POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

Evening Star, Issue 3130, 1 March 1873, Page 2

POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

SIR DAVID MONRO AT WAIKOUAITI

Sir David Monro addressed the electors of Waikouaiti, at the Mechanics’ Institute. Hawksbury, on Thursday evening. About 300 persons were present, and the Mayor (Mr T. 8, Pratt) occupied the chair. Sir David, who, on rising, was received with loud cheers, said tint he felt sure those prerent who were disposed to grumble had sufficient cause for so doing, though, he was happy to say, he bad discovered no symptoms of dissatisfaction on the part of the electors. They had behaved towards him with the utmost generosity, and the greatest possible patiepce. They would give him credit for saying nothing more than what he really felt when ho said it gave him the gr< atest pleasure to meet the electors of Waikouaiti that evening—, cheers) —and he was grieved that he had not been there before. But he da-ed say they would recollect that it was late last year whim ho was elected ; that the sessi a o: the General Assembly came on shortly afterwards, and when the Assembly was prorogued he, like most New Zealand colonists, had q, great deal of work on hie hands, which would nut allow of postponement. Added to that was other business. He intended to take his hearers into his confidence—one cause of his delay in meeting them was the uniting at his house, at ' elson, of a couple of lovers in the holy bonds of matrimony, A yonug lady in England was attached to a young relative of bis iu the Colony, who. in consequence of the rise in the price of wool, found himself in a position to support a wife ; so the young lady came out, and went to his house, where he concluded arrangements for making the lovers happy. The young gemleman had his (Sir David’s) complete sympathy; and he was sure that would secure theirs also. At all events, it appeared to him to be a very good way of working out the Immigration scheme to the best interests of the Colony. Having got over that piece of business, he had to say that he regretted having been so long in coming to Waikouaiti; and it was now with great pleasure and satis faction that he met, face to face, the electors, whom he was proud to seo had mustered in such great force that evening. (Cheers.) A face ' tp foce policy was what Mr Fox so strongly advocated in dealing with the Maoris, and tbe mention of those words reminded him that he was beginning to be infected with one of the infirmities of old age—it might he called the vice of old age—tbe weakness _ of garrulity. He recollected an amusing little bit of chaff that took place between Mr Fox and Mr Vogel in the House of Representatives in 1863, when those geutb men were not such great allies as they had since been ; indee l, at the time referred to, Mr Vogel was Mr Fox’s greatest opponent, and gave him more annoyance than any other member of the House The chaff was about Mr Fox having an interview with Wi Tako, and persuading him to give him his swor i, and when he did so, and took the oath of allegiance, returning it. Wi Tako led a parcel of rebels ; there was a great flourish of trumpets made about the affair, and an account of it was published in the Weio Zealand Gazette. In the House Mr Vogel said that a great fuss had been made about what he made great fun of, and what amounted to this : that Mr Fox had met Wi iako, and said to him, “ You are a gentleman,” whereupon Wi Tako replied “ You’re another,” and so they made friends. Mr Fox. iu reply to what Mr Vogel said, remarked, “All I can say to Mr Vogel is this; that if ever be should be in the position of Wi Tako, it is the last thing I should ever be able to say to him.” (Laughter.) However, he must put the curb upon his tendency to wander away from the business of the evening. It was very well to joke sometimes ; and he had always found that a man addressing a public meeting, who kept harping upon some solemn dry subject, was very apt to weary bis auditory, so that something that provoked a smile, gave tbe audience power to appreciate the send arguments pat before them. There was just one thing which he had not said. They had conferred upon him one of the most signal and distinguished compliments ever conferred upon any man in New Zealand. (Uheers ) They had elected him iu his absence, without personal solicitation on hia part. In do ng so they protested against the ostracism towards an old and bona foie colonist, which was attempted to be exercised towards him, because he claimed to exercise his own judgment, and to express his ideas upon the business of the Colony. They had restored him to a seat iu the from which he had been «#•

