PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3505, 18 May 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Monpay, May 18. On the Council assembling, The Provincial Treasurer, as a matter of privilege, drew the attention of the Council to what purported to be a statement, made by him on Thursday evening last, and appearing ia the Fvkning Star of the next day. It was there stated that he (the Treasurer) said the late Secretary for Works and the Provincial Engineer had “analysed the tenders : they were opened in the Engineer’s office before tbe Executive decided upon them.” Now, that was not what Jbe then said, or intended to say, and as it reflected to a certain extent on the Provincial Engineer, he t >ok this opportunity of stating what he did say upon that occasion. What he intended to say was that the tenders were opened by the Executive on the Saturday morning, and were then sent as usual to the Engineer’s office, so that that officer might examine and report upon them, and that they oame back as he supposed through the usual channel- the Secretary for Works and were decided by the Executive on the Monday. The late Secretary for works (the member for Tuaepka) when he (the Treasurer) xnade that statement, corrected him, saying that the tenders did not come back through mm, and that he knew nothing of them until they came up for decision at the Executive meeting on the V onday. Upon that he (the Treasurer) withdrew his statement, as he was bound to do. He made this explanation in order that any imputation might be withdrawn from tbe Provincial Engineer, as there was nothing done beyond the course ‘usually followed in the matter of accepting contracts. 6 Petitions were presented: From 667 residents of Oamaru protesting against the running of Sunday trains on the Port Chalmers Railway. (By Mr M Lean.) From 340 residents of the Taieri on the same subject. (By Mr Allan.) From eighty-five inhabitants of Riverton on the same subject. (By humming ) From sixty four residents at Shag Valley praying for the opening of land in that district. (By Mr Mackenzie ) Prom sixty-eight residents at Makercwa, New River, and Forest Hill, asking for improvements to the main north road. (By Mr Wilson.) Fr->m John Mitchell, in reference the exchange of some land. (By Mr Wilson.) From Mr Taiora, in reference to certain Maori reserves at the Heads. (By Mr Daniel) From ninety-two settlers at Hyde, asking for a light traffic bridge to be placed over the Taieri River. (By Mr De Latour.) The Provincial Solicitor laid on the table the u Dunedin City Council. Borrowing Powers Extension Ordinance, 1874,” the object of which is to enable the City to borrow to the extent of L2OO 000. No, 7 from the Superintendent desired the cooperation of the Provincial Council in recommending the Governor to proclaim four new Hundreds, to be named respectively Tuapeka, Lees Stream, Dunback, and Caddon Hundreds, comprising together an area of 51.000 acres. The extent of the proposed Hundreds are Tuapeka, 15,000 acres, being block 4 and parts ef blocks 1, 2, 5, and 7, on the map of the said district; Lees Stream, 20,000 acres, being part ef runs 185, 260, and 254 ; Caddon, 10.000 acres, being parts of runs 161 ami 74 ; Dunback, 6,000 acres, being parts of runs* 80 and 109. Message No. 8 invited the cooperation of the Council in recommending the Governor so proclaim the following Hundreds - -Kai wera, 10,500 acres, being part of runs 132 and 131 ; Heriot, 20,000 acres, being part of runs 163, 178, and 212 ; Otaria, 20,0 n 0 acres, being run 102; W a i pa hee. 14,500 acres, being run 78a ; Kuriwoa, 14,600 acres, being runs 24a and 90. Message No. 9, submitted for the consideration of the Council the desirability of setting dside the following blocks of land for settlement on deferred payment:—4 800 acres on inn 111 (M'Nabs’s), 2,000 acr.s on 167b (MTntyre’s), I,*oo acres on 175 a (Logan’s), 3,000 acres on 131 (M Intyre’s), 2.000 acres on 102 (Truble’s), 2,000 acres on 132 (Islay station), 2 600 acres bn 90 (V Z andjA Land Company’s), 1.400 acres on 78a (lolmie’s), 2,600 acres on 212 (Herherb’s), 2,000 acres on 328 (Fielding’s, late How’s). 1,000 acres on 80 (Bell’s), 2,soo acres P» 346 (Butement’s). 2,500 acres- on 223 (Glassford’s); total, JJO.OOO acres. ~ Message No. IQ submitted for considerafopp the expediency of enabling the Governmept to prpcee4 vyith the construction of the following light lines of railway, viz. : Waipabee to Tapanui; main trunk to Kaitangata and Coal Point; main trunk to Outram ; Palmerston to Waihemo; t repuki extension to Waiau; Tokomairjro branch to Coalfields ; Lawrence to Roxburgh ; Otautau extension to Nightcap Coalfields ; from main line through Seaward Bush. Annexed was an approximate estimate of the probable cost «f the propos -d lines; also a statement of the lines already authorised and contracted for, from which it would be seen that upwards of half-a-million of money would be required to defray the coat of the whole. “ The Superintendent, therefore, proposes that application be made to the General Assembly at its nextsesaion for authority to raise a loan not to exceed v 5(J0,000 for the construction of the aforesaid works, and that an area of acres of laud be set aside as special security for the repayment such loan. The land so set aside as security to be dealt with in every respect and disposed of in terms of the provisions of the Otago Waste Lands Act, and the proceeds of sale or lease to be paid into a separate account to be applied towards payment of interest on said loan, and to the repayment of one twentieth in each year of the principal sum.” The following is the schedule of length and cost of Voo S n :^ Waipahee t0 Ta P anui » 13i miles, L 32,000; mam trunk to Kaitangata and Coal Point, 10 miles, L 27.750 ; main line to Oufcram, four miles, L 12.000 ; Palmerston to Waiheno, ten miles, L 25.000 ; Orepuki to Waiau, 14 miles, L50.0U0 ; Tokomairiro branch, 5 miles, L 14.000; Lawrence to Toviqt (including bridge over Clutha), 40 miles, Li 26,000; Otautau to Nightcaps, 15 miles, L 40,000; main line through Seaward Bush, 10 miles, L20,0U0. These figures represent the total cost ready for tolling stock. The Provincial Solicitor moved hia resolutions providing for the establishment of the Otago Harbor Trust, said Trust to have power to borrow not exceeding L 250.000; and that 100 acres of land, reclaimed or to be reclaimed, should be set aside for the' purposes of tbe Trust. Mr DeLatous opposed the motion. The Private petitions Committee reported on the petition ‘ of Messrs J. aud N. Campbell, recommending that in future it may be pnade a rule of the service that telegraphic tenders lie received up till the advertised hour and date of receiving tenders ; that, m the event of any telegraphic tenders being received, the tenders be not ‘decided upon until the receipt of the written tenders in respect of which telegrams have been received, or until sufficient tune elapsed to allow for the arrival of the written tenders by mail; that written tenders so posted should be franked by the Postmaster, stating day and hour when posted; that Messrs Campbell have some . good ground of complaint; and that the Government should’ take the matter into phexr favorable consideration. {Left Bittjpg. J