PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3840, 15 June 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Monday,| June 14,

The Waste Lands Committee reported upon the petition of John Neil, Secretary of the Macraes Progress Committee, that they were of opinion the prayer of the petition asking that 10,000 acres • should be opened on deferred payments this year on peep Dell run could not be acceded to, bnt that inquiry during the recess would justify a proposal to proclaim next session a Hundred on Moonlight Plat, with deferred payment areas in eluded. The Petitions Committee reported upon the petition of Mrs Hawthorne, that they were of opinion that the late Mr Hawthorne’s claims for compensation for outlay on Rectory, loss of office, and other matters, had been liberally dealt with by the Government; yet, at the same time, taking all the circumstances connected with his resignation, illness, and death into consideration, they recommended that the sum of L 250 be paid to Mrs Hawthorne.

The motion of Mr Henderson, affirming that "it is essential in the public interest that the line of the Southern Trunk Railway, between Balclutha and Clinton, should he carried as near as possible to the settled districts from whence the traffic will be supplied, and that the line by Wnitepeka, as permanently surveyed, being four mdes nearer the settled districts tban the proposed deviation, should be adopted,” was earned, _ the Provincial Secretary expressing the opinion that the proposed Waitepeka. deviation would be very beneficial to the district, and stating that he had already recommended the General Government to make it.

Mr M'Deemid's motion—“ That the Superintendent, in giving effect to the resolution passed the other day by the Council (that the dues collected at the Dunedin and Port Chalmers wharves should be equalised), should be requested to reduce the freight of all goods carried by the Port railway to 2s6d per ton”—was opposed by the Provincial Secretary because the Government had reckoned on the railway returns. An amendment, moved by Mr Mills, to the effect that all the harbor plant should be handed over to the Harbor Board, vexed Mr M'Dermid sorely, and caused him to sigh for the quick approach of the day when Provincial Councils would cease, and questions be considered on their merits. Afterwards Mr DeLautoub brought forward another amendment that provision should be made for the keeping of correct accounts of railway jetty dues collected at Port Chalmers, “in order that a similar amount may be expended in extending the wharves at Port Chalmers, in deepening the approaches thereto, and otherwise improving the Lower Harbor,’ ” and the debate was acU )o«imL On the railway schedule coming on at the evening sitting foi discussion, the Kaitangata Railway Bill was recommitted, and an addition made to clause 15, giving the Superintendent power to fix the rates at which trains may be run on that portion of the line to be formed by the company. Advantage of this opportunity was taken by the Provincial Secbetabt to explain a wrong expression that had got abroad in consequence of the rejection by the Commxttee on Friday night of this item from the railway schedule. The item was struck out, not because the Council would not permit the construction of the line, but because the Council had agreed to a Bill which provided that the line should be constmeted by a private company. The items, branch railways, “Palmerston to Waynes, eight miles fifty-six chains, at L 2.587 per tVcPA™ “ lino completion, « “KakanuiHarW Works, L5,00(5;” and Bluff Harborjand Wharf extension," were agreed to. At the request of the Provincial Secretary, the items branch railway “ Waynes toWaihemo" Rnd Inch Clutha branch ” were struck out. The item •‘Tokomairiro branch railway, four chains, at L 3.107 (nearly) per mile. Xi 14,133, was lost, the voting being— Ayes 13: Messrs Allan, Clark, Davie, Gillies, Green, Haggitt, Henderson, Lumsden, Mollison, Mackellar (teller), Reid (toKer), Steward, Wilson. t “ e «?r8 Armstrong, Bastings, Brown, J. C. (teller),Browne, G. F. C. (teller), Daniel, De Lautour, Driver, Hazlett, Ireland, Manders Moody, M’Dermid, Reeves, Rogers, Sumpter, : Tolmie, Turnbull, Turton, Wood, On the item “Edendale to Wyndham, three ““Jes, twenty-two chains, at L 3.721 per mile. L 12.186185, the voting was * Ayes, 14: Messrs Clark, Dane, Green, Henderson. IKimoss, Lumsden, Moodie,Mackellar (teller). M’Neil, Reid (teller), Steward, Turnbull, Wilson. Wood.

