PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 135, 11 June 1872, Page 7

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, 30th May. njg Fencing, Impounding, and Roads Disjon Bill ß were read and disposed of; and - House then went into Committee of ** ppiyVhen the item "Southland Railway Arration, £3059 7s. 10d.," came on for con--61 eration, Mr Reid asked that the vote r «' yid be increased by £7OO. Several mem•s thought that some additional information 3 requisite in reference to the whole mat- • and after a long discussion, during which r gillies explained the action of the Execu- ~" - e in the matter, the vote was passed as * leiided. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. The House went into consideration of the mplementary Estimates, es, fhe following are among the items passed : Compensation for Cancellation of Leases of uiis £7500; Acclimatisation Society, £200; oad ivosa Dunstan to Cromwell, £4O; I loads and Bridges on Goldfields, £SOO. FURTHER VOTES. 3lr Macassey moved, Mr Hallenstein se- * )n( jed, and it was carried, that £3OO be jted for the completion of the track to Marr n's Bay. ' ■ On the motion of Mr Sumpter, £IOOO was luted for the construction of the road from lamaru to Lindis ; payment to be made in Bid. APPLICATIONS FOR SUBSIDIES. Jlr Armstrong moved—"That the sum of •163 be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, to give effect to the report of the Goldields Committee on the petition of Logan jid Co." This claim, it appeared, was for a oad made by private parties for their own but which road was now used by f ,e public. Mr Reid opposed the motion, rliich, after a discussion, was lost on a diviion by 10 to 6. Mr Shepherd moved—"That the sum of £l6B be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, to give effect to the report of the Goldfields Committee on the petition of the directors of the Royal Standard Quartz Mining Company." This claim was similar to that of Logan and Go. Before the motion was put, Mr Shepherd said that, judging from the fate of a similar one, he expected it would be lost; but the Council, in negativing it, would be driving another nail in the Provincial coffin.—Motion lost. Friday, 31st May. LAND SALES. i- Mr Reid moved—"That with a view to ■place the Government in a position to provide j revenue to meet the expenditure of the votes jii the appropriation of the present session, [tais Council resolves to authorise the Governjiiumt to dispose of 50,000 acres of land, in lime or more blocks, provided that no block lor an area of less than 10,000 acres shall be Isold under this resolution." :[ Mr Mervyn moved an amendment to the I following effect : —"Nor shall any block be Isold which is proclaimed to be auriferous." ;.! The Hon. Mr Holmes thought the wisest I course would be to throw open some of the b,st land in 80-acre blocks. I Mr Reynolds would support the motion. [They should dispose of the land whenever I they could advantageously do so, else they might have the mortification of seeing the I revenue from the sale of land placed in the i Colonial chest, and spent in the North Island. Mr Thomson would oppose the motion. He i thought the land policy of the Government I had entirely changed since they took office. Mr Bastings would support the motion, not I because he was in favour of the disposal of j land in such a wholesale manner, but because j lie thought the Government could not possibly carry out the votes of the Council without some extraordinary revenue. He took the opportunity to attack Mr Roid upon his action with regard to the Moa Flat sale ; and said that no land, or very little, had been thrown open in Gold-fields since the present Government went into office. Mr Reid replied to Mr Bastings upon the Moa Flat question ; and quoted from a return to show that 45,000 acres of land had been thrown open on the Gold-fields since October 1869. The motion, and Mr Mervyn's amendment, were both carried. SHEEP AND CATTLE. Mr Bastings moved—"That the Govern- ' merit be requested to set off reserves, through the Province, where they are in a position to I do so, for the purpose of camping grounds for ; sheep and cattle."—Carried. THE PROROGATION. After a number of motions had been disposed of, —mainly asking for reserves of land «>r the benefit of Atheiueums, Agricultural Societies, &c, —His Honor the Superintendent entered the Council Hall, and delivered the following prorogation speech : brentlemen, —I have to congratulate you on the termination of a session which, although not so lengthened as former sessions, has nevertheless been productive of a large amount of important work,—work which I have no doubt will nave a beneficial effect on the best interests of we Province. " I have this day, on behalf of the Governor, assented to the following Ordinances passed by Of U :_ '.J jlcense( l Carriages Ordinance, 1872 ; The ,o-f oatls Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, *»'-; Licensing Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1572; Lawrence Athenaeum and Mining nshtute Ordinance, 1872; Fencing Ordinance, «U ; impounding Ordinance, 1572 ; Appropriation Ordinance, 1872-3. Mt' * H Ve tllis <la y also reserved for the signifi- , ranon of the Governor's pleasure thereon, the ouowing Bm s passe(i by you .—Lawrence Lie- ™ Management Ordinance, 1572; Ofcago i Ordinance, 1572; Counties Ordi-

nance, 1872 ; Otago Municipal Corporations Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1572 ; Oamaru Town Reserves Management Ordinance, 1372; Lawrence Atlieniuum and Mining Institute lieserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; P.alclutlia Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872; Oamaru Hospital Reserve Management Ordinance, 1872; Roads Diversion Ordinance, 1872; Dunedin Manse Reserve Ordinance, 1872 ; Dunstan Racecourse Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872. [We have omitted from the foregoing lists a number of Bills relating to Southland.]

"Gentlemen, —You will, I am sure, agree with me in regretting that a number of the Constabulary force, of which the Province has hitherto felt so justly proud, have so far forgotteu what was due to themselves, as well as to the Province, as to relinquish their duty without notice. The Government has taken the most prompt measures to meet the occasion, and hope in due time to have the force so re-organised as to prevent the recurrence of such an emergency.

"Gentlemen, —Thanking you for your attendance, I now declare this Council prorogued, and it stands prorogued accordingly."

Thus ended the thirtieth session of the Provincial Council. From a return read by Mr Speaker shortly before the prorogation, we take the following information regarding the business transacted during this session compared with that of 1871. The first figures represent the session of 1872 ; the second the session of 1871: —Length of session, 32 days; 57 days. Number of sitting days, 22—37. Messages from His Honor the Superintendent, B—l3. Petitions presented, 47 —70. Notices of questions given, 45—54. Notices of motion given, 330 —317.. Bills introduced, 33 —30. Bills passed, 27 —25. Addresses to Superintendent and resolutions to Government, 180—154. Divisions, CI —88. Committees appointed, 18 —IC. Reports of Committees, 38—40. The average length of daily sittings was seven hours and fifty minutes ; the shortest sitting was one hour, the longest twenty-two.