PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3500, 12 May 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Monday, Mat 11. Petitions were presented : From 110 residents in the Wakatip District, praying for the stoppage of Sunday traffic on the Port Chalmers Kailway. (By Mr K. Clark). —From residents in Invercargill, praying for the stoppage of Sunday traffic on the Port Chalmers Kailway. (By Mr Wilson.)— From 193 inhabitants of the Oteramika District, praying for the stoppage of Sunday traffic on the Port Chalmers Railway. (By Mr Kinross.) —From Thomas Lamdy, late Inspector of Depasturing Licenses at Tuapeka, praying for inquiry into the circumstances of his removal from office. (By Mr Brown.)— From So residents at Cooks ton. asking the Government to set aside land for settlement in hat district. (By Mr Brown.)— From 43 residents in the Cardrona District, with reference to the formation of a road from Waitahuna to Arrow. (By Mr M‘Kellar.) — From 105 residents of Mount'lda district, praying the Council to take into consideration the better regulation ©f Sunday traffic on the Port Chalmers Railway. (By Mr De Labour.) From 890 residents in the Southland District, praying that all laud classified as agricultural by the Southland 'Joimuissiouers, and ail land within old Hundreds in that district, be reserved for sale upon deferred payments. (By Mr Lumsden ) —A memorial from miners respecting a channel to be opened upon Clark’s diggings. (By Mr Reid.) In answer to questions, the Government said they expected to be able to lay on the .able within a few days plans showing the situations of the various blocks composing the sixty thousand acres of land intended to ue disposed of under the deferred payments ivst-.m. The Government would lay oa the cable plans showing the acreage and situation of additional blocks of land to be dealt with m a similar manner in the eve it of the Bill or 1872 being amended so as to admit of such action being taken,—That the Government would do as much as possible to discontinue the practice now prevailing of sending prisoners to Port Chalmers in railway carriages attached to others in which the general public travel; and provision was being made t© house the short-sentence prisoners near the place where they were employed. At the same time they could not state that they were prepared to discontinue the practice altogether. Much harm could not be done if the persons were conveyed in separate carriages. -Reports of the Goldfields Committee were brought up recommending (I) that 2,500 acres of land should be thrown open at Blacks ; and (2) that the Government be requested to vest the Naseby recreation reserve, less two acres required for mining purposes, in the municipality for recreation purposes. On Mr Wood’s motion that it was desirable to withdraw the appeal in the case of Waddell v. the Superintendent, the Provincial Treasurer explained that notice was only given for the purpose of inquiry into the matter more fully. Inquiry having been made, the Government were willing to withdraw the appeal, and satisfy the award of the Court. The motion was then with drawn. On Mr M‘M bid’s motion that effect should be given to the petition of the inhabitants of Popotanoa and surrounding district by setting apart 5,000 acres on run 78 for sale on deferred payments, the Provincial Secretary suggested the withdrawal of the motion until the whole question of land on deferred payments was under consideration, which was done. The following was agreed to on Mr Wilsons motion—“ That this Council is of opinion that, to render the Bluff darbor and Invercargill and Wiuboa to Kingston Railway more fn.ly reproductive, it is necessary that the line of railway should be completed to Kingston without delay, and respectfully requests his Honor the Superintendent to urge upou the General Assembly and General Government the expediency of completing the line as soon as possible.”

Tuesday, Mast 12.

Petitions were presented; From 350 residents of Tokomairiro, objecting to the running of Sunday trains on the Port Chalmers railway. (By Mr Clark.) —From residents at itoxburgh, in refeaence to the opening un ° f a P f J, and on Captain Henderson’s run, Miller’s Flat (By Mr Ireland.) The Speaker drew the attention of the Council to the fact that the provisions of the Judit Act had not been complied with bv the Provincial Auditor in forwarding to him within six days of the Council meeting in session, a statement of the unauthorised ex penditure during the past year. Explanations were made by the Provincial Secretary Provincial Treasurer, and Provincial Solicitor, which went to show that the Uovernion- 6 res P°nsible for the Auditor not fulfilling his duty, he being an officer of and responsible to the General Government to questions, the Government “ w “ lnteQ ded to lay before tha Council the usual balance-sheet as soon as rlr 8 f r !r dy ‘ The officers of the Treasury and e Auditor had been at work night and day i uring the past week in preparing the balance-sheet, which, along with the Estimates, it was expected would be ready some time next week. The balance sheet had never before been laid on the table so early. (2.) In reference to tlje statement in a

