Marlborough Provincial Council.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 177, 29 May 1869, Page 4

Marlborough Provincial Council.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th, 1869. The following report of the consideration ] of the Estimates is continued from our S last issue : j Compensation to Robinson Bros. ... £SO. \ Mr. Coxolly desired further information J on this head. The petitioners had taken \ the lease, and, through no fault of their’s, ] it ceased to be of any service to them. They paid the rent as long as they could collect the rates. They collected wharfage during the unprofitable part of the year, depending upon the profits they would reap during the profitable season. They had the benefit for 6 months from the Ist of April, when the amount of shipping was smallest, and lost it from November, when there was the largest quantity of wharfage. The lessees calculated upon all the wool that would be shipped, and from one firm alone, that amounted to 5,000 bales. That would have been of skins, £22 10s. That would have been £272 10s., besides the extra business accruing during that period. If the committee left these considerations out it was highly desirable that the item should be postponed. Mr. Donsox, as chairman of the committee, was willing that the item should be postponed, and that the members of the committee might re-consider the subject. They had not taken Mr. Conolly’s calculations into account. They thought the lessees had been longer in possession, and that the amount they had returned was all they were entitled to, whereas they had not included what was owing for the same period. He thought at least the trade during the latter period of the lease would have helped that of the former. Having not taken these things previously into account, he would be happy to support a larger sum being awarded Mr. Levien seconded. Item postponed. Compensation to P. and R. M'Rae ... £SO. Compensation to Thomas Williams... £53 ss. Bd. Mr. Ward would like to state that, as far as he know, nothing had been done for that item. Mr. Williams, the last time he went to the Kaikoura, did not examine the school at all, and he was not aware of his having examined any schools.

Mr. Eyes said the Education Board instructed Mr. Williams to give notice to the teachers of their services being dispensed with, but gave no notice to himself. He believed he was legally entitled to compensation. Mr. Williams went 100 miles with him to visit the Kaikoura school, but he could not say what he did in the case.

Mr. Waed said that the Council voted no money for Inspector, and Mr. Williams must have known thereby that his office was dispensed with. Mr. Wemyss said it was the impression of the Education Board that Mr. Williams had to give himself notice. He was astonished when Mr. Williams made a claim.

Item passed without a division. Repairs to Opawa Bridge ... £IOO. A discussion took place upon this item ; Mr. Seymour advocating particular attention to this work, and considered the sum insufficient. Item passed. Repairs to Tua Marina and Spring Creek Bridges ... ... ... ... £7O. Repairs to Taylor Pass Road ... ... £2OO. Survey of 150 acres given for road work... £3O. The Government had contracted with a person that he should put the road from the Wairau to the Heringa in tolerable repair, for which he was to receive 150 acres of land in the Kaituna, at the back of purchased land. The Council would see that the agreement the Government had made was favorable to the province, only they had to pay the expense of surveying the land. Item passed. Mr. Eyes, in reply to Mr. Couolly, said the Government had received an offer from a person, which they had accepted conditionally, to put the road between Picton and Havelock in repair the whole distance, and to be paid in land. Repairs to Roads and Bridges ... £4OO. Wharf and Moorings, Kaikoura ... £IOO. Boat for Clarence Ferry ... ... £25. Compensation to Robinson Bros. ... £l5O. Mr. Dodsox, upon further information, and after considering this matter in all its bearings, advocated the adoption of the sum. Item agreed to. The Estimates were then reported as having duly passed through Committee. Mr. Levicn moved—- “ That Messrs. A. P. Seymour, Gx-eensill, Ward, Western, and mover, be a Committee to consider the petition of William Brownlee, and report on Thursday.” Agreed to. Mr. Seymour moved “ That the Dog Nuisance Amendment Act be read a third time.” Bill read a third time and passed. Mr. 11. Seymour moved—- “ That this Council recognise the claim of Messrs. Bowden, of Queen Charlotte Sound, by reason of the action of the Land Claims Commissioner in granting to Mr. Jacob Hebberley a large tract of land held by them under license from the Waste Lands Board of the Province, are of opinion that a free grant of 500 acres of land within the limits of the said run held by them be given to them, and that the General Assembly be requested to give instructions for carrying the same into effect.”

—which, after a discussion, was passed with two amendments, viz.: the changes of Jacob into Janies, and leaving out the words “ That the General Assembly, &c.” Mr. Eyes moved—- “ That the Board of Works for the town of Picton Trust Act be read a third time.” Bill passed.

