Provincial Council.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 515, 7 October 1867, Page 2

Provincial Council.

WEDNESDAY. 2xd OCTOBER. The Speaker took the chair at 3 o’clock. Present, —The Speaker, Mess's Rhodes, Ormond, Kennedy Parsons, Wood, Did bel, Irvine, Sutton, Locke, (larlyon. Wes ton, Buchanan, Whitmore, Tanner, Tifien, and Lambert. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. BANK ADVANCES. Mr TAN '■ E '■> moved For tbs production of all cofrestiondenee be. tween the Government and the Manager of the Bank of New Zealand, relative to advances in accordance with the supplies voted at the last sitting, —lt woul t be remembered tea- when some show of opposition was made to the Es'imates, the Government had said that had represented that the expenditure ol 'he (i vemment money would to seme ej'ent relie e the depression tin n existing, ihe Council had passed the nsiimaPs in t'lioi faith ‘-n this supposition, but he h-30 since heard bitter complaints from those whom they had employed that they had been unable to meet their engagement? through not having received the money owing to them by the Government. Us had heard cf a Government cheque being diphocorw the Batik of New Zealand,

and that the manager had s'ated that the Government had already so deeply overdrawn that he could not make any further advance.

Mr ORMOND: Government cheques? Mr TANNI'R: These cheques were drawn by the authorised officials of the Government, and were therefore Government cheques. An idea appeared to be pretty general that on the return of the Superintendent all this would be set right, in fact, that he was a kind of peripatetic money chest. The payment of Governmeet creditors should rest upon more reMuacnoe of one man. ll#c opposition to the Estimate-* had been characterised as something awfully wicked, but be thought the wickedness was on the narl of the Government, in voting suras of money which iad no existence.

Vlr WES i OX -econded the motion. Mr OiI.UUND sai 1 that the melon of ■he Uli-mver for le Autc did not hear so ■c.uch upon it;- thee as lie had brought into 111- ■ remarks wiih widen he had introduced n. Tin ody correspondence which had passed between the Govern me; t and the Bank on this subject consisted of two le - 'crs —one from the Government to the Bank, asking for an advance of £5,000 and the other from the Bankf stating thai they could not advance the money till they were assured of good security, by the passing of the Loan Consolidation Act. He (Vlr U) had, while in Wellington, obtained from the bank an advance of £2OOO, which he had paid to Mr Morrison, settling the Montmorency claims. It was in consequence of the refusal of this advance of £5,0u0, which had almost been directlv promised, th it the Government had not oeen able to carry out their intention of clearing otf their liabilities. The Loan Consoiniation Act was now most likely pissed, and, if so, on the arrival of the >t. K'lda on iiitu/day, Ids Honor wool.l b- bin wi'ti him an ad vane- of £.0,00.' f.om ill Bank, which w uid fill \ pay off all OU' s.anding claims. As for wimt the member for ie ante had said abou- the cdpi s of Government officials be ng dishonored, he appeared to comound them with G iv rn ment cheques —a very different thing. No Government cheques h .d been dishonored nut there was no reason t hat those of Go vernment offends should be treated differ ently to others If the manager of the Bank had made any such statement as that attributed to him, all lie (MrO.) could say was, that he had been very unwis-; bm from what he knew of that gentleman, he considered it very unlikely that such was i he case.

Mr BUCHANAN said that if lie hail uuOerstood ihe member far To Auie •ightiy, he had not rolened to private cneques of Government ollh era,hut cheque.gainst the pub ic funds wnich these gentlemen were uutheri ed t give

Mr RHODES said that if toe f reasurer’s ■heiju s were meant, lie could say that man of them had been dishonored. Mr BUCHANAN sdd he believed the particular cheque referred to was one of the Provincial Engineer’s, if that gentleman oao the authority of the Gove> oment to ive cheques for Governm-nt services per .or ned, they were as much Govern cut cheques as if drawn by the i ivasuivr. Mr TANNER said that if the Govern ment were responsible for the performance I the work, they were also responsible for lie cheques. BATTERY ROAD. MrSUITON ask d the Government, — Whether the works now being carried on in Battery Road are to be paid for out of Provincial funds ; if so, out of wliico item on the last Estimates they are to be paid for. -—He hud seen an auve;lismeot by the Provincial E giueer, calling fu' t-nders o make a portion of tills road H * -aw no sum in the Estimates devoted to this pupose, and considered it to be a waste of money under the pres-nt circumstances 01 the Province, as there was no trutlle iu that direction.

