The Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

Evening Post, Issue 147, 28 July 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

The Speaker took the chair at five o'clock. The Clerk read the minutes of the previous fitting. Mr. CRAWFORD asked the Provincial Secretary whether the Speaker of the late

Council had been reimbursed tho expenses incurred in the prosecution of the Advertiser newspaper for a libel on the Speaker of the late Council. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY replied that Mr. Schultze had not as yet received any remuneration. Mr. W. MILNE moved that the House go into Committee. Mr. PAGAN seconded the motion, which was Carried. Mr. W. MILNE moved that his Honor the Superintendent?^!! requested to place on the es'iinates the sum of £30, to assist in forming a library at the Taita. The motion was carried. "* Mr. $$. MILNE moved that an Wimble address shotlKl be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to place on the estimates the sum of £40, as a special grant, for the purpose of rectifying nn error committed by a late Government Engineer in the placing of a bridge over the Wai-wera-wera stream, in the Middle Waiwetu Road District. & The motion was carried. The Hon. JOHN JOHNSON, in order to acknowledge the services of an old colonist and faithful Provincial Government servant, moved that the Superintendent be requested to place on the estimates, as a donation to the widow of Mr. Knowles, late clerk in the Provincial Secretary's office, the sum of £250, the amount of one year's salary. This sum to be placed during her life time in the hands of trustees for her benefit, and at her death to be paid by them in accordance with her directions. The motion was carried unanimously. The . Chairman of Committees, on the motion being made, reported progress, and the Speaker resumed his scat. On the motion of Mr. GALLOWAY, the petition of Edward Boulton, presented by him at the last sitting, was referred to the Private Grievance Committee. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY moved that the bill to repeal the Wellington Town Board Act should be read a second time. The bill was read, and the third reading fixed for Tuesday next. The consideration of the Provincial Secretary's reply to Mr. Pharazyn's question on the Survey department, was, on tne 'motion of Mr. J. H. Wallace, deferred to this day. The Hutt Park Race Course Bill was read a second time. The House went into Committee of Supply. The salaries of the Governmeut officials and police were passed, after some discussion relative to that of the Paymaster of Roads, which was reduced from £400 to £300 per annum. The Chairman having reported progress, the House adjourned at half-past eleven till five o'clock this evening.

The P.N.Z. and A.R.M. Co.'s s.s. Auckland, Captain Ponsonby, from Southern Ports, arrived this morning at ten o'clock. Much difficulty was experienced in getting to the wharf, the outer berth — the only one available to steamers of the Auckland's calibre — being occupied by the Martin Luther, which vessel has now lain there from three to four weeks, forming a serious obstacle to the steamers which are constantly arriving at and departing from the wharf. The Auckland left the Bluff on the 22nd, at four, p.m., and was off Port Chalmers Heads at two o'clock next morning, the passage occupying but ten hours. She left Port Chalmers at a quarter past two, p.m., on the 26th, and arrived at Lyttelton at nine, a.m., on the 27th, beating the paddle steamer New Zealand by nine hours ; left Port Lyttelton at four, p.m., on the 27th, and arrived here as above. This fine steamer, unrivalled for her accommodation, has proved herself one of the fastes vessels navigating these waters. The s.s Lady Bird, Capt. Renner, arrived in port this morning, at 1 a.m., from Nelson ; left Nelson yesterday at 3 p.m. We (Canterbury Press) have persuaded Dr. Haast — in justice to that gentleman, vre are bound to say somewhat against his willto permit us to publish the following extract of a letter which he has recently received from Dr. Hochstetter, on the subject of his Report on the Canterbury Plains. There are many persons in this Province who doubt whether any benefit is derived from the employment of the Provincial Geologist, and who are in the habit of underrating his labors amongst us. It is, therefore, right that the public should know that Dr. Haast's labours are attracting the attention of, and are highly appreciated by, some of the most eminent geologists in Europe ; and it cannot but be

felt to be a credit to the. Government and public of Canterbury that so young a community should have added something to the scientific knowledge of the day by securing the services of a gentleman whose labours are thus highly spoken of by men whose approval it is an honour to have earned. Dr. Hochstetter, says :—": — " The last posfc has brought me your Canterbury plains and other reports ; lastly, I have enjoyed jour address Tfio first report RUEprises me greatly. Until now, I have only just read it through ; but so convincing have I found it, that I have de termine'd to abandon all my former viett&, and to work that chapter into the English edition oimy New Zealand work. 1 congratulate you uponJhis reaprt, in which a, real geological probflrn^fis better set 1 forth than in any former workl on the subject of geology. This lecture wnPbring you great credit." Will nobody save Doctor Evans from the indiscreet friends who insist upon placing him in forma pauperis before the' Legislature ? His claim to a gratuity of £3000 was again brought before the Assembly on Tuesday, and agair. ignominiously rejected, after eliciting such a fire of criticism upon the public character and career of the honorable gentleman as no one poasessing"the faintest spark of self-respect could consider compensated for by any amount of money. Mr. Higinbotham put in a generous plea on his behalf, although even he was obliged to admit the " flimsiness" of the claim, and the motion was negatived after a long debate. By consent of all sides of the House, a final vote was then taken on the proposition that the gratuity should be fixed at £2000 ; and this also was negatived by a majority of 27 to 21. The matter is thus, we may presume, finally disposed of. — Age