Provincial Council.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 481, 13 June 1857, Page 7

Provincial Council.

The-Council met at o t p.m.., . ■ , ./ Present/the Speaker, Messrs/Barker, S. Bealev, Bray,' Blakistdn, Fooks,' Hall, Ollivier, Backer-,' Thomson,' and Wfistctfira. \ ■ Mr.: Backer obtained leave to [introduce and read a ftrsfctime a Governor*! Bay { Road, Bill, .., ,l-hjj- Jjlome then went in.to. coinmittee|Oii the Eduoivifion Question, „'wh.en' jbhe. resolutions ; »j----ready. ,pi^sed w^re adopted with slight auitfndThe Roads Diversion Bill was then considered in dpiniviitte^i. lS\ne 'clauses \vere read and passe'dand the JEtouse resumed. ' \;” • nT\vo inessfiges vl^re received from his Honor the Superintendent 'and read. No. 31, Renmrkin<r upon the high salary voted to the Clerk oi theCouni-.il; in proporfciou to services perforrnoKi, and proposing an arrangement by which the duties of that pffice n^ightp be combmed.,with those..of a^tant, Clerk, ,in |the • G.oyerjinient Offices at present and for the tuture qt; ; M»et Clerk in the SecsßS^r* .<>% c: ,A. .., No. M f I" 'reply' '^° t"" e resolutions, o^ t!\e Council, requesting a refund to the ; , Licensed Victualler^ of the overpayments on tlie licenses issued last year. The 'message.argued tlmt,\the refund undesirable, aiid., that no claim had been preferred nor could be established. .With re'card to the^difference of opinion between himr serf and the, Council on the justice of the case, his Jicmor remarked tliata't another time his resource- would- have been to dissolve the Council, wid leave the'question to be settled by. the pubno' in'a re-election. At the present tune the ordinary' penod of dissglutioi? wiis soiclose at hand as to r pbviate the necessity for such a step. The foijpvfing interesting return' was laid on, the table :—,,■ ' , ■ -,-,,., .-;■ . ■■•.kny.-n .'• . "lleturn of. .'the sums .expended, by.the Provincial Government of Canterbury upon tlie Sumner Road, from January Ist., 1855, to March 31, 1857. ; „ , .;•■-■. -■:■•• ■•■■■■■- •■'■■■•-. •■■'-•■£, s. A Surveys'aiid getting out w0rk5......... -84 9 3 BuildmgsV^iz- kitchen, counting ; .;• •;hoi4 ibUKJksmith's shop, powder , " marine, Ind tunnel 0fhee)...:....v94 15 1 S^vvder and^e)::.::Vv":::t 49 10, 0 Prison labour (cooking utensils, tea . „. ■\' cf '•■■■■ ■ ■ ....... ....oo iU .0 fflr^:i:::i:... : -tfgioo Piece1w0rk.:vi.....^-:i; :v -- v -;-;- V "0^ * x" Culverts (hot included mlcontracts) ..78:18 7 Ovev^er of prison 1ab0ur........ „.10/ U V Overseer's assistant..... oy. v v Repairs:- aud[ making up embank- . ,^. meiit5....,. J .;.-.-«;-fvvrvc;?:";rV' Bridle'rojui fromthe tunnel mouth to ; i pai-kinson's sections, in lieu of old , i '. . ,• x.v U U track „.••<'-•••••••••••••■- ; ■_ ' , Total expenditure,;.,,.-•-^5853 7 4 NB There t ave'no data for ascertaining the 'cost of the work done by the Canterbury Sbeiation; yal,ic of the okl w**k made use'bf at present Jinces is about'£2,soo It no , deiuht'eost more than that ; stimv j ' The Council adjourned till the next day. j 1 WteDKESDAt, Juste 10th. :; The Council:"sat for a very short time^ ■'"I'lie-. Caiiterbury " Association s -Reserves Xmehdment Bill, and the' Governor s Bay Load Bill were read a second time, and -the Kaiapoi Down Bill was read a third time and passed. „ ihe Council adjourned'till the next day. ThttksisaV, J^ne 11th. The Council met at 5 p.m. Present,—The Speaker, Messrs. Pooka, S. Bealey, Blakiston; li)ampier, Bray, Barker, J. Beaiey Hall, Davis, Moorhuuse, Olhvier West-«u-a, "Brifctan, Ward, Rhodes, Thomson, Packer, and, Morgan. :*•■-'■■■■•■ •■■■■ ■'• ' i-jiistfG-KiiTXON-. ■•■•■.' '' The House went • into committee on certain rt solutions-on immigration, proposed by Mr. Hall.

