WELLINGTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 383, 22 October 1868, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(FEOJI OTJB, OWjtf CORRESPONDENT.) Oct., 2, 1868. Since the division on Mr Fox's amendment, (on the Postmaster-G-enerals motion that the House go into committee of supply,) that the present state of affairs rendered a dissolution for the purpose of taking the opinion of the public generally, which division, as I telegraphed you, had resulted in a majority of nine for Ministers ; there has been but little done in Parliament. The scene on Wednesday night, (the 29th., Sept.) —immediately after this division, — was one which will long be remembered as the most disgraceful ever seenia the House. At about eleven o'clock when the House was in committee Mr Fox and his party—chiefly Messrs. Reynolds, Main, Heaphy, Graham, and Williamson kept up a factious opposition, talking repeatedly, as the rules of the House when in committee permit them to do, and on every subject which they could think of, in order to grevent the Chairman putting the question to the House. This was kept up all night till nine o'clock the next morning, without- intermission, when the Chairman discovered there was not a quorum present, whereupon he left the chair having to report the same to the Speaker who not being near at hand, just then, there was a short interval,during which time Mr Pox, who had left the House leav- | ing to his " Tail " the dirty work of keeping up the opposition, entered. On the House resuming Mr Pox said " that as Ministers had now felt the power of the opposition they might perhaps be more disposed to proposals in which case arrangments might be made for passing the estimates." To this Mr Stafford quietly and properly replied "that after the nights disgraceful scene arrangements with the opposition were impossible." And then the first item of the estimates was passed amid cheers. And a disgraceful scene it was—l do not like to chronicle it—certainly some members were inspired that night by something more than patriotism, Bellamy's did a roaring trade in liquor those few hours. No one who desires to see our Representative House preserve the high tone which has always distinguished it among colonial parliaments but must regret the occurrence and censure Mr Pox for being the first man to render the sittings of our assembly disgraceful. After this the House settled down quietly to get through its busines; but last night after the previous sitting of seventeen hours little or nothing waa done. A message was received from his Excellency giving the Royal Assent to the following Acts : —Bridges and Peries ; Trigonometrical Surveys; Bills of Sale ; Mortgage on Stock; Nelson and Cobden Railway ; and the Westland Representation Amendment Acts.

The following Bills were read a third and passed:—Post-office Act Amendment Bill ; Customs Kegulation Amendment Bill ; and Ugatahu Eeferences Validation Bill.

I must not forget to tell you of a little incident that occurred last night with regard to Mr Beynolds. On Wednesday eveniug, after repeated visits to Bellamey's which of course>

