PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 25, 4 May 1870, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

[Wo have condensed from the Dally Fhivx' reports the following record of the proceedings of the Council up till last Thursday. The paragraphs of the JSupei intehdeat’s address which we nave omitted are of little importance. ]

The twenty-seventh session of the Provincial Council of Otago was opened on Tuesday, 27th April, at the Council Chamber, Dunedin, by his Honor the Superintendent. Shortly after noon the Speaker took the chair, there being present the following members ; In the Government side of the House: Messrs Reid, Haggitb, Gillies, Mouat, Duncan, Tayler, J. Shand, M'Dennid, Turnbull, Millar, G. Shand, Main, Mollison, France, and Hughes. On the Opposition side ; Messrs Thomson, Mosley, Henderson, Murray, Barr, MTndoe, Green, Brown, Sibbald, Clark, Shepherd, and Haughton.

1113 HO.VOlt’3 ADDRESS. His Honor the Superintendent entered, ,an( having taken the Speaker’s chair, road the fol lowing address : —- Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial (Jounc'd— The subjects which you will he called upon to deal with during the present session, although not numerous, are in some respects perhaps as important as any which have occupied your attention for some time past. As this is probably your last session before a general election, it is absolutely necessary that provision should be made for a re-adjustinout oi the representation upon a fair and equitable basis, with which view an Ordinance will be submitted to you. . ... You are no doubt aware that in compliance

with your resolution last year, a contract has been entered into for the construction of tin Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway. You wil he asked by the promoters of this railway ti concur with me in granting them the necessary power to accpiire such laud as may be requisite for the construction of the line. It is a question worthy of consideration

whether or not we shall make up our minds to abandon the idea of constructing the Southern Trunk Railway by means of a company, and take the matter into our own hands. I believe that the work can be accomplished by the Government quite as successfully as it can be by private parties. There can be no more objection to the Government taking upon themselves the construction of railways than of making roads. Should you participate in this view, it will be well to pass* the necessary resolution to enable me to apply fur power to borrow the money. Gentlemen, I have again to call your special attention to the subject of immigration. lam persuaded that this is the question, beyond all others, which ought to force itself upon our earnest consideration at the present time ; not as a subject for moo abstract discussion, hut for prompt practical action. It cannot be disguised that, as a Legislature, we have sadly failed in what has been required of us in this matter, and that much of the depression which at present prevails is to be attributed to our neglect.

The one tiling needful to secure the prosperitj of every class, is a population in some measun a lerjuate to the benefuid occupation of tin country. At present the Province is comparatively a wilderness. During the past year the balance of immigration over emigration has been 1530, a mere drop in the backet. Instead of 65,000—the present population of Otago and Southland—l believe that several millions of industrious people might find' the means of comfort and independence within our borders. You will observe from the correspondence with the British Agent, that, anticipating your concurrence, Mr Ai;ld has been empowered to make arrangements for granting passages to 200 adults pur month, at £5 a head, the Government to pay the difference. This arrangement, if successful, will involve a vote of £17,000 a year, an amount which I should be glad to see doubled.

But it is not assisted immigration that should he looked to exclusively to develop the resources of the province. There can be no doubt that there are, in the overgrow, i countries of Europe, thousands of industrious people, possessed, more or less, of means of their own, whose condition would he greatly bettered by coining here. In order, however, to get at this class, it is essential that there should be an agent at work, personally acquainted with the province and its capabilities ; a man who could both write and speak from his own personal knowledge, and one withal who could associate with, and feel himself at home in, every sphere of society. I trust that before the Session closes suitable provision will be made for securing the services of such an

agent. _ ' Gentlemen, perhaps the most effective means • which could be adopted of aitractiug population 1 to our shores would be the establishment of di- | reot steam communication with Europe. 1 From enquiry upon this subject, I have reason i to think that if, under the powers conferred by j the Immigration Act, UlilS, we were to set apart | £25,000 a year for immigration for three years, ; arrangements may ho made whereby a direct ' steam line can be secured, and our immigrants I brought out in .50 days at tlie same rates as are ; now being paid to sailing vessels. V» itli this 1 object in view, proposals will be submitted to ; you for approval. The advantage which would result to the province and the colony from such a line must be so obvious that it is needless to enlarge upon it. I may observe that but for the graving dock at Port Chalmers, now rapidly approaching completion, we never could have looked forward to a line of steamers such as is now in view at anything like the money. While upon this subject of Immigration, it may bo well to call your attention to the fact that, in all probability, an effort will bo made to take the matter into the hands of the General Government. I feel persuaded that any action in this direction practically means the settlement of the Northern Island at the expense of the land revenue of Canterbury an-1 Otago, each of which provinces is far more competent to conduct its own immigration than the General Go-

vernment can possibly be. It is to be hoped that your action this session will be such as that, in so far as this province is concerned, there will; 1 be no pretext for the General Government interfering in the matter of immigration. In the event of our succeeding in establishing I a direct steam line from London, 1 think it noc I unlikely that Canterbury may be induce. I to pari ticipate in tbe benefits and to share in the expense. La.rt session yon rcrpiested me to take steps to obtain from the Colonial Parliament power for tbe province to guarantee interest on a sum not exceeding £IOO,OdO, to be expended on \vai«.r supply for the gold-fields. While 1 shall spare no effort to obtain the sanction of the Assembly to this proposal, I would venture to suggest that the power sought should be alternative, so as to enable us either to guarantee interest to private enterprise, or, failing this, to raise the money on , loan ; and that, instead-of 5100,000, the power

