THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1874.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 276, 19 June 1874, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1874.

It will;be renieiribered .that' on the debate that endued; on Mr. Bastrags'motion, tabled scon after the celebrated Coalition Executive took office, that Mr. Tu>nbnll 'wH* credited by the 'Daily Times organ being at present a Ministerial organ must be [correct, it Mng rumored through the 'Star' that kadinsr article proofs are 'dorrected on the 'jfcbfeVuriv*' benches—with having secured a victory ! to the Q-overnment by bringing forward certain charges against jir. Bastings and the Provincial Engineer. We. quote a few of these charges, taken from the accurate report in the ' Evening Star' of May 15th: '-" I'(Mr. 'I unibiill) had "| demurred to the extent to which my " late colleague went iuNjver-riduig the " votes of the.Council. JtHiTnot want " to anything in an unfair spirit, ''and will only mention one instance, " which will in a.day or two appear on; " the balance-sheet. The one which I " protested against was the transfer of " £1,200 voted for the Teviot road to " the road from Tuapeka to LawrenCe. " I had been personally over this road, " and believed this transfer was a most " improper one. . ■.-—•." "Thatwas " not the worst part of the affair. In " the list of./expendiiure you will find "additionalliability on this very road "of £3,500 There was voted for this "road by the Council last year £5,000, "there was £6400 accualiv spent, and' '•and we have incurred a'liabilitv of "£8,500, making ,-. total of £IO,OOO »'where only £5 000 was voted. This " is an instance of what L objected to "in.the Executive. I consider I was "|hoiind to protect the public monev "land .tho votes sanctioned by the .' . ," "lam " Snot going" to sny that my late col, " league is not to be trusted ; he wants

"-holdiiffg.-iij the m-tt'-r of spending <" inonev. • . . ." "Aa \onjr as rhe " Council voted iiiOuoy we weco b>.»u.:d ' to spend it as vo ttd, and no transfer '' should bf ':i,ii j p from one district to " another unless hy the authority of a " full mjptina of the Executive." Now for the railway charges. Mi'. Turubull wOl, 'the s sa.iW /eveuin ■.?: —'', vV r iW " regard to the s-ailwav contracts, it' " pressed, I will go into the whole -""thing. Tue'b-o-u:-:meßib«iT-ib:"-Duinp~ " din (Mr. riah) says we lust £2*ooo "on one coutract. I will tll him' the ±,r l eaaon,.iLhe...lLkes. ~»>A t ..the time the- " tenders were opened a proposal was '' before the TCxecutive, whether we j"fshofuld adhere,to th'e' tipndifcions/or t"»not;: '■■ 'We *uec*iu\;d« 'after full discus- " s:on, to adhere to the conditions.