Mr I‘HMOXD said that this was paid f>r under tli? system of grants-iu aid in force in the F ovii.ee. The resident- along t .at road bad subscribed £5 •' to llus purpose, and the Gfovermnent ha t sup :cn nted it hy a -ini ;c -urn. 't he GK>verement aid not con.-;.:-r-d it a u s - .-of m.n-.-y, hut, on the c- . Ira y, a g-ou inv< -f.n-nr. as it tvuih atlord aoci" ■>

v-..'u!il*;o reserve in that pint of ti e town known as Curling’s Gudy, which they intended shortly to lease. SHEEP AND SCAB ACT. Mr ORMOND moved, — For leave to bring in a Bill to amend the existing Scab and Sheep Acts. He stated that the former bill ban been disallowed, on account of an i formally, which had been corrected in the one he now brought forward. He entered at considerable length into the objects of the bill, and the effect of the proposed aiterati n. Leave was granted ; tne bill rea t a fir>t time, and the second reading ordered for Tuesday. IMMIGRATION REPAYMENTS. M> gUOiIANaN moved, — That a return of the amount collected on aocount of Immigration Repay meats, between the Ist July and the 30th September, be laid on the table, ’bat a very large sum would be denvio trom this source. He had <xpr- .--e-.-u ins doubts qu the subiect at the time, and. nwished to know exactly how far t‘ e ex pectations of the Government had been realized. Mr WESTON seconded the motion. Mr ORMOND said that the rttur would be laid on tiie table. The estimate VTOI i.’VGVj UUV VUll AXON 4 J4VU Uv»TiV

realized. It would be remembered, h<nvere-, that the Government hud expressed thei ■ doubt> that they would receive so large a sum, though it would hare became due. The Government might have been more pressing in the matter, but they considered it, would scarcely be just, in the extreme (fulness of the times.

POSTPONEMENT OB' BUSINESS. On motions by Mr TA >NKR, the second resdieg of the Sheep Branding Act, and Dog Nai?sncs Act was nnatonnerl till Tuesday, and, by Mr ORMOND, the Slaughter-house Bill till Friday. DISTRICT ROADS RILL. Mr Ormond moved— I That the District Roads Bill be read a second time. —Ho explained that the Act at present in force was a Wellington one, and in many respects inapplicable to this Province, and that the proposed Act had been constructed with great care, and a view to the peculiar circumstances of Hawke’s Bay. The principle of the bill was to give th- management of district roads into the bauds of local boards, and retain to the Gove imcnt the manageme t of truok hues. The Government would soon have no funds to carry out these works, and »u, h a system vsouid be actnally necessary. This wud be especially the cas when the imeres - of the loan would add a large sum to the i ipenditure. With regard to (heloan, some members had regretted that the Province had ever borrowed at all j on the contrary, he thought the only matter of regret was 'hat they had not borrowed £3 ,0 0 more than they had done. While the Provincial a st'-m lasted, under trie financial s>steio of Mr Fitzherbert, each prov-incs w. uld oe charged with the interest of its own loans, hut when the Provinces cam. to uu end rthioh must be very soon—tin loans would he consolidated and the interest charged to the general revenue of the Cul my.

‘ here were stdl certain amendments to be made in the bill, but this could be doue ia committee.

a! r BUCHANAN said that he would move Suit the bill be read that day nx m.tilths. It could not be expected lliat in -ue!i a district as Mohaka, the fi-w settlers there should have to pay the wild) iost of in Tina and keeping the roads in rep dr. It would be hotter to introduce lh,- system

■■f every settler finding a certain amount of labor, ibis had worked wn 11 in Canada

•ud elsewhere. With regard to the Joan, tiie metnhtT for Pora‘ guhan hud stated that th H Province wuuid have been in a better position bad it borrowed £ iO,(Xk) i’ ore. J his was not the case, as, u <dep Mr Fitzherbcrt’s system, half ol the Provincial r venue was to be chargeu with the interest of its loans. Ho s.-ouid give :he bill his uncompromising opposition, ai d moved that it bo read that Jay tix uoiiths. Mr IRVINE seconded the motion. Messrs. Lara' ert, Tttfcn, CMriyon, and Whitmore spoke against tho bill. Mr UK.MUND said members veined to consider the bill a new tiling The Wellington District Roads Bin, a sirail <r Act, nut far less applicable, w as now in foice m this Province. Mr Ormond continued at considerable length, and Mr Buchanan’s amen ment was put and negatived on a ilivisi n.