polled by a committee, which consisted almost entirely of political opponents. He said no* thing about the services ho had rendered to the Colony : he might be called a political fool ; his opinions on public matters might have been more frequently wrong than right, but he could say that lie had never been a place-hunter. The opinions he had formed had always been honest convictions of what was boat for the Coh ny. He defied any one to say that his votes had been governed by any other consideration. When the Waikouaili electors curie 1 him by a triumphant majority to the head of the | oil, they protested against the arbitrary conduct of men in high places. They did a thing which rang from one end of the Cohny to the other, and they declared their disapproval of the party unfairness with which he bad been treated ; they vindicated the ri:,ht of free and honest speech, and administered a signal reproof to the authors and abettors of a party prosecution They showed that there existed in the Waikouaiti constituency, at all events, that without which no liberal Government could safely exist, viz., an intelligent and homst public opinion. (Cheers.) He had only one more remark to make upon that subject. It was a distinguished honor to represent such a constituency ; but it was a greater honor to be elected in the manner in which he had been. He could only say that they had for ever made him their debtor by the handsome manner in which they had treated him, and he had to offer them bis most heartfelt thanks. (Cheers.) He was delighted to find, on travelling through the Colony during the Lst mouth, that it was generally in a prosperous condition. The Middle Island at all events was : as for the orth Is'and, he did not know so much about it. He believed, however, it was more prosperous I than for some time past. In Otago he heard I on all sides that trade was good, money abundant; that there was plenty of employment for every one, and a general feeling of confidence. The cause was not d fficulc to discover. Some affirmed it was due to what uight be called the Vogel policy of imnigration and pubic works. No doubt that policy had had the effect of giving employment to a number of people, and of throwing a considerable amount of money into circulation ; but he found that in the neighboring Colonies the same prosperity prevailed as in New Zealand. In N>w booth Wales there was a surplus revenue of upwards of 1500,000, and a considerable surplus also in Victoria, so that he could not ascribe it to that cause. He believed the chief cause was the better price of wool, and facility for obtaining money at a reduced rafe of interest. He was sorry to say the yield of g- Id last j ear showed a considerable failing-off as compared with the previous year—amounting to about one million sterling There had been no falling-off in Otago, but a slight increase. In every other gold-producing Province of New Zealand the yield was has. The total value of gold exported in 1872 was LI, 731,261, while in 1871 it was 12,787,520. Whatever explanation might be gwen of the cause of the present prosperity, the fact could not be doubted, and it was reason for gratulation. If a man who called out “Peace, peace,” when there was no peace, put himself into a false position, the man who said there was danger in the future and grounds fop alarm, was not likely to be heard with much attention when people were in the full tide of prosperity. Instead of that he was more likely to be set down as what, in common language, was called a stupid old croaker, from the time of Jeremiah downward. He asked them to look at one of the latest examples of croaking. In 1870, France had made up its mind to go to war with Prussia, Nothing was more popular. In the Chambers there was only one man who opposed it with great earnestness .* that man wai Thiers, now President of the Republic. In 1870 he was insulted in the Chambers tor expressing a desire to know why France was going to' war—in 1873 he had the greatest power to bind up the wounds of his unhappy country. In 1870 the belief in the invincibility of the french arms was great in France as the belief of many persons ip the success of the Vogel scheme of public works. (Cheers.) He would rather at any time take a cheerful than a gloomy view of the future, but he wished to point out his views of the present position of the Colony. Its financial position was the great question that overshadowed all the rest —the effect on its finances of public works and immigration. It wa? a question of life and death. The debt of the Colony amounted per man to a greater sum than in any Australian Colony, Great Britain, or any other people that he knew of, and it was annually increasing. There could be but one end to that; it was but a question of time dependent upon the amount of property that u mid be pledged ; the terminus must be insolvency. He had heard it said it was easy to raise more money by taxation. For hia part he thought the people were exceedingly well taxed already. (Cheers.) It was generally admitted the Customs revenue could hardly be increased without injuring the productive resources of the country; local taxation or a laud tax would press upon bona settlers; and diminish ! t|je value' 6f their property; more money prould have to be got by borrowing or taxation, or both ; but if yearly a large debit balance was added, insolvency must result. As that was gloomy language to address to people in prosperity, he felt bound to justify himself by placing before them figures tending to show that he had not used mere idle words, suggested by what might be termed a morbid imaginat on, It was founded upon facts which it was impossible not to admit. In 1867 the total debt of the Colony, General and Provincial, was L 5.781,193. On the 30th June last—five years afterwards—it was 1.9,375,991, and the unfunded debt, consisting of Treasury bills, temporary debentures, deficiency bills, and bank overdraft, amoamed to L 785,000. The total, in Sept,, 