The Superintendent laid on the table a Bill to appropriate the revenue of the Province of Marlborough. Mr. Robinson brought up the report of the Select Committee upon the petition of John Ewart and other petitioners. Several notices of Motion were given, and the Council adjourned. THURSDAY, MAY 20. The Council met at 11 a.m. Present: The Speaker in the chair, bis Honor the Superintendent, Messrs. Conolly, Greensill, H. Seymour, Paul.Douslin, Robinson,Levien, Dodson, M‘Rae, A. P. Seymour, Eyles, Carter, Ingles, Ward, Western, and Wemyss. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr. Ward presented a petition from 70 inhabitants of the Kaikoura in reference to the removal of Sergeant Goodall, and the great evil done to the district by his removal, and praying that he might be reinstated. The Speaker said it was not competent for the prayer to be granted, but he would put it to the Council, who might do what they chose. Mr. Eves objected to the petition being received, as with that ruling it was not competent to put it to the Council. The Speaker said there was nothing in the Standing Orders to prevent the petition being received. It would be for the Council afterwards to take such action as it chose. Upon the question being put, the ayes had it. Petition received. The Speaker called the attention of the Council to there being no provision made for a Clerk to the Council. They must see it was derogatory to the dignity of the Speaker to have to perform all the clerical duties of the Council. Mr. Eyes moved- “ That the Council.resolve itself into a Committee of the whole to consider the Resolutions in reference to Education.” —Mr. Robinson in the chair. [The Council went into Committee accordingly. These were resolutions for embodiment in an Act which the General Government is to be petitioned to pass. From the view now taken, which denies the powers of provincial councils to pass Acts containing any rating clause, that course was the only one open for the Council to adopt in bringing in a perfectly new Educa-

tion Act. The discussions upon the severa clauses having been pretty lengthy, and the resolutions being of the greatest importance, and so generally applicable to the community, the proceedings in Committee are left over to be be given in full in next week’s issue.] Mr. Eobixson moved—•

“ That the report of the Committee on the petition of John Ewart and othei’S be adopted by the Council.” —lt was recommended that the license fee should be £2B. Considering the number of houses licensed, and the reduced amount of business done, members would agi’ee with him that the license fee was too large. Another recommendation was that all houses close at 11 o’clock nt night.

Mr. Dodson seconded. Mr. Seymour did not coincide with the recommendations of the repoi’t, except in the matter of houses closing at 11 o’clock. He thought the lamps about some of these houses showed an air of comfort about these establishments, bearing no evidence that license fees were excessive. (Laughter.)

Mr. Ward said if the rate were out of the way, there would bo fewer houses. He believed in having good comfortable houses, and some degree of amusement; but an excess of houses were detrimental to the community.

Mr. Dodson held the house fees were excessive. There wei'c one or two houses in this or other towns by whom double the amount would not be felt to be oppressive, but those were notable exceptions. It had to be remembered that houses in these places were very much scattered, according to the population, and if some of these were closed it would be to the serious inconvenience of portions of the public. It was not right that they should pay such large suras as £3O or £4O ; £25 would bear a better comparison with the fees paid in larger houses. He was not sure that an increase of houses was a very undesirable thing. People were more likely to stay out at nights, when a large number of people congregated together than when there were scattered houses and few attended them. That the publicans’ trade was not a very profitable one, he could point out great numbers that had failed within the last few years. At no trade was there so little money made, and it entailed the discharge of disagreeable and difficult duties at times,. Two or three about might have succeeded signally; but that would have been the case if the same energy had been bestowed by the individuals in any other trade.

On the question being put, a division was called for, which resulted in the adoption of the report.

Ayes 6 : Dodson, Robinson, Paul, Greensill, H. Seymour, Eyles. Noes 2 : A. P. Seymour, and Western. Declined to vote : Conolly, Ward, and Carter. Mr. Dodson moved—

“That the report of the Committee on the petition of C. Murphy and E. Reeves be adopted by the Council.” Mr. Douslin seconded. Mr. Dodson and Mr. Robinson strenuously advocated the adoption of the report. Mr. Eyes, Mr. Ward, and Mr. Conolly, whilst sympathising with the two members of committee in respect of the loss they had been made to sustain, argued that they were hound to oppose the appropriation of public funds in that direction upon principle. Upon a division the motion was lost: —■ Ayes 7 : Mcßae, Eyles, Dodson, Robinson, Douslin, Levicn, and Paul. Noes 10 : Eyes, Wemyss, 11. Seymour, Greensill, Conolly, A. P. Seymour, Ward, Inglis, Carter, and Western.