Noes, 19: Messrs Armstrong, Bastings, Brown J. C. (teller), Brown G. F. C. (teller), Daniel, DeLautour, Driver, Haggitt, Hazlett, Ireland, Manders, Mollison, M'Dermid, Reeves, Rodgers, Stand. Sumpter, Tolmie, Turton. Jh® item “Kaitangata Branch, six miles, 18.74 chains, at L 4.401 per mile (nearly), L 27.161 the voting was Ayes, 15: Messrs Allan, Clark, Davie, Gillies, Green, Haggitt, Henderson, Lnmsden, Manders, TuSlUwS.’ M Nm1 ’ Edd ( teller )> Steward,

Noes, 17: Messrs Armstrong, Bastings, Brown J. C. (teller), Browne G. P. C. (teller), Daniel, De Lautonr, Driver-, Hazlett, Ireland, Moody, MDermid, Reeves, Rogers, Sumpter, Tolmie. Tmrton, Wood. ’ Tuesday, June 15. In answer to questions, the Government stated—{l.) That they did not intend to proceed during the recess with the construction of the branch line of railway from the main Southern line to the Abbotsford colliery. The , line was authorised by the Council but session in rather a hurried manner, and there was no vote available for the work. !• was a short one —about 1J mi'es in length—and judging from lie way in which branch railways were

received last night by the Council, there was very little probability of its agreeing to this line. 'When the second schedule of railways came down, the Council would have an opportunity of expressing its opinion in regard to the line. (2.) It would be advertised in the ‘ Gazette ’ on an early date when the lease of run 11 would be sold by auction. (3.) The plant proposed to be handed over to the Harbor Board comprised the dredge New Era, a steam crane, a small steamei, the cottages at the Heads used es a signal station, the furniture there, and a lot of sundries, about the value of all of which there was some difference of opinion, the lowest estimate being L 2,500, and the highest between L 6,000 and L 7.000. There was considerable debate, not with out amusement at times, on Mr Handers’ motion that the Government should, during the recess, give effect to the recommendations of the committee on the rabbit nuisance The motion was strongly supported by Mr Tolmie ; and the Provincial Secretary, while admitting that something should be done to cheek the evil, and that the recommendations of the committee were not exorbitant, was of opinion that the proposed rate should be permissive. Mr Wilson, who came forward with an amendment to the effect that there was no occasion for any measure to destroy rabbits, was doubtless funny in his remarks upon old identities and bad landlords; but few could see where the laugh came in. Mr Daniel came to the front with the suggestion that the services of the volunteers might be utilised. Mr Turton was of opinionfthat a hundred shots might be served out to a volunteer, but he would not be able to hit a rabbit. The motion and the amendment were negatived. Mr MANDERs’smof ion—“lst. Thatiu the opinion of this Council, it is undesirable that any organic change in the system of Government should be made by the General Assembly, without first submitting any such proposed change to the electors of the Colony, at a general election of representatives. 2nd. That in the event of the foregoing resolution being carried, a copy of the same be forwarded to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary”—gave rise to considerable discussion. Mr M'Glashan moved, and Mr Driver seconded with very great pleasure, on hearing it read, an amendment which declared the proposal to abolish existing Provincial institutions with a view to introducing a better system of local administration to be a great measure of economy and improvement and went on to declare that, although the proposal for abolition had been before the country for a whole year, it was not in the interests, neither_was it desirable, in any case, to defer legislative action for another year. A fuither amendment was proposed by Mr Fish to the effect that no organic change should take place withouts it first being submitted to the country. Mr Bastings, believing that it was undesirable to discuss such a question at the fag-end of the session, gave notice of his intention to move the previous question. The movers of the amendments expressed their willingness to -withdraw in favor of Mr Bastings’s proposal; but one negative voice prevented that being done. The Provincial Secretary dwelt upon the extreme desirableness of knowing what the position of the Province was likely to be when the proposed change takes place. Mr Daniel was quite eloquent when denouncing those Otago members who seemed desposed ta self their birth-rights The abolition proposal was objected to by Mr Reeves, and strongly so by Mr Tdrnbull, who has a decided aversion to being “ abolished” by men like the hon. member for North Harbor, who knew it was probable his career in the Assembly was drawing to a close ; and cares not a farthing for “the opinions of the Press,” which are either those of individual men or written to the orders of boards of directors. This latter declaration was the result of Mr Mr M'Glashan’s assertion that the bulk of the Press had pronounced for abolition. The original motion was carried.

It is expected that the Council will prorogue on Friday.