PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3814, 15 May 1875, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, May 13.

In moving for copies of all uncompleted contracts on the Mount Ida public works, Mr De Latoue brought in a strong bill of neglect against the Government. In a calm and dispassionate speech, eve>y word of which bespoke that ho believed in and could substantiate every assertion ho made, the hou. member for Mount Ida charged the Government with wholesale neglect-first, in allowing the General Assembly vote of L 43,000 to be reduced a couple of thousand pounds, while it was known that the appropriation was far short of what was actually represented, and the votes from the same source had been increased L 20,000 in favor of the Thames, L 40,000 for Westland, and L 20,000 for hj. elson j and secondly, in originally letting the contract at a lesser price than the engineer’s estimate, and in spite of that officer’s protest; thirdly, in taking no stops to prevent the “ inordinate delay” that had taken place m coustuictiug the works. On this latter point ho said the present contracts should have been completed on April 22, 1874. but they would not be so until December next if then' • and under charge two ho made some *wkms statements as to the way the contracts had been carried on. In agreeing to the motioh, the Provincial Secretaey con tented, himself by saying that it was unnecessary to raakb-any remarks until the papers were laid on the table wa? T n . th,,fc fcho member tor Mount Ida had been drawmgvory largely upon his imagination, which aroused the ire of Mr hISH, who said such,grave statements deserved something more than'the flippant treatment they had received at the hands of the Government. Somewhat similarly Mr MT)ermid expressed himself, and the Hon. Mr Reynolds got up to say that when the papers were laid on the table it would be found that the; statements of the member for Mount Idtt

were far from correct. Expressions of < ‘ dissent from the latter induced Mr .Efir> noli is to modify his remark, -and to pay that from his own personal knowlege he could state that things were not exactly as .had been stated. When replying, Mr De Latgur fell • toui of the Government benches by stating that the production of the papers 'refered to Had been refused. “By whom?"’ came the. quick question of the head of the Provincial ExecuSr?,V a , n , d K he eqaaliy sharp answer “By the Goldfields Secretary.” The reiteration of the assertion brought to his feet Mr M‘Kellar, who gave it a “complete denial.” {Sticking to b:s asset tion, yet waiving it as immaterial, Mr Ife JjATOUR concluded- by saying he codld substantiate every statement no had made iu moving the motion, which was agreed to.

0 Friday, Mir 14.

In answer to questions the Government said— (1.) That while fully recognising the " momentous " evil known as the rabbit nuisance, they were not prepared to bring in a Bill to deal with it. It was a matter which the inhabitants of the respective districts should take into their own hands. (2) There were two contracts for the Awamoko Railway one for formation, the other for the permanent date of completion of the first contract was March 26, 187-1, and of the other 10th March, , ■'?• ~be first had been finished some time, ““ delay iu the completion of the way Wuß owing partly to the fact Government undertook to provide tho maPortions of which had not been ob. Province or iu the Colony. tbat l >r0 ’ ided iu clause 13 c t °^ 108a ’ wWch &ave the Supcrinaudio any remedy he thought fit, aSv sum +bßt fc mitS- themoney dus to tho contractor any sum that might appear reasonable. In addition there was another penalty of 30sper dw for v ey °5 d 4110 contract time. 1 The works and ’if K^ Wpro ( Mdi “ g , TCry satisfactorily; ih J?y w ora not completed withiu the p ? nalt y. waa attached to Sfa view being enforced. f the s aesfaon - with reference to the works being carried out in so unsatisfactory Was to ° va sue, as it did not enable the au y specific explanation. The Government had fully provided for the proper supervision of the work. ‘ Tho contract time had not yet expired, and the proper time to find fault would be contractor came to hand over the work. reas .?? why the recommendation of the Select Committee, re W. E. Douglass's petition,had not been given effect to was that it had not keen followed up b y resoiution or some other action. fct’L i “i d b9en , tbo practice of .the Goldfields secretary to attend meetings of the Executive. The present arrangements of the Secretary for Goldfields Cromwell, as had been anticipated, were f a rk veiy satisfactorily indeed iu regard to the conduct of goldfields business j and the Go« 71 Igh,y iud ebted totke Goldfields i the mannei in which he disposed of the business brought before them, and for tho sensible observations he furnished. (5.) The General Government had undertaken to bear the whole cost erection of a bridge over the Maerewheuut. , (bj. there were no grounds fortherumor, if such wera correct, that no more sections in the town of Blue* n+\ )Q 6old- Tbe Surveyor was mot there was any ground for such a rumor. M° r why the sections inferred to should not bo sold. Even if there was some error “L tb ® BUr rey, the Chief Surveyor thought there would be no necessity fjr a re-survey (71 The passing or rejection of the Education Bill did not m any way aftect tho Estimates. The object of the V* bringing down the Bill was to enable the School Committees, when it was necessary to supplement the grants already received, to ao so mu legitimate manner by means of an education rate, which would not aifect in the slightest rm! 99 the contribution of the Government n.„^i )am J a - I ' u Waterworks Empowering Bill and the Education Ordinance Amendment Bill were read o. lurst/ Time*