Mr. Levi en brought up the report of the Select Committee upon W. Brownlee's petition, recommending the return of £24 12s. which had been paid to the Receiver of Land Revenue, and subsequently forfeited. The Council then adjourned. FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 21. The Council met at half-past seven. Seizure of Provincial Funds. The Speaker rose and said he had a statement to make, which, as Provincial Treasurer, properly came from him. Since they had last met in the afternoon, the manager of the Bank of New Zealand hei-e had given the Government notice that he had instructions from the superior officers of the Bank that he was not authorised to honor any cheques on the Bank on account of the credit overdraft. It seemed that £2,448 had been declared by the General Government to be passed to the Provincial Government, and not with the object of being placed against the credit of the overdraft account. Three of the members of the Executive had some days previously met Mr. Kissling, and requested him to place the amount to a separate account. He then said it would make no difference whatever; they could only have one pro-

viucial account, and he was ready to honor the cheques of the Government to the amount of the full overdraft of <£sooo, and that it was unnecessary to make any other arrangement than that. It would be competent for the Council, if they considered it necessary, to frame a resolution expressing their opinion upon the whole transaction. The circumstance might have originated in a misunderstanding, but he was afraid it was otherwise. The Provincial Secretary said his attention was drawn about three weeks previously to a circular by the Colonial Secretary to the various banks in New Zealand. In this, loans and overdrafts were considered as similar; and any manager of a bank placing any of the funds of a province against an overdraft, was subject to a prosecution for doing so. From the tenor of the letter, he saw that they had been for two years standing over a mine, which might be sprung at any moment. He held that the overdraft should stand according to agreement, and that the provincial cash or current account should have been on a different footing altogether. He attempted to get the .£2,448 placed to a separate account, but the manager of the Bank here, maintained, and correctly, that such could not now be done, as the Audit Act required one account only. He was not satisfied, and was prepared to advocate the bold step of transferring the Provincial Account, but the Manager told them they would have power to draw up to the £ 5,000, and that although placed to the Overdraft account, the money remitted might be considered as so much cash. The money itself did not pass through the Provincial Treasurer, but was remitted to the Bank by the Colonial Paymaster. If the Government had had it in their own hands, they might have kept and held it, but as the Auditor’s and Treasurer’s liabilities were so great, they thought the veracity of the Bank Manager had better be trusted, than to take the money out, which they could have done. But the position now was that the Manager appropriates £*2,000 cash paid in from Land revenue, and limits their credit to £3,000. He (Mr. Wemyss) still maintained that the Treasurer should insist upon drawing against that amount by cheques as usual. He maintained, and the Manager must have known it also from the Colonial Secretary’s circular letter, that it was illegal in him to place the money to their overdraft. If this appropriation was allowed, they stood in the position of not having a pound ! He considered that the whole arrangement of the Provincial overdraft account being mixed up with payments to credit account was illegal, and contrary to the provisions of clause 4 of the Public Revenues Act, and clause 11 of Consolidated Loan Act ; and that the present action of the Bank Manager rendered him liable to the penal clauses of the Provincial Audit Act. The Superintendent said he would not allude to the bank account further than to be prepared presently to submit a resolution on the subject. A Bill to amend and repeal certain Ordinances and Acts of the Province of .Marlborough was read a first time, and was passing through a Committee of the whole Council when the inaccurate state of the draft became so apparent to the Committee, that Mr. Ward moved that the Chairman leave the chair, and report progress, which was agreed to.

The Provincial Secretary said, in reference to the action taken by the bank, he would move the following resolution : “ That the action of the Bank of New Zealand in placing to the credit of the Provincial overdraft account the sum of ££'2,448 13s lid, forwarded to the Province by the Colonial Paymaster, under the provisions of the Public Kevenues Act 1867, and also the sum of 9s , being a portion of the advance voted to this province by the General Assembly, was illegal, and in opposition to the Colonial Secretary’s official letter of March 19th, and to the protests of the Provincial Executive ; and that the subsequent action of the directors of the said Bank, in reducing the limit of the provincial overdraft from £SOOO to £3OOO, is a direct violation of a special agreement ; and this Council hereby requests his Honor the Superintendent to communicate the circumstance to the. Colonial Government, and represent that the Province has never received the sums above named, which were forwarded by their instructions; and to forward a copy of this resolution to the Colonial Secretary.”

