PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 317, 22 May 1868, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(Abridged from the “Daily Times) Monday, May 11. Mr, llaughton presented a petition from miners and others at Switzer's, praying that land might he set aside in that district for agricultural settlement, under the Goldiiel Is Act. The petition was received. Mr. llaughton brought up interim Report Ho. 3, from the Select Committee on the Wakatip Huns, with regard to the petition from Black’s. The Committee were of opinion that the prayer of the petitioners should he acceded to without delay, The honorable member also brought up Interim lleport No. 4, with reference to the petition of David 11. Mervyn, as chairman of a public meeting at the Teviot. The petition was that land might be set apart for agri. cultural settlement in that district, and fifteen chains on each side of the river he reserved for mining purposes. The Committee considered the application as to blocks of land was reasonable, and should be acceded to, hut that a reserve of five chains on each side of the river, for mining purposes, would ho amply sufficient. In each case the Committee recommended a resolution for adoption by the Council. The Speaker said that the petition from the Teviot could only be received as representing the signer, Mr. Mervyn; but, in any discussion, the number of persons present at the meeting could be referred to. The honorable member would, no doubt, agree that the words “ as chairman of a public meeting at the Teviot,” should he struck out. Mr. llaughton thought that there could he no objection to having the words struck out. Tuesday, May 12. Mr. llaughton pres nted a petition from residents at Arrow-town, praying that, in accordance with the promise of several successive Governments, the township land might he sold without delay, lie believed the petition was signed by every holder of a business license in the township. Thursday, May 14. Mr, Haughtou brought up Interim Report No. 5, from the Select Committee on the Wakatip Runs : Petition from residents of Switzer’s. The Committee report that the prayer of the petition was reasonable, and should be acceded to without delay ; and they recommended a resolution declaring that certain land on the east and the west side of the Waiakai, nearly opposite the township of Switzer’s, should ho set apart fur occupation under the agricultural lease system. Mr. Thomson gave notice to move, at the next sitting, “ That this Council has no confidence in thepresent Executive.” (ideal - , hoar, am laughter.) I Mr. Reid brought up the Report of the Select Committee on the Taieri District Petition (Road Lines), i Mr. Shepherd presented a petition from i residents at Hyde, on the subject of agri- ' cultural leases. ' The Secretary for Land and Works moved, “That an Address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, recommend- : ing that the lands remaining unsold within ; the Hundreds proclaimed during the year j ISd I he placed in the market, in terms of j the .'loth section of the Otago Waste Lands Act, ISfifi, so soon as such lands have been open for sale for the proscribed term of seven years.” Members would know that the Waste Land Act provided that land in hundreds which had boon proclaimed seven years might, by resolution of the Council, he offered at the upset price of I Os. an aero. Honorable members from the country districts must have seen the advantages that had resulted from the 10s. an acre sales which tool; place last year, fyffd there might lie other sales take place in IT. comber or January next, if the House so resolved. There were lifty-four thousand acres in the south, and sixty-eight thousand acres in the north, which would have boon proclaimed hundreds seven years in December next. The motion was seconded. M . Mosley would oppose the motion in toto. Nothing that had been done in Otago during the last ten years had done so much injury to the country districts as this 10s. an acre sale. It had caused many families to ho greatly distressed. Many had mortgaged their freehol Is and were in danger of losing them, for to buy the 10s. land was in many cases an absolute necessity when tiio sale was forced. The experiment should assuredly not be repeated. Mr. Hutcheson must oppose the motion. One great inducement to settlors to come here was the privilege of running stock, and the settlers had bought land in hundreds, in good faith, believing that they would have the benefits of running their stock on unsold land, until it sold at 20s. an acre. He did not blame the Government so much as ho blamed those who wore responsible for the introduction of the 10s. clause in the Waste Lands Act, for ho thought that the passing of that clause was the worst step for Otago that had ever been taken. Mr. Shepherd opposed the motion, because ho was convinced that it was highly necessary that commonages should bo reserved for farmers, and also within goldfields. Mr. France was quite sure that unsold land in the Northern Hundreds should he sold at once,. for the squatters, not the farmers, wore now getting the benefit of those lands. Roads and bridges were wanted, and they could not he had unless the land was ioa !o to yiol! a fair revenue, Mr. Burns had no doubt that the effect j of flic 10s. clause had been to deteriorate the value of the publ e estate. (No, no.) He had of late been a great deal in various

districts, and iu all quarters he heard the I idea expressed, " at present we will not buy any more land; for soon the 10s. clause will bo in operation, and then we shall get more cheaply what we want."— (Hear, hear.) such being, undoubtedly, a general feeling, the sooner the laud that has been seven years iu Hundreds was told, the better it would be. The Secretary for Land and Works replied. The motion was negatived. Mr. Mitchell moved, "That the oil Waikouaiti Bridge be repaired as speedily as possible; in order that the traffic to the North and the Goldfields in the interior may not be further interrupted or delaye , iu accordance with the recommendation of the Select Committee on the Main North Road and Waikouaiti Bridge." The evidence before the committ e showed that the old bridgecould be repaired for £I,OOO, but that a new bridge and road would cost quite £II,OOO. The motion was agreed to. Friday, May. 15. Mr. Thomson said that, before proceeding with Motion, No. 1, he would ask the permission of the House to at once move No 13, standing in his name—(" That this Council has no confidence in the present Executive.") The Speaker said that it had certainly been the practice, wdicn it was wished at once to refer a petition to a Committee, and in some other eases, simply to ask the permission of the House to propose a motion out of its order; but, when so important a question as the present was involved, it would be well that the first step should lie the suspension of Standing Orders. If the honorable member for the Clutha had, at the previous sitting, intimated that he meant to ask that his motion should be allowed to take precedence, it might have been different. Mr. Thomson : I will move, "That the Standing Orders be suspended, in order that I may at once bring on Motion, No. IS stan ling in my name" Mr. Hay seconded the motion. A quorum of two thirds of the Membere not being present, a motion for the suspension of Standing Orders, by the ruling of the Speaker, could not be put. Mr. Brown moved, "That this Council is of opinion that Blocks of Land for Agricultural Settlement be, with as little delay as possible, set apart under Section ,'l,') of the GoMlield's Act, in the Mount Bengcr District : and that the area of ten chains at present reserved on each side of the river, is amply sufficient for mining purposes." Mr. Hay seconded the motion. Mr. Haughton withdrew the following motion, of which he had given notice : " That the petition of certain inhabitants of Arrow Town, praying that the township be sold without del ly, be referred to the Select Committee on the Wakatip Run. s ." Ho had ascertained that the Government intended to sell the land.