PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 22, 25 June 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, June 24. The Speaker took the chair at 5 p.m. RESIGNATION OF THE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL. The Speaker said before proceeding to the business of the day, he might state that he had received a letter from Mr H. B. Quinn, resigning his position as clerk to the Council. , , , , Mr A. F. N. Blakislon acted as clerk for the sitting. PETITIONS. Mr Jebsou presented a petition from certain residents in the Malvern district, praying that the Council would take steps to open up various roads within the district, and especially for the purpose of opening up the Kowai bush, by making a grant of money for the purpose. The Speaker pointed out that the petition could not be received, as it prayed directly for a grant of money. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE. The Hon Mr Buckley asked the Secretary for Public Works when the Government would lay on the table of the House a statement showing the distribution of grants to Hoad Boards. Mr Maude replied that the Government would place the statement before the House when the lump sum for the Road Boards was passed by the House, This had been the course pursued by the Government during past sessions. [Mr Kbnnaway, “no, no.”] SHEEP IMPORTATION COMMITTEE. Sir Cracroft Wilson brought up the report of this committee as follows : “ The Committee have examined Mr Boulton, Chief Inspector of sheep ; Mr Holderness, Inspector of sheep for the central district; Mr Wilkin, Major Hornbrook, and Honry Hood, shepherd in charge of the imported sheep of the hon William Robinson, at Drayton farm, Ferry road, and they have directed me as follows : “That the hon Mr Robinson’s sheep imported from Bnglandarrived in the months of January and February last on the ships Pleiades and Crusader.

“ That they were inspected and pronounced the chief inspector of sheep to be clean. “That they were landed and taken to a paddock on the Ferry road, known by the name of Drayton Farm, where they were dipped under the inspection of the chief inspector in a decoction of tobacco water at a strength of twenty-five lbs of tobacco to one hundred gallons of water and at a temperature of 118 degrees of Fahrenheit. “That early in the month of May the sheep were pronounced to be infected with scab, and this fact is confirmed by the testimony of Mr Wilkin and Major Hornbrook. That the sheep have, since the commencement of May, been dipped three times in a decoction of tobacco, sulphur, soda, and lime. That there is no positive proof as to the manner in which tlxose sheep became diseased at Drayton farm, but suspicions attached to a flock of 177 sheep imported by the Hon Wm. Robinson from Victoria, in Oct, 1873, on board the Tararua, and which sheep arrived in such an impoverished state that fifteen or sixteen days were allowed to elapse after arrival at the Drayton farm before they were in a condition to undergo the process of dipping. These Victorian sheep were removed, and they were succeeded in a very few days by the sheep imported on the Pleiades, and to these latter the sheep imported on the Crusader were added after an interval of about three weeks.

“That the committee observe with surprise that sulphur was not used as an ingredient in the mixture employed in dipping the sheep imported from England on the occasion of their being dipped in January and February last. “ I am also directed to suggest the following recommendations : —That all imported sheep should be dipped to the satisfaction of the inspector within forty-eight hours of their arrival, either on board ship or in Port Lyttelton. That after this first dipping the sheep should be conveyed to some secure paddock approved of by the inspector, and there thoroughly dipped by the inspector ■within one week of their arrival in the paddock, and that they should not be allowed to leave the paddock until the expiration of thirty days after this second dipping, and thereupon a certificate shall be issued by the inspector that the sheep can be removed without any danger of infection. “Cracroft Wilson, “ Chairman.”

The report was received. TUNNEL MOUTH JETTY. Mr J. N. Tosswill asked the Secretary for Public Works what progress has been made with the extension of Tunnel mouth jetty and if it will be completed in terras of the contract on or before the 22nd August next. Considerable delay had taken place in the completion of this work, and the Council were entitled to know the reason of it. Mr MAUDE said that the contractors had a large number of piles on the ground, and so soon as the John Knox came in others would be to hand, which would be driven as soon as possible. Ihc contract was taken on the 27th December, 1873, and the engineer reported that it would bo completed within the contract time. The Government were not aware that any extension of time had been granted to the contractors and intended to enforce the terms of the contract strictly. [Hear, hear.]

