PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 273, 29 May 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ITEMS.

PETITION. Mr. de Lautour presented a petition from 103 residents at Naseby, praying that the Rccreatioh_ Reserve there might be thrown open for mining purposes. KAKA.SU i WATER RIGHTS. A report from the select committee was brought up by Mr. Bastings, recommending that Government should give the petitioners in this matter their favorable consideration, the committee being of opinion that they are xairly entitled to compensation. SHAG VALLEY. Mr. J. C. Brown brought up a report, which stated that, inasmuch as the Government had made a partial provision to meet the wishes of residents in the district, it was desirable to recommend their petition to "the favorable consideration of the Government in selecting future Hundreds. clarke's diggings. The select committee reported on the petition of miners at these diggings, that Government had no power to. interfere as was desired in regard to water.rights, and recommended that their differences should be submitted to arbitration. K HADING THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. The followiug motion was -tabled by Mr. Ireland:—" That, in. the opinion, of the Council the reading of the Bible in public schools of the province should not be compulsory; but that the School Committees, with the sanction of the Education Board, should have power to permit the reading of the Bible, subject to the restrictions contained in the Education Ordinance." MINING CONFERENCE. REPORTS. Mr. R. Clarke moved, "That the Goldfields Committee be requested to consider, in conjunction with the Goldfields Bill, subject to his Honor's Message 2<!b. 2, the report of the Goldfields Delegation of IS7I, the report of the miners' conference held at Tuapeka in 1572, and the report of the miners' confeience held at Clyde in 1574, and to embody the result of their considerations in their reports." The motion was put and carried. St. bathan's. Mr. de Lautour asked the .Provincial Sec- , retary whether the Government would take into consideration the advisability of altering the proposed site for a Telegraph and Post Oiliee Station to .the lower end of the St. Bathan's Township, in accordance with the exjiressed wish of inhabitants ? Mr. Reid replied that the Government would have no objection to consider the advisability of altering the site; but they had no power in the matter. Theywmld, however, institute inquiry into it, and, if found advisable, make a recommendation to the General Government to that effect. NASEBV/' Mr. de Lautour asked the Provincial Secretary whether the Government would take any steps to obtain the £3OO voted' by the General Assembly last session for a Court House at jSTaseby; and whether the Government would take into its consideration the advisability of recommending the Council to vote a supplementary sum sufficient to erect a suitable building? Mr. Keid explained that some'steps were taken, inasmuch as his Honor communicated with the Colonial Government in April last. He pointed out that £3OO was insufficient, and recommended them to authorise the Province to spend £SOO on the building. The Provincial Government did not intend to recommend the Council to vote a supplementary sum during the session. Indeed, he (Mr. Reid) thought this Province should be put in the same position as other Provinces in regard .to Court Houses and Gaols, the Colonial Government doing what was required. The Council were too facile in these matters, and therefore had to bear all the cost. WAIHEMO-TO CLYDE RAILWAY. Mr. dc Lautour moved, "That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that, during the rec?ss, a flying survey be made of a line-of railway from Waihemo to Clyde, through the Maniototo Plains; the Ida Valley, and toe Valley of the Manuherikia." In support of the motion he gave a satistical account of the traffic to the interior by Waihemo, and argued that, by the construction of a line of railway, at least £4,000 annually would be saved on the present traffic. He further argued that a large extent of valuable communication, would be rendered' fit for settlement. Mr. M 'Kenzie seconded the motion, and spoke in support of it. ■ Mr. Reid, in announcing his concurrence, said he did not think sufficient inquiry had bean made as to the best available route for connecting Dunedin with the interior. He presumed the intention of the mo.~er was to obtain more definite information on that score. He did not presume it was intended that two lilies into the interior should be constructed, one leaving .Dunedin ,by the North and the other by. the South' Road. He believed strongly in the necessity for a comparative survey of the routes being made during the recess, and if the motion was car-i ried Government would cause that course to be followed. " " .■■■'■:

Messrs. M'Kellar and Hazlett both spoke in favor of the motion, and dwelt at some length on the necessity for having the most available route to the interior fixed upon. The motion was put and carried.