Provincial Council.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 548, 3 February 1858, Page 4

Provincial Council.

Friday, January 29th. The Council met at 11 a.m. Present:—The Speaker, Messrs. Blakiston, Ollivier, Cass, Dim--«an, Waitt, Sttidtiolme, Sprot, Davis, Bishop, Alport, Fyfe, Woodford, Dobbs, Thomson, Milu, Fooks, and Wyatt. COMMITTEE OF SUrPLT. The house, on the motion of Mr. Olliviek, ■went into committee to consider the Estimates. No specific alterations from the sums placed on the paper were suggested, except by the Provincial Secretary, who amended some of the items. No discussion arose; the only points which elicited explanations from the Provincial Secretary were the proposed payments on account of the Provincial Council, the salaries of the police and of the survey department, and the present position of the harbor department. The votes when passed stood as follows:— j

I . TOWS RESERVES. | Progress was then reported, and the house ! went into committee to consider the Canterbury j Association's Reserves Ordinance Amendment i j Bill. i ) Clause L being read, I i Mr. Duxcax referred to an ordinance pre- ; viously passed, bearing on the subject of these j reserves. Sess. V., No. 2, wherein a clause was j found providing that grants of land from the rej serves if not applied within a certain time to the purpose for which they were granted should revert to the Superintendent, as though the j grant had not beeu issued. He would wish to j know if it was proposed to keep this provision in force by repeating it in the bill now under consideration, or whether it was designedly omitted. On comparison of the clauses of the ordinance referred to, Mr. Ollivier remarked that not only on that but on other points there appeared to be an unintentional discrepancy, and he would request the adjournment of the debate to introduce the required amendments. The house then resumed. PETITIONS FOB BEDRESS. Mr. Olliviek, on behalf- of Mr. Thomson, moved for the appointnient-of a select committee to enquire into the allegations of Mr. Dampier's petition—to Teport on Tuesday the 9th instant. ! Assented to. Mr. Wtatt, on behalf of Mr. Thomson, moved j for copies of letters from Mr. Dobson to the Executive Council, dated April 7th, 1856, on the subject of a contract with Messrs. Lingard on ; the Sutnner Road. Also for copies of the conj tract entered into with Messrs. Lingard, and of the drafts of the proposed contract. Assented to. £KAIAPOI FEBKIES. j Mr. Blakistox rose to move that Government 1 | ; vi requested to take immediate steps to make an available approach for horses to the river Waimafcariri-, also for providing a punt imme- | diately. This motion he now put to the Council j because the answer of the Provincial Secretary ion his being questioned on the subject on a former occasion had not been satisfactory. The pnnt, it was well known, had been washed away, no other coald be got, and all traffic for horses | was at a stand still except by swimming, and i that operation was rendered difficult by the i state o( the bank at the approach, where the j flood had left a steep fall of some feet into the ; water. He thought the proper officer should be ! directed to examine the present condition of the • ferry, and to ascertain how soon a punt could be , placed on the river, and in what way it could be i worked most to the advantage of the public. He j would suggest that it should be under the ': management of the Government, a condition j which was almost necessary to render the interj ests of the public safe. He hoped that the Goi vernment would take immediate steps to have j the inconvenience remedied. ! Mr. Ollivier was glad that the honourable gentleman had brought the subject under his , notice. He could assure him that the subject i had received due attention. The Provincial ' • Engineer had made an inspection of the river after the flood, and especially at that particular spot where the injuries had been committed. He reported as before that money would be ! merely thrown away in trying tore-establish the ferry in the former locality. The punt could not. be used there beneficially; the great • width of the river rendered an enormous length of rope necessary, involving a great strain in time of flood, and really rendering the punt dangerous. Arrangements, he might state, had been made by which the inconvenience now felt by the stoppage of traffic would be pnt an end to. Fel tori's pnnt at the new ferry would be ready for service by Saturday or Monday,(next); and an arrangement had been entered into by : which, in consideration of a grant of house and land at the ferry, a man would be in attendance ■ and the punt always in working order at any ( hour of the day or night. The fares also would be reduced to foot passengers, and, if possible, to all sorts of traffic. An agreement would be ■. drawn up between the Government and ; the ferryman "by which these advantages would be secured. 'He hoped that the j honourable gentleman would see that, the , Government was not supine in the matter, but ; was prepared to do the best under the circumstances to make the inconvenience as short as possible. The motion was carried. .MO.OItIXOS AT TIJVIARTJ. j Mr. SxuimoLittis ro.se lo ask whether the Go-

vcrnmcnt were about to take any steps to lay down moorings at Timaru. They had been promised, and were anxiously looked for. Immediate steps ought to be taken, or else, wherever they were to come from, it was likely that another wool season would pass over without these necessary appliances for shipping. Mr. Oixiviek really could not say why the necessary steps had not already been taken ; an investigation, he could promise, should be made forthwith. He believed that moorings, properly so called, were not so much required as buoys to indicate the position which vessels should take up. If the report were satisfactory, no delay should occur in providing the necessary accommodation. jThe Government was willing to admit that that district had claims to immediate attention.