BP WORT II BRIDGE. Dr Kayner asked what steps the Government is prepared to take in answer to the prayer of the petition from inhabitants of the Temuka district respecting the Bp worth Mr Maude said that the Government did not consider it advisable to expend so large a sum of money as that required for the completipn of the work spoken of. They would

be prepared to grant a smaller sum, to bo expended under the direction of the Board of Works ; but they did not sec their way to place so large a sura as that asked on the estimates. CONTRACT SURVEYS. Mr R. Turnbull asked the Provincial Secretary the amount paid to the contract surveyors on their respective contracts for the year ending illst March, 187-1 ? Mr Maude replied that the amounts paid for Iho year ending 81st March, 187-1, were as follows ;

RIVER BEDS. The Hon Mr Buckley asked whether the Government will obtain the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor and Attorney-General on the following questions : —l. Whether the owners of land on the banks of rivers and streams in the Province of Canterbury aie riparian proprietors. 2. Whether, if riparian proprietors, any island in the stream or bed of a river would not of right and by law belong to such riparian proprietors. 3. And if such owners are riparian proprietors, by what authority is the Waste Lauds Board now selling such lands ? Mr Maude said the Government had no objection to obtain the opinions required by the hon member. FENDALLTOWN PLATFORM. Mr Gray asked the Secretary for Public Works if it is the intention of the Government to provide a platform at the Fcndalltowu road crossing for the convenience of persons living in that neighborhood. Mr Maude said that the Government were not disposed to provide a platform at Fcndalltown. The engineer had been consulted upon the subject, and he had reported that the stoppage entailed upon the trains would make the erection of a platform at this place a very costly matter. It was only a short distance from the Riccarton station, and persons now walked down the line to the latter station from Feudalltown, and the engineer reported that this might be allowed to be done now, the Government undertaking to plank over some of the girder bridges, and to erect caution boards at the same places. [Hear, hear.] SITTING ON MONDAY. Mr Maude said he would not move his motion for Monday sitting, but leave it on the order paper for to-morrow. The Government proposed to have an evening sitting on Friday, so as to get through the business before the House. akaroa harbor. Mr Westenra moved that the Council go into committee to consider the following resolution :—“ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to place on the supplementary estimates the sum of £IOOO for the purpose of erecting a harbour light at the entrance to the harbour of Akaroa.” The harbor at Akaroa was used very frequently for a harbor of refuge, and therefore it was very important that a light should be provided, so as to guide vessels who might* not know the harbor. He hoped the House would agree to the resolution.

Mr Maude said that he might inform the House that the Government had received a telegram from the General Government, stating it to be their intention to place a light upon Flat Point, which would throw its rays right across the harbour of Akaroa. It was therefore necessary that a harbour light should be supplied, the more so, as the light proposed to be erected by the General Government, would bo essentially a sea-light. The telegram referred to, stated that a leading light to the harbour of Akaroa should be provided by the Province. The Government had no objection to the House going into committee on this motion. [Hear, hear.] The motion for going into committee, was carried on the voices, In Committee, Hie resolution was agreed to, reported to the House, and adopted. KANGIORA AND OXFORD RAILWAY. Mr Maude said with the leave of the House, he would reply to a question which the hon member for Oxford (Mr Higgins) had asked the Government. He had no information which led him to believe that the contractor was not proceeding with the line, or at any rate would be, if the weather permitted. A necessary diversion of the line had to be made, which he had no doubt had caused some trifling delay on the portion of the railway requiring to bo diverted ; but he knew of no reason why the contractor should delay his work. CONTRACT SURVEYS. Mr R.Turnbull moved—" That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that all contracts for surveys be open to competition, and that tenders be called for the same,” He desired to point out that the papers laid onjthe table, and the enquiries he had made, disclosed a state of things which was far from creditable. The fact was that these contracts were in the hands of only one or two individuals, by the favouritism displayed towards them by the chief surveyor. That officer used the large sums of money placed at the disposal of the survey department as a means of private patronage, and he knew that numbers of gentlemen, who were willing to submit to any examination as to their efficiency, could not obtain employment. There was a want of candour on the part of the Government to give information on this subject, as though there was something to be kept back. Not that he blamed the Government,because all the information they got was through the head of the department. If the contracts for the surveys had been laid on the table he (Mr Turnbull) would have been enabled to have got an opinion on the subject. So unsatisfactory was the state of things that if the item had not passed on the estimates, the House would have been justified in striking out the item. The fact was that professional men were driven away from the province, and simply because the very lucrative patronage of contract surveys should be kept in the hands of the chief surveyor. He spoke very plainly on this subject, because he had before him the papers which proved what he had said, and while this was going on the public was suffering. He trusted some means would be taken to stop this evil. So far, indeed, hail the system gone, that he heard that a bonus was given in addition to the contracts, that was they gave a man a bonus for earning a large sum of money. The matter was one which was to some extent painful, but he had felt it his duty to bring the matter before the Council. If some steps were not taken, next session of the Council would render it necessary to have a select committee on the subject. Mr Maskell said that in seconding the lesolution of the hon member who had just

