WESTLAND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1837, 25 June 1874, Page 2

WESTLAND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, June 23. [from the "west coast times.] the treasury. Mr Tabart askod the Provincial Treasurer — " If it is his intention to institute an official inquiry into the Provincial accounts, especially the deposit accounts, to report the result of Biich inquiry to this Council during the present session." The Provincial Treasurer might inform the Council that an investigation was now going on by the Provincial Auditor, and he hoped to lay his report before the Council before the session closed. Mr White inquired whether the report in question was the ordinary quarterly report, or a report to meet the circumstances. The Provincial Treasurer said that [it was a special report to meet the circumstances 1 Mr White would like to ask whether the Government were making the inquiry 1 The Provincial Secretary said that if any inquiry of the kind were made, notice of motion should be given, when the Government would be prepared to give all the information asked. CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary, seconded by Mr Tabart, Mr Wickes was appointed Chairman of Committees. HOKITIKA STREET CLOSING BILL. The Council went into Committee on this Bill, and passed all the clauses and schedules. Progress was reported, and the third reading was appointed for the next (Tnesday) evening. During the discussion the Provincial Treasurer said that the Bill met with the assent of the Borough Council. TOLL-GATES ABOLITION. Mr Houlahan moved — " That in the opinion of this Council, the toll-gates at Stafford and at the junction of the Marsden and Greenstone roads should be abolished." He thought that the figures he could adduce would justify the requesl he then made of the Council. He found that at the Stafford toll-gate a sum oi L 275 13s lOd had been collected at a cosi of Ll3O, leaving a small balance of LI4E 103. At Marsden the sum of LlOO ode had been gathered at a cost of L 52, leaving a balance of L4B 17b 6d. The tota balance, after paying the cost of collection was L 193 193 lOd, and to obtain this con siderable annoyance and hardship was in flicted. Mr Guinness seconded the resolution. MrSeddon supported the proposal of hi colleague, but suggested that the aubjec should be referred to Committee. Mr M'Gaffin also supported the motion The Provincial Secretary said that th< Government would not be opposed to an; motion abolishing these or other toll gates, but there had been committees ap pointed to bring up reports both on thi and Road Board matters, and he, there fore, hoped that till these werebrough before the Council the motion would bi withdrawn. After some further remarks from Messr, White, Cuming, and Guinness, the motioi was put and carried. THE CHRISTCHURCH ROAD. The Provincial Secretary moved"That in the opinion of this Counci clans"* 117 of the ' County of Westlanc Act, 1868,' which nrmn^--'- -'^ and r^- °~" ul ™ c m£ »ntenance of th< t» estland portion of the Christchurch roac shall be borne by Westland, should b< repealed, and the maintenance of the saic road undertaken by the Colonial Govern ment." In bringing forward this motior he said that it was known that the Christ church road had been an expensive iterc to Westland. It was in order to obtair the repeal of the oppressive clause in the County of Westland Act, and to induce the General Government to take over all further responsibility in connection with it. Up to the present time, for many years past, the road had cost from LSOOC to L6OOO a year. The damage occasioned by the late floods amounted to fully L6OOO, whilst to render the road safe between LI 0,000 and Lll,ooo would require to be spent. There had been a long correspondence maintained with the Premier on this subject, but the tenor of the Government's reply was that it could do nothing till the meeting of the General Assembly. He trusted that by unanimity on the part of the Council the General Government would agree to take the road over as it was. The Provincial Treasurer seconded the motion. Mr White said that the resolution was not such a one as to provoke : discussion. He referred to the exertions that he and Mr Harrison had made in the House of .Representatives, both in Committee of Supply and personally to point out the injustice that was done to Westland in saddling that road on it. He referred to the fact that the road was already a main road, and said that if he had had ..tiine to look over correspondence in connection with the road some facts pnd figures that would startle the public could have been brought forward ; far greater indeed than people imagined. He further remarked on the injustice that was done to Westland by insisting on Westland not only bearing the cost of maintenance, but also that of construction, and pointed out that the only relief granted had beeu the subsidy of Ll5OO given last year. The Provincial Treasurer said that the actual damage done by the last flood was L 5339, and he corroborated the statement of his colleague that to properly repair the road over LI O,OOO would be needed. Mr Cuminp, in supporting the motion, said that the cost of the road for maintenance and repairs alone since 3868 had amounted to L 31,000. Mr Dungan said that the exact figures were L 31,669 0a 3d, of which L 28,600 were for maintenance. Mr Guinness moved an amendment to the effect that the road should be brought down by way of Stafford and the Greenstone. Eventually, however, he was induced to withdraw it' on the suggestion of Messrs Tabarfc, White, Seddon, and the Provincial Secretary. The motion was then put and carried, and it was ordered to be recorded in the minutes that it was unanimous. REFUND OF LICENSE MONEY. Mr M'Gatlin moved that in the.opinion of this Council all unexpired license money should be given back to those hotelkeepers who do not propose renewing their license. Mr Cuming seconded the resolution. Mr White very warmly supported it. The Provincial Secretary opposed, n iefly oh the ground that the Govern.

raent had no money to payback ; moreover, they failed to seethe hardship if people threw up their license for the term granted. \->'% Mr Secldon would support the motion, if it was only to cut off revenue and have the farce ended as soon as possible, aid thereby get Westland annexed to Canter- . bury or somewhere else. The Provincial Treasurer opposed the motion, on the ground that the Provincial revenue could not be spared. Mr Houlahon supported the motion in rather strong terms, for which he was called to order by the Speaker. ", • The motion was put and carried, the Ayes being 8 and the Noes 's. PAYMENTS TO THE PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR. Mr Dungan moved— "That the Provincial Treasurer lay on the table pn Wednesday next, a return of all monies paid, to the Solicitor in the employ of the Government for the twelve months ending the Ist of June, 1874," with the addition in the fourth line of the worda ' and debt? incurred.' There could be no objectioii to the motion, a3 such returns were always furnished as a matter of course. Mr Houlahan seconded the. motiorij which was agreed to without discussion. PUBLIC WORKS. The Provincial Secretary moved briefly — " That this Council do resolve itself into Committee of the whole to consider the following questions".: — . Mr Guinness took exception to the Provincial Secretary not offering further explanation. ••■.:.. Mr Cuming also objected on the. same grounds, and thought that the Government should not be ; allowed to take the platform of other persons without explanation. • : MrM'Gaffm defended the Executive, and regretted that for such a trifling matter an onslaught should have been made on them. The Provincial Treasurer explained that i the works proposed had already been i agreed on, and that a long speech in in- ; troducing them was altogether unnecesL sary. . ■■■■ I Mr White opposed the course the Go- : vernment had taken, and in doing so, i complained in bitter terms of the attacks I that the local presa had recently made on . him. I After some further discussion the motion t was put and carried, and the Council went . into Committee on the Provincial Secre- . tary's resolutions : — " That for the purpose of developing the large resources of Westland, and raising s the Province to a state of permanent t prosperity, it is necessary to secure a series of public works," was carried. ' < "That the ordinary revenue of the c Province not being sufficient to provide y for such works it is necessary to have - recourse to borrowing for that purpose," i. was carried. s Nos. 3 and 4 were postponed till the i- schedules had been passed, t No. 5, as follows, was passed : — c " That as an additional special security for the repayment of the money borrowed s to construct the Mikonui Water-race and a other immediately reproductive works, the dues or other moneys received for the use thereof be pledged." The alternative schedules as proposed - ; by the late Executive were ordered to be il restored to the Order Paper.