CANTERBURY PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

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

CANTERBURY PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

[By Teleobafh.] _ _ Oheistohtjrch, May IS. In the Provincial Council, last night, there was a long debate on the estimates. Mr W. Montgomery, President of the late Executive, a lengthy defence of his Government. Relative to the large'deficit said to exist, he said in the last session of the Provincial Council his Government brought down estimates receipts L 1,150,912, and expendiTOl7 i’®' leaving a credit balance of JL-37,000 ; but owing'to strong representations by hon. members that the Treasury owed a large sum to the southern part of the Province, supplementary estimates were brought down for Trniaru breakwater, the Point railway, &c., incre ased the estimated expenditure to L 1,316,922, or L 166,000 more than the receipts, against which the members of the present Government or anyone else never raised a voice of caution This 1-166,000, with the subsequent i s l I fc^e lan 'l avenue, created the socalled deficit, but he argued that there was uo real deficit. It was understood at the time that the works included in the, supplementary estimates could not be completed for many years, and voting the money was merely regarded as affirming the principle that the works should be done. There was consequently no real deficit, and the only danger of creating one was in the present Government sanctioning the commencement of any works in last year’s supplementary estimates before they made certain of the revenue required for them being available. As to the ordinary revenue meeting ordinary expenditure, his Government would have been a -u ij ° w& y 10 do this. He regretted the Provincial Treasurer had made no reference to the sale of the Lyttelton and Christchurch mlway to the General Government. The-late Provincial Government had agreed to sell it on

a fair valuation, subject to the approval of the Council, and the General Government is now about having the line valued. If it were sold the proceeds should be devoted to the construction of a dry dock or slip in Lyttelton and to the extension of branch lines of railway, Mr Montgomery was loudly cheered on the conclusion of his speech. The debate lasted six hours, and was then adjourned till to night. The general result, so far, is in favor of the present Government proposals. The Provincial Secretary, in reply to a question, said a special grant for Christchurch would not be proposed, but the City would get a portion of the sum set apart for Road Boards and municipalities, and the Government were considering the advisability of making an endowment of land for the city.