' A series of resolutions on; the same subject, proposed-by,Mr, Brittan, was also,read by Mr. The";first, resolution, Was one, recommending, the gradual distribution of funds and; the reception of emigriinfoduring three years to come. A suggestion was made by Mr. S. Bealey, to divide the amount tq be spent into sums of ; £10,000 for the first year, £'6,0p0 lor the second year, and £4,000 for tJ>e third year; instead of an equal, division over the three

' years, . / . :;; iW . : Mr. Bbittan moved, an amen^moYit to the : effect of putting a limit to the nuniber.of emigrants brought in during tlje year, instead of limiting the amount of money spent. The Council divided :ou the amendment, which was lost by,, niiig.to eight. „.,' Mr. S."BfiAiET put his former suggestion as an amendment. ...,...._ „ ] „ A very lengthened discussion arose,upon this motion ; the former, proposed by ;Mr. Hall, having beer, withdrawn, it was, finally carried. The second, resolution was to the effect that the sexes, should be equalized as far .as. possible, and that married' couples .with families- should be preferred. This was passed without; discussion. • ;■,.•; ■'■.:' -i ■v \: . The third resolution provided .that assisted passages should, not'be granted to persons above sixty years of age, except where their relatives bee,ame bound to ,renay the whole, amount of passage money. This was also carried. The next resolution was; to the effect that assisted passages should ,be '.granted only to natiy,<3B of, Great Britain and Ireland. C arried. ThY fifth resolution provided that at least two thirds of the^: passage money advanced should be repaid. Carried. . ■■:;:■• The.sixth,yiqsolution recommended the selection of'agricultural labourers. Carried. The seventh resolution provided for the termination of arrangements, in case of the disco very of precious metals in the., neighbouring provinces. Carried.! : The eighth resolution provided that there should be an immigration agent with a salary of £400 per annum, ,and allowances for the voyage home, to lpaye^his,country in August next.;,,.. Carried. ..j, ; ; „ '. The following resolution, was adopted: —1 hat his Honor J. E. Fitz Gerald, Esq. be requested 'to accept the.office ,of Emigration Agenti The whole series as above was reported and adopted; by the, House. „, ; , ; ; •••■"•■ '■• REPRESENTATION. The .House went into Committee on the Council Extension Bill. .. ;;;: The first two clauses were read and adopted. The third clause, dividing the province into nine districts,, yiz.-: the, Towns of Christchurch and "Xyttelton; the Kaiapoi,, Avon, Heathcote, Pprt .Victoria, Akarpa,,. Ashley, and Timaru Districts, was, re^d.;., ; A tenth district was added,.to include the pastoral couni t y between the Waimakariri and the Ashburton i rivers, to be called the Rakaia District; and the clause was passed. r , . . The fourth clause was also passed, giving twenty-six members to the Council. The fifth clause appoints a: Returning Officer for each district. f ,,.-.,.■, „ . ' The sixth clause provides for #>c sending in claims and making up, and publishing the Electoral Rolls. . ;„■ ;. ; , _ The seventh clause provides, a lievismg Officer for each district, tobe appointed by the Superintendent, to perform the.duties now performed by Justices of the Peace in revising the The above clauses, were passed without disdussion. *.= • • In the $thrclause,,some discussion ai-ose upon the proper mode of giving notice of objections ;to claims. It was finally passed. # The schedule describing the boundaries was read and passed with amendments required by the constitution of the Rakaia district..Thev ( preamWe.was then passed and the bill reported as amended. REPAYMENT TO PUBLICANS. Mr Or-wyiEß moved the reading of Message 31 fro'^v the'g\ii)erinfendent,,objecting.to therefund of the'ovprplus of -the, publicans' licenses paid last year, ns resolved on by the Council. The message; Was read,and Mr. Olhvier proceeded' to'narrate; the liistoiy/of the question and the- action taken ;upon it by the Council. He remarked that the responsibility oi the message had been accepted by Mr. Packer, who ■ was.unfairly/left alonp tq represent the Govern-