sat down, he did so, not because he had any information on the subject, but because lie wished to elicit replies to several questions from the Government, lie hoped they would answer the questions which he would put, the first of which was whether the contract surveyors plotted their work, as was the case with the surveyors on the staff. The second question was whether the contract surveyors came up to Christchurch to plot their work. If they did not the public lost a threat deal of the good derivable from the surveys. Another thing was that he had been informed that a young gentleman, the son of a professional surveyor, had applied to the chief surveyor to examine him as a candidate for a provincial surveyorship, and that the chief surveyor had declined to do so. He trusted the Government would give a precise answer to the questions he had asked, as if a large department like the Survey department has to be left to the caprice of one man, that was not at all in consonance tiithcr with the interests of the public or the wishes of the members of that House. [Hear, hear.] In seconding this resolution he did so with a view of enabling the Government to give an answer to the important questions he had asked. Mr Maude said the Government were quite x>repared to accept the principle laid down by the resolution of the hon member. He would not detain the House with any lengthened remarks upon this question, but would simply proceed at once to answer the questions put by the hon member for befLou (Mr Maskcll). In reply to the first question, he might say that there was an officer stationed at Christchurch whose duty it was to plot all work sent in from the surveyors in the field from their note books. (Hr Maskell —Of all the surveyors?) Well he did not know this, but it was found to be much better to keep the surveyors in the field and have their work plotted by another officer instead of calling them from long distances to come in and plot their own work. Regarding the question of the hon member respecting the Chief Surveyor, the Government was not aware of anything like the circumstances alluded to by the hon. member having occurred. The hon member had better give notice of motion on the subject.

Mr Higgins could not see that it was at all the duty of the Chief Surveyor to hold competitive examinations. Mr Webb said that he thought it would be better to have the trigonometrical surveys made by the staff, instead of the contract surveyors themselves, as the trigonometrical surveys were the test of the whole work. It had also been suggested that the Government should provide instruments for the surveyors, which might be relied upon ; and it had also been suggested that it would be only fair, looking at the high price of horse feed, that the salaries of the surveyors should be raised.

The Hon Mr Buckley said that he thought the Government should give this matter more consideration, as if they threw open these surveys to competition, they might have very inefficient men obtaining them. Mr Bluett said that if the system obtained, which had been laid down by the Secretary for Public Works, the result would be that a great deal of confusion would occur, and in the cyent of mistakes it would be very difficult to find the faulty party, because the surveyor could say that the blame lay with the surveyor employed to plot his work, and vice versa. Further than this, he considered that the contract surveyors should plot their own work, and thus complete their contract. The contract surveyors were paid for doing this, and if they did this errors could easily be traced to the proper party. He understood that a Board of Examiners had been appointed, consisting of the Chief Surveyor, Messrs Cass and Mclntyre, for the purpose of holding examinations, so that any one who wished to bo examined might do so. He thought it very desirable that periodical examinations should bo held, in order that young men who desired to enter the service might have the opportunity of doing so, and thus the service would stand chance of becoming more efficient. At present there were a number of persons who bought land at £2 per acre, and in many cases they had to wait some time before they could get on to their laud on account of the arrears of survey. Thus they were to some extent preventing settlement. [Hear, hear.] Mr Kennaway said that it appeared to him that the surveyors were masters of the situation, as it was impossible to get surveyors to carry out the work. Regarding the Chief Surveyor, he might say that that officer had instituted very important reforms into his department, and had done good work. The fact was that though perhaps peculiar in his bearing he had done very good service. He might say that he was rather disappointed at the meagre information supplied by the Government in answer to the hou member for Sefton. He should like to hear from the Government what the head of the department thought of the matter. Were they prepared to carry out this principle in the face of the recommendation of the Chief Surveyor; He (Mr Kennaway) had suggested this system to the Chief Surveyor, but he had always opposed it, using the same arguments that had been used by the lion member for Wairaate, viz., that any one. irrespective of qualification, might get contracts for surveys, and they must remember that inaccuracy in the surveys were not discoverable until perhaps years afterwards. It seemed to him that the system obtaining in Otago, viz., that an examination should be held for the purpose of selecting candidates for Government surveyorships, was the best method of getting over the difficulty. Mr Jebson said that in considering this question they should disassociate the head of the department from the system. The fact was that this was a very important question, one that affected their interests, and he trusted they would give every consideration to it. He was somewhat surprised to hear the Secretary for Public Works state that there .'was a surveyor plotting the field work of other surveyors. Now he (Mr Jebson) contended that it was almost a matter of impossibility for one man to plot accurately from the field books of another. [Hear, hear.] He would like to ask the Secretary for Public Works whether the salary of the plotting surveyor was paid by the contract surveyors, or by the Government. [Hear, hear.] He contended that no price would be too high for accuracy of surveys, and they should obtain them at any price. Mr Jollie said there was no doubt that great errors had been committed by contract surveyors, with the exception of the present Chief Surveyor. That gentleman had taken very great care in the selection of the gentlemen to carry out these surveys, as he considered that he was to a great extent,

