PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3192, 14 May 1873, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, May 13,

UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE.

The Provincial Auditor transmitted the fallowing special orders issued during the current financial year:—Purchase of block 51, Dunedin. L 520 ; harbor reclamation, L4OO ; Dunedin to Portobelo, 1389 18s 6J ; main road to Kuri Bush. L 135: expenses of Governor’s visit, LI, 161 18s; contract surveys, L 157 7s lOd ; general contingencies, L 142 I6a 6d ; Southland old debts, L 217 3a 8d ; dredging harbor, L 60 0; salaries, Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway, L 450 3s 3d; collection of jetty dues, L4l 15s; Tokomairiro to Tuapeka, L 267 ; Shotover bridge, L 740 14s; Lunatic Asylum building, Ll2O 6< 6d; general contingencies, LISO ; Moke Creek to Upper Moonlight, L 16 2; Approaches to Bannockburn bridge, L 75; Camp Reserve to Duff’s store, LlB9 8s; Survey department, L3O; approaches to Waipahi bridge, 1.96; arbitrations and actions, JLISO 10s, Total L 6,197 15s.

PRIVATE PETITIONS.

The Committee on Private Petitions reported (1.) In reference to D. and J. Mailoch’s petition : That the petitioners had no substantial claim upon the Government. The Committee called the attention of the Government and Waste Land Board to the fact that lessees of the Crown had been, and in other cases might be, illegally sub-letting; and recommended that the attention of the Government should be carefully given to the requirements aud necessities of the pub'io before any existing reserves be parted with ; and in every case full public notice should be given of the determination to dispose of such, so that they may be open for application by the public.—(2.) William Waddell’s petition : That the case could be more properly dealt with in a court of justice.—(3) Petition of William Williams: That’it was not a case justifying a grant of public money. (4.) Petition of Thomas Turner: This case was recommended to the favorable consideration of the Government for compensation for his fencing and improving, and for leave to obtain a freehold, if be should desire it, in the neighborhood of the land in respect of which bis application to purchase, which had been refused, was made.

ADJOURNMENT. The Provincial Secretary, in moving the adjournment of the House, stated that, so far as he understood, the bon member for the Taieri had not yet been able to form a Government; and as the present Govern* ment merely held office until their successors were appointed, they did not intend going on with any further business; and therefore, in order to give that hon. member every opportunity of forming a Government, he moved the adjournment of the House until Thursday, at two olploglju Mr Kejd explained that he fyadnotyet been able to submit the names of a new Government to his Honor the Superintendent, nor had h e yet been induced to relinquish his task. He, therefpfe, seconded the motion for the adjournment. Mr M'Glashan thought the Council should have some sort of idea as to the progress the hon. member for the Taieri was making in the formation of a new Government. His statement that he had not yet made sufficient progress was very indefinite. It was possible the next day or next week might elapse before he had done so. The Council knew very well, when the amendment to the Address was brought down, the hon. member for the Taieri stated he would put out some members now on the Government benches, and would do so now; and seeing that he was so sure of his position, he should have been at once prepared to come down and take possession of the Government benches,—(“Oh loh !”’| Itappranjd to him they were trifling with tfye c6un|ry altogether, and af) ap expenditure whipp would have made geveral rpads and bridges} probably a road froip the North-east valley to Blueskin. Surely thp hon. merpber wag able to state spepifipally whether he was prepared to bring down the names of the pew Government, or whether be would giye up the task ja despair. Mr Barton moved as an amendment fiat the House adjourn until that evening at seven. His reason was that be thought the position of affairs was very peculiar Either the hon. member for the Taieri ought to ha able to form a Government without difficulty, or he could not form one at all.— (Hear.) As he enteied the Bouse he had been informed of the names of two of the proposed Government; and as he understood the present temper of the House, it was utterly impossible that they could command the confidence of the Council, or indeed of the public. At all events, so far as he was concerned, he would feel compelled to oppose such a Government.— (Cheers.) He hoped there would be no waste of time; as be would have to ask the Douse for leave of absence for a time, and had desired to take some part in the matter, though he had not done so up to the present.

Mr Fish seconded the amendment, but did not wish to throw any obstacles in the way of the member for the Taieri, in his negotiations for the formation of a new Government. Still, he thought the time of the Houoe was being unnecessarily aud wantonly wasted. It appeared to him, aud he said it with a great deal of diffidence, there had been ample time since the amendment of the member for the Taieri was carried, to enable him to form a conclusion as to whether or not he could form a Government that would possess the confidence of the Council. If he had not already succeeded in his attempt, he feared his chaince of success was very indeed. He could not help alluding to certain rumors'which had reached bis earsand it appeared he was not singular in t|ie matter, for his colleague, Mr Barton, had heard something ijidre thap rumors. If tftfj rumor he Jia4 heard as to some gentleipen who were to form the new Government was correct, there was no use in frittering away the time of the Council, because he felt perfectly certain that such a Government could not command the conlideuee of the Co-incil. The lion, member ought either to declare his ability to form a Government, or recommend his Honor to send for a gentleman on that side of the House to form one.—(Hear.) He was astonished to find such a want of organisation among the gentlemen opposite. He would have thought that when the amendment on the reply was brought down, the Opposition would have come to some conclusion as to what would be the result of success on their part; aud would have selected from their ranks gentlemen to displace the Government. In the late debate, which was only memorable for the amount of nonsense that was talked—(hear) —the hon. members opposite had not said one word aga-nst the present Executive : they did not challenge one single act of theirs; nor anything they proposed to do. He repeated that the upposuion should have been prepared ; and he entirely dissented from the time of members being wasted from day to day, in allowing the member for the Taieri to mature his futile plans for the formation of a Governmint, which, when formed—if the rumours he had referred to were correct—would not last for a day. Mr Reid desired to express his very great thanks to the member for Dunedin (Mr Fish) for his advice, which was entitled to great weight from the long experience of that member on matters of the kind. But when he came forward to lecture and instruct members who had had much greater experience than he of the coudition of parties, it would be well for that member to moderate his idea® a little, in order that he might form a »w*