Notices of motion were then given, and the house adjourned till Tuesday, at the usual hour.

isouzrioution to General Governnient ... £2,000 0 0 .Grant in aid of Schools 1,250 0 0 i Total 3,250 0 0 j EXECUTIVE. Superintendent £250 o o Forage allowance 25 0 0 Provincial Secretary 150 0 0 Chief Clerk 125 0 0 j Assistant Clerk, also Clerk to the ! Bench 25 0 0 Miscellaneous 15 0 0 Provincial Treasurer 150 0 OJ Provincial Auditor 50 0 0 Provincial Solicitor 100 0 0 | Messenger to Government Offices 50 0 0 Kent of Government Offices ... 25 0 0 Fuel ... .„ 20 0 0 Total Executive ... 985 0 0 _ LEGISLATIVE. Clerk to the Council 75 0 0. Expenses of Members 150 0 0 Chaplain 12 10 0 Speaker 25 0 0 Itent ... ... 50 0 0 Fuel 10 0 0 Miscellaneous ... 10 0 0 .Returning Officers and Poll Clerks 50 0 0 Total Legislative ... 382 10 0 j ADMINISTRATION OF JCSTICE. Crown Prosecutor, also Provincial Solicitor £50 0 0 Expenses of Session, including Witnesses, &e 50 0 0 Gaoler- . ... ... "5 0 0 Chaplain to Gaol 15 o 0 Matron 7 10 0 Prisoners'rations and clothing ... 125 0 0 Fuel 15 0 0 Miscellaneous 15 0 0 Coroner's fees and mileage at 2s. 6d. per mile and fees to medical witnesses 25 0 0 jRegistrar ... loo 0 0 Chief Clerk 85 0 0 Assistant Clerk ... 75 0 0 Arrears of Salary due to CoL Camprell .• 77 8 5 .Rent of Office 7 10 0 I Fuel 10 0 0 I Miscellaneous 7 10 0 | Kesident Magistrate at Lyttelton, I Christchurch, and Kaiapoi... 175 0 0! Clerk to Bench at Lyttelton ... 90 0 0 I Ditto at Christchurch ... ... 40 0 0 ' Travelling expenses 50 0 0 ! 3tent oi" office, Christchurch and Lyttelton 30 0 0 Fuel for ditte 15 0 0 "Miscellaneous ... > 15 0 G :J3ub-Inspeetor at Kaiapoi (to in?clude travelling expenses., and to perform duties of Clerk to the Bench) 75 0 0 "~0ne Sergeant ,.. 75 Q 0 Two Corporals, at 6s. 3d. per diem 114 7 6 Nine Privates, each at 6s. do. do. 492 15 0 Fuel ... ... 12 0 0 "Miscellaneous .„. 15 0 0 Inspector of Sheep „„ ... 150 0 0 inspections ,... ... 25 0 0 T'otal £2,114 Oil WASTE LANDS BOAItD. Chief Commissioner £175 0 0 Other Commissioner .,; ... 50 0 o "Secretary 125 0 0 .Messengers.to Offices „. .... 46 19. o Rent of Office ... ... .,,. 0 0 Fuel, &c 40 0 0 ... ,,. .,. 30 0 0 Toktl £476 19 o ■-SURVEYS. . Chief Surveyor £225 0 0 Three Assistant Surveyors at £175 each .... "... .„ t>2i> 0 0 One ditto ... 150 0 0 Draughtsman ... 125 0 0 Fourteen Survey Labourers ..... 700 0 0 -Occasional assistance, instruments, and equipments ,.. ... 200 0 0 Contract Snrvcys .,. ... 700 0 0 Survey of Pitsfor.il Districts .... 500 0 0 '.Miscellaneous 125 0 0 Total .... £3,250 0 0

I HARBOUR. Harbour Master and Pilot at Lyttelton (in addition to Pilotage Fees) £50 0 0 Coxswain, 7s. per diem ) lnQ .. n B.»atmen, 5s. do. do J 103 16 ° Allowance for extra hands ) Miscellaneous (including two new > 122 10 0 boats) ) Total £232 6 0 CHARITABLE. Provincial Surgeon £75 0 0 Nm-se to Hospital, and allowance for boy to cut wood and fetch water 33 0 0 Fuel 25 0 0 Rations 50 0 0 Washing 10 0 0 Miscellaneous repairs 15 0 0 Charitable aid to paupers and lunatics 250 0 0 Total £458 0 0 , ESTIMATE OF REVENUE. j For Yr. For $-Yr. Balance £5,000 £5,000 Customs (three-eighths) ... 7,500 3,750 Fees and Fines—Resident! c . n _ nr Magistrate's Court f 6a0 325 Fees—Register Office ... 400 200 Licences—Auctioneer's ... 360 360 " Publican's ... 500 500 Land Fund—Sales ... ... 20,000 10,000 " Pasturage Licenses 8,350 8.350 Loan 30,000 30,000 ' £72,760 £5S,4S5

__ PERMANENT CHARGES.