1872, was 110,160,000 ; but as the sinking fund amounted to 1575,000, the total debt was really L 9,985,736; the annual charge on which, for interest and sinking fund, was 1616,895. The total Customs revenue for 1872 was L 513,279, so that only L 196,381 was available for the cost of governing the Colony. In addition to this the Colony had the power of borrowing to a larger extent, and no doubt it would shortly be exercised, as to curry out the Pul lie Works and Immigration scheme, a much larger amount was required By the Public Works Act and the Defence Act, power was given to borrow L 0,000,000, of which I 2,200,000 was already obtained, leaving L 2,800,000 available. The schedule of the Railway Act of 1870 contained a list of railways which, according to the original estimates, would cost considerably more than L 2,000,000. Last year one railway was estimated to cost L 2,300.000; but when an accurate survey and estimate was made, it was found it wou'd cost nearly L4,0u0,000 ; and as estimates were commonly exceeded, it might he expected it would cost L5,00d,000. It would lie remembered that the schedule contained no provision for certain gaps that existed, which would have to be filled up before the system was complete. There was no provision for a line froju Moerafci to Dunedin, although provision was made for the -con. struction of the line from the Waitaki to Moeraki. He put the question to Mr Keid, when Minister of Public Works, what he intended to do with that line ’ He informed him it was his intention to have it. surveyed, bo that next session plans might be laid before sha Home, and autbority f Mlwd for

proceeding with the line, (Cheers.) He was sorry to learn from his friends that nothing had been done since the prorogation of the Assembly, although it was a thing Ministers pledged themselves to do. Unless the gaps were filled up, there would be disjointed fragments of railways, which would not fulfil the intentions of the Assemb'y. He had always distrusted the Railway scheme, and he distrusted it still; but as the country had made up its mind, it must be done thoroughly, and not half-heartedly, in a patchwork manner. He estimated that to construct a continuous line from Kurunui in the North, to Invercargill, in four years, would cost L1T,000,000, which, at 6 per cent, interest and sinking fund, would be L 1,020,000. He would ask if the power of the Colony, four years hence, would bear that burden ? Unless it was possible to turn the corner and increase receipts, the prospects of the country were alarming. It w r as not a question whether a railway system should be adopted, for it was in full operation, but there was great anxiety in regard to what might be expected from it. tin that point there was much diflT reuce of opinion. It seemed to him that, having adopted the plan, as much value as possible should be got out of it. Some endeavored to make it appear a question of political economy, with which none but statesmen were capable of dealing. He did not believe that anything more was requisite than common sense and business habits, in order to form a correct judgment, and the judgment was likely to bo the sounder if a person possessed a considerable piece of real property. The simplest way of estimating the value of the scheme was to reduce it to a problem of private life, and looking upon the Colony of New Zealand in the light of a joint stock company, with a large unimproved estafe. The resources could be developed only by the applicatiou of capital, and in the majority of instances the money would have to be borrowed. Before mortgaging his property, every man would make some calculation as to a probable profit, without which he would not borrow at all. Men differed in temperament, and this affected their calculations, but the result would be according to truth When the scheme of borrowing was proposed the debt was 1 7,000,000 —rather a large debt for 250,000 people. It was proposed to borrow L 7.000 000 more. When the estimate was laid before the Assembly it was shewn it would lead to a profit. His knowledge of railways led him to the conclusion that Mr Vogel spoke on a subject with which he was imperfectly acquainted, and that his figures were a delusion. According to him, he forgot what revenue should now have been derived from railways, but the financial statement of 1870 would shew. It struck him (Sir D. Monro) that the Colony should be receiving some L50,0u0, but with the exception of a small return from the Christchurch and Kangiora line, n >t a penny would be received. That was not what riled him most. V hat would be thought of the directors of a joint stock company who mortgaged the property of the company, both individually in the gross, without consulting the individual members ? Yet something of that sort was done by the Fox-Vogel Government in the year 1870. The railway scheme should have been announced to the country, so that it might nave been fully discussed at the bar of pu 1 lie opinion. In Victoria, before they committed tbemse’vrs to their railway system, it was discussed by the; Pres*, in pamphlets, and in the Legislature for something like two years. In > ew Zea land things were done differently. 