shall extend to £2iK),OJi). Every day is rou’dof-' ing it,'more apparent that,a larger amount oven than this might be advantageously expended id this direction, and that, in tact, with choaj) and abundant water, there is no limit to the aura* farouH resources of the province. There is good reason to believe that, with an adequate supply of water, our quartz reefs alone vouhl afford profitable employment .to thousands. I am in hope that,the saombly may ha made to soJ that the colony itself would be greatly benefited by permitting the Otago gold-fields toatlord pro* fitable occupation to ol),00l) instead of oO.iO. While on this subject, I may observe that in furtherance of your resolution last session, re- 1 specting the appointment of a competent mining surveyor, to report upon the resources of the gold-fields, and to make suggestions as to their development, 1 have placed myself in comimmi* cation with the Government of Victoria. Ihd correspondence will he laid before you, and an amount placed upon the Estimates to provide for this service. . . . • . Another very important subject winch will have to be considered by you when the Itati* mates are under consideraeipn, is the appoint* raent of a duly-quaiitied Inspector of Schools.

In compliance with the recon tnendation of the High School Commission, arrangements are now being made for the establishment of a High School for girls, and also for the erection of a suitable building for boy boarders in connection with the High School, There is a grave question now staving us in the face, with respect to which I should ho glad to have your opinion and advice. 1 allude to the very serious results.which sooner or later" must accrue from the gradual elevation of the beds of the Taieri and Clutha rivers, consequent upon mining operations. You are, no doubt, aware that in consequence) of the undue length of the voyage of the Min* dora, our second snipment of salmon ova turned put a total failure. Now that we have steam communication with San Francisco, I am inclined J to think that, with absolute certainty of success, 1 we might procure ova from British. Columbia.

Among the votes in this year’s Estimates in which I would specially invite your concurrence will he a proposal to subsidise the establishment of monthly steam communication along the western coast of the province. There is a very lar"c area of country available for settlement at the various ports of Catlin’s iliver, Tautuku, Waikawa, Toi-tois, Stewart’s Island, Preservation Inlet, and Martin’s Bay—country widen, from its inaccessibility, except by sea, is comparatively unknown. With regard to Martin’s Bay, a survey party is at present located there, and, from all appearance, what is wanted to create a thriving settlement is the means of reaching it by sea. A track is now being formed overland from Lake Wakatip. In accordance with your request, I introduced a Bill into the General Assembly at its last session, to enable the province to burrow £50,0011 for certain important public works. Although this Bill received the assent of the House of Uepresentatives, it was thrown out in toe Legislative Council I trust that in the ensuing session a similar Bill will meet with a better fate, and that we shall he enabled to proceed with the j Oauiaru Dock, the Waitaki Bridge, and the ! other works tc which it was intended to devote

this loam . - - Two hundred <lnd forty now agricultural holdings, or homesteads, have been occupied during the y r ear. Gold escort returns show an increase of nearly 10,000ozs as compared with the previous year ; while the Customs revenue shows an excess of about £11)01). The number of public schools has been increased from 74 to So. ihe money expended by Local Bead Boards amounted during the past year to the large sum of over £30,000. . ... 1 allude to these things 3 >t in any spirit of self-complacency, but simply as indicating that notwithstanding the drawbacks with which our I settlers have had to contend, there is throughout the province an onward tendancy—an elasticity which cannot bo repressed ; and what we really require is immigration of capital and labor, on a large scale, and united action among ourselves, in order to obtain a degree of prosperity ■beyond our most sanguine expectations. His Honor then declared the Council opened for the transaction of business, and retired. The Speaker read prayers. Mr Held moved that the Address should ha i held as read, and ordered to bo printed. —Carried. i

NEW MEMBERS. The Speaker read the writs of the returns of Mr James Allan, as member for the Taieri, and Mr Robert Mitchell, as member for \Vaikouaiti. The two now members entered the Chamber, and took their seats on the Opposition benches. NOTXJES OF MOTION. Mr Allan gave notice of motion that on Thursday lie would move that an address in reply to the Superintendent’s Address he presented. Various other notices of motion were given. REPORTS. Mr Duncan laid on the table departmental rci ports on Education, and on the Dunedin Hospital, j Mr Reid laid on the table the following de- ' parnueutal reports: —Roads and Works, Ln- | gineers, and Cold-fields Regulations; and reports i on the Waitaki bridge, regulations for the mani agemcnt of depasturing within Hundreds, and 1 of the Island Block Commission. BILLS. Mr Haggitt laid on the table the following Bills:—Road Board Ordinance of IS7O, Tokoi mairiro School residence and Glebe Laud Sales I Ordinance, Cemeteries Management Ordinance, ; and District Roads Compulsory Land Taking I Ordinance ; all of which were read a lirst time, and ordered to be printed. ADJOURNMENT. On the motion of Mr Reid, the House then adjourned until Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27. The Speaker took the chair at two o’clock, and read the usual form' of prayer. H.VUUOR master’s report. Mr Hold laid upon the table the Harbor Master's Report on Martin’s Bay. RESERVE FOR QUEENSTOWN. Mr Mouat. moved “That an address be presented to his Honor the .Superintendent, recommending that section 1, block IX., Queenstown, be set apart as a reserve for purposes of public utility, for the use of the incorporated town of Queenstown fora site for a fire-engine house.” Mr i laugh ton seconded the motion. A debate ensued, and the motion was thou put and carried. /V / OMAz'.'prm'jKtfi *■