"'*H U;-i4£h§ tenders'! weretbeo .opened,;; j". and tjherß.,;w3B,a; ;diffene'nce" 0f;£2,00,0 •' between the lowest and the " lul oneT-Mis.,MoiTi&ony <4 ot'jßluej opur. jLiia-t was trie reason wby„ ms " except: sthat/dYe''and tile Engineer' " knew previously , u'\e ( teudei's . " were. They IwdJmalysed/liKUtenL''' " ders. 'I hey were onened in the Eu--''.gineer's 'offie'e/'betbre'.the'Executive' "decide'd bn , "'ta'eni t .<' .'-'Ttia-lr is ; 'exactly 1 ' <",]bo,vx the matter " 1 would like.rti.vask'tkeib.'bnv.'iiiembe'ri "if. "'tenders should be.accepted,, as being u , tocj Pij-byaucialilj^easiurer; //..butjl. I!; 'Tiifiw, "'«u■ r-p :' I 'am quite preparedjto.be-;; " lieve t ( hat h,e fn.iv bavp doneiso/,; It, "' does' ''ri ot B,«jl o/ my ! f i'iftn'd',s'c;'se,'' otie' *lb^a ; -f:;;;;!' M^7; Uiv ""sdying 1 ' 'there w^' , wrong' " about the contract. I may certainly' ffißnff' tlieve \vasi'not).f' i 'fS^'lTf! ! tbere Was' ''.T-he , !-faC!t.ri , -« , 'Vv'J ,v>wrt\ -sol

Soon after this debate' ; 'a''Beiyi , C6 { m-' ! ' mittee w&a^appmik^^^hq^r^An^o' l the acceptance—by the late Executive the'lifehWniWays:'a^ - d f aVf>o)al h-circum-*' : stance*' iri cbnneMoh i with »tlre , " , ie ! xperi , ii • : si&m-<£i>£iwodey>i6b. the*roadiiVom /Fb'-" komairiro to Law fence. The Cotdlttifri: tf?e,j appointed (wereithe! Speaker,' jther, i£j>n. j Dr.,, Meuzies, Davie,; (rreen, flliver, Koben.s. and Fash!:. There,, being.,only members hpf 1 vernment, ,tbe,report; ,they ( .jba.v:e lately;Jad on the table is,sos}%} ,tp .-great, : , v^eight.,. ; ; We // wiU,fi < !db'tter'pVt|ie railway cpntracts.' . 'ijhe, report states :—"'i'tie usua^cqm'^e''of j ." procedure wq«.pursued in regard to "• , thel v^6Bptloa' !u a:hd' h '6^bV ! oF4e' ," tenders until^ene'd. 1 ''tfhairwh'en" ;'l.tbeJ.< tenders were pipresehtf lafa'-. Ho'rior'th& SuperMen-' •" dteTtit, -Mri!'Turribu?S l*fld ."■ ings.>!; we're -for-'-' '"■■ warded by Ith<»: Clerkraffi the' •'Exebu- ■■: " tive-ito'the'.P'rowjnw'ftlnKTirtmeerV who ; " returned tiiem 10 tlie ;:>eer6tary"bf " Works ; in p, eseuce of pv., ;YCehster. <■, " shortly before tbejueeuugioi .'JStfecu-.- " tive at which they " appears that Mr. Bastings and the " Provincial did. not. consult j", togetber'.iif regard 'to these ( Renders' '_ !"' and ; the ; 'e vMinik on ' that' point : was " not attempted .to bs contradicted " f-'6\''--N.imV''oi t 7Ttiiyut:v'tiQri >'f ! TrrV-rU f: ' ijshiAww; ,J'<- , i'' i " < i.',' ''■■■■i>,-h ■■'■-■ ■ ■■'!' : •"--• caa L.e aaneatfa to u.i;y iapiii-. ■j" bbi-'of (ihV^^^CeSu're^iti'u^se '"^i J nj!^, w^n .A I "fvteAd^.rs. l f j'ne.nsu'i'l 1 V Tbe t!, e'y?Henc^'¥brth'er i,: goeW'to ! sb'ow' f'-cefp'fea'4f W-OMitfve' without aity: i' qu -ation as to '" that amount iM'iltife 1 ,' amount appropriated,',' Prom the \Ml} feeWi /^i J e i! these : —D.. Weoater *&&ef a *f»asf& dpwn to toiyn.on .a. publiiTLoluL 1 Wt "tf (M TutiibfolT' and f 'th% 'tiVpaif\p ; his omee, and told him they wanted to fettle tfiese tendfh^, n M h l)r!^ l eb^v l bad>f£-buielfiwv 'fcH&fcl 'pfuVpoHe' arid ! < mu&t >'i lefave/' Jagaiiv 'the .sAme byj Steamer haVte<wit'bwhich the tenders were tenderl tovttte t't ; me r>f?ae.L42-sa]'.^Jthaif' ! a special carriage '.waav'B l eiit : -"tp -'fetch-ap-thevSu-pupn'Ji'-i/deiilt, .