AL ORMOND moved that the following genthmen b • appoint.d as a select committee ou toe bill:—.Messrs, iiuenanan. Canyon, Titien, Woitm re, Rhode', Persons, Locke, lioibel, L-mb it, and the mover

AL >jor Lambert and Messrs, i iifeu and i3ucha,,un obj- Cted to serve in llie com* o.itu-e, ai d their names were accordingly si uck our. Air 13 CHAJfAX moved the addition of the following w ords : “ with instructions merely lo bring in a bill repealing the aeiioiioi the V\ eli 'gtoii Act on the sub* ject.” Toe amendment was loot, and the oiiginal motion carried. TOLL-GATE BILL. Mr ORMO.N D moved— That the Toll-Gate Bill bo read a second time. lie was quite aware tbit this oiil would un-et with considerable opposition, but if it was not passed it would cause tin* Goveru ei t considerable emburras ment. To - Govornm-nt had been heavy losers in tlieCiuioms revenue and other w a \g by Hie recent action of the uenerai Government. A sum of £2OOO w..s required, and they did not tee any better way of .ai.-ing the same. Coionel WHITMORE supported the bnl. lie could not eo. ceive a much tsirec tax ill hi this. ;v'r I MAINE thought the tolls would not eii eed £700 : and they eou d ■ ot get a collector tor less than £-UO. < law coUid ureveut people evading the lull by riding along the beach below high-water mark. Afr W 0> D said the member for VVar oa had said be could not conceive a much fairer tax. He (Mr Wood) could not concave of one more unjust or inequitable. If any such sum as the Government estimate, £2,00u, was to be raia d, £2,00J would be contributed by the peoi ie cf Napier and the struggling smalUfannera , f Aleane . Me had h ;ard that the rules were to be the same as those of the ferry punt. If this was the case the farmers and milkmen who daily supplied Na der with their produce would be taxed to the > stent ■f £- per annum,—virtually a prohibitory t-x

Mr BCOH AJN’AN said that the bill had better be postponed till iiia liouor's renir . He had often heard that genii-, man express his s} mpatht with the Mtiallfanrars, and poesiblj be might the beneiit ot his vote. Tee hiu. uit ot ■he tods co.lected at the ferrj puui aeVcP annum. Ai.ri on tliA

ferenoe between this amount and the Go Ternment estimate, £2,000, must be made «p by the inhabitants of .Napier and M <*anee. He was pledged to oppose fc! is bill, and it was the only pledge with which he had entered the house. He moved the resolutions standing in his name: 1. That the establishment of a Toll-gate for mere revenue purposes, the levies at which it should be contemplated applying to general, instead of to particular and specially defined pur poses, would bs inequitable, and press unevenly on 6 section of the community. 2. That if a Toil-gate be established at or near the town boundary, it is the opinion of this Council H'ttt the dues collected thereat ought to be applied to tba maintenance of the roads between Napier and Ngaruroro Bridge and Tareha’s Bridge, and the Eastern base of the Puketapu hills.

Major LAMBERT woul i have opposed ihe bid, but he saw it was a necessary measure. As for injustice to Meanee. lie 'Considered it a highly favored district no -] The Meanee settlers had had the use of a bridge which cost £9OO to £IOO i for seven years, and had not paid ■anything for its use He thought that people who could i fiord to ri'e on horse back on Sunday could afford 6d toll. On that road every twentieth man vou met w eir his carriage. Surely a person who kept his carriage could afford a shilling. He would support the bill, though p or •onally he wouid at any time ride a mile to evade a toll-gate. A long discussion then ensued. At 6 the Council adjourned till 7pm, when they airain met and sat till 9 Mr IRVINE moved as an amendment. That the further consideration oi this be postponed until the Highways Act be disposed of.” Mr DOLBEL moved as an amerdm nt, That the bill be rend this day ft months.’’ The Council divided on each amend ment, with tne following results : On Mr Irvine’s amendment.—Ayes. 3Messra Irvine, Whitmore, and Dolbel. Noes, 13—Messrs. Parsons, Rhodes, Kenjnedy. Carlyo , Locke, Weston, Lambert, Buchan m, TifiVn, Ormond, Wood, But--ton, and Tanner. On Mr Holhel’s amendment.— Ayes 5 —Messrs. Dolbel, Buchanan, Dolbel, Titfen, and Locke. Noes, lI—M-ssra. Par.eons Kennedy, Rhodes, Carlyon, Weston Lambeit, Whitmore, i-ution, Tanner’ Ormond, atl£ i v \ ood On Mr Buchanan’s first resolution.— Ayes, 8 Messrs, Buchanan, Locke Su - ton, Irvuie, Wood. Parsons. T.ffen’ Dolbel. Noes, 8 —Me.-8"s Ormond. Weston, Carlyon, Rhodes, Kenm-fiy, Whitmore lanner, and Lambert. The Spe.k-r gave his casting vote with the noes, and the resolution wa** Jogt. On M Buchanan’s second resmlirion.— Ajt-s, 9—Messrs. Locke, Sutton, Irvin Vi ooa, Barscms, Buchanan, TifiV?n, Dolbel -and Tanner. Noes, 7-M sets. Ormond \\ oston, Kennedy, Rnodea, Carly on, Lambert, and VV liitmore. ihe hi 1 was then read a second time, and ordered to be conside-ed in committee on 1 uesday.