were only for the purpose of getting lights for his cigarettes he made use of the expression in one of his speeches that certain members had been bought and sold by the Government. Thi> saying was objected to by the Hon. John Hall on the grounds that it was a breach of privilege, and ordered to be taken down. Well last night the Speaker said there was a breach of privilege question on the order paper and that in accordance with the usual custom it was to take precedence of other business. He then told Mr. .Reynolds be could make any explanation of the matter and then withdraw. Mr Reynolds explained that he had not meant that members had been bribed by the Government in a pecuniary sense, but that the country party haa been gained over by the policy of the Government and afterwards had been soldby them. This was believed by most to be merely an interpretation of his speech which Mr Reynolds himself would have probably nothave given under different circumstances, but still it was one which the House could not gainsay and so although few were satisfied the matter was then allowed to drop. It will, however, it is to be hoped, act as a caution, and suggest to gentlemen that frequent visits to Bellany's are dangerous during a debate. Beyond this as yet little has been done. Rumour is busy, but not reliable, one of the most credited reports is that the Hon. John Hall, the Acting Colonial Secretary, is to make a fresh financial statement on Tuesday next. Matters with regard to tho Native difficulty look nasty, though not nearly so bad as the recent intelligence from "Wanganui led us to suppose. As is often the case, the facts were very greately exagerated. For instance the report which was brought down by a special messenger a day or two ago, that Tito Kowara had crossed the Patea river and was within six or seven miles of Wanganui, was simply false. Who carrried it into Wanganui is unknown, but the people seem at first to have been in such a frightful state of excitement that tey posted off messenger with the news without taking any precaution to ascertain its truth. The scene there, as described to meby an eyewitnes, must have been amusing. Colonel Gorton immediately called out the Ist. and 2nd. class militia and cavalry volunteers to parade, and then asked them to volunteer for the Front. One man of the militia stepped forward, and all the volunteers, but as the latter were without arms and accoutrements they were told their •services would not be required. The Colonel then told the militia he was glad to see they had turned out, but as no one had volunteered he would have to send all out next day, in the meantime they were relieved from duty. But, man proposes, God disposes. In the mean time the steamer Wanganui was announced to start for Auckland and was beseiged by men who were marvellously like those Ist. and 2nd., class militia men. They got on board any how. They swarmed the sides like bees. A plank, a rope or anything that either foot or hand could hold was enough for that purpose, get to Auckland they must. Urgent affairs called them. Pah! No wonder that the Maoris laugh at us.—No wonder that Mete Kingi, one of the representatives, is going about town to-night, boasting and swearing that his people, and other " Friendlies " have gone up to the front to fight Tito Kowaru, and defend the pakehas. The two companies of the 18th Royal Irish, that arrived in New Zealand, are to be sent up there to garrie son the town, and they must be required. The frightful state of disorganisation into which the forces us, there has been allowed by their officers to fall is such, that my belief in their presence has acted as an inducement to Tito Kowaru, to make his rising. He saw a chance of gaining honor easily, and what wonder that he seized it ? Why, I was told just now by a gentleman returned from the district, that it was well known that the men under Captain Ross, who you may remember, was killed in the attack on his redoubt, spent all their time in the canteen drunk, did not even sleep in the redoubt, and that the rebel Maoris were permitted to go in and out of the canteen frequented by the soldiers, and of course saw the state of the place. Can any one wonder that under such circumstances the redoubt was .attacked, and that nearly all the men -who did not run were killed. And this state of things was permitted, I have reason for believing, all through the district.

The question is, who should be blamed for it ? Not the Government surely, but the officers who would permit such a state of things to exist. You know probably that an institution called, the New Zealand Institution exists in the Colony, and has its

head quarters at Wellington. Well. At short intervals, lectures under its auspices are delivered by gentlemen; one of these came off a few nights ago, in the Museum, and in a weak moment I went to hear it. The subject was an interesting one—" The New Zealand Flora." The lecturer, probably the one man in all the Colony most able to speak on it from his own personal investigation. I anticipated a treat, but believe profoundly now that those are blessed who expect nothing. I only heard copieus extracts from Hocksbetter ann Hooker, which I could have read comfortably at home, and not had the inconvenience of sitting in a hot crowded room for two hours on a narrow form, with my back aching horribly. By-the-by on the first of November, there will be an alteration in the time kept at all the Government and Public Offices throughout the Colony. In fact a " New Zealand mean time" will be established by Statute. Four or five weeks ago, Mr Reynolds, one of the Otago members, introduced a resolution to this effect in the House, which was carried. Certain learned men, including Dr Hector, the geologist, and Mr Balfour, the Marine Engineer (though why these two should be expected to be specially "up " on the matter puzzles me) were appealed to, and the gentleman in Wellington, who has charge of the Government time ball, and is the Provincial Astronomer, the Rev A. Stack, was not appealed to. The result is that the meridian of 172 deg. 30 min. has been chosen, being a close approximate to the average longitude of the Colo ny, and exactly llh. 30min. east of Greenwich. According to this time, your clocks, if representing the true Westport time, will be 3 minutes faster than New Zealand mean time. If you keep Christchurch time they will be 57 sec. faster if Wellington time, 9min. Usee, fast.