PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3832, 5 June 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Friday, June 4. The threat of the Government to go on with i the knotty Education Bill, if the progress of the Estimates was interfered with, induced the ■ Council to continue the consideration of the 1 latter during the whole of last night’s sitting. 1 All the items under the headings “ Grants in Aid,” “ Miscellaneous.” “Hoadsand Bridges,” i “Surveys.” and “ Works and Buildings ” were passed as printed. On the item “Subsidy fpr prospectin'.’ quartz reefs,” there was c nsiderable discussion, The Goldfields Secretary praised the action of the Arrrow Municipal Council in the matter of prospecting. The Government intended to give the bonus under an original style, and it was really a partnership between the several companies and the Government to develop the quartz reefs. From the reports which had been furnished by Mr Ulrich, and from his own knowledge, he could state positively that the district of the Arrow was a very rich one. The rich qua'tz reefs were not developed because the people there were not wealthy enough, but the subject had not been brought before them in a sufficiently strong way. It was hardly announced that the Government were willing to assist in prospecting before prospecting actually commenced ; and he thought the Government could say they had actually started two claim ß , which promised to be the richest in the Province, through the stimulus that was given to private enterprise. It was the Government offering to assist in prospecting that directed public attention to that particular district." Ke stated the liberal conditions under which the Government were prepared to aid parties embarking in mim ing enterprise. He thought the money expended would be returned with interest to the Province. The Council adjourned at 1.30 this morning, A SCENE IN THE COUNCIL. PAs intimated in a former issue, a three hours* debate ensued in Committee of Supply on the item “ L4OO, Goldfields Secretary.” Mr Kinross (Oteramika) led off, objecting altogether to the anomalous position occupied by the Secretary last year as a member of the Executive Council, residing at Cromwell Mr Wood, Mr M'Dermid, and Mr Fish took the S’ mje line, urging the importance of the memers of the Executive being present at Executive meetings. Mr Mackellar expressed his views in support of the position taken up by the Government, and the duties generally of the Secretary, with whom he was very inti mately acquainted, and then skid he would leave the matter to the Committee, and thereupon left the House for a time. Mr 1 ’E Lautour condemned the special department altogether as only acting as a screen between the ordinary requirements of settlers on goldfields, and the head of the Government, there being, he thought, no special goldfield matters but what the Wardens were quite able to advise the Government upon. In the course of his remarks he _ expressed pity for the member of the Taten, who was driven ’into playing the part of Naomi to the member for KnWarau’s Ruth. “I Y ,l ] nev ?f Ifavethee or’fomke thee ” was the Secretary to w beta df (be Gdvenuseat. Hr j&st-

INGS spoke from a knowledge of the duties of the department, and referring to the damaged \Vaipoii * hannel which had been alluded to by previous speakers as an instance of the neglect causer! by the bandying about of responsibility between Dunedin and Cromwell, stated that within thirty-six hours of his taking office men were on the way up, if not actually in a position to protect the works from further injury. This brought up Mr Reid, who, after hitting out all round, said : —“ Now, sir, we have the member for Tuapeka—yes, sir—that liononor.ihle gentleman never beli ves in hiding his light. We are always hearing-a great deal too much, sir—about what that honorable gentleman has done. He is fond of blowing his own trumpet not a brass trumpet —an air trumpet—a penny whislle.” He (Mr Reid) knew the duties of the Goldfields Secretary. Mr Fish interjected that the honorable member for the Taieri, living in a glass house, should not throw stones—that honorable member's trumpet was, he thought, a brazen one. Mr Stout, who was not in during the early part of the debate, condemned the opposition to the vote as an exhibition of spleen—as a repetition of what the Committee endured last, year. Mr M‘Lean was inclined to think the q estion of official residence was an open one ; but. neither be, nor Dr Menzies, who spoke later saw that any instance of neglect or mismanagement had been made out. Mr Bastings, rising a second time, said that he had been again referred to by the Provincial Secretary. That gentleman alwavs took an opportunity of insulting him in the House. He had never retaliated. He would not so far disgrace himself as to reply to anything of the sort said in the House. If he was insulted outside the Council by the honorable member he would Know how to resent it. Up jumped the Provincial Solicitor, with finger on page, to quo:e ‘May’ as to threatening language used. On being called upon to repeat what words he had said, Mr Bastings said the words were. - “ If any honorable member insulted him outside the House be would resent it,” and he would too. After a discussion as to whether the words should not have been taken down, the Chairman admonished members to restrain their language a little. Before the division was taken, Mr Reid went into argument to prove that the words he had used were perfectly parliamentary. He might say, th t so far from wishing to insult the member for Tuapeka outside the House. he had no wish to hold any intercourse with him at all; and in future he would not, except in attending to the necessary business of the House—“ Not, sir, that I ‘fear the consequences.” Messrs Armstrong, Mandehs. Sumpter, and Daniels protested against the Department being in Cromwell. Mr Hazlett and Mr Ireland did not object though the latter suegested that the circumstances almost pointed to the necessity •>f the appointment of a professor of boxing. Before the division was taken, Mr De Lautour intimated that he would accept a suggestion thrown out e rlier by the Provincial Secretary, and, if the item was carried, table a distinct motion that the department should be in Dun “din, with a view to the salary being increased on the Supp’ementary Estimates sufficiently to remunerate, the Secretary for residing generally in Dunedin. The amendment moved by Mr Brown —That the item be reduced by L 275 to anon-official salary (Ll2s)—was lost, and the item after a division was declared carried, several members declining to vote.