PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3508, 21 May 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, May 20. The debate on harbor improvement was resumed by Mr Davie, who spoke in support of the motion, and was followed by Mr Fish who moved the following amendment: * . That whilst this Council recognises the rdesu'ability of improving the Upper and Lower Harb.or, it is of opinion that there ■ are not at present sufficient reliable data before it to justify the creation of the proposed Harbor Trust. That in order to obtain the best information the Government be requested to place such sum upon the Estimates as may be necessary to enable them to employ an engineer of eminence with a view of making a complete survey of the harbor, and taking proper borings, as suggested by the Provincial Engineer, and to suggest a scheme as a whole sufficiently comprehensive to meet the present and future requirements of the trade of the Province, and give an estimate of the cost of same—such report and estimate to be brought before this Council at its next session, with a view of then gidng effect to the same. After considerable discussion, the amendment was put in the form—” That the words proposed to be struck out of the original motion [all the words] stand part of the question.” Those in favor of the amendment thus voted with the ” Noes.” The following is the division list Ayes, 23— IMesrs Allan, Gumming, Daniel, Davie (teller), Driver, Hendersen, Lumsden, Menzies, Mollison, M'Gkshan, M'Kellar,. M Lean, M Neill, Reeves, Reid, Reynolds; Roberts, Stout, Sumpter, Teschemaker, Turnbull, Webster, and Wilson. N®es, 7—Messrs Brown J C., De Latour, Hazlett, Kinross, M Dermid, Oliver, and Wood. Pair— Aye: Mrß. Hallenstein. No; Mr G. Ireland. The amendment being declared lost, Mr J. C. Brown complained that the Council was not in possession of any information as to the value of the reclaimed land proposed to be given to the Trust, and moved as a further amendment the addition b£ the following words to the original motion “ Suck Trust to have inter alia the following powers: authority to levy such rates as shall provide a sufficient suin for the guaranteed interest ,pn Joan.” This amendment having been negatived on the Voices, the Provincial Solicitor replied op the whole question. He said it was true that the wording of the resolution was rather vague with regard to the constitution of the Trust, but that was necessarily the as the con’stitution of the Board would have to be decided upon hereafter. He would propose tentatively that the Trust should be an elective body ; some members being elected by the Port Chalmers Municipal Council—the Mayor of Port Chalmers being a member tx officio —other members to be elected by the Dunedin Municipal Council and Chamber of Commerce. He thought the members of the Trust should not hold office longer than three years ; and they would thus be a re- I sponsible body. The land to be given to the

Trust would not be reclaimed at the expense of the Provincial Government. The motion was then agreed to unanimously on the voices. 'I he debate wus resumed on the motion proposed by the Government that bis Honor should be requested to recommend the Govornorto proclaim the Hundreds mentioned in message No 7, and on Mr Wilson’s amendment, that the lands proposed to be proclaimed should be protected for bona fide settlement by alternate sections under the system of deferred payments, so far as practicable. L'he amendment having been withdrawn, the Provincial Secretary replied, saying that the thanks of the Council wore G . GIrT or pointing out the possxbihty of a failura in those deferred pay* ment blocks, as it would be absolutely necessaryto guard against such a failure. With regard to the statement that deterred payment blocks could only be taken in Hundreds, the Government proposed to obtain a repoit from the Chief Surveyor as to the quality of the land. They would then ask that each of those seven deferred .payment blocks should be included in a small Hundred. Instead of asking 2,000 aud 2,500 acres, as intimated, they would asa double that amount—-in no case a smaller area than 5,000 acres. They would ask the Council to pass a resolution, with the view of avoiding litigation, and of setting at rest any doubt as to their power to set aside land on defeired payments—recommending that in all an area of some 40,000 acres be proclaimed into Hundreds. That only involved an increase of land to be opened to 20,000 acres. Then they proposed to open one-half on deferred payments, and the other half for absolute sale in alternate sections. The original motion was then agreed to on the voices. The motion that the Superintendent be requested to recommend the Governor to proclaim the Hundreds mentioned in message No 8 was agreed to. Thursday, May 21. Petitions were received: From 115 residents at Lawrence, praying for the discontinuance of Sunday trains on the Port Chalmers Railway. (By Mr Brown.) Prom residents at Winton on the same subject. (By Mr Wilson ) Prom 264 residents at Palmerston on the same subject. (By Mr M'Renzie.) From over 1,000 residents in Dunedin on the same subject. (By the Provincial Treasurer.) From 119 residents at c Playing for favorable consideration*; of Messrs Gunn, Veer, aud Harvey’s petiMr CQ “miug ) From the Pine Hill sub-division of the N.E. Valley Road Board, asking to be severed’.from the latter and joined to the Halfway Bush Board. (By Mr M'Glashan.) From residents at Winton and Invercargill, asking that the WiatonLnvercargill Kailway might be fenced. (Bv Mr Wilson.) ' J Tb® Private Petitions Committee reported, on the petitions of Thomas Brown and George Smith, who alleged that the Southland Waste Laud Board had placed undue restrictions on them in the matters of their licenses to cut forest timber for railway sleepers that the petition involves a complainst against the administration of the Land Board, which, net being directly responsible or subject to the control of the Provincial Council, it would be stepping beyond the Committee’s powers to entertain ®r investigate into the complaints made by the petitioners ; aud therefore recommended that the petition be forwarded through the Provincial Government to the General Government for its consideration. On the petition of William Latham, who prays for redress for injuries received thiough a fall in 1867 over the cutting made in the prosecution of 801 l dill works—that the petitioner’s case had been fully dealt with by the Government, in session 1869 the petitioner presented a similar petition, which was referred to the Government for its consideration. The petitioner, in view of the circumstances of his case, was given employment as atoll-keeper, these were good grounds for his being suspended, and not afterwards reinstated: whereiore the Committee could not recommend him for any consideration. ihe Waste Lands and Immigration Committee reported on the petition of sixty-four settlers at Shag Valley, who asked for the opening of land for settlement in that district—that, inasmuch as the Government bad made partial provision to meet the wishes of the residents in Shag Valley, the petition was recommended to the favorable consideration of the Government in selecting any future Hundreds. Tbe Goldfields Committee reported on the petition of W. Williamson, manager of the Kakanui Water-race Company that the Government should give the matter its favorable consideration, the Committee being of opinion that the petitioner was fairly entitled to some compensation. Un the petition of eleven miners at Clark’s diggings, that a public channel may be opened in that district—that the opinion of the Ptoviucial Solicitor was that the Government had not the power to do as the • petitioners desired in regard to resuming the water-tight. They, however, recommended that the Government should use every effort, to bring the parties in this matter to submit their differences to aibitration, or to settle them in some other way ; further, that a memo, be sent to the Warden of the district, requesting that any new rights granted from the Creek should be subject to the workings os at present earned on, and also to the workings of any claims which may be taken up or granted hereafter at Clark’s diggings. Mr DbLatour’s motion— “ That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable that during the recess a flying survey be made of a line of railway from Waihemo to Clyde, through the Maniatoto Plains, the Ida Val(ey, and the Valley of the Manuherikia” - was carried, the Government agreeing to have a comparative survey made of the proposed route via Tuapeka. , Ih® Castle street Diversion, Otago Municipal Corporations Amendment and Education Reserves Leasing Bills, were read a third time, and passed. The Council at 3.15 p.m. adjourned till Tuesday, at 2 p.m.