PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 39, 27 March 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

PROVINCIA L COUNCIL.

Tuesday, March 18. The Council on resuming its sitting, went into committee on the estimates. On the motion of Mr. Ormond, seconded by Mr. Colenso, Mr. Tiffen took the chair in the absence of Mr. Curling. Superintendent’s salary £6OO Mr. Ormond moved that the Superintendent’s salary be £SOO, as recommended by the select committee appointed to consider the more equal conduct of the public service, and the duties of the Inspector of Schools be also performed by him. Mr. Colenso rose to express his dissatisfaction at the mode of proceeding, and he protested against it, as the Report was not adopted. Mr. Ormond observed that, it would serve as a guide in the reductions it recommended. In reply to Mr. Alexander respecting the amalgamation of the odiees of Superintendent and Inspector of Schools, he said that independently of any saving, the latter office had better be performed by the Superintendent. The sooner the office of School Inspector was taken away from the Registrar of 1 >eeds the better. His important duties as Registrar could not he performed if-ho went up the country on other business.

Mr. CoLiixso quite agreed with the last speaker in this particular, but the report not being adopted could only be referred to incidentally. Its recommendations had proved the committee to consist of greenhorns. How was the Superintendent to write as Inspector of schools to himself? The two offices were incompatible.and could not be combined without an act. The committee could not have read the Education Act. . ,

Mr. Ormond said the committee had gone

over the Education Act very carefully, and although greenhorns they could not find anything in it objectionable to the Superintendent carrying out rules framed by himself. Capt. Lambert said that the office of Inspector of Schools was a sinecure : there were only three or four. There was one in Clive, one in Te Ante, one in Petane, and one in Napier, and these were all. In reply to an observation from Capt. Lambert

Mr. Colenso said he would yield to none at that table in his endeavors to reduce the expenditure, but the way the committee recommended was monstrous. The way to lessen the expenditure was to curtail it by =£3,000 or .£4,000, not by reducing the salaries of hard-working men in paltry sums of £5, £lO, or £ls. The present Schoollnspector had only 3 paltry schools to look after. He had said 3 ; but there were only 2. The school, beyond all others, that required looking after, was the one at the Wairoa, to which the Inspector never -went! He received his appointment, but was not to go into the country ! Would not a visit be of great benefit to the Wairoa School? to which district the Inspector should go twice a year. After more discussion Mr. Trirhook moved an amendment that the salary of the Superintendent be reduced to =£4so, without the addition of the Inspectorshiv).. ‘

Negatived, and original motion carried. The next item 1 member of Executive at 20s. per diem when on duty : ..£3O • was reduced on the motion of Mr. Ormond to £2O. Superintendent’s C1erk,............. .£2OO

On the motion of Mr. . Ormond this was increased to <£2so, on the understanding that this officer he clerk to the Provincial Council

and Immigration Clerk. Contingencies for Superintendent’s Depart-merit.,....,.-...,.',£35 This sum was for 12 .months only.; The sum was passed at.the above amount for, 15 months, being equal to a proposed reduction by Mr. Opniond of 25 per cent. • . .Treasurer’s salary.,.,£3oo . Clerical assistance!....., 50 Mr. Ormond moved that the treasurer’s salary he reduced to <£275, and that the item for clerical assistance be struck out. Mr. Colenso would be content with ,£2OO if he could see that an expenditure of .£IO,OOO was voted, and providing that die could be as other men—unfettered from the 9th clause of the Executive Act, by which he was prohibited to buy or sell or engage hi trade. He pointed out that the Provincial Treasurers in Auckland and Taranaki had , much larger salaries than his own. The whole of the revenue of Taranaki was only about £9,000, yet with this limited sum the Treasurer there had a salary of £450. The clerical aid was not for the Treasurer, but for the Auditor. Amount passed, with contingencies, £2O, on similar conditions to those of the Superintendent’s Department. Provincial Auditor £l5O Deputy Auditor at the rate of ”"! 50 Auditing accounts to 31st Dec 20 Contingencies ’ 40 Mr. Colenso moved that in consideration of the clerical aid, the contingencies be £6O. Motion negatived. . The amounts as placed were agreed to. Salary of Provincial Solicitor, and Crown Prosecutor £125 Mr. Ormond moved that the salary of the ‘ Provincial Solicitor be reduced to £lls. Agreed to. Contingencies as before, being for 15 months. Native Interpreter...,. £IOO Contingencies 5 Agreed to. Clerk of Council £SO Messenger 400 7 Country Members at 20s 150 Printing minutes and Acts of Council : 70 Contingencies 5y In consequence of a preceding vote the first item was struck off. The second was agreed to. 0 ' * Mr. Ormond moved that the third item of 20s. per diem for country members be reduced to 12s. Gd. Mr. Colenso moved as an amendment that the item be struck off altogether, and would give his reasons for so doing. The Country Members always got notice as to when the Council was going to sit, and they could kill two birds with one stone by transacting their private business whilst down for the session. Ihe Council divided, on Mrr C’s amendment. Ayes,—Messrs. Fitz Gerald, Triphook, Ditchings, Colenso, Dolbel, Wood—6. Noes, —Messrs. Alexander, Carter, Lambert Ormond, Carlyon, JWiodes—6. The chairman gave'his casting vote in favor of the amendment. The remainder of this day’s proceedings we need not give,- as the Council re-consi-dered the whole of the Estimates on the following Monday, which will he found elsewhere. Wednesday, March 19. The Council met at 11. Present—All the-members. Mr. Dolbel presented a petition praying for a ferry at the Wairoa river. Mr. Colenso moved the consideration of some portion of the Executive Act. M.i. Colenso moved for the formation of a Printing Committee, which was agreed to, Mr. Colenso moved for leave to bring in bill to alter a portion of the present Licensing Ordinance.—Bill read a first time. Mr. T. H. Fitzgerald moved— For the appointment of a select committee to enquire into and report upon the practice pursued in the Land office, Napier, in reference to applications for certificates of ss. land and the nature of the examinations made by the Commissioner of Crown Lands previous to granting and refusing them. Such committee to consist of Capt. Lambert, Messrs. J. D. Ormond, T. D. Triphook, M. Fitzgerald, and the mover ; with power to call for persons and papers. Mr. Tiffeu seconded, and.motiou agreed to. Mr. Ormond, pursuant to notice, moved, That, under clause 8 of the New Zealand Land Regulations, dated March 4, 1853, it is provided that 10 per cent, on the upset price shall bo paid as deposit by any applicant for land to be put up to public auction. Under clause 23 it is further provided that “ Immediate payment in cash of one tenth of the purchase money shall be the condition of any such sale by auction and the remaining nine-tenths of the purchase money must be paid by the purchaser within one calendar month next after the time of such sale by auction.” - That from experience off he working of these clauses of the Regulations, the Council is of opinion that facilities are offered to the unscrupulous to extort money from and otherwise obstruct the bona, fide purchaser! whilst ait the snrnetinie it is manifest that under the one clause a very slight risk of capital has to be incurred, and under the other no