Mr. A. P. Seymour seconded the motion. The information they had received that night surprised them all, and none more than himself. It appeared to constitute an entire breach of faith between the Bank of New Zealand and the Provincial Government, destroying that confidence which a bank should seek to foster by all the means in its power. The bank had entered into an engagement to furnish funds to a certain extent. Under that engagement the Provincial Government had made arrangements to have Estimates passed for the ensuing quarter, when suddenly, without notice or warning, by fresh instructions from the Board of Directors, they were refused the command of a sum of money that had been guaranteed, leaving the Provincial Government absolutely without a shilling. The Province was entirely penniless through the breach of a distinct engagement. Mr. Ward said their position was that they had not a shilling, and that the whole of the works, which were absolutely necessary, had to come to a stand still. He agreed with the whole that had been said by the last speaker. It was an extraordinary case, and he did not like to say much about it then upon a first impression. Having the example of the General Government in its treatment of the Province, the bank could not have too much said about its taking what was its due, and which ultimately would have been paid. Mr. Conolly said he was not going to oppose the resolution, but rather to suggest the alteration of a few words. He had been taken aback like the rest by the extraordinary conduct of the Bank. Still it appeared to him it was not illegal to place the sum against overdrafts. There was only one provincial account, and there could be no separate overdraft account. However much he regretted the occurence, their position, they might be assured, was not so discreditable as that of the parties that had ordered such a step to be taken by the Bank manager. He would rather omit the clause charging with illegality. It was certainly a breach of a verbal agreement

between a superior officer of the Bank and tbe Provincial Executive. They had a written agreement, by which the overdraft was to be .£‘sooo, but unless the period for its continuance had been stated, it might be terminated at any moment, although such a course was not usual or fair. He did not see it was illegal ; the Provincial Secretary was better acquainted with the Acts relating to such a subject, and his object was to feel his ground. They might really use unjustifiable expressions in denouncing an action which was in itself unjustifiable. The Provincial Secretary believed, after seeing the circular of Mr. Stafford, that it had been illegal since 1566 to place the revenue of a province, whether by appropriation or not, in liquidation of any overdraft. Mr. Wemyss then referred to Acts bearing on the subject. Mr. Conolly said that, in view of the references cited by the Provincial Secretary, he did not think the expression “illegal’’was improperly applied, and he was now ready to endorse the wording of the motion. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The Council then adjourned.

SATURDAY, MAY 22nd. The Council met at 11 a.m. Present : the Speaker, Messrs., Eyes, Wemyss, Robinson, Western, Wyvill, Greensill, Conolly, H. Seymour, Ingles, A. P. Seymour, Mcßae, Levien, Ward, Dodson, Carter andDouslin. A bolition of the Province. On the motion of Mr. Eyes, Standing Orders were suspended to allow of moving the adoption of the report of the Select Committee, and the petition to the General Assembly. He said the matter had been so fully discussed before, that it was unnecessary to say more now. He would make a slight alteration by inserting the word “ Hospitals.” Leave granted. Mr. Eyes moved the adoption of the report as amended. Mr. Ward moved as an amendment that the Council go into committee to consider the petition. It was the only chance they had of so doing, as it had only just been placed before them, and some had not even read it. Mr. Ingles seconded, and the motion was carried. Council in committee. Mr. Greensill in the chair. [ The following is the report and petition as passed by the Council: — “Your Committee report that they have drafted the following petition to the General Assembly of New Zealand, and recommend its adoption by the Council, and that the Speaker be requested to have the same engrossed, sign two copies on behalf of the Council, forward one copy to the member of the House of Representatives for the District of Wairau, with a request that he would present it to the House of Representatives, and another copy to the Hon. A. P. Seymour for presentation to the Legislative Council. “ W. H. Eyes, Chairman.” Petition. ‘ That the existing form of Provincial Government of Marlborough in the present financial position of the Province cannot bo maintained, and is unnecessary. ‘ That the revenues of the Province are insufficient to defray the expenses of the several departments which under the Provincial system are entailed upon it. ‘ That no portion of the Consolidated Revenue of the Colony being available in the Province of Marlborough for appropriation, the Council is unable to make provision for the maintenance of jails, police harbors, and hospitals. ‘ That the chief revenue accruing to the Province of Marlborough is derived from Crown Lands, and cannot be estimated at more than £5,000 annually, a very small portion of which sum only can be available before the month of May, 1870. ‘ That with the strictest economy the present system of Provincial Government cannot be maintained in the Province of Marlborough at a less annual expense than A‘7,000. ‘Your petitioners therefore pray that your honorable House will pass an Act to abolish Provincial Institutions in the Province of Marlborough, and to establish in their stead a system of Road Boards and Education Boards endowed with the whole of the Land Revenue after deducting therefrom the expenses of the Crown Land and Survey departments, [And that the Province be provided for these purposes into four districts, the limits of which are given in the Education resolutions submitted by this Council to the House of Assembly.] and to transfer to the General Government the cost and management of jails, police, hospitals, and harbors.’ ”]

