PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 315, 8 May 1868, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(Abridoed from thk " Daily Times) Monday April 27th. Mr. Miller presented a petition from Diehard Boenicke, basket-maker. The petiti- s oner stated that he found great difficulty in 1 carrying on his business, from the fact that i he could not get willows without importing t them from England: therefore he asked t that there might be granted to him the use } of three or four acres of land, for a short s term of years, he undertaking to plant it t with willows, and, at the end of the term, 1 to hand the land over in full working order, c The Secretary for Land and Works (Mr. 1 George Duncan) laid on the table—Report ; of Mining Surveyor Wright, on the West Coast. ' Mr. Main moved, " That, the names of i Mr. Burns and Mr. Haughton lie added to i the Select Committee for consideration of the necessity for retrenchment in the Pub- ) lie Service of the Province. " The motion was seconded and agreed to. Mr. .Shepherd desired some assurance from the Government with regard to a motion of which he had given notice. The motion was —" That there be laid on the ' table as early as possible , a return showing the number of leases granted to the pastoral tenants under the Otago Waste Lands Act, ISG(>, the lessees, the approxim. ate acreage of their respective Runs, whether situated in a Goldfiehl or otherwise, what blocks of land the Government can withdraw without compensation to the lessees, specifying the areas reserved fur agricultural leases and for sale, repectively, their acrcage, situation, and quality of the land, and what blocks have been withdrawn if any." The Provincial Secretary said that whatever returns the House might desire to have would be prepared as early as possible. Wednesday April 29th Mr. Haughton asked the Provincial Secretary " Whether it is the intention of the Government to take any steps to carry out the resolutions of the Municipal Conference, which were submitted to His Honor the Superintendent, by a deputation, upon the 10th April last, and the demands embodied in which His Honor is reported [to have said were very reasonable'.' " The Provincial Secretary (Mr. J. Vofiel) < said that the lion, member, in his question, I alluded to what was called a Municipal ' ('(inference; but he (the Secretary) could I j not say whether the body represented by j I the deputation could claim that designation, The Government was prepar d to receive recommendations from each Municipality; the absurdity of a general recommendation I was transparent, because some of the Mil- : nicipalitics had sent downreei inmcndatuns I j different from those which weie afteiwards I mai'eby the Conference. To the reeomj inendations of the Municipalities them selves, the Government would pay the ut most deference. The recommendation as | | to Land Endowment was a matter with the principle of which the Government would concur, and effect would have to be given to it at leisure and with some reference to the means of several towns and their several importance. Having started a number of towns on a liberal basis, tho Council must take into consideration the means and importance of each town. Petitions were presented and received as follows : Mr. Fraser : From I!i<hard F. Badger, as to flood-gates, &c, for darning back the waters of Lake Wakatip, Lake Wanaka, &c.> at certain seasons, with a view to gold getting on the banks of the Molyuvux and other rivers. Mr. Brown ; From one hundred miners and others in the Blue Spur district, Tuapeka, «s to commonage on the goldtields. Mr. Brown: From D. 11. Mervyn, as chairman of a public meeting in the Mount Benger district, on opening up land for settlement. Mr. Fraser move 1, That an address bo presented to His Honor the Snprintendent, recommending that Blocks XI and XII in the incorporated town of Alexandra lie reserved for purposes of public recreation foi' the inhabitants thereof." The motion, ho explained, was merely a formal one. Tho Iteserve had been approved of by the Superintendent, and it was only necessary for the Council to make the recommendation. Mr. Haughton asked the Provincial Secretary, " Why the Township at the Arrow has not been sold, in accordance with tho frequent promises of several succeeding Governments;" Many complaints had reached him on this matter. Owing to tho promised sale, holders of ground under business licenses, had taken quaterly instead of yearly licenses, and had thus paid £8 a year instead of £5: but tho Treasurer would no doubt return the excess. The question as to the non-auriferous nature of the ground was thoroughly established during the time of the late Superintendent. The Provincial Secretary had failed to find any record of the alleged "promise of several succeeding GoVcmmehts." Perhaps the honorable member had been so long absent from his district that ho did not know what the feeling there was. The township was not included in tho last sales simply because the Government did not know there was a desire for a sale. Fetd.vy, Ist May. Mr. Haughton brought up an interim report of the Committee on the Wakatip Runs,

relative to the Waitahuna potitiuti, which had been referred to them for consideration. The Committee reported the following resolution : "That the prayer of the petition of certain residents at Waitahuna, against the sale of a portion of the land included in the Tuapeka Goldlield, be granted; and that agricultural leases be forthwith issued to those persons whose applications have been approved of and recommended by the Warden." As the land was adver. fciseil for sale on Tuesday next, he should move for the suspension of Standing Orders, so that he might at once move the adoption 01' the report. Mr. Shepherd seconded the motion. The Provincial Solicitor objected to the suspension of the Standing Orders, and so preventing the subject being fairly considered. He was by no means certain that the Council had now the power to prevent the sale. [He weuld ask for a delay "" +;l Monday to allow the Government t< sidcr whether or not they could reeom: the Superintendent to withdraw or pos the sale of these lands. Mr. Hutcheson thought the Govenu,.„.. could easily get rid of the whole of the difficulty by agreeing to postpone the sale for a fortnight. The Provincial Solicitor sai 1 that the Oo vernment would not object to the postponement of the sale of the land for a fortnight. Mr. Haughton would prefer the postponement of a discussion on the matter, provided the Government pledged themselves to withdraw the sale for a fortnight. He would give notice to consider the report on Monday, and would ask leave to withdraw his motion.