WELLINGTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 550, 4 September 1869, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

("feoii our own coehespoxdext.) August 28. In my last letter I told you the session of the Assembly was urawing to a close ; and the end is now so near that I suppose in my next letter I shall have to you of His Excellency's prorogation speech. On Thursday evening it was announced that Ministers would detain what steamers are subsidized as long as tney can next week, so that Members may get away to their homes and return to the bosoms of their families. Already many have left. On Thursday night the Airedale left for the south with several "honorable gentlemen," and on the day following others escaped from their labors in the Phoebe, which left for the north.

There is now little that is interesting to persons at a distance in the proceedings of the House. " Ways aud Means," with the dry discussions on details of expenditure, do not give scope to elocutionists to exercise their powers, and the reports of the House are seldom now enlivened by any sharp debating. On Tuesday last the Speaker announced that he had communicated to Commodore Lambert the resolution of thanks passed by the House, to which he had received a writteu reply, which was read.

Sundry private petitions were presented aud ordered to lie on the table. Eeports of couimittes were read , and sundry Bills were passed a stage. Among these latter were the Post office Savings Bank Amendment Bill, the Poverty Bay Grants of Land Bill, the Treasury Bills Regulation Bill, and the County of "Weatland Amendment Bill. This Westland Bill provides for the more effectual control over the County Revenues, gives the County Council the same facilities for obtaining overdrafts as will be enjoyed by Provinces under the Provincial Audit Act Amendment Bill, and empowers the General Government, at the request of the County Council, to take over the management of the County Police, and make a monthly deduction for its expense from the amount payable to the Province. On Wednesday again petitions were presented and ordered to lie on the table. A question of privilege was brought forward by Mr Curtis, who moved "That every member of the House, without any exception, is entitled to speak and vote "according to his conscience, and that the course taken by the Government in requiring Major Brown to resign the command of the forces at Taranaki, or to resign his seat in this House, on the express ground that he had given a vote against the Government is an interference with such liberty of speech and action, is inconsistent with the free representation of the people, and is a breach of the privileges of this House." This resolution was divided by the House into t.vo, and the first part was put and carried on the voices. On the second part some sharp discussion took place, the Ministerial speakers making the matter a party question. Eventually the House divided—Ministers obtaining a majority of two. On Thursday a Bill to permit the re-union of the Province of Southland with that of OtagQ, was read a first time. Some amusement was caused

by a motion by Mr Kelly to the effect that in future mail steamers should be prohibited from landing their mails at New Plymouth on Sundays. The House seemed to think that, if the people of Taranaki are willing that their mails should go on to Auckland if the steamers should happen to arrive there on Sundays, no one else should object to the arrangement. At length one speaker remembered that the subsidies to mail steamers having been knocked on the head, the question was practically disposed of. With regard to these subsidies. The general belief seems to bo that the Colony will lose nothing in the wav of mail service by the cessation of "the subsidies. £7OOO a year will be saved, and it is absurd to suppose that the withdrawal of such a small sum will cause any steamers to stop running. The resolution bringing it to pass was Mr Macandrew's, and he also has the credit of having caused the House to record its opinion that a mail service between New Zealand and San Francisco should be established. With regard to the iuterprovincial and intercolonial mails, it is worth remembering that every vessel, sailing or steam, leaving a port is bound to take a mail. The County of Wcstland Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. A resolution was carried that an addressed be presented to his Excellency, praying him to submit for appropriation a sum for the purpose of making advances by way of loan to the Patea and Waitotara settlers, to enable them to re-occupy their lauds. On Friday the New Zealand Cross Endowment Bill was read a second time, when the Hon. Mr Dillon Bell said the Government intended to be very chary in conferring the Cross, so as to render its possession an object of jealousy. The Orago Provincial Loan Bill was passed through its remaining stages after a little discussion, which embraced the scheme of a large Colonial loan, for public works, in various parts of the Colony. There is little doubt such a loan will be proposed next session. The only other matter of public interest before House on Friday was the question of an advance of £15,000 to the Province of Wellington to enable the construction of the WanKanui Bridge to be proceeded with. The material for the bridge has been lying for many months spoiling at Wanganui, and provincial impecuniosity has rendered the Provincial Government helpless in the matter. The resolution in favor of the advance was carried, on the voices.

I have repeatedly, in my letters to you, expressed strongly my conviction that the late Defence Minister was totally unfit for his post. I suppose you receive uupica uC pmrllnmcmfcair. papers, and I can refer you to " Papers relative to the Military Operations against the Eebels " in confirmation of what I have said. Extracts from the diaries of Captains St. George and St. John ; copies of letters from these officers, and Lieut. Col. Harrington ; orders from Col. Haultain; despatches from Colonel Whitmore, all shew a state of things such as few have ever thought of. The suffering of the British army during the first months of the Crimean campaign have been equalled on a small scale by our Colonial force and our Native allies in the expedition to the Uriwera-Taupo country. Men were for weeks living on a scanty allowance of bad potatoes in a frightful country, in a most inclement seasons,and with scarcely a rag to cover them or shoes to (heir feet. And this was forced upon them, not for any great object, not for the subjugation of the rebels, not for the ultimate attainment of peace, but merely to carry out a pig-headed idea hatched in the brain of the most incompetent " responsible " Minister that New Zealand has ever been afflicted with. Col. Whitmore, who conducted the campaign, when he undertook it, said it was purposeless, and would he utterly destitute of good results, besides being very probably frightfully disastrous. The St Kilda arrived here yesterday from Poverty Bay and Napier, bringing some Maori prisoners and witnesses. The former are said to have been implicated in the Poverty Bay massacres. I trust they will be strung up at an early date. Plax-dressing machines are all the rage _ here. They have superseded velocipedes. Scarcely a day passes but one hears of a trial being made in one business place or another of some infallible patent. The exportation of flax, too, is on the increase. There are actually at the present time six bales of flax on the wharf awaiting shipment.