The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1873

Evening Star, Issue 3255, 26 July 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1873

Amongst the printed papers connected with the current session of the Provincial Council is one containing the reports of the Select Committees. They are not very voluminous, but very numerous, and display marvellous industry, when it is considered that the time devoted to the investigation of the subjects with which they deal, is so much added to that which honorable members expend in the wordy warfare and weary hours of public discussion. Some of the matters remitted to their investigation appear to have been dealt with summarily enough. For instance, there is no appearance of anxious thought in the “ Report of the Standing Orders Committee.” The Hon. Major Richardson was a member of that Committee, aud with soldierly promptitude it was brought up very soon after it was appointed. It might be summed up in the military order, “ As you were.” It assumed that the session was to be short, and therefore the old standing orders should be continued in use. We do not know that the Committee could have done better, had they deliberated for six months. The “ Private Petitions Committee” may he considered the last resort of those who think they have grievances, and six of their reports appear. Several of these matters appear of so trifling a nature, that it seems strange that there is no other way by which the petitioners could be saved the annoyance, expense, and loss of time required for a recognition of their claims. One man, that seems fairly entitled to be liberally dealt with, is recommended the liberty of purchasing “ the balance of his preemptive right, not required for the township,” at 12s Gd an acre, “on the system of deferred payments.” One would have thought this might have been arranged without appealing to the Council, although the petitioner may have been tardy and the terms somewhat a departure from those prescribed by the Waste Lands Act. The next recommendation treads on the toes of the Waste Land Board, who, if very stiff, might refuse to recognise the granting of a lease of “ five acres of land” by the Government “on such terms as it may deem prudent.” We have no fear of such a contretemps on so trifling a matter ; but such a result might follow. Ko. 3 deals with the expense to which Mr Warden Beetham has been subjected “ in defending himself from the charges made in the Chinese petition.” We fully agree with the resolution arrived at, that he should be recouped his expenses, and with the third resolution of the Committee that “heavy expense and loss ” is far too often “ entailed on the Province by the indiscriminate presentation of petitions on matters which ought first to be made subjects of Executive investigation and action.” Public officers have no right to be placed in such a position as was Warden Beetham. It is the duty of the Government to investigate such charges as was brought against him, without giving publicity to their proceedings, and every legislature should refuse to allow petitions to be received which involve the characters of public servants, until it is proved that the Executive has failed in that duty. It is bad enough to be charged falsely, but far worse to be made an object of public discussion on matters vital to reputation, when there is not a shadow of ground in support of the allegations. The three remaining interim reports deal with a point of difference between an officer and a subordinate, rectify an error in a Government Department, and confirm a former decision respecting the discipline of the police force. The first interim report of the Goldfields Committee deals with the curious case of Timothy Cottar, an agricultural leaseholder. It appears that Timothy became the lucky lessee of fifty acres at Cardrona, some five years ago, of which ten acres proved to be payably auriferous. Of this, most likely, Timothy was aware when he applied for his lease; but the Government were not, although they ought to have been. What Timothy did to the ten acres to entitle him to compensation on the cancellation of the lease over it, we do not know. Had a squatter occupied it, he would have been entitled to 2s Gd an acre at the outside, but Timothy, no doubt, might reasonably claim a little more. He was not satisfied with the decision of the Government, and the matter was referred to arbitration, when the extraordinary award of L 345 4s was totted up as the amount to which he was entitled. The Government, as a matter of course, refuse to pay, and the Committee report that they must pay Timothy that amount, or take steps to have the award set aside. Perhaps the Committee are right; but wo cannot but admire the kindly spirit the arbiters have displayed towards Timothy, who must feel how much wore consideration he receives

through being the holder of fifty acres minus ten, than his neighbor, the runholder, who, nolens colons, would have had to submit to 3,000 acres being taken from him for that amount of money.