THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 15th OCTOBER. THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT QUESTION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2116, 15 October 1864, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent. " NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 15th OCTOBER. THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT QUESTION.

All kinds of rumours were in circulation on the arrival of the Auckland mail on Thursday relative to the decision of the Seat of GovernmentCommissioners,andajoculararticleinthe Southern Cross convinced tho credulous that Nelson had been the place chosen. In fact, »o strenuously was this asserted by afewpeople, tbat we quote here the solo foundation for their statements. "In our opinion," says the Cross, " the probability points fco Nelson as the choice. Wellington treated the Commissioners to a great deal of bad weather, and to constant fears of an earthquake. This "would tell against her, as they would not like to condemn a Governor to live there. Marlborough might have had a good chance,

but there (alas !) ono of tlie great men got hurt owing to a flood. Can we doubt tbat Picton' s chance sank along with tbe Commissioner's borse ? Nelson was alone all tbat could be desired by visitors. She was hospitable, pleasant, and very flattering ; and in our opinion Nelson will reap ber reward, aud become the selected spot," Now if. tbe report and decision had arrived in Auckland, it night to be supposed that something bad oozed out, and that our usually well informed contemporary had been bintingatwhat would afterwards be notified officially. But a3 tbe case stands, tbe Aucldand journal kuew nothing whatever about the matter, because wben the article was written, the report and decision of the Commissioners was still lying |in the pigeon holes of the Nelson Superintendent's desk, and, we believe, was only despatched on "Wednesday by steamer to Auckland. The assertion that Nelson "is to reap ber reward and become tbe selected spot" is therefore only made on the authority of the Southern Cross, and should be accepted for what it is worth. Tbe Nelson Examiner of tbe llth inst says: — '-'The completion of tbe Report, tbe contents of. wbicb bave afforded food for so much speculation throughout tbe colony, is understood to have occupied tbe Commissioners during what was, as far as tbeir official duties were concerned, the last day of their sojourn in Nelson. On tbe following Monday, October tbo 3rd, tbey left our shores for Sydney in tbe Otago. Their Report was left with the Superintendent, for transmission to his Excellency, the Governor, at Auckland, hy the mail which leaves for that port to-morrow. As no intimation was made by the Commissioners to any individual, either publicly or privately, as to tho decision at which they had arrived, and as the Report itself is contained is a soaled envelope we aro unable to satisfy the curiosity of our readers upon this head ; we must therefore, perforce, await its announcement in due course by the Governor." This clearly shows that the Report was only forwarded to Auckland on the 12th, but why was it not sent on tlie 2nd, by the steamer which left Nelson on that day? From the Examiner's paragraph we may assume that the Commissioners finished their Report on Saturday the Ist inst, and if tbey did so, ahd handed it to tho Superintendent of Nelson, it should have been posted to go by the mail on the 2nd, instead of being delayed for ten days. It is of course possible that tbe Report was not handed to him till the 3rd, just as the Com- | missioners were leaving, but the facts are as strong one way as the other. Tbis delay in transmitting the report is very much to be regretted. It was thought when tho mail left Auckland tbat tbe Assembly would be called together immediately, and supposing the j decision on the Seat of G-overnment question < to be in favor of Wellington, it ! might happen through its not being known that some otber place would be chosen at which to hold the session. The report would not arrive at the Manakau till late on tho 14th, or reach the Governor at Auckland till the 15th. Before then tbe time and place of meeting of the Assembly may be fixed. Really, there should be some explanation given why the report was so long kept in Nelson. j