PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 318, 29 May 1868, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(ABEI Or.ED FROM THE " DAILY TIMES) Tuesday, May 19. Mr. E obertson (after obtaining leave to add a ell tise to the motion as printed) moved, "Thatt he House go into Committee to consider the following Resolution:—'That the Govcrnii tent be requested without delay t give not ice to all the officers in their em. ploymer t, that their services will not be required a Iter the 30th April, 1869; informing them, at the same time, that they will receive, up to that date, the salaries which may be roted this session, with the view of entirely reorganising the Departments, and dispensi ig with every unnecessary officer, and that they be requested to communicate immediately with those officers whose services the f wish to retain.' " A few remarks made by the honorable member for the Lakes (J tr. Haughton,) on a recent occasion, had imfo rtunately not been published. If they had been, there could have been no such ide i created amongst the public, as had bee. icreated—that some great injustice

would be committed by carrying out the resolution. The Committee sat several times—they called before them the Heads of Departments and several members of the Government—and they found that it was impossible to go into the matter, so as to bring up a report that would be of any good in guiding honorable members in forming ideas as to the Estimates. Under this belief, it was moved that the Committee Bhould report their view to the House, and should risk to be discharged. But the honorable member for The Lakes suggested that, acting upon the experience and example of a neighbouring Province, under similar circumstances, the Government should have given to them such a power as was provided by the resolution. This," the honorable member for The Lakes pointed out, would save the Government from future claims by officers who were discharged, and would save the IYv ite Grievances Committee from an inundation of petitions during the next session. A member of the Government who was present at the Committee, stated that he perfectly agreed as to the necessity for retrenchment—that he saw that great retrenchment could be carried out—that the Government would not accept the onus of proposing any radical change, unless there was some such measure as that now proposed, to protect them from future claims—but that, ivith such a resolution, they weuld be prepared to proceed to a reorganisation of departments, and that, by combining different offices, they believed that they would be able to save considerably. There was never an idea of anything that could be called harshness or injustice to the officers: indeed, it was plainly stated that where there was an increase of duties consequent upon re-organisation, there should be an increase of salary given. There would, no doubt, before long, be imperative necessity for retrenchment. The revenues were falling off—the Money Market was tight—there was a tendency in the Council tot keep the Government from the free sale of lands, and so there would be a falling off in the Land Revenue. He believed that retrenchment could best be carried out by a Commission acting with the Government during the recess; and he meant to make a proposal to that effect. Mr. Haughton seconded the motion. He had seen letters in the newspapers, about the " inhumanity " of this proposal; but there was not a shadow of reason for making any such statement. The Committee merely looked to what was the best way practically to carry out retrenchment—not what was the best way to pretend to re. trench, as had been done by other Select Committees, aiul'by other boiies in a higher position than that of a Committee. If the House consented to the resolution now proposed, there would be practical retrenchment—the same course had been taken in Canterbury because the Government would be freed, not only from any legal liabilities, but from any of what might be called " Provincial Council liabilities " a species of liability which appeared to be indigenous to this Province. A number of members of the Council were occupied nearly throughout session after session, in in vestigating themost extraordinary demands for money: people who had received money one session, seemed to come down session after session, apparently in the hope that some political change or combination would open to them a chance of getting more money. Mr. Robertson moved the resolution; and it was secon'ed. The motion was put and was affirmed. Mr. Shepherd moved, "'That this Council is of opinion that an area of land situate on the east and west banks of the Waikaia, nearly opposite the township of switzcrs, should be set apart, with as little delay as possible, for agricultural settlement." The resolution would give effect-to a recommendation made by the Wakatip Runs Committee. Mr. Mouat seconded the motion. The Secretary for Land and Works said that the Government had no objection to the motion. The motion was agreed to. Mr. Haughton moved. " That the following resolutions, as recommended by the Select Committee upon the Wakatip Runs, with regard to the sale of the Wakatip Runs be adopted, viz:— 1. That an address ho presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting that he will be pleased to grant the Prayer of the Petitioners against the sale of the Leases of the Wakatip Runs so far as regards numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, and 13; and that in the event of the sale of the Leases of Runs 16, 17, and 18, he will bo pleased to direct that they be offered to the present stock-owners at a moderate bonus. 2. That it is desirable that without delay an officer should be appointed to collect the Assessment on Stock on the Goldfields, and that a system similar to that of the Warden of hundreds be ' initiated for the purpose of regulating the pastorage. The resolutions would simply carry out the recommendations made in the report, which report has been unanimously adopted by the Committee. The reason why Runs 16, 17, and 18, were excluded, was that they were on the opposite side of Lake Wakatip; and they were fully stocked, by settlers who had long been in the district, and who applied for licenses under the old system, and were for some reason refused. He believed those settlers would now have no objection to purchase, if the House affirmed that part of the policy recommended. Any one who read the evidence taken by the Committee, would see that it, in the fullest manner, bore out the statements made in the petition from the district; which petition, he could state from his own knowledge, was signed by every fanner from , Queenstown to the Arrow—with one single exception. To carry out the policy of the

Government, would be to ruin half the set- ] tiers already in the district, would be to put i an end to fresh settlement, and would real- i ly be productive of no benefit to the reve- • nue. ' Mr. Shepherd seconded the motion. The Provincial Secretary said that his i opinion remained unaltered by the evide' c) 1 and the report of the Committee. He was ' still convinced that Otage was too small to warrant the Province giving 300,000 acres, ! as commonage, to the small population of ' this district. He still felt convinced that ' 70,000 acres proposed by the Government to be set aside, would be quite sufficient; ; and also by selling the land in small runs, great facilities would be afforded to the holders of stock, and no injustice would be ■ done to the Province, What was proposed I as to Runs 16, 17, and 18, could not be car- * ried out, for it was contrary to the Waste Lands Act. That Act provided that lands ' for pastoral purposes should be given on the : assessment provided by the Act, or should be sold by auction. The General Govern- ' ment had now expressed its wish to allow to the Provincial Government the utmost i latitude in carrying on the administration of the Goldfields; and he did not expect that ' there would be the least interference with the proposed plan. He would move an amendment, modifying the resolution so that it shoul be read, ' 'as regards the ran numbered 13." &e. He believed the residents did desire to have this run reserved from sale; and Runs 1, 11, and 13, with the original Arrow block, would.be amply sufficient for the district. He had not consulted his colleagues on this amendment; but he thougt it well to test"the feeling' of the House on the point. Mr. Burns seconded the amendment. Mr. Shepherd opposed the amendment. Mr. Fraser supported the motion. Mr. M'Dermid said that what the Government proposed, would give fifty acres per hpad, for man, woman, and child of the population, as Commonage ; and if the motions were to be adopted, there would be 230 acres per head. Why should this be, when settlers in his district, and others had not the use of an acre of ground, unless they bought it. The Secretary for Land'and Works rose , but The Speaker left the Chair, it being half past five o'clock. The House resumed at 7 o'clock : and it sat until a quarter to two o'clock this (Friday) morning. A motion of want of confidence in the Government, was carried by one vote—l 9

to 18.