PARLIAMENTARY – PROCEEDINGS

Dunstan Times, Issue 592, 22 August 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY - PROCEEDINGS

—o—(from a CORRESPONDENT.) ■ m m i Wellington, Auo. 14-v Although twenty-nine days of the Session have passed and the Financial statement has been before the House for over a fortnight, very little,cap be said as to the probable current of events. Down to the present time there is no sign whatever of a party fight. The Hon. Mr. Stafford has announced his determination not /to head -any party, and seemingly the malcontents cannot lay their hands up-'n a man equal to the occasion. One or two have been talked of, particnlar’y Mr. Fitzherbert, if he has any real intention of throwing himself into the breach he takes strange means for paving the way. On the question of the proposed new Tariff he offered some ill-natured remarks, and in other ways he has. to .make himself unpleasant. Still he has succeeded in doing nothing deadly as yet, and the probabilities' are that the Session will slip through without anything like a good if feotive force being arranged against the Government. It is said that unless some unforseen event arises, the prorogation note will bo sounded in a month or six weeksIf that turns out to be true, the present will be one of the shortest upon record. With regard to thn progress made in the House, the adoption of the Suez Mail contract, with the Bluff and Port Chalmers as the first and last ports of call, is one of the more important measures, the amount of subsidy to be paid is 5,000k. A new Education Bill, which may or may not he adopted at the pleasure of the Provincial Councils, and the Superintendents of Provinces, has been brought down and passed its second reading. Marriage with a dedeceased wife’s sister has IJalso been legislated for, but it is pretty well understood that this measure, which passed the House of Representatives last week, will be arrested in the Legislative Council. The proposed new Licensing Bill has also been under discussion, which gave the ex-premier thn Hon. Mr. Fox an opportunity for airing his eloquence on the Temperance movement. The Act which virtually amounts to a Permissive Bill, passed its second reading, but it too is sure to he thrown out. The disoussi n on the Finan-cial-Statement opened on Tuesday, and is at present proceeding. It looked at first as if the ad valorem duties were going to he unacceptable to the public at large. Now that they ■ are better understood, a slight change of opinion is observable. The principle is undoubtedly a sound one, although on matters of detail, modifications will bo required. Under the provisions of the Immigration Acts relating to Gold-fields water supply, the following works have been undertaken by the Government, and are now in course of construction Mount Ida Water-race and Sluicing Chancel, estimated to coat 4v,375/. Ba. ; Nelson Creek Water-race, 30,466k 7s. ; Waimea Water-race, Westland, 6),3351. 10s. 2d. ; Thames WaterRace, 48,594k 18s. lid. Tlie following subsidies have been granted under the provisions of the Act: —Arrow River, 612k It’s. ; New River, Westland, 3,333k 6s 8d ; Hibernian, ditto, 2,000k Hohonu, ditto, 1,533k Gs. Ic. The following applications were received; but, in consequence of the provisions of tho Act not having been complied with, they have not been finally dealt with: —Mount Pisgah, Otago, 1,000/. ; Carrick Range Company, 5,000k ; Beaumont and Tuapeka Company, 3,000k ; Golden Point Company, 1,000/. ; Totara and Jones Creek, West, land, 3,484/. ; Caledonian Company, 1,500k The Mount Ida Race is 64 miles 44 chains in length ; the Arrow, 3 miles 30 chains; the Golden Point, 20 miles IS chains ; the Beaumont and Tuapeka, 60 miles, and the Carrick Range, 17 miles 20 chains. On Coal Mining operations, sums amounting to 9,014k I9s. lOd. [have been expended, viz.— Otago £237 9 9 Canterbury 145 8 2 Westland 359 16 0 Nelson 4098 22 Auckland 4174 3 9 From what has transpired, it would appear that the energies of tho Governraeu are mainly to he directed to the development of tho West Coast seams. The reports laid upon the table are decidedly in favor of those situated in the vicinity of the Buller River. It is represented as being a most valuable seam of steam coal, situated about eighteen miles from the town of Westport. A Company was formed some time since to work one of these scams, about two thirds of the shares have been taken up by residents in Dunedin. A feuweeks ago, a meeting of delegates appointed by shareholders in the Provinces, took place at Nelson. After inspecting tho mine, it was unanimously agreed that, the seam was one which offered every prospect of being worked to advantage, and arrangements were made accordingly. A considerable amount of pressure has been brought to bear upon the Government to induce them to spend tho amount already appropriated by Parliament in constructing a line of railway from the mine to the Port, On Railway Works there has been expended to the end of Juno last, 1,794,94 13 8. Tho existing liabilities in these works amount to 2,035,511k 15 3, making the grand total, 3,830,454k 8. The amounts expended upon Otago Lines are as follows : Waitaki—Moeraki £152,625 10 7 Moeraki—Dunedin 636 11 3 Dunedin—Clutha 269;616 2 8 Port Chalmers —Dunedin 210,000 0 0 Clutha—Mataura 1,130 10 6 Mataura—lnvercargill 104,885 5 3 Oamaru-Waireka 474 1 4 Waipihi—Cromwell 100 0 0 Toko mairiro— Lawrence 74,203 II 6 Wintoft—Kingston 15,407 It 5 G alieval Contingencies 452 10 7

