(From a correspondent of the Press.) August 27. The end is not far—indeed it may come before this reaches you. The speaking this week, as far as it has gone, has been on the whole more practical than during the pre vious fortnight ; while nearly all the speakers have compressed their remarks, with the result that fifteen men only occu pied two sittings. On Monday the ball opened with a fiery speech from Mr Buck land, who was decidedly *• rough ” on Sir George Grey, and desperately hard up for material for his attack when he had to go back to almost the foundation of the colony and bring in a great deal of irrelevant matter. Mr Macandrew spoke at unusual length for him, and with much feeling. The burden of his complaint was that constitu tional reform is not so much wanted as re form of the Central Legislature ; the cur tailment of its powers, with a corresponding increase of those of provinces, which should however be strictly defined. In a word, Mr Macandrew only gave expression to the fondest wish of his heart—-his day dream— the creation of Otago as a separate and independent colony. In many respects the speech of Mr Bunny, who at the evening sitting had to fill up a gap, was very clever. According to his manipulation of the figures Wellington stands to lose about £40,001) a year by the Government proposal. The mem ber for Wairarapa was also successful in keeping the House in a tolerable state of merriment, and provoked roars of laughter by the innocent way in which he convicted himself of speaking at random. Evidently he had set himself to the self-appointed task of speaking an hour ; and when he had all but exhausted his stock of argument, Mr Reid, who sits immediately on his left, handed him a piece of paper, on, reading which

he let the House know that he could not do it as he had a cold. The intent was obvious, so off ho started again, this time ch.verly bringing in a reference to the Hull and Wairarapa meetings. 