correct estimate of the feeling of the Counci. He (Mr Reid) had heard with surprise tb. remarks of Mr Barton —remarks which thi>' hon. member’s knowledge of parliamentary practice should have informed him were om of place at the present time. What lengtl of time had elapsed ? what great delay ir public business had occurred since he (Mi Eeid) had been entrusted with the task of forming a new Government? He was en trusted with the task on Saturday after the bulk of the members who resided in the City and suburbs had departed for their homes ; and he had no opportunity of consulting them earlier than mi*!-day on Monday ; and, according to the order paper, this was Tuesday. He had put himself in communication with certain gentlemen—being desirous of allaying, if possible, the bitterness of party which had existed ; and had endeavored to make advances to them in order to foim a Government which would not only meet with as much support as possible from both sides of the House, but hold its position until the termination of the session. He had only received an answer from the gentlemen, to whom the overtures were made on Saturday afternoon, at one o'clock that day. It was, therefore, almost impossible to make overtures in another direction before that time. Whilst he and those who were acting with him were desirous of forming a Government, if possible, from both sides of the House to a certain extent so as to carry on fairly and immediately the business of the country—though the party with which be acted was itself quite powerful enough to hold its own with the Council and the Province—(hea ) - if they were to be met in the unseemly way they were that afternoon, the course that would commend itself to him would be to form a Government from among his own party,—(Hear.) He regretted very much that Mr Barton should have so very suddenly —and he thought quite unnecessarily—(hear) —and, in the circumstances, so un-called-for a manner have submitted his amendment, which he hoped would not be agreed to. With reference to the observations of the member for .North Harbor, he knew that gentleman was annoyed that he (Mr Reid) should have taken any part in the discussion ; but his attempt to get up a storm about waste of time would be estimated at its proper value. He (Mr Reid) was desirous of forming a Government that would command a clear working majority, and which would, if possible, work in harmony with all sides. He hoped that the Council would rhow more respect for its own deliberations than agree to the amendment. Mr Wood was understood to point out that the amendment was tantamount to an expression of want of confidence in the hon. member for the Taieri.

Mr Barton said that what he meant by bis amendment was that he had no confidence in either the present Government, or Mr Reid, upon that subject. Mr Reid explained that, the proposal for adjournment did not come from him. The Provincial Secretary thought the adjournment till Thursday should be granted, in order to give Mr Reid not only time to form a Government but to consider the affairs of the country, in order that he might be prepared to go on yf'th the business on Apart from that: as there would be an incoming and outcoming English mail on Wednesday, he thought it would bo for the convenience of many members who were connected with business to adjourn till Thursday. Mr Barton was quite willing to adjourn Wednesday, but still entertained the ppinjon previptlsly expressed that the difficulty of forming a Government was not one that could be got over by time. In moving his amendment, he had inf ended no discourtesy towards the members of the Government, in whom, as he had intimated, he had no confidence, nor towards the member who had been charged with the formation of a new Government, in respect of whom he made a somewhat similar expression of opinion; in other words, he meant no personal discourtesy, and as it had been thought personally discourteous, he would withdraw it altogether. It was only moved because he thought the time of the House was being wasted, because if the mpinbcr for the did npj; succeed that night, he was not likely to succeed at any time.—(“Oh, oh.”) Mr Stout said that Mr Barton had unthinkingly moved his amendment, aud \yilhmit understanding its meaning, Mr Barton said he knew its panning perfeptly we|l He was determined that in no sense should he he a party to any expression by the Council of want of confidence in the Superintendent. (Hear.) Mr Stout was not aware that want of confidence in his Honor had ever bpen expressed. He -ffaa pertain that the Council and his Honor pould work very well together. Want of confidence in the Superintendent had never been mooted in any of the speeches in the late debate ; the Council knew that his Honor well expressed the feel, ings of the community, but the Council found fault with him on a mere constitu* tional question, After a few remarks by Mr M'Lkan and Mr M'Glashan, Sir F. D. Bell said be hoped the member for the Taieri would not be discouraged by what bad been said from endeavoring to introduce a spirit of conciliation between the two leading parties in the Council, in order that the very large questions affecting Otago -the importance of which had not yet attracted attention—likely to come before the Assembly might be considered in a manner that would help the Otago members in their efforts to see justice done to the Province.

The motion for adjournment till Thursday was then put and carried.