PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3502, 14 May 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, Mat 14. Petitions were presented as follows : From _ owners of property and residents in the district through which the Port Railway runs, asking that trains may he put on at hours to suit the working-class—say, leaving Dunedin at six a. m. and Port Chalmers at seven a.m. (Mr : Davie).—From James Cooper, near Arthur’s Point, praying for redress of certain grievances suffered by him through a road passing through his property (Mr E. Clarke). —From 147 residents m thePopotunoa and Wainma districts, with reference to Sunday traffic 'on the P C Rail way (Mr M‘Neill).-From 235 residents at Green Island, on the Sunday traffic question (Mr Roberts).—From ratepayers in the Makarewa road district, praying that they may bo transferred to the Hindis foad district (Mr Kinross)— Fiona 350 residents jn the Moeraki district, on the Sunday traffic question (Mr leschemaker). H QUESTIONS. Mr Ha zlett asked if the Government would lay upon the table the correspondence that took place between the' ruuholder or any other person and the Government, that led to the exchange of part of a block of land, formerly opened on the agricultural lease system, at Tiger Hill (run No. 223). Mr Reed said there was no objection; he had given instructions to have it copied. Mr Sumpter asked, “ Why the resolutions in reference to laying off a township at Maerewhenua, ■ and erection of a bridge across the Maerewhenua River at the terminus of the Awamoko Railway, have not been given effect to Mr Reid said the Survey staff was inadequate to meet the demands made upon it. With reference to the bridge, it was impossible to lay out any money for it out of the L 5,000 voted.—Mr Bastings confirmed the statement that there Was no money available. DEEPENING THE UPPER HAP BOR. S Wia^S the V r mte ß denton borings at different parts of the Upper Harbor, with the view of ascertaining the m-acti-or othetwiee ,f de e p, Si f g

to sneb an extent as to allow the passage up to Dunedin of the largest vessels frequenting the port, twenty-one! borings have been put down between the outer extremity of the Rattray street tramway wall and Curie’s Point These have been put down at such distances apart as to give a good general idea of the ‘nature of the material on the whole area which would r- quire dredging, and in all cases have been sun c to depths of at least 22ft below ordinary high water. The greater number of bores were pub down at places where, from the nature ef the shore or the small depth of water, would most naturally be suspected to be rock, and the result has been very satisfactory, no such material, either in the mass or as a drtached boulder having been encountered Generally, the bottam of the Harbor, between the end of the tramway wall and opposite Logan’s Point, is of soft clay or mud, with some sheila and mixture of sand, both throughout the mass and in bands, while from Logan’s Point downwards, the material is more sandy and compact, with more shells, rendering boring more tedious, on account of the sand filling in upon the rods, but not necessarily showing any difficulty in dredging. About opposite Bull island, the bottom commences to get softer ; and from opposite Burke’s brewery to termination it remains soft sandy clay or mud to depths greater than dredging will require to extend. The last of the bores was in depth of water, which, at that Point would show dredging of 2£ft, necessary, to give 21ft. at ordinary high water, but in the immediate locality there are other parts of the bottom where no dredging would be required Therefore it might be considered the borings extended over the whole area upon which dredging would be necessary; also, that no rock or other bard bottom exists such as to render the deepening necessary to allow the passage o* Jhe largest ships, impracticable, or even difficult.” At 3.15 Mr Bastings commenced to speak on the motion of want of confidence in the Government,