PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 40, 3 April 1862, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, March 25

The house met pursuant to adjournment, Present, —All the members.

Mr. Wood brought up the report of the Select Committee appointed to revise the Standing Buies and Orders. Report read and committee discharged. The report was to the effect that the new Council would make its own Standing Rules and Orders. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald handed in the report of the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the movement amongst the working classes as to the leasing of native lands. Report read and received. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald brought up the report of the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the practise of the purchase of ss. land in the Land Office, and stated that he was prevented from attending the Committee from indisposition, and that he was considerably cooled in his ardor for this enquiry lest the late fracas between the Commissioner and himself should lead to an imputation that he had been biased by private motives. He would also complain as he suspected of a want of respect to the house, by Mr. Bousfield leaving town without permission, he having been summoned by the Speaker to attend and give evidence. After some discussion, during which Mr. Fitz Gerald w r us informed that he had no right as a member of the committee to summon any witness without the authority of the committee itself, Mr. Tiffen explained that Mr. Bousfield had asked him on the previous afternoon whether he was bound to stay, having been to Mr. Ormond, (a member of the committee) who said he knew nothing about his being summoned. He (Mr. T.) said he thought he

had better go back to his work. The matter then dropped, and the committee were discharged. • The Superintendent brought up the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the best means of dealing with the Agricultural Reserve at Hampden. Report read and received, and Committee discharged. Mr. Colenso brought up the report of the Select Committee appointed on Printing. The report was received, and the Committee discharged. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald wished to make a verbal alteration in the motion which had been adopted by the Council with regard to the minimum price of land being 10s., as it was not sufficiently prohibitory. Mr. Ormond agreed to the alteration. Passed. Mr. Rhodes moved that a toll be estab- , lished on the Meanee bridge, and he did so on the ground that he thought all public structures built with the Public money should be self-supporting as far as possible. The people of Clive had to pay a heavy toll in the shape of a ferry, and they did not complain, and he thought the people of the MeaN nee district could not complain. However * little was raised by these means, it would all help. There would be no necesity for a toll keeper, as one of the settlers in the vicinity would no doubt gladly farm the toll. He thought also that the Maories would thus be made to contribute something towards a benefit they received, as it was a well-known fact that the traders always charged something extra to natives in the articles they consumed, such as blankets, sugar, &c. Mr. Colenso objected to the motion, not only was it one of the first attempts at taxation on the white people, but he was quite sure the Maories would object, that it had required no inconsiderable amount of diplomacy to get the natives to agree to the bridge being made, and that the Government had stipulated with them that the bridge should be as free to them as any white man. He was quite sure none of the settlers near the bridge would take upon themselves the invidious task of collecting the tolls. Mr. Rhodes thought he had done his duty in bringing the matter under the consideration of the Council as a means of making public works assist in paying for their own maintenance, and would withdraw his motion. Mr. Colenso moved that the Licensing Amendment Ordinance be recommitted. No member seconding, the bill was read a third time, and passed. Mr. Colenso moved that the Executive Act Amendment Ordinance be recommitted to make some alterations which were purely clerical. Recommitted accordingly, read a third time and passed. The Superintendent moved that the Standing Rules and Orders be suspended to allow the Appropriation Act to pass through all its stages. —Granted. Bill read first, second, and third time, and passed. Mr. Colenso brought forward his motion that an expression of council be afforded him as to whether the Treasurer would be justified in refusing to pay a warrant signed by the Superintendent if it was not countersigned by the Provincial Auditor or his Deputy. He mentioned that the Treasurer at Canterbury had found himself in that fix, and had to resign his office, rather than do that which his conscience told him was wrong. Mr Ormond said he thought the case must be an extreme one when the Treasurer could refuse. The case referred to at Canterbury was not one of a vote of money but for a speculation in land which the Superintendent of that Province had made on its account, and as it was a speculation, he, the Treasurer thought it right not to pay, for which he received the thanks of the house. He would think that the Treasurer must be prepared to show something more than its not being on the estimates voted, if it were a matter of ordinary necessity before he could refuse to pay the warrant of the Superintendent. Mr. Colenso replied, showing how he was bound by the Appropriation Act, and the matter dropped. Mr. Dolbel moved that .£IOO be added to the road from Mohaka to the Tauranga bush as an amount had passed yesterday, without his knowledge. Mr. Colenso could not see how they could talk of voting money after the Appropriation Act had been passed. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald said he would vote for the motion, as it would be binding on tbe Council which would succeed them. Affirmed on division.—Noes: Tiffen, Curling, Carlyon, Hitchings, M. Fitzgerald. Mr. Ormond moved that the piece of land conveyed by Mr. H. Russell to the Provincial Government, as a site for a Court house

