Provincial Council.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 485, 27 June 1857, Page 6

Provincial Council.

Friday, June 19th. The Council met at 11 a.m. Present: The Speaker, Messrs. Barker, J; Bealey, S. Bealey, Blakiston, Bray, Brittan, Dampier," Davis, Hall) Moore, Moorhouse, Morgan, Ollivier, Packer' Rhodes, Thomson, and Westenra. ' The following bills were read a third time and passed :— The Kaiapoi Town Bill, having been amended in the schedule, numbered 7, Sess. VIII. The Education Bill, numbered 10. The Council Extension Bill, after amendments,numbered 8. The Governor's Bay Road Bill was considered in committee. The first two clauses were agreed to, and the third deferred. Progress reported. In committee on. the Roads Diversion Bill, clauses 9, 10, 11, were deferred for the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor. Progress reported. Message 38 was then considered, and a motion agreed to requesting the Government to introduce a Bill to authorise the refund of the over-payments on the publicans'licenses, as suggested by his Honor in that Message. The resolution was reported, adopted, and forwarded to his Honor. On the consideration of the report of the committee on water-cresses, a resolution was agreed to, recommending the Superintendent to take measures without delay for clearing the rivers Avon and Heathcote from weeds, and indemnifying the Government for any expenditure incurred thereon to the extent of £1,500. The Council adjourned at 3 p.m. till Tuesday.

Tuesday, June 23. The Council met at 5 p.m. Present the Speaker. Messrs. Barker, J. Bealey, S. Bealey, Brittan, Blakiston, Fooks, Hall, Morgan, Moorhouse, Ollivier, Packer, Thomson and Westenra. A Message (No. 42) was received and read, referring to the resolutions adopted by the Council on Immigration, objecting to the policy pointed to therein, His Honor declining under those circumstances to accept the officejof English Immigration Agent. A Message (No. 43) referring to the proposed Melbourne Agency was received and read ; in answer to a resolution of the Council asking for a specific statement of the manner in which the money voted would be spent. His Honor suggested that a Mercantile House should be appointed General Agents of the Government, to whom complete maps should be supplied, as well as information on all subjects connected with the advantages of the province, the state of markets, prices, wages, &c.

The agents to advertise to a certain extent; to be authorised to give letters to intending purchasers coming down, and to be paid a percentage on sales effected through their means. Vessels to be laid on when a sufficient number of passengers offered, but no assistance to be given .by Government to emigrants. His Honor recommended that the scheme should be tried for one ypar< at an expenditure at Melbourne and Sydney of £250 each. The Kaiapoi Bridge Bill was considered in committee, and the amendments in the schedule proposed by his Honor were agreed to, reported and adopted. In Committee on the Roads Diversion Bill, clauses 9 10, and 11 were agreed to. After further consideration progress was reported. The Appropriation Bill was read a second time— other business was deferred till Thursday, and the Council adjournrd till that day.

Thursday, June 25. The Council met at 5 p.m. Present—The Speaker, Messrs. Hall, Brittan, S, Bealey, Westenra, Moorhouse, Foots, Ollivier, Thomson, Ward, Davis, Morgan, Blakiston, Donald, and Packer. An ordinance to authorise the refund of surplus license fees to the publicans was passed through all its stages, the Standing Orders being suspended for that purpose. By a resolution of the Council His Honor was recommended to reserve a plot of land for a gravel pit on the Lincoln road; also ten acres at Riccarton for a slaughter-house, in place of a reserve previously made. SUPERINTENDENTS AND COUNCIL PAYMENTS BILL. ' The-house went into committee on this bill. The schedule providing for payments for the next- five years, pet annum, to The Superintendent . ... £550 0 0 Speaker of the Council .... 50 0 0 For members residing at a distance of two miles, per diem . . . .0 5 0 Five miles, per diem, 0 7 6 Seven do., do.. . . • • • . 0 10 0 was accepted, a discussion arising upon the principle of payments to members. The bill was reported, adopted, read a third time, and numbered 13 of Sess. VIII. ESTIMATES. A sum of £500 for Gold Reward, and another of £50 for {compensation to Police Constable Lorns, were added to the miscellaneous items on the Estimates. Also a sum of £4,038 18s. lid. included in the resolutions of last session, and another sum of £1,425 15s. sd. expended over the Estimates, and not yet included iin any Appropriation Bill, were added to the Appropriation Bill for the current year; also, a sum of £150 for the Local Post Service. APPROPRIATION BILL. The house went into committee on the above bill. , , The various sums previously voted were passed seriatim, as they appear on the Amended Estimates. On the vote of £20,000 for Immigration, a question was asked as to whether the refusal of His Honor to accept the office of agent m England would impede the expenditure on the service. An answer was given by the Provincial Secretary to the effect that no delay would take place, and that the Government would not relax in its efforts to provide for the expenditure of the money voted m the manner resolved on by the Council. He added that a scheme was in contemplation by the 1/xecutive Council to carry out the wishes of the Council and that an agent would be appointed with the least possible delay. A very lengthened discussion ensued. The vote was finally passed, it being agreed that the rjsolutionson the subject should be reconsidered next day. The remainder of the items were agreed to, and the bill as a whole was reported and adopted. On the motion that the Appropriation Bill be read a third time, the Standing Orders being suspended for that purpose, a very warm discussion arose, after which the motion was withdrawn by leave. POSTAL COMMUNICATION. Mr. Blakiston proposed a series of resolutions on the above subject as follows: — 1. I hat the deficiency of the arrangements for bringing forward the European Mail from Australia is calculated to causu great detriment to trade and to the prosperity of this province. 2 That until some satisfactory plan has been carried into operation by the General Government for extending a mail service to New Zealand, as originally contemplated by the Government of England and of the Australian colonies, it is desirable that some contract should be entered into with parties willing to undertake the mail service between this province and Australia. 3 That taking into due consideration the importance of this question, this Council recommends his Honor the Superintendent to make sufficient arrangements for effecting the above-named object; and that this Council will indemnify the Government in an expenditure for this purpose of a sum not exceeding £1,000.

These resolutions received a lengthened consideration. An amendment proposed by Mr. Fooks, to allow a bonus of £50 to any vessel bringing down an JMighsh mail within sixteen days from its arrival in Melbourne, v. as lost. Another amendment by Mr! Mookhouse, to reducyiie propos-.d sum to £500, was lost by 10 to o. Ihe resoiu(i t!i ,s were carried and forwarded to ins Honor. After notices of- motion given, the House adjourned.