PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 589, 25 June 1868, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The Council met ou Tuesday at 3 p. m. Present—All the members. A petition from Mr Breingau, presented by Mr Buchanan, complaining that by the Government removing certain fences at Puketapu, he had lost 31 acres of ground, was read and received. Mr M'Leau then moved tho resolution standing in bis name— Tim! afler recent expressions of opinion, (he Government coa-alrr il.at, before proceeding fnrihsr with llie conduct ul Government business, it is necessary to ascertain whether they have the confidence or not of a majority of the Council ; mid, with this view, move that the Council hereby expresses its confidence in the Government. —He said that the Government considered that before proceeding further with the business it was absolutely necessary that they should ascertain whether or not they really possessed the confidence of the Council. On a recent occasion they found themselves in the minority, and though ail the members did not appear to understand the result of their vole, and some had since expressed their confidence, the Government considered that the most frank and candid course was to come before the Council and ask directly whether or not they possessed its conkdence. It had been said outside the Council that the Government were seeking an opportunity to escape from tho difficulties of their position ; hut he quite disclaimed any such intention, They had not shrunk from their duties in far more perplexing times than the present, and it was not likely that they would now attempt to do so. They had conducted the affairs of the Province with prudence and economy ; they had not wasted the loan, and had hitherto kept the taxgatherer from the door. As far as personal feelings were concerned, if it was the wish of the Council they would be glad to hand over the reins of Government to members opposite, and were glad that there were men in the house able and 1 willing to hold them. The Government had not taken this position from ■!pettishness, as had been stated; but i simply from a sense of what was jduetothem; and whether they conI tinned in office or resigned it to others j they could look to the past with satisfaction, and to the future with hope. I Mr Buchanan exceedingly regretted that the Government could not find a member to undertake the motion before the house ; but had placed themselves in the position of moving a vote of confidence in themselves. He said that all the confidence felt in the Government -was in the personal qualities of the Superintendent, and that it was behind him that the Executive took refuge. He maintained that the Su-

periutendent and Executive were distinct, and he would close with a resolution to that effect. He denied that the Government had exercised prudence or economy, and said that on the contrary they had spent every halfpenny of the loan that they could raise, and asked what they could show lor it. He would move as an amendment “ That all the words from * that 5 io the end be struck out, with a view to the ir: portion. of tliO WO r ds * tin* Superintendent. 5 55 The motion was not seconded. Mr Carlyon spoke strongly on the uncalled-for character of the resolution. The Government he said reminded him of a baby going to its father and saying, “ Pa, do you love me ?’ 5 He had every confidence in the Superintendent ; hut none in the Government as a body. Mr Tanner strongly regretted the action the Government had taken, and thought they ought to be content with the expressions of confidence which the Council bad given. Lieut.-Col, Whitmore hoped the Government would withdraw the motion, las he considered it very unfair to independent members. If the Government had stated at the time that they would stand or fall by the resolution, the vote at which they took such umbrage would have been different; but it was now too late to interfere. He hoped they would not force this unwelcome dose down the throats of members. If they did, and be voted with them, it would he under protest. Mr I'erard agreed with the last speaker that this would press hard upon the Government supporters. He hoped they would withdraw the motion. Mr Wood was utterly at a loss to know what the discussion was about ; for he still completely failed to see'how the Government considered themselves offended. Mr Bhodes said that he thought the wording of the vote of confidence was a pure matter of form, and of very little importance. He did not think the Government had gone too far. They had said that they could not reduce the estimates one penny more without abolishing departments, and the Council at once referred them to a committee to make further reductions. The member who had moved f >r that committee knew well that this was equivalent to a vote of want of confidence. Mr A’Beane proposed as an amendment, which he thought would meet the difficulties on both sides— That, in The resolution of a select finance committer, tliis Council h;iJ no intention to express any want of confidence in the Government. Mr Carlyon opposed the amendment, as having all the objectionable features of the original motion. Major Lambert said his object in voting for the committee was to give the members a chance of looking more closely into the finance of the Province. He would defy any member to follow the statement of the member for Porangahau, and he wished to see whether it was possible to carry on the Government for another year, or, if not, what kind of Government would be got in exchange. He thought the Government should not attempt to force any action upon the Council ; but be guided by them. Mr Ormond made a long speech, stating that the Executive now, after the expressions they had heard, only saw more clearly the necessity of pressing the vote. The member for Waipukurau said be was not able to follow the financial statement. He pitied his capacity, for a schoolboy of leu years old could have followed him. He then denied Mr Buchanan's statements about the loan, and concluded by saying that it would be wrong for the Government to go on with the j business without ascertaining whether or not they had the confidence of tho i Council. I Mr Buchanan and Major Lambert [rose in explanation of their remarks, : complaining of having been misrepresented by Mr Ormond, i The Council then adjourned till 7. The Council resumed at 7, when Sir Buchanan moved the substitution of the word Supiermtendent 55 for •* Government' 5 in the motion. After a long discussion, this was on e divisionr Mr A'Dcane asked leave to with- ■ draw bis amendment, which was not

granted, and it was put and negatived. The original motion was then carried on the following division—Ayes, 14, Messrs M‘Lean, Ormond, h'bodes, Kennedy, Sutton, Wood. A’Deane. Feranl, Lambert, Whitmore, Parsons, Tanner, Dolbel, Locke. Noes, 3, Messrs Buchanan, Weston, Carlyon. A motion by Mr ALLean that the names of Mr Ferard, Tanner, and Parsons should he added to the finance committee, was carried on a division. A motion by Mr Kennedy, approving of the Government Buildings Reserve as a site for the telegraph and post-oflice was carried on a division, Messrs Buchanan, Wood, and Tanner alone voting against it. The debate on Mr Ferard’s resolutions was then resumed and continued to half-past 10 o’clock, when they were adopted by the Council, and it adjourned to Wednesday, at the usual hour. Ou Wednesday the Council met at S p.m., pursuant to adjournment, Mr Locke moved for reports relating to the excavations in Coote-road. The motion was agreed to. Air Dolbel moved for leave to bring in a Cart and Cab Act. Leave was granted and the biil read a first time on the casting vote of the Speaker. Air Wood moved that persons might compound for the right of passing through the Toll-gate by paying for every horse, ass, or mule, £3 10s per annum ; for every vehicle drawn by one horse, £5 ; for every vehicle drawn by two horses, ,£7 10s. The motion was negatived on a division—Messrs Wood, Sutton, Buchanan, and Whitmore alone voting for it. Air Buchanan moved for leave to introduce a bill to repeal the Executive Acts. A discussion of several hours took place on this motion, which was ultimately negatived on the following division: — Ayes (5): Alessrs Buchanan, Weston, Sutton, Lambert, Tanner. Noes (10) : Alessrs APLean, Rhodes, Kennedy, Ormond, Locke, Ferard, Whitmore, Dolbel, Parsons, A’Deane. The Loan Appropriation Amendment and Education Acts were then read a second time, and the Council adjourned till 3 p.m. this day.