'I he Fox-Vogel Government only thought it necessary to state there should be large public works and large loans, an ! the share holders in the joint stock company—the owneis of property throughout the Cohnv—were the last persons thought of; they were never consulted. It was a party move, and 'the"proposition was made in the interest o( a party. He know that he would be answered, “The whole thing i has beep submitted to the country, but it was a moribund Parliament that dea't with the question, and in three or four weeks passed the resolutions and the Bills authorising the scheme He could not understand how that could bo hold to be in accordance with the usual practice of Constitutional Government or the dictates of common sense. But the country was committed to a certain commercial speculation which would either tend to the advancement of the Colony or end in irretrievable ruiu. His idea was. if any one was placed in so critical a position as the holders of property were, he should like to be consulted about it, in order deliberately to siy whether be liked it or not. Some people had great faith in Governments, but a thing cannot succeed just because a Government says it will succeed. He was reminded of the words of the Swedish Consul to his son, when sending him oat to travel: “Go, my son, and see with how little wisdom the world is governed. If Mr Vogel was right in his calculations of the resources of New Zealand, his scheme would be a great success, but if he had over estimated its resources, and the cost of r always proved too heavy for the springs of industry, Colony would be placed in a most unpl'easaht mess. Mr Vogel had proved a iingul irly false prophet, and had committed himself to an estimate proved to be ridiculously wide of the mark. He would like to say a few words witn regard to railway's in * new country, for it was a subject with \Huch be had for some time occupied his mind. They might have heard it said by some of bis opponents, “Ob, Sir David Monro has a monomania on the subject of rai way e. He dislikes them; and a railway produces oi him the effect that a red rag produces on a bull.” That statement was ridiculously absurd. He advocated railway s in the House of Representatives so far back as 1861, when a railw'ay was projected by the first Superintendent of Marlborough. Mr Adams. He (Sir David) succeeded in satisfying a Committee of the House of Representatives that the scheme was a feasible one : that the railway might be made for a moderate amount; and a Bill was passed to make it. Who did they think frustrated this attempt to make a railway in New Zealand? Why, the Hon Mr Fox, for reasons not of the most disinterested nature. Mr Fox, in the meantime, had become Premier of New Zealand, and he wrote Home to the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the Act passed by the Assembly for the construction of that railway, should be disallowed by the Queen, and it was disallowed. On Mr Fox’s advice, Her Majesty vetoed a private Act of the Legislature—a most monstrous thing— and in giving this advice Mr Fox broke faith with the Legislature, and violated one of the conditions of responsible Government, Not only had he (Sir David) advocated the making of railways ten years ago, but he could boast that he was one of the few settlers in New Zealand who bad had any baud in building one. He was one who had to do with tho Dun Mountain Railway, and took an active part in building that railway, which rose to an altitude of 3,000 feet at the back of tho City of Nelson. It was a very pleasant thing, making a railway ; he did not dislike it at ail, particularly as he did not find the capital himself. It was remarkably jolly while the money was being paid, and ithe navvies were spending their money in a publichopse, but when the day for repayment arrived the whole thing wore a different and less intoxicating aspect. They have excellent reasons for believing that railways would pay—it was to bring dawn chrome iron, which was said to exiat there & considerable

quantities. But that was a mistakej it was worked out. It was well for those who worshipped railways like fetishes; but the country, having been originally a solitude, it remained a solitude still. Lika Hans Breitman, who asked “ Where is his party now ?” he (Bir David) might say “ Where was that railway now?” Broken up and the rails sold. (Laughter.) 'I he Dun Mountain Railway was a matter of history. There is mystery about railways. A railway was a very expensive road, with an iron surface, upon whieh specially constructed carriages travelled, propelled by locomotives. The railways of Victoria, constructed of most expensive material, cost L 35.000 a mile. They were double lines. The people there were about extending their railway system, and expected to construct their single lines at L 6,000 a mile. In this Colony they expected to make railways on the narrow gauge at L 6,000 a mile. Twenty miles of road at this rate meant a good deal of money. When there was a large amount of goods and passengers, superior appliances enabled the transport to be done cheaply and quickly. But with our economy, a railway would bo as much out of place as a steam plough would be in what the Scotchmen called a “kailyard.” The early settlers in a new country might manage to get along with their ordinary wheeled carts, without one sixpence being applierl to it, and as their means increased, ditches would be dug and tracks made and in time a good macadamised r- ad got. But they could