(viio tio.m«M<. l vWbpn!it.he»-JRI jrpwbliveTi*et, -M"K i Bastings that the tondors were! high, and recommended t ! iat frosh tendeiS) should .ifhei Executive/ho.weveiviideiided Mr. Bastings stated the question of the impropriety of accefpting') tenders';' far, ii!«xceeding , itbe , amount appropriated by the Coiiuel;, .and on terms different from what was agreed to by the Council, was never discussed by T lhe?.Rkf«cutive., iTh'e P-cd-) '\jincial Engineer, ,!iiia : 'ih,ia:-/. J stated:—" When I received the ten'i ders tbrougli the Kxecutive Clerk T M 'i most distinctly,' aud wouiu.d&sd .(if l< .";! consult MiV "Basting's, nrir did Mr! "i Bi?s|Vrgr sptnk onthe aojije'cte ""; of tSea6 teiiderfeln the interval fi-oinl '' my receiving the tenders through thej " "; tHdOV with * my' recommendation; :"\ thrp.ugh the usunj channel. '; Being a ".hp'jiaay,. and. no clerk,pr, ines'seng'e'r,' " convenie'iit,'L' : hVnded.the tenders" iii, " myself td/th'4. Weci-etafy! of' Work's' 1 ".rb6^;'' ; oW'MohVl'ay, the' GtbV.'shoi-tiy l " bpfoW'the Exe : ?utjve I m / ee ) ting,' : 'Bb'th '•' Mr.'tJastinos and' Dr.. Wehkter we're' " then in the room. Wh'wii •I'i!id. ; *so| r ' "there w:«a,no. ,on ,t!ie 'Vsubject. \ j >Mr? " Baatiijgßf aiid v myselt' consul fell!; pri-' ":vately ; iii regard 'fco'tbeacceptauce of "these tenders." Now, we rh'iist take a very short extract T from Dru Waster's 1 M been a remark -about Vhe ; tW-

"! hj;.rh, but the husi- " neas that waij-done w:is the i.ox<><.-uive " agreeing thatruo tender should be " accepted unhv- it strictly o<.m plied '' with "the condiM-'Os "f teurjpr. " l note the irregularity to* for the " fir-<t. t'm~> pointed out to m> —that :t Proudfoot's tender, "ays,,' J,, .(2-eorge, ■' 'rPi'oudfoiit, ty&ion'<leM;i}v§\ d^here-; " ''By tender,' &C,'and* thai the do'eu- " ment is signed by David """ ijue J We> take that extract "because rr'oudfuot - wa"s~ 'tH© ; ~s-uccessf Orepdfci'raiJway, as against Campbell, tender was abonjj ,§2,700 lower,! but — .deposit VJreque not 'ueiiig marked —and; aceovdiiioTy rejected, let Dr. Kfe!ngineer4<hriw ; wrt* not'' even-Vu'gWd Vy'^lie''tenderer! far -reaterj fine camel,,tpe Province,hasiost nearly f £3,000. ''' ; Now'iWr u MrV George Turn-' t s% v a^ , nfent by Mr. Bast-j ," ings. and have no reason to quastiqnj ■£ its' correctness. . . "' or itapropriety of aeceplmg* tendersj '•"?,so v in eicekbt\Vb\ I" proi/riated was not considered at ailj /"in.tJe Executive. . . . This isj ; "lithe ">first time <jt<ha,\ 1 f | -." awaife of the Mdroiaiifiy itf *FroiM-1 >" tender. Tdo not think that! " therp is the slightest cause for aup-l !." posiag that there could be any taut- -" perifig with theoe tenders. It is a j " pf almost impossibility." \ 4 >, i jwitu the ctiarges against Mr. Bastings, : 'with Regard to the transfer fco the' Tuape'ka road during the past recess :: ,™/Cl|b Committee find that, I>§ iril the meeting of the last Council, W- '"■ fore'the Turnbull-Bastings Govern-' was formed at aiVtheVe " liaoijities to the amount W'MfjW.

