PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 583, 22 November 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thb twenty-seventh session of the Provincial (Jouncil of Auckland was opened to-day with the customary formalities. The room has been completely re-fur-nished aud re-decorated during the recess, and now presents an appearance better suited to the dignity of a Legislative body than when in its former state of dilapidation.

The following members were present: — Messrs. Dyer, A. K. Taylor, Dr. Nicholson, Kevv, Douglas, Shepherd, Philips, Lusk, Mitchell, Ellis, Maclean, Boylan, Cadraan, Brookfield, Ureighton, May, Hay, Gordon, Macready, Hamlin, Farmer, Hurst, Tonks, Swanson, tiheehan, Lundon, Freer, and Beveridge. At fire minutes past two the Speaker took his seat, and read the proclamation convening the Council. His Honor the Superintendent then entered the chamber, and read the following speech:—

" Mb. Speakeb awd Gentlemen op the Pbovinoial Counoil, —I have called you together at the earliest possible date after tho prorogation of the General Assembly, in the hope that you may thus be enabled to dispose of the business to be submitted for your consideration before the termination of the year. The session of the Colonial Parliament ■which has jusc closed has been distinguished for the influence whichjits measures are calculated to have upon the position of the provinces. The Act passed in 1870, by which the provinces were assured of a capitation grant of thirtyeight shillings per head of their population for this year, has been repealed, and a capitation of fifteen shillings per head substituted under somewhat altered conditions. The effect of the change will be to reduce seriously tho Provincial revenues. A sum of £4000, granted as special allowance, alone represents the amount of aid which will accrue to this province from the Colonial revenue, and there can be little doubt that eien tlm sum will be required next year to pay the interest upon money spent by the Colonial Government in this province under the provisions of the Public Works Act now in force. The prospect of the allocation of the greater part of the Colonial Loan to various public works throughout tho colony during the session of tho Assembly which has just closed, induced mo, under the advice of my Executive, to submit v scheme of public works and immigration for this province for the consideration of the Colonial Government. Copies of this will be submitted to jou. I am happy to say that, although not adopted as a whole by the Colonial Government and Assembly, many of the proposals made have been embodied in the scheme submitted by tho Minister for Public Works, and approved by the Colonial Parliament. The Auckland and Waikato Hail way will, I believo, be proceeded with without delay ; and possibly a line to connect Itiverhead with Auckland, thus opening up the communication wiUi the country bordering upon the Kuipara estuary nnd the rivers flowing into it. Tho Colonial Gouermnent hare also pledgod themselves to expand £15,000 a year lor four years successively, in opening up tho country to the north oi' Auckland by roads, bridges, and works of permanent utility; which, if economically carriel out, cannot fail to produce tho most important results to the province. Tile Kaipura railway, the construction of which was sanctioned by you at your last session, has been undertaken, a.-.d tlio works are now being rapidly proceeded with. The lowest tender that could be obtained for the execution of the woric amounted to upwards of £42,000, a sum considerably in excess of that contemplated by the Council. Considering, howovor, tho gre.it importance of tho work, and tho apparent reasonableness of the contract price, I concurred with my Executive in taking the responsibility of proceeding with its construction. The Assembly has now authorised the Colonial Government to take over this work from the province, and to charge its execution Mjainst the colonial loan, upon condition of 625,000 being pnid over to the Harbour Uo-trd, and you will be invited to concur with me in taking such steps as may be necessary to carry out this arrangement, calculated, as [ lielieve, greatly to relieve the finances and to promote the prosperity of the province. I'he Auckland Harbour Bjard—provision for the constitution of which wai made by an Act passed during your last session—has been duly constituted, and promises to work satisfactorily. An Act has been passed by the Assembly empowering the Board to borrow ULOO.OOO for purposes of harbour improvement, which can, however, only be rendered operative by your contenting to release the revenues of the Board from the claim for interest upon the loan from the province, four attention will be invited to this question. The Albert Barracks and fort Britomart, together with the lands adjoining the former, have been dealt •vith by the Assembly. The former has in the meantime been set apart as a place for public recreation. Fort Britomart has been made a harbour endowment, and the lands >i Ijacent to the Albert Barracks, but not included within the walls, are handed over to the province to be dealt with as waste lands in such a manner as you shall agree upon. It iffbrds me great pleasure) to be able to congratulate you upon the progressive prosperity of the goldfields of the province during the past year. The very large increase in tho yield of gold from our mines, and the increased traffic incident upon the prosperity of the field, have led me to authorise an expenditure in excess of some of the votes passed by you during your last session, for services and works upon the goldfields. The interests of the fields—both at the Thames and Coromandel —have obtained a very large share of the attention of myself and my Executive during the recess, and I trust that the proposals which will be made to you in respect of appropriations for goldfields works and services, will receive your best consideration. I have endeuvourod to procure the oooperatiou of the Colonial Government, in the effort to obtain frotn the native owners the freehold of the auriferous lauds as well as of the foreshore at the Thames, and I trust that t.he result will be the acquisition, at no distant date, of these lands by the Government. The prospect of tho opening of Ohiueinuri to Europoan enterprise and discovery appears now to be a near one, and you will be naked to make a contingent provision lor services which may at any time be rendered neoeasary by the acquisition of ihe right to mine on the lands of tho Upper Thames. The funds placed by you at my disposal for the trigonometrical survey of the province have enab'ed me to proceed with the tritingulation of several of the northern districts. One of these has now bean proclaimed open for selection uuder the homestead clauses of tlie Waste Lands Act, 1870, and I have every reason to believo that the opportunity thus afforded of obtaining good land on the condition of bona fide occupation, will be gladly embraced by a numerous and valuable class of settlers. I have laid before f.he Colonial Government tho address and report presented by you to me on the subject of the Police Force in this province, and they have declined to disturb the arrangement now existing by a return to the old system. The correspondence upon this subject will be luid before you. An Act has been passed by the Assembly to amend de-

fects in the Bay of Islands Settlement Repeal Act, which will enable the province to deal freely with some of its moat valuable agriculj tural lands, and will aUo enable me to carry ! out the engagements made with the Bay of Islands Coal Company.—ln pursuance of your Address No. 50, I prepared and inttoduced I into the Assembly as Act to provide for | burial grounds in the neighbourhood of Auckland. You will be invited to provide a sum for the purchase of a suitable site for a new cemetery, the use of which may, under proper restrictions be gradually substituted for that of the present ground. Papers will 1 be laid before you in reference to the proposal i for the supply of water to the city of Auck- ■ land by a private company. There will bo : submitted to you several road bills and bills in reference to highways, licensing, education, management of educational reserves, and other subjects to which I invite your attention. Tho financial position of the i province, as you will gather from the accounts which will be laid before you, is at present satisfactory. The usual estimates will be submitted to you, and by carefully considered votes on your part, and economical administration on the part of myself and my I Executive, I trust that the position of the province will not be impaired while its material prosperity may be largely increased. I congratulate you on the maintenance of peaceable and friendly relations with the natives, and trust that nothing may again occur to disturb that condition so essential to the well-being of the province, and the colony at lar^e. Finally, I trust that your deliberations will be distinguished by an abandonI ment of private and party feelings in the desire to promote the public good, and that ' they may result in measures calculated to advance tho best interests of all classes of the colouists of this province. " T. B. Gii-mes, " Superintendent. " Auckland, 22nd Not., 1871." His Honor then retired, and after it bad been agreed to print the address, various notices of motion were laid upon the table.