responsible for the accuracy of the surveys. He might say, with regard to the opinion of the head of the department respecting contract surveys ; that ho gathered from him that he was not opposed to the system as proposed by the resolution of the hon member for Seadowc. If, however, he gave the Government sufficient reasons for not carrying out these systems, the Government would of course give weight to them. There was no doubt the surveys had cost a great deal of money, but they must remember that no such large sales of laud as had taken place were expected, and the result had been that the contract surveyors had made large sums of money. They would, however, he thought, soon be able to have their contract surveys done as cheaply as in Otago. It had been said that every one would go in for these contracts, and that irrespective of their qualifications, but it would not be necessary to accept the lowest or any tender, and of course only subject to the approval of the chief surveyor. Regarding the plotting in the office, he might say that the gentlemen plotting the field work of the surveyors would be enabled to discover an error at once. Respecting the examination of candidates by the chief surveyor, he thought that officer was not called upon to do so unless he required an assistant surveyor. Mr Teschemaker said he hoped the system of the contract surveys would be done away with, as he held that the survey by means of a stall could be carried out far better and cheaper. It would also be better, he thought, if they had a staff for the work south of the Rangitata. Mr Andrews said he knew of several persons with high testimonials coming from England and requiring employment at the survey department being refused by the head of department. He thought they should so arrange matters that the chief surveyor could examine candidates for employment and place them on the staff of provincial surveyors. In a case that he knew of, a gentleman with good recommendations waited for mouths in vain for employment on the survey staff, but was unable to get it, and ultimately had to go to Melbourne, where he received employment. Anolher case was a gentleman who had recently come out from England and could not obtain employment, though bringing letters of recommendation of very high character. With these cases before them, and that referred to by the hon member for Seadown (Mr Turnbull), how could they reconcile the statement that they could not get surveyors, and that the surveys had to get in arrears for this reason. It seemed to him that it was a parrot cry, and one not at all warranted by facts. [Hear, hear.] Mr Pilliet said the Government had not in the course of the discussion on this resolution, gone at all into the spirit of it. [Hear, hear.] He (Mr Pilliet) intended moving an amendment to the resolution, which he thought would have the effect of serving the object hon members had in view in bringing the matter of contract surveys forward. Stress had been laid by several hon members on the bad system of the surveys of the lands of the Crown. He thought, however, that the system had worked well, not only here but in other parts of the colony, but he found fault with the system, he found fault with the administration of it by the chief surveyor, and the want of a link as it were between the Government and the chief surveyor and the surveyor and that Council. The chief surveyor was quite outside the jurisdiction of the Government and the Council, and hot bought that it was time that something was c]one to remedy the gross evils arising from the manner in which the system of the surveys was carried out in this province. Under the present system district and contract surveyors did as they liked. He could produce proof of a large amount of work being scut in to be plotted which had never been executed by the district surveyors, and that the Chief Surveyor, when spoken to on the subject, refused to listen. In all parts of the province there were complaints—well-founded complaints—against the way in which the surveys had been carried out. He thought the system obtaining in Otago was by far the best, as there, when it was necessary to give contract work, it was the practice of the Chief Surveyor to give the work to anyone who had passed the requisite examination before the Chief Surveyor himself. The names of those passing this examination were gazetted, and when work was needed to be clone these gentlemen were called in. It seemed to him that if the remark of the Provincial Secretary, that the work would not be given to the lowest tenderer, was adhered to, it would simply be burking the question, as it would leave it open to be given to anyone the Chief Surveyor might select. [Hear, hear.] He would move as an amendment, that all the words after “ open ” be left out, and the following inserted : “ to be competed for by any surveyor whose qualifications have been established at an open examination.”