The amounts apportioned amongst the tho various Provinces were— Auckland £340,380 0 10 Hawke’s Bay 68,945 1 4 Wellington 79,783 18 0 Taranaki 41,908 6 3 General Contingencies 45 3 6 Westland 31,053 2 6 Nelson 15,579 10 5 Marlborough 85,678 1 0 Canterbury 344,415 0 10 Waitaki Bridge 3°, 184 10 9 Otago -, 829,531 18 1 £1,869,510 12 6 Uuapportionable 641 9 7 Sleepers 23,957 9 4 Plant and Material 801,348 H 5 Insurance 2,351 9 10 Total, £2,497,809 12 8 It would appear by the reports made on the subject that, sufficient progress has been made with the Dunedin and Clutha Line to enable it to be completed within the contract time. The Government have intimated to the Contractors that they will bo prepared to pay a bonus per month on every month saved on the opening of the Line for traffic with the view of expediting its completion. The Tokomairiro and Tuapeka Line is expected to be completed concurrently with the Line to Dunedin. If my memory serves me the continuation of this Line by the Beaumont and the Teviot is a work for which some sort of provision was made by the Council of your Province at its late Session. If that be tho case, you ought by no means to lose time in getting the proposal brought before Parliament, in order that it may become a recognised part of the Public Works scheme of the Colony, A place so very rich in mineral wealth as that of the Dunstau should occupy a recognised place in the notice of Parliament. 1 am much afraid you are unfortunate in your Representative. The honorable member for the Dunstan is regarded more as a standing joke in the House than [a reality, and the district does of a necessity suffer in proportion. A word to you in confidence—-his reelection as pour Representative would be honored in the breach. Mr. T. L. Shepherd has many endearing qualities There is not a fashionable lady in Wellington, who has not been attracted by the artistic cut of his coat or the scientific parting of his hair. ihe soft smiles of an admiring fema c will not materially advance the material welfare of the Dunstan, even in this age, so highly prised for its elevation of the sex. To return, however, to tho railways. A second suction of the Kingston line, is to ho let during the year. The line between Waitaki and Moeraki is reported to he progressing "satisfactorily, but the line from Mataura to Invercargill is said to be behind expectations. In addition to the thirty-one miles of railway opened in Canterbury.and the eight miles to Port Chalmers, ive are promised during the financial year one hundred and sixty-four miles more, and another forty-two miles by the mouth of May or June next year. There aie at present four hundred and four miles of railway under | contract, and one hundred and sixty mika more to be let. Tho lines at present authorised, for which plana have still to be prepared, represents one hundred and sixty, eight miles.