not go to work in that way with a railway. They must be a large sum out of pocket, and the thing must be completed at once. A break of a single yard effectually interrupted traffic It was the best of roads, and the cheapest when there was a large haulage business to be done; but for the poorer districts it was much too expensive, and like the Launceston and heloraine line would prove a curse instead of a blessing. ! here were lines in the Colony which ho had no doubt would pay to make ; and when he used the word “pay ” he did not do so in any narrow' or restricted sense. Be did not coniine the benefits to be derived from a firstclass road, to the money derived from tolls or charges for the transport of goods and passengers. An owner of a large estate might, for his ownpiivate purposes, make a railway to haul limestone, or it might be to haul coal from one to another part of his estate, and thus, although the railway did not pay directly, it might pay handsomely upon the difference of cost between hauling goods by ordinary carts and by rail. % he diminution of cost would indirectly give a profit, although looked at in a direct w r ay, the receipts miphtappear to be Jess from year to year. But unless there was much business to be done it was better to make the ordinary common roads. We must “creep before we gang,'* and when the time for “ganaing” arrives the most perfect way of “ganging” is upon the iron rail. He would say a few words on the proceedings of last session As usual it commenced with a great party fight. In 1871 the FoxVogel ministry had a large maj -rity, and carried everything their own way; but when the House m t m 1872 the majority had melted away in a remarkable maimer. That Ministry, after having obtained authority for the construction of public works, seemed to think they had done enough. Mr Fox went to the West Co.vt to hear complamts by the diggers and explore glaciers, and Mr Vogel, who seemed to have a taste for diplomacy, went to Australia, The public works in the .North Island were handed over to Mr Ormond, and in the Middle Island to Mr Reeves, who made a favorable impression on the House through his statement of arrangements made. In the Brogden contracts and other matt* rs, Messrs Fox and Vogel disappointed some of their quondam supporters, and it was determined to table certain resolutions which should be a censure on the Government. they were moved by Mr Stafford, and a heavy debate took place which lasted three weeks, and ended in the defeat of the Ministry and the formation of a new one by Mr Stafford, which re mained in office a few weeks The members of the Vogel Government gave themselves to reasoning with members and to other prac'ices, the character of whieh may g.rhered from a telegi am that appeared in the daily papers, to the effect that Mr J. Shephard, of Nelson, had been promised the first vacancy in the Ministry, provided ho divided against Mr Staffoid. He did not voucli for the ac-cur-cy the telegram ; but if true, it would explain the way in which the party worked in undermining the Staffod Government. lie was sorry they succeeded. A motion was tabled by Mr Vogel, of want of confidence in the Mafford Government, who felt it would be waste of time to argue the question ; a division wais taken, which resulted in the overthow of the Government by a majority of two. The chief business a'terwards was voting the supplies and amending the Railway Act. That Act hid been rejected by the Lords, but being brought forward again the next day, was passed. The first day the Maori members abstained from voting, on the ground that they did not understand railways. but the second day they voted with the Ministry, and justified their vote by sayin the meantime they had studied the subject. He need n->t say he supported Mr Stafford's party, and he thought the telegram he spoke of would justify him in doing so in their eyes. Whatever might be the merits of the party, politically, there could be uo doubt the Stafford party represented the largest extent of bonn jidc property in the country, and embraced within its ranks men of more statesmanlike qualities and greater pretence to common sense than the other side; meu less likely to commit the Colony to rash and reckless schemes than their opponents. With regard to that subject he would simply say that the party struggle that took place was the means of directing attention to important blots in the management of public affairs, and threw light on them which otherwise they would not have had. It resulted in Mr Fox retiring from office, and in placing Mr Waterhouse in office -a change by which the Colony was 1 no loser. Otago received its fair share of attention from the Legislature. Its Waste Land Law went through the House of Representatives without modification of any consequence, but was somewhat altered in the Council. The Province was to be congratulated on the passing of the laws, which, he trusted, would ho regarded as a settlement for some time to come, The country would watch with interest the working of selling land on deferred payments. Looking at the immeuse burdens of Now Zealand, and competition for population with America, it was of great consequence to locate settlers on the laud. He had intended to move for some arrangement respecting commonage, but was persuad'd not by Mr Donald Keid, who was afraid to endanger the passing of the Bill. He promised it should bo brought forward next sessi n. Another motion was when in a district money was required for certain purposes it might be taken out of the loan. He looked upon that as a mistake. If money was borrow- d for specific purposes, it was a bad precedent to apply it to something else. When first the Public Works and Immigration schemo was Implied, the of ffie Fox-Ybgel schemo asserted the country would gain money by it ; that each person in the country contributed so much to the Customs revenue, and that the money thus received would more than pa> the interest on public works outlay. He had gone into that matter. Ho did not know exactly how many people would be added to New Zealand during the current

