PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2595, 12 June 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

June 9. The second of the land resolutions was carried on the voices—“ That as in many of the earlier proclaimed Hundreds the Crown lands bear so am >ll a proportion to the sold land, as to render thg amounts collected as assessment so small as not to pay the expense of a ranger's salary, the Waste Land Act Amendment Act be repealed, and other provisions be mads, in lieu thereof, so that in all Hundreds the rate of assessment be reduced when two thirds of the said Hundreds have been sold, and shall cease entirely Vvheu three-fourths of any Hundred be sold, ' "

This Day. Several petitions were received—from certain cattle owners of Macraes, asking for commonage by Mr M ‘Kenzie ; from certain gold miners of Ocean Beach Goldfield, near Campbelltown, Bluff —grievance about sizo of claims, and decision of Warden Rogers upset by Warden Wood—by Mr Blacklock ; petition of settlers i« the AJjjeraki district, praying for the repeal of the tfundiels Act —presented by Mr Hutcheson; petition of the inhabitants of Oamaru district, praying steps be taken to further the establishment of a hospital for the. Oamaru district—presented by Mr Sumpter. It was stated thaf Mp M'Kenzie’s pame was omitted by the fellers in the division on the land resolutions on Friday, and had been inserted, making tke numbers—ayes, 31 ; noes, 7In answer to a question, the Government stated that the report of the CL de Gold Robbery Reward Commission had been received—and, if desired, would be laid on the table of the House to-morrow.

Reports of tlie Private Petitions Committee we.'e presented as follows : —Re George Cameron, who in the month of May, 1870, was lined LSO for permitting scab amongst his sheep —that, after careful const leration of the case, the committee cannot recommend that the fine indicted he remitted or reduced. Re John Morris, against whom the Government' }:B,d hoe?', obliged to proceed by writ of scire fitc'as ld’obtam the' usj, of a road through his property in the Tomahawk district—that the petitioner, after putting the Government to a cost of L2OO in obtaining the right claimed, had assigned his Crown grant, thereby defeating the object sought to be gained, and that therefore he has no upon the Government. Mr Mervyn’s motion “That ip the opinion of the Council it is expedient that the recommendation of the late Government that Mr Carew be appointed sub-warden at Blacks, should not be given effect to ; hut it is desirable in the Interests of the members of the Civil Service that the senior officer, Mr H. A. Stratford, should be so appointed; and the Government are hereby requested to adopt such measures as they may deem fit give effect to this resolution”—led to the Provincial Secretary expressing Ids opinion that in all probability the late Government had good reasons for recommending the appointment of Mr Qarcw ; at the same time so far as his own knowledge went, it did appear that some slight had been done Mr Stratford, who had a good claim for promotion, if an officer was to be promoted. While the recommendation of the>e appointments did certainly rest with the Provincial Government, the responsibility of the appointment rested with the Colonial G overmueut, He

was not prepared to say that to ask that the cancellation of the recommendation of the late Government was judicious ; but if that course were adopted, the Government would in all probability recommend Mr Stratford’s appointment. Being appealed to, Mr Haughton explained that, in recommending Mr Carew, the late Government had acted upon good and valid reasons. (Left sitting.)