In the first clause, Mr. Ward moved that the word “ unnecessary” be struck out. It was quite sufficient to say the present system could not be maintained, without adding that word. On being put, the amendment was lost. Mr. Ward said they ought to be ashamed of themselves, it was quite clear that no reason had been urged but being short of money ; the petition was being adopted in a very hasty manner, not five minutes being allowed the council for consideration. Not having the means was the consequence of the action of the General Government,; that treatment had bled us slowly to death, and it was desirable to make that fact as public as possible. But a little time would elapse ere it would be considered reprehensible by all; they were in too great haste to get home. It had been said that we had nothing to complain of but want of means, but he thought every man should give his

own reasons. The real grounds were not want of money. The party that had been working behind the scenes had in view the crushing of Provincialism, and was assisted by the Picton party, who had repeatedly expressed hopes that the Goverment should come to an end. He had no desire for office, but sought only the good of the Province. Their real object was to take the power out of the present bands, and give it to the General Government —to give it place and patronage, to the detriment of the Province. It was aided also by members who wished to escape from their duties. Ho sign had been given by the public to show that they desired the death of the Province ; nor had it been shown that any advantage would be gained thereby. The whole result would be one of dissatisfaction to the whole of the people, and he wished to place upon record his solemn protest against it. Mr. Eyes saw no advantage that could be gained by continuing this discussion. All who wished to say anything had done so before. Mr. Ward wished to get up a discussion as to the merits of Provincialism. He (Mr. Eyes,) was always in favor of Provincialism as long as the means existed. He complained that they did not give the reason, the first paragraph declared that it was a consequence of the present financial system. What would be gained by continuing it? We could only go to the Assembly and ask relief. We all admit that the Province has been wronged, but he saw no chance of our getting our due, the only way was to say “ Take the offices and pay for them yourselves ! The petition was only in accordance with the original motion. He hoped Mr. Ward would see the inutility of continuing a useless discussion. Mr. Ward said the petition did not show the cause of our injustice. We never had fairly tried to get it remedied. Our member had never laid our case before the Assembly ; it had never been fairly put to the House; it might have been talked over in the lobbies, but the action was between Mr. Eyes and the Ministry. He had been chloroformed, and it was his misconduct, contrary to the understanding before he went away, which had brought us to our present position. He would move that the following words be inserted—“ That the present position was owing to the present system of distributing the revenues.” Mr- Goulteh wished to say he would prefer the petition being brought in as an alternative measure, urging that the Gene ral Government should take; over the whole of the Customs throughout the colony. If there was no distribution among the other Provinces they would not get our share. Unless there was a revision of the Customs we should never get justice.

Mr. Eyes expressed astonishment at the course Mr. Ward had taken in delaying the adoptionJof the report. The committee had no instructions to prepare anything but what was in the motion.

Mr. Ward said his object was to declare the injustice we were suffering under, and considered it an advantage to have it in serted. There was no good in getting up two petitions. Looking at the proceedings of last session, he considered “Our Member” wanted strengthening. The amendment was then put, and declared lost. A division was called for, with the following result: — Ayes 7.—Messrs. Ward, Carter, Goulter, Dodson, Robinson, Douslin, M’Rae. Noes 9.—Messrs. Eyes, Wemyss, Western, Levien, A. P. Seymour, H. Seymour, Conolly, Seymour, Ingles, and Wyvill.

The amendment was therefore lost. Mr. Eyes moved the adoption of the report in its entirety, with the petition. Mr. Goulter thought it was not acting fairly by them in attempting to force a minority, and not allow them a chance of speaking. There was one alteration by adding the word “ Hospitals,” which was a new feature. He did not think it was the intention of any member to waste the time of the committee.

