mature consideration, at lease Avith speed. In consequence, the long list of bills which ornamented the order paper but a few days .ago have disappeared, and there are to-day only seAen subjects inviting the attention of honorable members. On the other hand, the Council is overburthencd Avith the Avork which vha's been handed on to them, and has been sitting for "some time both before and after dinner, and on till midnighti The telegraph will haA"e told hoAV the Customs Tariff has sustained some changes in two successive reconsiderations in committee. First of all, the

duly on salt has been struck out against the will of the Government, while the opposition was unable to achieve the same success upon an attack upon iron. On second thoughts- the Government agreed with the committee to reverse this decision, and replaced the d\ity on salt with the view of striking off that upon iron. But, on the third night, a third course was suggested, namely, to release both salt and iron, and to replace the duty on bottled beer, which had been brought down from Is 6cl to Is a gallon. This would have been carried forthwith, but that the awkward question was asked, what would the duty collected in each case amount to. It turned out that at Is. per cwt. salt might produce Ll,700 ; ir.on at the same rate about LSOOO ; and the additional 6d on bottled beer, L 12,000. The" committee protested against accepting the larger tax for the sake of geiting rid of the smaller ones, and the debate was growing long when a compromise was suggested and adopted. Bottled beer is to pay Is 3d a gallon ; and iron and salt are to be free. Silk , manufactures are to come down again to 5s a cubic foot, the same as the better* classes of drapery. There was every desire to make such a valuable commodity pay a proportionate duty ; but abundant evidence was brought to" show that silks seldom or never are imported to this colony in separate cases, but always mixed with drapery of other kinds : and, conse-* quently, that the labor of examining the contents for the purposes of separate measurement would cost more in the Custom House than the whole additional duty on silks would produce. No other change of the smallest importance has been made, and I am üblo to transmit an accurately revised copy of the whole tariff herewith. Mr Cracroft Wilson has endeavored during two days to draw the House into a discussion on the cattle plague question. Mr Wilson rejects and derides the contagion theory and the panic incidental thereto. On the first day, he gratified the House by reading from a scientific periodical certain pages of a vehement denunciation of these who feared contagion in cholera, in 1 831 . The House thought the readings very pleasant, if neither pertinent nor profitable, and endured them for a reasonable time ; but the debate being accidentally broken off for that evening, ■ when on the next day, Mr Wilson spoke a second time, late at night, the House showed extreme impatience, and counted itself out in the crises of the speech. Wellington has secured a second loan this session, to the amount, of L 30,000, to complete the* Manawatu purchase. But the money is to be stopped from the proceeds cf sale, and is all to be repaid in five years. The interest is 10 per cent., and the money will be raised within the province itself. Mr Jollic will, to-night, move the following resolution, of which he has for some days given notice :—: — " That, in the actual circumstances of the colony, .and more especially considering the large amount of the unauthorised expenditure during the last year, which still remains to be covered by appropriation, as well as the insufficiency of the balance of the Three Million Loan to meet- the defence and other extraordinary charges on the current year, this House is of opinion that it would, in a financial point of view, be highly inexpedient and unsafe, notwithstanding the addition to the revenue already provided for by fresh taxation, to devote to the service of the provinces so large a sum as L 3 18,750, as proposed by Government; and, therefore, recommends that the same should be reduced by the sum of L£0,000." The motion speaks for itself. Mr Jollie is indignant at the Jotal change of policy which has been announced towards the provinces by his successor in the Treasury. He meant that provinces should be taught at once to rely on their own resources ; but Mr Fitzherbert, for this year at all events, has proffered to the Provincial Governments most liberal-terms. He will secure to

them three-eighths of the Customs Revenue, Avill give them more, if the rcA'enuc should be unexpectedly inerease'd; but in no case Avill he give them less. They haA'e all to gain and I nothing to lose : if the same policy would only last, they ought to be delighted \ but the promise is no more lasting than the, current year. After that, Mr Fitzherbert threatens to Avage a battle with the. provinces at a time and on a field of his own choosing. Mr Jollies finance was the move open^ Mr Fitzherbert's makes things pleasant for the time, but ' he is not likely for the future to fall much behind Mr Jollies ideas of Avbat is right. In the meantine, neither the friends of the Govern -

ment nor those of the provincps Avill care to give Mr Jollie a helping vote in cutting down the payments to the Provincial Government for this year.

The people's representatives have been sitting during the week for two nights voting away the people's money. It is needless to say that, with a thin House and great pressure for time, items have passed Avith very little conconsideration. The unauthorised expenditure of last year has passed ; so have certain items for public works and buildings, so fhave the Avhole native estimates, and those for defence. On the two last named Mr Macandrew, of Otago, made a conscientious but ineffectual'stand. He wished to grant the sums asked only for a period of eight months, after which time the cost Avas to fall on the Provincial Government concerned. On the i amendment proposed in the native estimates, Mr MacandreAv was supported by Mr Yogel, and also to everyone's surprise, by Dr Featherston and Mr Bryce, member for Wanganui, but by no other person, On the similar amendment on the defence estimates, Dr Featherston deliberately walked out rather than A*ote, and Messrs MacandreAv and Yogel Avere left alone in the negatiA r e. The only remaining items of supply, some additional expenditure Avhieh had not been thought of before, will come on for consideration to-night, and will of course be passed. The House of Representatives, as you know, resolved in favor of holcUag next session in Christchurch. The GoA'ernment opposed it. The Council then resolved that the session should not be held among you, and immediately the Government said that most probably they Avould find it com r cnient to go. Was this mere perversity ? I beg to giA'c my private opinion, AvhateA r er it may be worth, that as the time approaches, the Governor and his advisers Avill find surprisingly conA'incing reasons AA'hy they should not move to Christchurch.

The last days of the session have been brightened by the production of a real speaker's mace — a present* from Sir Charles Clifford. It is a gilt and ebony article and very imposing, but it is not

yet in general use, being kept back to strike with awe spectators of the prorogation ceremonial.

If the mace has given brightness and dignity to the close of the legislation, some circumstances- on the conti'ary have thrown gloom and" bitterness over the proceedings. The Council and' the House have quarelled 'Over certain bills ; and notably over the Marlborough Waste Lands Act. It is understood that Waste Lands Bills should be originated by the Provincial Councils ; but on this occasion changes of great importance, not contemplated by the Marlborough Council, were introduced by the Assembly. The Lower House arranged that the Council should be consulted by the Governor prior to his assent being given to the bill ; but the Upper House" would not hear of deferring to the opinions of a provincial body. Possibly the difference may be , accommodated, but at present the Marlborough Bill, and one of Nelson hang in the balance. The details are not so important as the principle at stake.