PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2583, 29 May 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tins Day,

The Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. A petition was presented from Edward Crofeer, by Mr Bradshaw, which was received by the House, and notice of mo!ion to refer it to the Private Petitions Committee, was given. A number of uot : ces of motion were given, after which Mr Reynolds asked two questions, of which he had given

notice. In reply to the second, the Provincial Secretary said it was not the intention of the Government to make any alteration in the Education Ordinance at present, nor to propose the investment in trustees of the reserves. The Superintendent was at present trustee, and the Government saw nothing to be gained by altering the arrangements. Tbs first question referred to the Endowments for Benevolent Institutions, respecting which the Provincial Secretary said the Government had been in communication with the General Government, but on account of the largeness of the subject, nothing definite had been arrived at. i be House then went on to deal with the notices of motion. Mr Barton withdrew his motion for the apt ointment of counsel to watch the proceedings in the Supremo Court, in reference to the ease of M'Kellar v. Brown. The Provincial Secretary moved the appointment of a select committee, including tlie Hon. D. Hell, Messrs Bathgate, Clarke, Reid, Shepherd, Thomson, and the mover, to consider and report upon certain claims for compensation upon the cancellation of certain agricultural blocks. Mr Bastings asked that the names of Messrs Bradshaw and Brown should be added. The Provincial Secretary said he had no objection to the addition of those names on the usual course being taken. Mr Reid could not sec the advantage to be gamed by the enquiry, especially as that portion of the motion requiring a report in fourteen days was struck out. He might say that some most extravagant claims were put forward for compensation. la one case, for instauc r , L0,51J0 was asked as compensation for s,Owu acres of land In r. ply, the Provincial Secretary said the inquiry of the Committee would be. directed equally to the past as to the future. Tim reference by Mr Reid was not quite fair to the large compensation claimed in that particular instance, as it r • furred to a block of land that, if withdrawn from the run of Mr Clarke, won d render wool she !s expensively constructed useless. There were other coses mwhi-h the selection of blocks hail beeu equally injudicious, and it wa- tnereforo advisable that enquiry should be made, in order tint through the advice of the Council, means might be adopt d to relieve the Province of heavy liabi ities in which it might otherwise bo involved. Uic motion was agreed to. On the motion of the Secretary for Land and Works, a select committee was appointed to cousi ier the course to be adopted in reference to the T aquair Hundreds. On the motion of Mr T hoiuson, a Committee of Reference nn the Compulsory Land-taking Act, was appointed. Three motions, having reft re>ic« to setting apart acres of of land for recreation at Arrowtown, Queenstown, and Outram were agreed to. Mr. McGlashau moved an address, in reply to the speech of His Honor the Superintendent. His plan of reply was sys ematie am! rightly followed the beads of His Honor’s speech. He touched very gingerly upon the various topics, but claimed far th; Government equal desire for settlement of a population upon the Laud as actuate -; tin pa ty who seemed to be opprsed to them Agreeing with the main matures of the address, he expressed a hope that enc >uragement wonld be given to native manufactures, in order to give employment to those-who wan ed to work. He deprecated facti m on either side, and trusted that the greatest possible unai i nity would ma k die deliberations of the Council. Mr. Lumsden, mcmb r for Invercargill, seconded the reply. Mr Rei I said the only fa-.lts I\q had to find with the addnss in rep'y were faults of omission and not of commission The s. exh was ibe tam st, a t ongli pj hips the most Imsiuess-like document that had come down to the Council for s uue time, He felt bimse f at liberty to refer to what had fallen f om the Pro . iucial Secretary when expeu id iug the policy of the Covernment. He w shed to disabuse llm mind of the lYiviuc nl Secretary that the late Government's resignation did not arse out of the Lite Supcrintendental election. The reasons were clearly stated in the resignation jt-odf’—via , that seeing that a new Council had been elected, aad that there was a difference of opinion between his H nor and the E.xerurive, it was only becoming that they should retire and give hia Honor an opportunity of selecting from the new Council an Executive whose views would be more in accordance with his own, and wool I command the confidence of the country and a majority of die Council.

[Left sitting.]