Mr. Ward contended that the action of the Superintendent in this conduct was most unusual, and he considered the time a most serious one. They had suspended Standing Orders, and it was now attempted to rush the petition through without.consideration. They once had a speech of 10 hours, but they should have one of 15, before they should act in this manner. It was the action of a despot, and most unseemly. He was treating the Province as if but goods and chattels. If they would not give him fair play, he would take it. It was not to be done in that way. They ought to have had the matter before them the whole session.

Mr. Dodson considered it was pressing the matter too far. The thing was notorious that the people were sick of provincial institutions. He believed they would soon

disappear, except in large centres. He would therefore support the resolution and petition before them. Mr. Ward said before it was put, he must enter his protest that the petition was not in accordance with the resolution, manypresent had not even read it. It had been proposed that the districts should be the same as in the Education Resolutions, the residents in which having sole control of all in their respective districts, which was omitted. He could only say the whole object was to destroy provincial institutions. He would protest against such reprehensible hastiness.

Mr. Goulter hoped the present motion would not be passed as forming a bad precedent.

Mr. Ward again called attention to the fact that they were pursuing a dangerous precedent, and the action of the Superintendent, was only in accordance with his conduct.

Mr. Eyes objected to any- member criticising his conduct in respect of what he did in another branch of the Legislature.

Mr. Ward wished to show the accordance of the conduct of “ our member” and “ our Superintendent” in the way the one treated his constituents, and the other the Council. All he (Mr. Ward) asked was that we should state our case in the petition, since our member had not done so. Mr. Robinson said he should vote against the motion, on the ground that the petition, did not contain all that the motion indicated. The Superintendent appeared to think all he had to do was to dig a hole set up a bogey on the other side of it, and then cry “jump” ; but they did not mean to be frightened into any course he thought (it to suggest. He admitted that under the existing circumstances the present system must be abolished, but he thought the petition should embody what form of government should bo substituted for it. This it did not say. He thought it would have contained some such divisions providing Road Boards, as those in the Education Resolutions ; but even that principle he objected to, as he considered the rates ought to be supplemented in proportion to the amounts raised in the various districts. This was the most important district in the Province, and had the most expensive roads to maintain. If they got a fair proportion of endowment, they would more readily tax themselves. He heard at a late meeting that a a grand scheme of retrenchment was to be brought forward by which .£2OOO a year was to be saved to the Province, but lie now found this was to be accomplished by abolishing everything, and giving us no Government in return. Why, the Colonial Secretary could save the expenditure of the whole Colony by pursuing a similar course. What he wished was to see every Road Board endowed with a fair proportion of the Revenue. The petition might go up to the Assembly with four districts mapped out, but wo did not know how they might cut them up ; they had no guarantee as to the state in which it would come back. He should like to see the endowment proportioned to the taxes paid. The Speaker commented bitterly on the unseemly conduct of the Superintendent, who intimated that he had a majority in the Council, and therefore meant to carry the motion, Mr. Eyes did not wish to thrust anything down the throats of the Council, but to test whether the members wished to discuss the motion. It was not until about the third attempt of Mr. Ward to put amendments to the Committee that he urged the present motion. Mr. Goulter pointed out how unfair it was, without notice or consideration, to ask them to pass the motion. On being put a division was called as follows; — Ayes, 7—Eyes, Wemyss, Western, Conolly, A. P. Seymour, Wyvill, and H. Seymour. Hoes, 9—M‘Rae, Dodson, Robinson, Douslin, Levien, Ward, Carter, Ingles, and Goulter. Mr, Eyes’ motion was therefore negatived. The clauses were then read and put seriatim. Mr. Robinson moved the insertion of the following after the word “endowed”:— “ In proportion to the rates raised by themselves within the districts.” Mr. Goulter said they had agreed on certain boundaries for School Districts, which were natural divisions, and it would be well to adhere to them in the matter of Boards.

Mr. Robinson would not press his amendment, because*he felt he stood almost alone in that view, but he believed the principle would one day be acknowledged as the correct one.

Mr. Conolly agreed with the piinciple, both as respected schools and roads, but

considered it too late to go into that now.

Mr. Wemyss moved to insert in the prayer that the Province be divided into four districts, with limits the same as those in the Education Resolutions. The motion was carried on the voices, Mr. Ward recording his protest. He showed that the proceedings were contrary to the Standing Orders. Mi. Eyes moved the adoption of the report by the Council. Mr. Wemyss secondedt he motion, which was carried mem con.

Mr. Wemyss moved the adoption of the report of the Committee recommending the alteration of certain roads as described in the schedule.

Report adopted. The Superintendent then thanked the Council for their attendance, and declared it prorogued.