CEMETERIES BILL. The Council went into committee on the Cemeteries Bill. Viter a petition wi h reference to the bill, brought in by Alt vVood, had been read ami received, the con-mitt e was a'journed till Thursday, The Council adjourned at 9 p.m.

THURSDAY, 3rd OCTOBER. The Council met at 3 p.tn. Present, — All the members except Mr M’Lean. The minutes of the last meeting wenread and confirmed. POINT OE ORDER. The SPEAKER said before proceeding 'with the business of the house lie should give his ruling on a point of order raised yesterday. This was, whether or not the mover of a motion had a right of reply alter amendments had b en moved by other members He now ruled that tturnover of an original motion had a right of reply after all amendments had beeproposed, and that this ret ly must close the discussion of the qu stion. PROVINCIAL LIABILITIES. Mr BUCHANAN moved That there be laid on the table of this Council statement in full detail of the outstanding liabilities of the Provincial Government of Hawke’s Bay, made up the 30th September, distinguishing such as are absolute and defined from approximate and contingent charges only. Agreed to. SHEEP INSPECTOR. Mr BUCH AN v N moved— That a copy of any correspondence existing in regard to the filling of the appomtmeat of assistant sheep inspector be laid on the tabxe. Mr UK MONO said the who!-* corres pomienoe was a Jcfier from the Government to the Inspector of tue Inland Districts, offering him the appointment of Inspector of Somhern Districts, on condi ti n that he shomd reside at Napier, and a letter in reply accepting the appointroen', providing he might be allowed to reside at Havelock. Agreed to. ROAD THROUGH FORTY-MILE BUSH. M jor L-iMBERP moved - That a Return to be laid on the table shewing the total cost of the road through the 40-mile Bush, from where it enters the Bush to the confines of the Provisos, shewing the amount paid to the surveyor for laying out and surveying the road, sc.; also, tins amount paid to the person who superintended the making of the said road, and at the rate per diem. A greed to. SPECIAL CONSTABLE AT HAMPDEN. V Major LAMBERT i) ove t—- !?«• {;hft aw pa fftl.fiffa fv% fVi* OTvnAint*u‘ 1,110 H-pjAmuouvu vuv meat of Mr Limbrick as a special constable at fiaopdea.

—The landlord of a publichouse had been r sworn-in as a special constable, and the resident Justices knew nothing of the 1 reason why ho had been appointed. A man in his position was a most improper person for such «n annointment. Mr CARLYON seconded the motion.! He strongly objected to such an appoint* ; ment being made without the concurrence al local Justices of the Peace. The individuai in qu -sfion was landlord of a very nan iy -conducted house, the license of which was iu imminent peril nest licens:i*o ’-“v- ---„ ntriLir '.-wn • . * ,A * a-WAUfc I.’ DttlU bill? O^^auuuVUL should be cancelled. loan act amendment. Mr BUCHAN AN moved, For leave to introduce a Bill farther io amend the Loan Act, 1363. Leave was granted ; the bill read a first time, ordered to ho printed, and its second reading ordcr.d for Wednesday. COMMITTEE. The Committee of Supply being postponed ti l Jbridav, on the motion of Mr Ormond, the Council went into Committee on the Cemetery Bill. After the second clause had been read this Committee was also postponed, on ttie motion of Mr vV ood. The Council adjourned at 4 30 p.m. FRIDAY, 4th OCTOBER. The Council met a f 3 o’clock. Present, —All tbe members eze.-pt Mr M‘Leaa. TELEGRAPH STATION. Mr CAiiLYuN moved— That this Council present a petition to the Colonial Secretary in favor of an electric telegraph station being located at Waipawa in preference tol Waipukurau. Agreed to. j WANT OF CONFIDENCE. Mr BU>’HA'‘AN moved—1. lhat the open and unequivocal avowal of hostility to Provincial institutions i ttered within the Chamber by the member for Porangahau, and tacitly assented to hy the members for Clive and Napier, is held to be adverse to the true interests of this Province, and, in consequence, deprives those gentlemen of that free and full confidence as members of the Executive which they have hitoerto enjoyed. 2. That the Speaker forward a copy of this resolution to his Honor the Superintendent immediately he returns from Wellington. ihe r esolutims were negatived after a long discussion. TOLL-GATE, Air WOOD moved That in the opinion of this Council the principle of levying money for the maintenance of trunk roads by means of toll-gates should not be confined to the vicinity of Napier and Meanee, but that toll-gates should also be established at intervals on the made roads of the interior, —say at the junction ol the Middle and Te Ante roads, Paki Paki, Te Autc, Waipawa, and Eperaitaa. Another I<>-g di cms.on ensued, and the motion via ultimately withdrawn. 1 he Committee of Supply was then postponed till I'lusday , to which day the Council adjourned ot 10 p.m.