LOCAL NEWS. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 8, 13 March 1866, Page 2

LOCAL NEWS. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

, , . ... This Dat. On the motion ofthe Provincial Secretary, Mr. - White took- the Chair at--one o'clock, and- read the Proclamation appointing;the. meeting qf the Council, and called over the names ofthe Councillors recently elected. t ; .The Provincial SECRETAax moved that. Mr. Barnicoat be the Speaker.-o£ the,. Council. He was well able to discharge thb responsible duties of Speaker, as well as Member of the'"Waste Lands Board, whose duties he^would haVe to fulfil. , v 0.. ; , Mr. Coktis seconded the motion in terms highly eulogistic of Mr. Barnicoat. . No opposition having been, offered to the election of Mr. Barnicoat, that gentleman took the Chair as 'Speaker.'"..,:,'"..'"../, . .' .' ..'yy ..""*" The Speaker returned thanks for the honor conferred upon him,' and said he would use his utmost endeavors to justify the choice the. Council hadi-eposed in him. 7He doubted not the deliberations of the Council, would be characterised by the same. order- and decorum that had always distinguished thern- ; '-and that the members would assist him in* an - efficient * . discharge of the duties to which the Council had appointed him. ■ -„':.. . . . .... ,-.. .\. -On the motion ofthe Provincial Secretary, the ; Council adjourned' for ten minutes, to allow the Speaker to be introduced to the Superintendent. On the, Council resuming, .the Provincial Secretary informed the Council, that His Honor the.Superintendenthad'approved of the choice of the Council in the appointment of a Speaker. His Honor the Superintendent then entered': the room, and read the usual speech.- The document is too long for our present publication, and -we can present our readers to-day with the following epitome only: — . " y About 8,000 persons were now occupied* in goldmining in the province. He had satisfied -himself by personal inspection that a large gold -mining population would be maintained in the province for raany years. He hacl taken upon himself the responsiblity of expending all -the revenue derived from the goldfields, in the construction of roads and other permanent improvements, to render them accessible and attractive,- and in the maintenance of order. TUieProvincial Engineer had been principally required on" the Grey gold-field, and in the capacity of Warden had given satisfaction. An account of ..the public .works . completed would be found-in the Engineer's.report. In connection with. the Grey gold-field 115 miles, of new road had been opened, 61 of which were available for horses. The gold duty and custom's revenue was steadily increasing, and every reasonable.. facility should be given to promote the development of the gold-fields. • The road necessary to complete the track between the ports of Nelson and Cobderi.had been cut through a most difficult country. An attempt had been made to make the West Coast passable for foot-passengers to sonic places, and to make a large tract of auriferous country- accessible -between the Grey and Buller: There were millions of acres of auriferous lands in the province that would pay for working under such circumstances, as wiU justify the gold seeker in being satisfied with only handsome wages. He hoped the equal division of the" customs at the Grey port, between Nelson and Canterbury, ! was only a* temporary '-arrangement, as it could be shown that far more than half the. duty paying goods imported at the Grey, are consumed by the inhabitants of Nelson province. The revenue from the landed estate had done little more than pay the expenses of the land and sundry departments, but the ordinary revenue had greatly exceeded the -estimate of last May. The total "revenue for the current financial year would be about £46,0fi2, without including the customs revenue collected at the Grey. If the S-16ths ofthe Grey customs -should- be-recei ved, .the total revenue of the year would; be little ; shprt of £54,000. The province, whilst having little income • from its landed estate would be ,abler to meet its. ordinary expenses from, its ordinary reyenue, and have a large surplus to expend oh public works and permanent improvements, besides expending £5,^00 for educational purposes arid .paying cthe first. instalments towards: the liquidation of the debt contracted when a large revenue was received' from'Gro wn -lands-. Of the debentures authorised under the Nelson Waterworks Loan Act, £1,700 worth had been sold in Victoria; he had'requesfed~£lo.ooo-worth-to.be.returned -to Nelson, in th§ confident expectationrthey r would be c taken up here. "A portion of llie plartt had'al&c&bjeen. ' ordered. The Grey and Buller coal had been tested in England with satisfactory results. A hospital-had been erected, by voluntary subscriptions at Grey-

•mouth, in the' danterbury. /Province, and he badj promised that this .province should contribute a fair J sbpre towards the expense of the; ihaintenance of the •eetabiishinerit. 7lt was his intention'to place on the •Estimates the sum of £2,500'f0r the erection of a new In Nelson City, towards which the Bishop of Nelson' bad .'offered a 'subscription. In "consequence of the, deficiency of meat,, he had permitted thb importation of cattle from Australia. The Engineer had been instructed to' repair the clamage to the roads and bridges caused'by' the late flood. A billhad been prepared to give three additional members to thb Council,' to represent the Grey and Buller, and to provide for the election of local boards on the: gold-fields. The general Estimates would be printed in a few days after the expiration ofthe financial year. His, Honor concluded by expressing "a" hope that'the deliberations ofthe Council would be attended with advantage to the produce. r A ''number'; of reports and documents were laid upon tiie Council table. ■'Tilß. Burn moved that the address ofthe Superintendent be printed. Motion carried. • . Mr. Akebsten moved that Standing Order No. 28 be suspended, to admit of the appointment of a committee to prepare "an answer to the Superintendent's, address. Motion carried. - On the motion of Mr. Akersten, seconded by Mr. Burn, a Select Committee was appointed to prepare an answer to the Superintendent's address, consisting of the following gentlemen : —The Speaker, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Kingdon, Mr. Parker, Mr. Baigent, and the mover. " The motipn was carried. 1. Mr. George White was appoifeted to act as Clerk to the' Council. "Mr. White returned thanks, saying he trusted Ito be able to justify the confidence the Council had reposed in him. . Tbe Provincial Secretary gave notice of his intention to introduce several bills during the present sitting of the Council. „ ; The Council then adjourned till to-morrow evening, at 5 o'clock.