NOTES IN THE NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 686, 11 June 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

NOTES IN THE NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

— ■♦ — [nelson examiner, june 4.] Ministerial Explanations. The Provincial Secretary said that the Executive Government Bill having passed the previous evening, his Honor the Superintendent had that morning sent I for Mr Luckie, the mover of the third reading of the bill, to request him to undertake the formation of a responsible Executive. Mr Luckie said that, as. had been stated by the Provincial Secretary, he had had the honor of being sent for by his Honor the Superintendent, for the purpose of advising his Honor respecting the formation of a new Executive. His Honor had been pleased to indicate his expectation that he (Mr Luckie) should himself take some office in the Executive, but as he had never any view of that kind, he respectfully declined the position. This happened after some conversation about certain gentlemen who should fill thefvarious ofiices. He had taken the liberty of recommending his Honor to send for the member for Wairnea-3outh, Mr Shepherd ; and he further suggested as likely to meet the approval of the Council, the name of Mr Reid as the representative of the gold fields in the Executive. He understood that to-morrow morning the names of those gentlemen would be gazetted. He trusted, that the Council would considei that, so far, the work of reconstituting the Executive had been satisfactorily performed. Mr Shepherd said that he had waited upon his Honour the Superintendent, who kindly suggested to him the acceptance of the office of Provincial Treasurer and he had accepted with this special reservation, that as the third month of the quarter had commenced, he thought it was not desirable that the accounts should be removed until the termination of the quarter. Should Mr Reid take office, the Executive would find in him a most valueable addition as the representative of the Gold Fields' interests. He was a gentleman well kuown throughout the whole of the West Coast, and largely enjoyed the confidence of the gold mining districts. Mr Reid said it was right that he also should explain the position he occupied, and the conditions upon which he at present felt disposed to entertain his Honor the Superintendent's invitation to accept the Gold Fields seat on the Executive. When he complied with his Honor's wish that he should wait upon his Honor, he explain ed that he did so with much diffidence as to his qualifications to take part in the' deliberations of the Executive, and with a feeling of deference to the superior claims of his colleagues and the members of the Council. He explained also to his Honor, and although it was assuming a liberty to do so, the preferential claim which one honorable member (Mr Donne) had with regard to a seat on the Executive. He felt that, if any member had an especial claim, it was an honorable member who had for a series of years exhibited earnestness and faithfulness in the representation of. of the Gold Fields' interests. His Honor appreciated the sentiments which led to these expressions, but said at the same time that he selected him for reasons personal to himself (Mr Reid), and also in deference to what he hoped would prove to be the wish of the Council On leaving the Superintendent he had not decided on what course he should take, but, after consultation with others, he felt that he should not retire from a position which had thus, been offered to him, and he was now disposed to join the new Executive ou the distiuct understanding that he did so, meantime, in the simple words of the Act, "to represent the interests of the Gold Fields," and to take part iv advising Ms Honor on matters relating. to Gold Fields until the Estimates should be passed, or so long as, during tho session, the new Executive might be permitted to retain their seats.— (Hear, hear.) Mr Luckie said that he had omitted to state to the Council that Mr Kynnersley had resigned office some days ago-; and that, further, his Honor, interpreting in the most liberal manner the desires of the Council to have a fair influence in the Executive, had decided on holding the office of Provincial Solicitor as responsible to the Council, and removeable by its adverse vote. There were thus four members of the Executive in the Council — the Provincial Secretary, the Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Treasurer, and the Gold lields official. The fifth would be an outside member, and the filling of that office had not been decided on, and of course lay entirely in the hands of his ; Honor. i Mr Kynnersley's Report. The following are a few extracts from the report made to the Government, previous to Mr Kynnersley's resignation : — " I believe that there would have been less discontent if greater publicity had been given to the public accounts, whereby it might have been seen that a lnrge portion of the small expenditure during the past year has been upon the Gold Fields ; but I believe that the only generally satisfactory remedy would be the introduction of some such measure as was proposed by Dr Irvine last year in the Provincial Council — securing by law to tho Gold Fields a fixed proportion of the revenue derived from them. " The people upon the Gold Fields consider that they have a right to demand

that, after payment of their share of the general expenses of the Government of the Province, and of Provincial institu: tions in Nelsoriy the whole of the revenue accruing to the Provincial Treasury from the Gold Fields should be expended upon the Gold Fields. "Now, as I consider it indisputable that the whole Provincial revenue should be expended wherever it would produce the greatest benefit to the whole Province, without regard to the particular district from which it is derived, I do not admit that the inhabitants of the Gold Fields have any such right as they claim ; but, seeing that the main end and object of Provincial Government is to colonize the country, and that this can only be done by opening up the interior of the country by means of roads andjbridges, ! by breaking through the barrier between the capital of the province and the West Coast, and by opening proper means of communication between the ports and the inland districts ; and seeing that not only the West Coast, but by far the greater portion of the interior of the province is now included within the boundaries of the Gold Fields, I think that it is equally indisputable that, as a matter of policy and expediency for the benefit of the whole province, not only the whole of the revenue derived from the Gold Fields, but even more should be expended upon them. " With regard to the departmental expenditure, and the salaries of the Gold Fields' officials, I consider that the rate of salaries should depend in great measure upon the manner in which officers are expected to perform their duties. The Gold Fields salaries were originally much higher than those in the settled districts because of the additional cost of living upon a Gold Field, the inconvenience and hardships which the Gold Fields officers were required to suffer, the additional work, which in consequence of sudden rushes, was not unfrequeritly required from them at all hours.. " The complaint is sometimes made in other Gold Fields in other colonies, that instead of facilitating and simplifying as far as possible the business which the miners have unfortunately, but necessarily, to transact at the Wardens' offices, the Government officials overwhelm and disconcert them with a multitude of superfluous and unnecessary formalities and technalities. On a rough calculation, based upon the amount of business transacted at the Wardens' offices on the Nelson Gold Fields during the past year, I estimate the value of unproductive labor of the miners in attending courts and offices, at the current rate of wages, about L 20,000" ' ■ .