this, when Dr. -V Mr. jShand joined Mr. TurVdulf/the ■-" sum |of £5,000 was set down in the '? Estimates, although the Provincial >£ Engiheer applied to have. £7,500 - ; ",;fy;i )V"ebster.a;nd\Mrj SJjand .making ; ;" the reddcedl&Wl \ " joiuhW tlie Government. I" is true, j J.-jjthejV state they were not made avare I ," of tlie liabilities. In November, ," howejrer, the A iiditor drew the atten- , J tion pf the District Engineer to the '" state of the voi;e for that road. The /''tfistitict Engineer, it ap'^ear^f^en ; j '.*,. recommended thy Groveraihent" that " a mtn of £L2OO, which had been under the same sub-divishjuto, '•'* road STuapeka to Teyiot, be 1 '4-t'nadsfei-red to vatte jpati Tokom>ii;ir& iMto Tliapeka, l/ecUiM* i";could)not then be judiciously, in his ; .■' opiuion, expended during the year. .'.'! The pommittee say that the reeoin- :;" mendfition appears to have been ■."ibrought before his H.onor, who, on " satisfied that the money ?,had ,:" been .■ already \ aperifr,, f\ip\isprtedf the x at a meeting of tli'e; Execu- " tive on the 6tb Jad#ary\\ \Pss'ent: " M His Honor, air. TuYnhiiilV Mr." Bast- •"' iags ; "'didseritins: ' Vrbm the * ; (ieMsibn " s 'Quoting more exactly the wording of the'repOTfr, w<* find these paragraphs : 1 <0 Your .Committee are of opinion that il sufficient care wsi not shown in re- ;"! constructing the Estimates of the ''"-•G-oveiinment framed last session, 'consideration apparently hay r ■" ing>ibeen given to the' %t\ " GS-overWent than to providing tot ft - 'the V^n tracts at that time nnthoTristed\ '•"■aridVin progress of bem<|'<Vwre s a out, ' ■ . (Your Committee are of opinion !:HthaE there is nothing in the evidence 'j'yio 1 tfikojyv that auy individu^uk&e^he"r\ " of the); Executive had, inr >".per r >ay, permitted any usflttt\)<VrisM '.'feexpenfl'iture on the rond <&&omtfif-trif "tn-Tuapeka." ■■ li: •Was'e' Mr/ 'TufhbullMirs^n^^^^ 'Eeid's wiufgl !-'Wise> Mo) to save your(Sft]f,;.;;byj recklessly-.Wakifig iithat had no foundation) HgHiinst • colleague and against a public officer. 'Jlbick-ssinned Mr. (xp.orjre Turnbull, ;1o ; tpthXjldbffiee, akhnnghmwtr .gross pqbhWjtf&uifi ilia's bfeetoMsdMshfe-*

Clyde Corporation Borrowing Powers Extension;: Oi-diaaiioej 1874*" " The. Hospital Ordinance, 1574 " (placing the power of election of oificers in the hands of the Committees), and " The Gold Duty Repayment Ordinance, 1874." Among those reserved for the signification of his Excellence's pleasure are i: Ths Otago Sarbor Board Bill, 1874," and "The iNaseby Recreation Ee•serves Management,Bip, "1874.?-' a The*' Guardian' States that'-hon. members of the Provincial Council had a short sitting onMoiwilay. L .. w „^fyjiasembled.. f at the_jis,ual - . 'hour,"two p."m",' and. a"t a quarter to three his Honor the Superintendent road the prorogation Address. Previously, the Speaker read .^JetterJjrjMn^e^l^ 'mglihe accounts and ba,knje-sheet for the financial year' ending : ''March 31, 1574. A report was .also ( received, .from the Waste Lands and*lmmigratioit ! ddinmittee, contain--ing suggestions' "the ( ''''Haphazard ; manner, .'{' which the system of y has 'been conducted.*.,'' -.'--"■-'• ■" |