year, but he thought it would not exceed six thousand. Taking the contribution of each individual at L 3 ss, the Colony would receive L 19,500 Customs duties. But according io the scheme, at least million of money must be spent on public works, and also the cost of introducing immigrants The interest at six per cent, would be LOO,OOO, and consequently there would be a constantly increasing balance to the debit of the Colony. In order to pay interest on L 1,000,000 by Customs contribution, 18,000 people would have to be introduced, and he was doubtful whether the Colony would absorb that amount of immigration. At present it might, but under ordinary circumstances it was questionable. He should like to see the General Government give more attention to immigration than they appeared to give at present. He should have liked to have said something on education, had time permitted ; but one subject he wished to mention—he wished to say a few words on Maori matters, which few people in that part of the world understood They were carried on on a principle which was a perfect mystery. He aid not suppose there were half-a-dozen men in the Colony who knew what was being done. The Native Minister moved about the country as seemed good to him, and distributed a liberal largess in one place; in another, pardon to a Maori rebol • in another, he gives back confiscated lands; in another, up came Maori, put his hand behind his back and received a second tip. All that might be necessary, but he wished he could believe it was so. On the contrary, i when he saw land given back to men who rebelled against our authority without provocation, and when he saw men who had committed crimes of most atrocious cruelty and bloodthirstiness pardoned, he asked himself whether it was right. He might be wr mg, but he thought it would he set down to ( weakness. He was for treating the Maoris with consideration, not with vindictiveness, when the Colony had it in its power. Bnt there was a limit to that sort of thing, and when pardons were given to such men as Tito Kowaru and Te Kooti—he did not know that they were given yet, but there I was talk of a general amnesty —it was in j opposition to common sense and decency. It j was saying to the Maoris, if you commit crimes 1 you will be forgiven—you will be represented j in the Legislature like the Pakeha, and you will have honors thrust upon you without deserving them ; you will be called upon to de- | cide questions of political economy, inaolj vency, and education. He should reoomj mend the constituencies to look into that, j for there was something more than increased j favor to the Maoris. For his part he wished i to see no special representation of the Maoris. I He had seldom experienced a stronger fee!I ing of dis'just than last session at seeing the ■ way in which the Maoris were beslahbered by | both sides of the House (Laughter.) I But then parties were very nearly I balanced, and a brown vote counted as I much in a division as a white one. Conj tinned attention was required in watching [ public affairs. It would not do to rest in j fancied security, for the country was far from 1 beigg iu a safe position. The position might he guided to prosperity,, and the only safeguard was healthy public opinion. He was 'an old New Zealand settler. All he had j was in New Zealand, and his sympathies and I affection-! were in the Colony. ,It would not I do to place burdens oa it under the idea I that its resources were boundless, for ho j thought it a mistake. 'I he country was ' flooded with political charlatans, and he was ; sorry so many had failb in their nostrums. ; ['-ir David then made a few local allusions, 1 an;l stated that ho was one of the earliest I visitors to Otago, having accompanied Mr ; Tuckett, surveyor to the N, Z. Company, in i 1844,] S In answer to Mr A. Thompson, he was in i favor of separation of the two islands, iu accordance with Earl Grey’s Constitution, : | poposod in 1816. To Mr Buckland : The | survey of the Moeraki and ! unediu line of I railway was promised before next session : i he was afraid it was too late to expect it to Ibe done in time. To Mr Bates :If addi- , tienal taxation were necessary he should he lin favor of a land tax. To Mr A. ThompI son ; He should recommend application for harbor works to be made to the Provincial J Council, .‘‘ud, if approved, he thought, the Assembly would sanction the outlay. A vote of thanks to Sir David Monro, moved by Mr Smith seconded by Mr Mailock, and supported by Mr Hepburn, was carried nem. con. j A vote of thanks to the Mayor closed the ) proceedings.