Mr Maude said the Government would not accept the amendment. Mr Montgomery said that it would be the duty of the Chief Surveyor to see that the persons tendering were competent to do their work, and that they were also men of good character. Mr Maskell said that, what the country wanted was, that it should not be open to the Government to come down when complaints were made of arrears of survey, and say that they could not get surveyors. The policy of the present Chief Surveyor seemed to bo to attempt to limit the number of surveyors, which he took it was not what the Council wanted. [Hear, hoar.] He thought the Government should accept the amendment, as it was far better than the original rcsolu--1 ion. He was rather surprised that the Government had not come down and stated that they had consulted the Chief Surveyor on the subject of this resolution. [Hear, hear.] The Provincial Secretary had said that he thought the Chief Surveyor would agree to the principle of the resolution, but it was not enough for the Government to think they should come down certain upon this point [Hear, hear.] Mr Wynn Williams said he thought that the resolution had better be withdrawn, as there was not the slightest chance of it being carried out. [Hear, hear.] Kcspccting the discussion on a previous evening about surveyors obtaining commissions to surveyors for pointing out land, he might say that he knew of a case where a surveyor had been offered a large sum as commission if he would plot off a large block of land without a road in it. He did so, and only recently the matter was brought before the authorities, and a road was laid through it, when the purchaser of the land refused to pay the commission. [Hear, hear.] He would, he believed, be in a position shortly to give the name of the surveyor to the Government, if his iniormaut authorised him to do so. As

he ha:l said, he thought the hou member had better withdraw the resolution, as there was no chance of it being carried out. [Hear, hcar.J The House at this stage adjourned for half an hour.

On the House resuming, Sir C, WILSON made some remarks, expressing his opinion that to obtain a section of land without a road through it was not a crime.

Mr W. B. Toss will thought that this subject had been pretty fully ventilated, and the bust thing they could now do was to leave the matter in the hands of the Government, particularly after the assurance of the hou member at the head of the Government. The lion member for Seadowu deserved the thanks of the House for having brought the matter —one of considerable importance—before the House, but now he thought it would be as well to withdraw the resolution. [Hear, hear.] Mr KknnawAY said the position of the resolution was very vague and very unsatisfactory. The Government had said that if the opinion of the Chief Surveyor was in favour of the resolution they would carry it out. and if not they would uot do so. This fully bore out what had bccu said by the bon member for Papanui that it was no use passing such a resolution. He therefore—thinking that it was necessary for them to have the opinion of the Chief Surveyor before them —would move the adjournment of the debate until the next evening. The motion for adjournment was then put and carried on the voices. THE OPIHI BRIDGE. Hr Rayner moved—“ That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to urge upon t]ie General Government the necessity of at once commencing the construction of the Opihi bridge, so as to enable the Timaru and Young’s Creek railway to be extended into the town of Temuka at the earliest possible date.” Mr Khnnaway seconded the motion. Mr Maude said that the contract was let, and the completion time was the Gth May, 1875, There was no reason, however, why the resolution of the hon member should uot pass. The resolution was agreed to. WIDTH OF TIRES BILL. Mr Knight moved for leave to bring in a Bill cutitulcd “The Width of Tires Ordinance, 1874.” Leave was given, the Bill was read a first time, ordered to be printed, and the second reading fixed for next sitting day. COMMITTEE of supply. On the motion of Mr Maude the House went into Committee of Supply. With reference to the item Rakaia bridge, £6OOO, Mr Maude said that the Government would withdraw this item until hon members had an opportunity of considering the correspondence and papers connected with the subject. The Government would bring down the item on the supplementary estimates, therefore it would be withdrawn. The item was therefore withdrawn.

