PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2387, 25 November 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tins Dav. At this afternoon’s sitting the Secretary for Land and Works presented a nmneronsiy and influentially signed petition from residents in the Tuapeka dislrh.t. The petition, which was some eight or nine feet in length, bore the signatures of 900 residents in the Tuapeka district, and those of 150 representative men in Dunedin, 'iho prayer of the petition was that the Conned would authorise the construction of a railway to Tuapeka, in conjunction with the Southern Trunk Railway. Tho petition was received, and tho Secretary fur Land and Works gave notice of his intention to move that it be referred to a select committee for enquiry. In answer to questions, the (I overnamt stated that 1.5.500 had been expended out of the appropriations of last session for road maintenance and public works in tho Lake district ; that the repairs to the main rmid leadin" out of Cromwell were now in progress ;°tbat it was not their intention to grant extended ie scs to the pastoral tenants of the Crown, if they had not taken them up prior to this date ; that as the retrenchment commission had scarcely completed th-ir labo'-s, the Covernmunt was not in a position to pla e before the Council particulars of its co;,l ; nor did th -y tuink they would bo able to do so before next session ; that tho Government was aware of a dispute regarding Mataura Island. The island appeared to have been disputed territory between Otago and Southland. A certain gentleman was allowed to occupy the

land under authority of the Otago Waste Land Board, and had done so since that time. He now considered he was entitled to occupy it still, and the matter had been brought under the notice of the Waste Land Board, with a view to the question being settled. Tiie gentleman referred to had no claim to the land.—That the Chief Inspector of Sheep was at present out of town, and fall information on the point could not be ascertained, but the Covornmcnt wore not aware that any authority had been given to the Inspector of cattle in the Mataura district to charge fees. Mr Driver asked, without notice, when the Appropriation Bill for Southland would be brought down ? and thTreasurer was understood to say that a short Bill would be brought down early next week. —Mr Mills’s motion for an address to the Superintendent, praying that 1090 acres of land might be set apart in the Waikouaiti district for the purposes of public rccroat on ami commonage, was supported by the Government. There was considerable discussion, a large proportion of members thinking ; that commonage should lie extended to all I districts, and not confined to Wai-‘.ouaiti. ■ The motion was carried on the voices.— ! Capt. Mackmizio’s motion that Government i business should take precedence during the I remainder of the session, was carried. Ue--1 turns were ordered showing the approximate number of miners’ rights held by Chinese, and Chinese immigration during the year ending October 31st; and the manner in which the prisoners have been employed since the termination of the financial year, and the value of their labor.

[Left sitting.]