PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3491, 1 May 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, April 30. Mr Stout asked the Secretary for Lands —“lf any, and if so, what steps have been taken under the Otago Waste Lands Act' 1872, to secure that the land aliesated by license or lease under sections 47 49, 50, 51, 52. 53a, 52b, -52c, 53, and 54, shall be occupied by bona fidt settlers ? Also, if all applicants have made the declaration on oath', required by the 54th section of the said ■ Act?” • . ,■ f The Secretary tor Lands said the qnestion would only be answered authoritatively by the - Waste Land Board.. The applicants got first a certificate of occupations, and then ■ made a - declaration. .No regnlatiens had been made. In reply to Mr Clarke, it was stated that no tenders had been received for the erection of a bridge across the Kawarau River at Morven Ferry. : Mr Fish asked the Secretary for Works •—“ Why the Government placed the jetty at' Riverton in the centre of the river,.in!- ■ stead- of from the shore as desired' by the • Municipal Council and mother residents ?’V~ The Secretary said he had a strong requisition to get th,e work done, and sent the Pro : yincial /Engineer. The,, Municipal Council wrote saying, the jetty was in the wrong place. There I were' three piurties, each .of Which wanted it in a different spot, and'at the rite; wm subject to tidal influence, all /■ agreed to submit tojthe decision of the Chief Harbor /Master. , He decided according to the opinion of the Provincial Engineer, and it was f accordingly determined to place'it there. /, Goldfields, Reference, Private Petitions! and Printing Committees were appointed; i . Leave of Absence for' the ‘ session Wat granted to Mr Mills. > * Mr Stout called attention to the manner in which the last’Appropriation Ordinance 1 had been printed. Mid alleged that by intro''during subdivisions the Government were ' Enabled to transfer large sums and expend them on votes for which they were net intended to be’ applied; In' Committee the Speaker freed the Government 1 from' all blame, and explained that his department, ‘Which had Charge of the printing, had in this instance simply followed the practice of the last two years. He failed to [see that any evil would result from the practice. ’ The motion was withdrawn. Mr Lumsden moved to reserve a site for the supply of the town of Invercargill with water. He did not contemplate the construction of works at once, as the population was too small,but with a view to future usefulness. The Secretary for Lands did not think they had sufficient information to jus* : tify compliance ; with the motion, and asked ■it should be postponed., The Provincial Secretary suggested the adjournment-for a week, which was agreed to, and the motion was j

Mr Davie moved that borings should be taken of Dunedin harbor, so as to enable the Council to decide as to the advisability of harbor improvements. The impression was that the cost would be heavy—say Ll, 800 as estimated by Mr Balfour. But that in’ eluded upper and lower harbors. Jill that was wanted was borings from' Dunedin to the deep water at-Burke’s Brewery. He had an offer by a competent engineer to get the borings for 150 within fourteen days, weother permitting, M r Reynolds seconded Mr Davie, ; and suggested that the use of the Harbormasters* boat; should be given, and that it would be advisable that the Har-bor-master should accompany the engineer. The Provincial Sbcbktaby said the Government were agreeable to give effect to the motion, which was carried. The Riverton Reserve Ordinance, the Naseby Empowering t Qrdinance, and the Papkaaio Sale Reserves for Railway Purposes Ordinance were read a first time, and the . second reading fixed for Tuesday. The Pprtobello Cemetery Reserve Ordinance, the - Lower Kaikorai Road line Exchange Ordinance, andthe Waitawa Compulsory Road? taking Ordinance were also read a first time! The report of the Education Department, and the report of the Provincial Engineer upon the Report for the Improvement of Dunedin Harbor, were laid on the table.