atWaipukurau be reconveyed to that gentleman, as the necessity for it had ceased to exist, and it was granted only for that purpose. Mi\ Tiffen asked if any Government money had been expended on it, and was answered in the negative. Motion agreed to. Mr. W ood moved that the Superintendent be authorized to hang a government clock in front of the Government Buildings, in lieu of the present imperfect system of firing the gun. ** Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald seconded for the same reason as he voted for the preceding motions, as probably this would be the last time they w’ould meet together as a Council, and, no doubt, were actuated with a sort of generous disposition towards the world at large, and would, therefore, leave some little business on hand for their successors. Agreed to. The Superintendent read a letter he received from the General Government, regarding the bad state of the road from Tarawera to Napier, and complaining of the detention of the mail on that account. He sent the Provincial Engineer to report, and he had stated that it would require £IOO, and asked the Council for permission to spend the money. Mr. Ormond said that he should oppose it as he did not think it fair to forestall the money the next Council would have to appropriate. He thought that the Superintendent had sufficient authority to Jay out such a small sum on receiving a communication such as he had got from the General Government. Motion withdrawn. Dr. Hitchings moved that the town members be awarded 12s. 6d. per diem during the time of the sitting of Council. He was surprised that, after a deliberate vote of the whole Council when the Estimates were first considered, this sum had been struck off the estimates for the Country members, the Superintendent had placed that obnoxious sum on the revised estimates. He could only think that the Superintendent w T as trying to crawl up the backs of the Country members by doing so. If it was nothing derogatory to the country members to come forward in the unblushing effrontery, and vote as they did last night on this item, surely it could not be unbecoming of the Town members to emulate them, particularly as this was the last chance some' of them would have in dipping their lingers into the treacle pot. ° Motion lapsed. The Superintendent moved for the sum of £IOO to protect and keep in repair the breastworks already erected, it should be a first charge against the Harbor Reserve Fund. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald said he thought that the gentlemen who voted last night about the discontinuance of the dredge had not displayed their usual deliberation, and ho would gladly see some addition to the works now made in the harbor. After some discussion, the motion w r as agreed to. The Superintendent stated that the Government had only £I,OOO in the chest. He wished the Council to give him permission to obtain any sum not more than £2,000 from the Union Bank "of Australia, as they did not expect any large sura to he paid to the credit of the Government, until 12th April, when the 9—lOths balance of the,last auction Sale of Land would fall due. Mr. T. H. Fitz Gerald thought it quite unnecessary to ask this permission, as, no doubt, the Superintendent could get it from the Manager at any time, more particularly as the hank had had a large amount of funds belonging to the Province, for some time past in their hands, and could scarcely refuse the accommodation. _ The Superintendent said some months since, he had applied to the manager of the Uniou Bank of Australia for a small temporary loan on behalf of the Province, and was refused, the manager telling him that he had received a letter from his superior in Auckland, telling him not to advance any sum to the Province, unless sanctioned by the Council. Agreed to. The Suprintendent then adjourned the Council, stating that if he had known the business that would be got through that evening, he would have prepared an address, but as they had taken him by surprise, he must content himself by saying that he hoped that they would meet again, and he the same happy family as they had been. The Council was then prorogued.