PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2597, 14 June 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Yesterday. The debate on the land, resolutions was concluded at the evening sitting. It opened with personal)ties, which.;,were indulged in more freely as it progressed, until the discussion became so warm that members lost 'their,Leads’ and their tempers ;• and the Chairman of Committees, who made repeated efforts to keep order, but in vain, gave up the task, and left the House to .come to its senses again. The cue was given by Mr Shepherd, who had a Hing at Mr Cutten, accusing that hon. member of giving to the Dally Times reports of speeches that were never made; and he was followed by the Speaker, who, according to Mr Cargill, put into his (Mr Cargill’s) mouth opinions he never gave expression to—the consequence being that the Hon. Dillon Bell, Mr Cargill, and Mr Gillies kept bandying words for about half an hour. When they got tired of that kind of amusement, the Provincial

Mr Haughfcon, who appeared to differ to an alarming extent; haaa “ go in,” the upshot of it being bon. member for the Lakes left the House in'idisgust. When the ire of members had : £altned down somewJiat, those who led tried to outvie each other in making the humblest apology. The remainder of the resolutions were adopted without much discussion. They are as follow : “ 13. That the Superintendent be empowered, with the sanction of the Provincial Council, from time to time to proclaim certain areas outside Hundreds or blocks, for the purpose of settlement, by purchase on deferred payments.

“14, That where land shall be taken for settlement which is held under any lease for pastoral purposes, the lessee shall be entitled to compensation 'under such’ regulaliohs as may bo embodhc Pin tho-proposed Act.’ 15. '.That a bill be prepared to r give effect to the- foregoipg: resolutions, .and', thdi{ the same he laid on the table of the Provincial Council during thc.-preseiit session,” • On the se.cond reading of the Imprest Supply Bill, Mr Reynolds information as to when,the Executive would be completed ; and’ the - Hon. Mr Holmes, in demanding a' Statement of the -exact- indebtedness -- of •»-the-~PrrTTfrrrn«p expressed tne opinion that the floating liabilities at the present time amounted to over L 120,000. With suchya-state qf things, he condemned the prqposal to place povyer iu the hands of the ,present Executive tp increase that indebtedness, more especially as the. Treasurer, was under the. control of a thoroughly inexperienced member. The Provincial Secretary, ' whi e ovadiim the question of the member for OretK,:: Jeered into a defence of his colleague,' up-by repeating the statement 'he ‘ mMe on taking ofi}ce as to the .probable Executive arrangements. After Mr Duncan Imd maile a short financial statement, the Bill was read a second and third time,'’and passed.

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But little public interest appeared, to be taken in the doings of the Council this afternoon', only three person? being in the strangers gallery when proceedings commenced, Mr Shepherd presented a petition-from the people of Clyde respecting the holding ,of a Supreme Court session there/ but as the verbiage was rather round-a-bout and consequently not very clear, we can give no very intdligibleaccountofit, Mr Shepherd reported that the committee on private petitions had arrived at the conclusion that T. Brenchley had entirely failed to establish his claim. Several other petitions were presented and notices of motion were given. The Dunedin Reserves Management Ordinance was read a first time, .and ordered’to be planted. In reply to Mr Brown, the said no steps had been, fak6ii'tow4iMß’tbh Removal,, of the police buildmga'Vrnifq Cliitha to Roxburgh, merely because of want of means.' He could hold out no prospect of its being speedily done, but land necessary (or the purpose had been reserved. To Mr Brown’s second question,.,the Provincial .Secretary replied that tl)e survey of the five thousand acre block, Moa Flat, was not completed, and therefore he could not say when it would be brought into the market. ■Arrangements would be.made for .bringing it into the market as soon as p issible, although it would be necessary to re;« ve such portions fpm §ale as would interfere with the profitable working of tlje run.* - With regard to .throwing pp§n the .block at Miller’s flat for sale it was the intention of the Government to deal with a portion of it in the same way as the Moa. Flat block, but two or three sections were found seriously to interfere with the profitable working of the run, and they would be reserved. In reply to Mr Shepherd as. to opening up the block of land adjoining the Shingle Block, the survey was not completed, but it would be brought into, the market as soon as possible. With'respect Ip the contraction of a fq'ot bridge for foe® passengers across the Molyneux at Roxt burgh, the Government did not purpp: g taking action, hut would be glad to receive a proposal: under the G2ud section of the Waste Lands Act, which would'.,be considered by, the Government. The, Hon-. D. Bo'l asked the Speaker it he was responsible for printing papers, as one had-been placed in his hand vyhicl} contained information ,which. might have influenced tpejvoie pf the Council had it. beeq,placed ip the hands pi members earlier. T&p Speakep explained that the Printing Committee was responsible,, apd the maiter dropped. The second reading of the Otago Read Boards Rill wa? postponed to Friday, and:, the House went into committee on the Roads Diversion Bill. The different clauses were rapidly gone through, and;some alterations were'made in the schedule, after which the committee reported, and the Bill was ordered to bo:recommitted next sitting. The Districts Compulsory Land Joking BjR yras then passed through committee, was reponseato the House, and read a; third time and passed. ‘ * • (Left sitting.).