FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

Evening Post, Issue 159, 11 August 1865, Page 2

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

The Speaker took the chair at five o'clock, •Ittto 6 Clerk read the minutes of the previous Mr. JOHNSTON moved that the petition of William Spinks, wharfinger, be taken into consideration among the orders of the day. Agreed to. On the motion of Mr. BUNNY, the reports Of the late Inspector of Schools were ordered to be taken into consideration next sitting The PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR moved that the adjourned debate on Mr. Borlase's resolutions relative to the setting aside of one-third of every block as an agricultural reserve for small farm settlements should be continued. The motion was carried. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY then oppoied the original resolution and the amendment moved by the honorable member for the Hutt (Mr. Ludlam), that the experiment should be tested on a small scale. He argued that the resolutions were vicious in principle and impossible in practice, and called on the Council to support the Government in negativing the system the Opposition were 10 desirous of introducing, namely, that

of selling the lands of the province on credit. Mr. W. MILNE supported the motion as one likely to benefit the working classes. Mr. FAGAN also spoke in favour of the motion . Mr. HUNTER considered that if the motion was carried it would effectually lock up the lands of the province ; therefore lie opposed it. Mr. BORLASE denied that the system he wished to introduce was one of selling land on deferred payments, stating that it wa* not a new system, but one to be met with in every province in the colony, namely, a system of leasing land from the Government, with a purchasing clause at the end of a term of years. He urged the Council to weigh the matter well before they decided on throwing out a motion that was certain to benefit the province and the working classes. The house divided, when the motion was carried by a majority of one. The PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR then said that as the House had entertained the resolution, he should move, as an amendment, that the reserves so to be set apart should not exceed 1000 acres, and should be vested in Commissioners to manage and administer The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was negatived. The SPEAKER then begged that the Council would nominate an hon. member to take the chair, as his presence was urgently required by the Government in the House of Representatives. Mr. Ludlam was nominated, and took the chair. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, on behalf of the Provincial Solicitor, withdrew the amendment relative to the 1000 acres, expressing his conviction that the General Assembly would never sanction the system initiated by the Council. Mr. WALLACE moved that 20,000 acres should be set aside in terms of Mr. Borlase's original motion, for the purpose of forming email farm settlements. On the question being put,' the House divided, with the following result :— Ayes ;.. 9 Noes 10 Majority 1 The amendment was, therefore, negatived. The remainder of tlie orders of tho day were then made orders of the day for the next sitting, and the House adjourned at half-past ten until the usual hour this evening.

The sittings of the Provincial Council will terminate early next week. The whole of the important business of the session has been gone through, and it only remains to I wind up a few motions and pass one or two bills. The greater part of the Wanganui members left town last night in thes.s. Wanganui for their own district. The embroglio occasioned by the meeting of the General Assembly and the Provincial Council at one and the same time, was felt last night, when W. Waring Taylor, Esq., the Speaker of the Council, the Provincial Solicitor, Mr. Bunny, and Mr. Pharazyn, were hurried down to the House of Representatives, the Government being pushed. The New Zealand Gazette of the 9th inst. contains the following appointments made by his Excellency the Governor :— Gerald Fitzgerald, Esq., of Hokitika, Canterbury ; and Richard Field Porter, Esq., of Auckland, to be Justices of the Peace for the colony of New Zealand.