‘ Guardian ’ sub-leader of Friday last to the effect that the lab* Government purchased, at the request of certain residents in the Tapauui district, threesections -of 'and, that the Government , did not purchase the land With regard to the second part of Mr Fish’s question “That through the member for Oamaru country (Dr Webster) then Secretary for Lands, the necessary deposit was not paid ; and that as a result the land in question was subsequently purchased at about a third of its value, as ascertained by fcbo price said land realised at auction ” the Government, at the instance of a deputation from the Tapanui Progress Committee who waited upon the Superintendent, reserved the lands from sale • but when they came to consider the ques’ tion, found that application had been made for it, and that they could not reserve it. They, therefore, resolved that it should be bought, and accordingly it was agreed to do so by the Executive when he (Dr Webster) vas present. He put the question how was it to be done, by whom was the transaction to be effected ? and was replied to that it would be done through the Warden. Accordingly it was referred to the late Secretary for Works and Goldfields to carry out the sale. Mr Bastings telegraphed to the Warden, and received answer that he (the Warden) had bought the land. From the search that had been made, it appeared that it was an omission on the part of the.Undersecretary, or some of the clerks, that the application for a voucher for the payment of the deposit was not made in time. He (Dr Websterj had to take a fifth share of the blame, but was not-per-sonally responsible, and the late Secretary for Works was no more to blame than he himself was. This brought Mr Bastings to his feet, and he corroborated what had fallen from Dr Webster, in reference to it having been agreed upon by the Government to buy the land.' He had only to say further that, prior to this matter, he had had definite instructions from his colleagues that he was not to interfere in any matter not within his own department. For a considerable time he had to interfere in matters not connected with his department, because he found it necessary to do so in order that the business of the country might be carried on ; but, after the specific instructions not to interfere, he carried them ®ut. All he* did was to telegraph to the Warden who was in his department, and he left it to the proper head of the department, the Provincial Secretary or Provincial Treasurer to complete the business. (4,) That possibly it was an oversight or an omission on the part of the officers of the department not to publish the annual list of unclaimed crown grants, but the Government would do ad it could to get the list published as soon possible in December. (6.) That the Government believed the Oyphrenes was only one and ahalf hours at Port Chalmers on her last visit; that they did not regard that state of things as satisfactory, aud that they had not yet done anything, but would, perhaps, draw the attention of the General Government to the fact. They, believed, however, what took place was in consequence of some unavoidable delay in thu vessel reaching New Zealand, aud was not likely to occur again. (7.) That an Ordinance was necessary for the issue of a title of the four acres of land voted to'the Tokomairiro Farmers’ Club, and one would be introduced this session. (8.) That no action appeared to be taken since 1872 in vi‘Lean v. the Superintendent in the matter of land proclaimed on Bellamy run, and some of the reserves had been dealt with, or at all events recommended to be opened up as Hundreds. The Government had agreed to allow that case to test six others of a similar kind. Tha Council would probably be asked to deal with some of the lands so reserved. (9.) The Government was not then prepared to say whether they intended to take any action this year either by loan, or the Province, constructing the line or otherwise in ro proceeding with the extension of the Lawrence line of railway. (10.) Mr D. M‘Arthur was a Waste Land Commissioner for Southtit a ore dagger for that district. ’ Mr Daniel moved—“ That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the balance of passage money due to the Government by assisted immigrants with families, who have resided three years and upwards within the Province, be cancelled ; and that a respectful address be presened to his Honor the Suporintendent, requesting him to give effect to this resolution.” [Left sitting.]