PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3812, 13 May 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, May 12.

In answer to questions the Government said (1) that in the interests of the miners they had decided not to establish a Mining Board, as is appeared {to them that on the whole the existing mining regulations worked well, while the experience of Victoria showed that mining boards encouraged litigation. (2) That they would be happy to comply with the recommvn dations of Mr Ulrich, especially if they coulu employ those surveyors in preparing topograpical plans and completing the survey The Government were satisfied the survey staff would be able to undertake all the.work that Mt Ulrich referred to. Mr Ulrich had recoin mended the appointment of special mining surveyors under a misapprehension. It was not owing to the want of Qualified surveyors thathose deficiencies existed. The real cause w. that mining companies did not take advantage •f the > services of the mining surveyors, to whom it was only necessary to apply in orde, to obtain such surveys. The Government resolutions re Hundreds passed without debate. The resolution re deferred payment blocks having been moved bj the Provincial Solicitor, Mr M’Glashan moved that the price of land taken up under the deferred payment system should be raise* to L2 an acre. Mr Shand judged from the names of those who were taking up land under the system that a proper class was not being settled upon it. Mr M ANDERS urged the mem ber for North Harbor, when in his place in the Assembly, to use his influence towards getting the area to be taken up under this system in - creased to6o,oooorloo,oooacreß. Very frequently merchants others were successful at the ballot in obtaining sections under the system, and it would be utterly impossible for these men, without neglecting their business, to reside on the sections for six months in the year. It should be the duty of the Government to see that the land so balloted for and obtained was bona Me settled. Mr Bastings observed that it must be admitted that up to the present the system had been a great success, and until six months had elapsed the Government could not do anythingtowards having all the conditions fulfilled. When that timenadexpired he felt sure the Government and the Council would see that, although this laud was given away at a nominal price, the system could be carried out hi accordance with the intention of the framers of the Act. —The Provincial Secretary, in a vigorous speech, said it was highly discreditable to the legislation of the Colony to see stalwart, able men—industrious, frugal, hardworking men of independent spirit—ti a veiling about from end to end of the Colony, wasting their means and "“ ei f ®*} er B.y> without being able to secure a freehold. It was a blot upon their representative system that some crotchety individuals, who knew nothing about the Province, should *if V rr 6 Br Wer ’ trough being nominated to T“ 6 o *, lUl Poßing such restrictions Lands Apt. —(Applause.) He at next session of the Assembly, for ® that there would be an alteration in the Act in this reAs mi instance of the demand foe land

under this system, he might mention what had occurred in the Heriot hundred. For the 1,630 acres—eight allotments only—opened there, there were actually 197 applicants. If the Council agreed to this resolution the Government intended to pursue the same policy as was pursued last year—namely, to intersperse the Hundreds with these deferred payment sections. The resolution was then agreed to on the voices.

There was a good deal of discussion on the Harbor Board Bill, particularly in Committee on the clauses defining the constitution of the Board. The further consideration of these latter was postponed, but clauses I, 2, 3,7, 8, 10, ligand 12 were passed as printed. Clause 0, which gave power te sell debentures by public tender at a price not less than a minimum to be from time to time fixed by the Board, was on the Hon. Mr Reynolds’s motion, so’altered as to read that the debentures shall not yield to the purchaser more than 7 per cent, interest.. Mr Bastings gave notice of his intention to move that the number of members of the Board should be six instead of twelve; that the members should be elected by tbe Council for two years, and should retire by ballot; and that in the event of vacancies occurring, these vacancies should be filled by nominees of the Board, with the consent of the Superintendent.

, A number of reserves were made, the principal being of sec. 46, block 3, “Waikouaiti, of 894 acres for Lunatic Asylum and Industrial School sites Without pressing his opposition Mr Green pointed out that this large reserve took from nis district the only unsettled land in it. The Provincial Secretary answered that the Government had exhausted every means to find a suitable piece of ground in any other part of the Province. The reserve originally intended at Tokomairiro had been found much too small, and this site at Blueskin was admirably adapted for the purposes named, as it was near Dunedin, close to the main railway, and had very rich soil and a warm aspect. By placing these institutions there it would be an advantage to the district, as the Government would be obliged to make good roads to them. The resolution was then agreed to nem. con.