ment in the house. He thought that not only the Provincial Secretary,but, his nominal colleague even more than he, was to blame in the mattei\ He concluded by moving a resolution declaratory of sucli opinions, and added a vote <jf want of confidence in the Government in the matter. , ; ; Mr. Packee spoke at some length in justification of the course taken by the Government. He was supported by Messrs. Barker and Fooks. Mr. Moorhouse and others spoke in favour of the resolution. Mr. Hali, wished; to know whether Mr. Packer would think it his duty to Render his resignation' to His Honor if'the resolution were passed? , Mr. Packer said that he would not tender his resignation of office unless desired to do so by the Superintendent. , '. After a long discussion* turning chiefly upon the merits'of the case, Mr, Brittan .in a lengthy speech proposed an amendment affirming the . former, resolutions of the subject in temperate language The . amendment, slightly modified, was adopted by Mr. Olliyier, and passed. The house then went into committee on Message JSTo. 32, recommending a revision of the appointment of Clerk to the Council, and a , combination of the duties of that office with '• those of other officers. Mr. Pack kb moved a resolution in accordance with the terms of the message. :■ ■ Mi". Ha?,l moved a resolution, in amendment, to the effect that it was undesirable to accede to the terms of the message; and particularly that it was undesirable to form a combination of offices. This amendment was unanimously carried, reported, and adopted. Some amendments proposed by the Superintendent in White's Kaiapoi Bridge Bill were then considered in committee, after which notices of motion were given, and the Council adjourned at 11.45 p.iru .till next day.

Eailway Accidents. —A Voice fbom the Greejj lloosi. —Mr. Paul Bedfqrdhas appaaa-ed in, a new character. In yesterday's .'Times' he suggests'that'the firing of akfm rockets and burning blue tygb-ts, so successfully applied in the case of casualties at sea, might be employed also to obviate _ the. disasters to which we ai-e liable on our railway ; transit..- Instancing the late breaking dpwnof a luggage train on the : Northwestern line, by which a multitude of up ;' and down trains were delayed for twenty-four hours, the writer observes:—"Had the brokendown train been supplied with alarm rockets or blue lights, the dreadful consequences might have been avoided.: The firing/of, rockets in aii isolated part of the country wouldbeJdiscernible for miles j therefore the natural precaution of station-masters would be fo detain the trains uutil the nature of the calamity had been ascer- ! tamed. Again,should"ra train (which is not un- ; frequent) breakdown in a tunnel, the continuous i burning of the blue light would indicate the danger and warn approaching trains that none but ° inhabitants are allowed to lodge . here. .Again,, sir, if at some two or three miles before reaching a sharp curve, a signal rocket was fired, and not answered, it might with safety proceed. Had such a pra/aution been observed some six years bygone at. the station of Strivflan, near Dublin, it would have saved the lives of many of our fellow creatures, and nearly £100,000 to the railway." ' ; The Earl of Elgin has been selected by^lie Government as our plenipotentiary to the court of Pekin, and General Pennefather is to be the comlnfuirier in-chief of the Briiisli forces in China. The • AJornin.sf Post' says that it has authority to state that it is interd'eii to request the Hon.' -Judge Hal.iburtoi; (ram.^liuk) to htaud for.-the county of Vfid'dlesex.