:jrH,B j ponmussipneiy p|> • } pn .Monday last "received 'information, by telegram of an attempted murder ,at Tnvercar&-jll. ; , - The of-j fence'tSokplacje.>t ! tjie Erin HoSelj the would-be ' assassin' being a man named John JBrennafi,, and hisiinteaded ■victim being a The assault was committed by-striking heii twice.on the taken ib the 1 lidspiial, buf/the hni think that she can.possibly recov.er. Both! were passengers Brennan' says he does not know what tempted him toj commit the\deed, as heftvas very'fond of the' girl. He was arrested, and is now in cus-j tpiiy.Trr'ieuarclian.' .'A, I}'Yi.fr | j Mr. M 'Dermid, of Port Chalmers, %, g%n.j .tlemah /everyl-J6'dji* f e , his, own make'matters rather' hot' for man of' portly a'* of guodj things and Scripture quotations, also some-', what famous for being-the cause of extraor- : dinary political positions member him-j self having attained in political; somersaults—was, the other afternoon, very! innocently itbie Qaiise of'an explrfsibrr'df tem-i per from the Provincial The Go-1 vernment had given notice—very wisely, late j in the session—of a formal motion sanctioning' the unauthorised expenditure of last year, j Mr. M'Dermid—it is said, prompted by aj •third jparty-Afliad-i a j neati "amendment',. "^re-! pared, addmg a rider to the Provincial Secre- j •tary's^mptionitfl.tb^,^effect,,that,;, whSe/sanc- j tioning the special orders unauthorised, the j .Coancil regretted that the accounts were.spnt tfcbwn' unaudited! Mr. u tleid J new'into ohe'bf! his tantrums—characterised the t proceeding ''surprise';'-that the 7 Councu i might do what it liked with the amendment; if„carriedjitiWOuld simply<be foKwhat it was worth. The Council accordingly did there .and then jjarryj.tbe t amendment;,,. The Government then found themselves in a fix. Before the i as amended, was again put 'by Mi/'Speaker, as is necessary," Mr! Eeid said he really thought the Government I would have to consider their position. They j were not prepared to go on with the business if treated in «this Jmahher, Someoh'e,' put lof sympathy with outraged feelings, moved raiS further debate- ( be ; adjourned. ( , ; A timft to when had to be fixed'. The afternoon was j Thursday—the next Vlay purely Government ■ businesS'Was /to)take evening, business was to come on—Government supporters, too, were away at wedding, festivities, and might not easily be whipped up''to'throw' but'the'objectibnable amended'motion! Mr/Speaker, observing the dilemma, and the''ruffled tempers, of /the" Executive, adjourned for tenmin-' |utes to allow* of a;mutual arrangement being jamyed! p,t. ; .( j A-t the,expiration.of that; time-. [Mr. Reid announced that he ; was prepared to |go on with the'debate at seven that evening, iAccprdingly,;, Goyernment members ■ were ibrought away from their gaieties, and Mr. ißeid triumphantly threw out his- own motion, now rendered odious owing to the memiber for Port Chalmers', addition. Still, a dilemma remained, for the spent money, unjauthorised sp far, must be sanctioned. .Happy jthought; ni6ve" i thfe suspensidii of the'Staflciing Orders, so as to enable Mr. Treasurer' tb again,move the same original motion.. .This .would get over* the :| diSS.culty of having to 'give notice for another'day, J and consequently [more time for faction to make itself unplea'sant. Faction," however," not to be deprived ,of her prerogative of worrying Eeid, Turnibull, and ,Co:, waLkedjOut of the JEpuse,; The iresult was that thanon-facticus did npt m.us : jter enough mfembers'to'siia'Dife 1 'the 1 'Standing" ,Orders to be suspended, so Faction scored another win. The simple motion, in usual course, was carried.the next day.