capital at all .is required by the persona who. take advantage of these flaws in the regulations. That the public interests will not suffer by; eecuring the bona fide purchaser from extortion. That this Council is aware that, under clause 2 df-the “Waste Lands IVct, 1858,*’. the Governor in Council is empowered to augment the price at which the waste lands of the Crown shall be, sold, in any Province either by auction or otherwise, on the recommendation,of Superintendent ,and Provincial Council. The Council therefore recommiends the following alteration in clause 8, before referred to, viz.:—

That upon the application of any intending purchaser who desires to put up land to auction, fifty per cent, of the upset price thereof shall be deposited with the Commissioner or other officer appointed to receive the same, in the place of ten per cent, as at present required by the regulations : Provided also that the deposit of fifty per cent, shall be made subject to the same conditions as the ten per cent deposit now is, that is to, say If some other person than the original applicant become the purchaser of such lands, then the deposit made by such original applicant will be returned to him, but if no other purchaser comes forward, and the original applicant does not complete the purchase himself, the deposit of fifty per cent, will be forfeited.

And with respect to clause 25. That portion of the clause which secures one month’s credit to the nominal purchaser should be altered, .and cash payments in full icquired to be made to the Commissioner or other officer on the fall of the hammer, and that, failing the same, the lot shall them and there be re-submitted to public competition. The Council is further of opinion that whilst these proposed alterations would secure the bona fide purchaser from unfair and fictitious competition, no unreasonable difficulty is thrown in his way, or in that of any real competitor. At the same time, the public interests will not be affected and the law withdraw its apparent countenance from a most injurous and baneful, not to say morally criminal practice.

After a long discussion, the following amendment was put and carried on division :

That this Council is aware that under clause 2 of the “ W aste Bands Act, 1858,” the Governor in Council is empowered to augment the price at which the waste lands of the Crown shall be sold in any Province, cither by auction or otherwise, on the recommendation of Superintendent and Provincial Council. The Council, therefore, recommends the following resolutions, viz.:— That this Council is of opinion that the minimum price of unagricultural land should, on and after the Ist Sept. 18G2, be raised to 10s per acre, in the Province of Hawke’s Bay, and that the Governor in Council be requested to give effect to the same.

That upon the application of any intending purchaser who desires to put up land to auction, fifty per cent, of the upset price thereof shall be deposited with the Commissioner or other officer appointed to receive the same, in the place of ten per cent., as at present required by the regulations : Provided also that the deposit of fifty per cent shall be made subject to the same condition as the ten per cent deposit now is, that is to say —lf some other person than the original applicant become the purchaser of such lands, then the deposit made by such original applicant will bo returned to him ; but if no other purchaser comes forward, and the original applicant does not complete the purchase himself, the deposit of fifty per cent, will be forfeited.

And with respect to clause 23. That portion of the clause which’ secures one month’s credit for 9-10ths of the purchase money, to the purchaser or last bidder, should be altered ; and cash payments to the amount ot one half of the purchase money shall bo made to the Commissioner oy other officer on the fall of the hammer, and that, failing such payment being made, the lot shall then and there bo submitted to public competition.

Ayes,—Messrs. Alexander, Colenso, Carter, T. If. Fitz Gerald, Triphook. Rhodes, Hitch-, ings, Wood—S. Koes, —Messrs. Carlyon, Ormand, Curling, Tiffen, Dolbel, M. Fitzgerald—G. The proceedings on Friday and Saturday were not very important..