The following items were agreed to : Bridges—Ashburton, £9OOO ; Waimakariri gorge, £21,867 7s 3d ; Ashley (foot), £I3OO ; Pareora, Otaio, Waihou, £19,500; Opihi, £3550; Do Lower, £5750; Orari, £10,400 ; Waihi (Winchester), £I9OO ; Waihi (Geraldine) ; To Ngawai, £1500; Ashley, North road (renewing) £1300; Lower Selwyn, £BOO ; Waipara, £6000; Main drain, Kaiapoi and Eangiora direct road, £250 ; L 1 River at Lincoln, £620 ; Waimakariri (foot) ; Saltwater Creek bridge, Kaiapoi(repairs to creek and road), £250 ; Hawkins, £SOO ; Hook, £I2OO ; Epworth, £2OOO ; Kokahu, £SOO ; bridge and approaches over river" Tekapo, £4OOO ; Avon (domain) ; bridge over Heathcote —Lincoln road,£4so jWaitaki bridge (Tialf cost), £7500; bridge over Selwyn near Surveyor’s Gully, £ISOO ; Little Akaloa (six bridges), £450. Roads—Ashburton, £ 1640; Malvern Hills Coal road, £9O ; North road to Waipara, £9lB 5s ; Banks’ Peninsula, £684 16s; Kukohu to Burke’s Pass, £6500; Upper Raugitata (Peel Forest), £143 14s 4d; Governor’s Bay (diversion), £1150; White Rock Quarry, £600; Little River and Akaroa, £2BOO ; Waimatc Gorge road, including bridge over Waihoa, £15,000 ; new roads, Upper Waihou district, £SOOO. Roads and Bridges—Mount Somers district, £SOO ; Selwyn Valley coal road, £6OO ; Rangitata bridge road, £6O ; main road through Timaru, £1546 ; quarry roads, £466 _Bs ; Pigeon Bay, special grant, £llOO ; Little River road, from lower bridge through educational reserve to Buchanan’s bridge, £IOO ; Wainui road, special grant, £4OO ; pathway Lyttelton station to boat jetties, £6O; roads, &c, Mount Cook district, £1000; Chain’s to Duvauchelle’s Bay road, £750 ; Waipara beach road, £IOO : Sumner road, £IOOO ; Lower Orari swamp road, £IOOO ; Pareora gorge road, £4000; Lower Orari road (purchase of land for reserve), £75 ; Lc Bon’s Bay to Duvauchclle’s Bay, £IOO ; Okaiu’s Bay to Lc Bou’s Bay, £3OO ; Okain’s Bay to Little Akaloa, £2OO ; McKenzie Pass, £4OOO ; water supply, Malvern to Rolleston, £24,591 8s lid. On the item water supply, Ashburton plains, £25,000, a division took place with the following result : Ayes 19 Noes 14 The item therefore passed as printed. The following items were passed under the same class :—Water supply and reservoir— Pareora to Timaru, £4422 12s Gd ; water supply, Lyttelton, £11,061 Is 4d ; time ball, machinery, and building, £750; contingencies, £2000; telegraph station, Geraldine district, £150; punt and gear, Tekapo ferry, £SOO ; show cases (including collection of engravings and framing) museum, £250; drainage of Riccarton and Lincoln junction road, £340 ; planting, reserves, £SOOO ; ditto, school sites, £SOO ; drainage, reserves, £BOO ; sites for cemeteries, Christchurch and Kaiapoi, £IOOO ; public libraries, £8196 10s ; town clock and fittings, Lyttelton, £l5O ; Waimatc cemetery, £IOO ; groin, Saltwater creek, £SO ; purchase gravel pit, Avon district., £3OO ; purchase gravel pit, Lincoln road, ; Lakes Ellesmere and Forsythe, survey for drainage, £SOO. Grants in aid. Overflow Rangiora swamp, £590; drainage, Gust and Oxford, £2OO ; clearing River Halswcll, £300; do River Avon, £3OO ; roads to coal pits, quarries, &c, £990 3s 6(1; road, Lake Wanaka toWcst Coast, £250 ; do. New Brighton, £324 18s ; Heathcote and Bpreydon drainage, £700; protective embankment, Kaiapoi (to Board of Conservators), £SOO ; fire-engine, Temuka, £250; do, Akaroa, £250; do, Eangiora, £250 ; do, Lyttelton, £2.50. Progress was then reported with leave to sit again on next sitting day. Notices of motion having been given, the House adjourned at midnight until 5 p.m. this day.

£ s. d. Messrs Healey ... 2770 18 10 Mr Fooks ... 1417 0 0 Mr T5aiu ... 1415 0 0 Mr W. F, Moore ... ... 275 14 7 £5878 13 5