The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1867. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 154, 4 July 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1867. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, July 3. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock. All the members were present, except Mr. Dreyer. Mr. McMalion brought up the Report of the Roads Drainage Committee, which was read and ordered to be laid ou the table. Mr. Wastney brought up the Report of the Country Roads Committee, which was also read and laid on the table. Several notices of motion were given. Mr. Simmouds moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to authorise the Provincial Engineer to give effect (as far as practicable) to the vote of this Council passed iu Session XII., 1864, viz. — to cover the roadway of the Wairoa Bridge with some composition, that will prevent wear, and at the same time tend to secure the safety of passengers. Mr. White seconded the motion, but said he was almost ashamed to ask for any further sum towards the maintenance of this bridge, as so much had already been expended upon it. The Provincial Secretary said that the Provincial Engineer was opposed to putting any covering on the bridge, as proposed iu the motion, being of opinion that such a course would only tend to hasten its decay. Mr. F. ICelling supported the motion, stating that, from his own knowledge, the bridge was in a dangerous state, and remarked that the site adopted for it had been recommended by the Provincial Engineer. Mr. Baigent thought it was almost too late to think of preserving the roadway of the bridge, when the timbers were decay ing. Mr. Simmonds, in reply, said that the Provincial Engineer had some time since recommended that the bridge should be covered with tar and gravel in order to protect the -wood work beneath, and he was of opinion himself that a fine coating of loose gravel would assist materially in keeping the friction off the timber. The motion was agreed to. Mr Simmonds moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to direct the Provincial Engineer to take the necessary steps for the erection without delay of the Foot-bridge over the Wai-iti River, for which the sum of £250 had twice been voted by the Council and remarked that the vote had now been standing over two years. His principal reason however for urging the matter upou the attention of the Council was, that the. present season was peculiarly favorable for procuring timber of the description required for such a work; and he therefore hoped that steps would be taken at once -with this end. He did not know any public work was more needed, for in time of flood there was no safe communication between "Wai-mea-south and Waimea-west. In the latter district there was no resident medical practitioner, and if such assistance were required during a flood, it would be almost impossible to obtain it. Mr. White seconded the motion, at the same time expressing his regret that his motion for £1000, for the construction of a cart-bridge over the Wai-iti, had not been carried by the Council.

The motion was agreed to. Mr. Akefsten moved that the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the petition of Mr. J. R. Frazer, be adopted. The report which, as we have already stated, was unfavorable to the prayer of the petition, was then read and adopted. Mr. Akersten moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to furuish the Council with a return of all Light Dues paid for the " Nelson Light" on the Boulder Bank, and snid that he expected to be told that the lighthouse had been handed over to the General Government. His object, however, was, if possible, to get the lighthouse back again to the Province, as he was told, on good authority, that the revenue derivable from it amounted to £800 or £900 a year. MrAkerston called attention to a report on this subject which had been made in 1865, and which defined the light in question as a harbor light, and yet nevertheless it had passed into the hands of the General Government. The Provincial Solicitor, in explanation said that, whether the Lighthouse was maintained by the Provincial or the General Government, the dues derivable from it would be paid the latter. These dues were collected for the maintenance of all the lighthouses on the coast of the colony generally, and not for any . especial lighthouse. If, for instance, a lighthouse should be erected on the'Sandspit, as was propesed, vessels would pay no more than they do now. Mr. Akersten asked leave to withdraw his motion. Mr. Henry Redwood, in moving that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £25, for the purpose of fencing and planting, and the erecting of a small building on the Wainaea West Cemetery, explained that the cemetery alluded to was a public one, and a building was required in which the cerpse might be deposited, in case the deceased person had no home or friends in the neighbourhood, or in case of rain during the performance of the funeral rites. The motion was agreed to. Mr. Sparrow, in moving that a Select Committee be appointed to consider the working of the "Cattle Slaughtering Act, 1863 ;" such committee to consist of Mr. Wastney, Mr. Baigent, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Parker, Mr. C. Kelliag, and the mover, said that the Act alluded to did not apply to many cases very common in these districts, and therefore required revision. The motion was agreed to. Mr Parker asked the Provincial Solicitor if it is lawful for the person authorised by the Superintendent to catch, or take any animals, birds, or fishes, for distribution, to sell such animals, birds, or fishes, for the purpose of being distributed out of the Province ? The Act for the production of animals &c, only authorised the capture of such birds animals, &c, for distribution^ within the province, and not beyond it. It was nevertheless, a matter of notoriety that there had been a wholesale slaughter of birds in the Motueka district, which he thought that the Government should take some steps to prevent. He did not of course, allude to the last month, during which the resrtictions had been removed. Numbers of birds were also caught for the alleged purpose of distribution in the province, put on board vessels going to Nelson, and on their way across destroyed, so as to be fit for the table. The law seemed to require some amendment; but at all events his object was to know what the law really was, and to claim that its provisions be carried out. The Provincial Solicitor said that Mr. Parker had not defined what were the birds to which he alluded. Were they the geese and poultry sent in such large numbers to the West Coast ?

Mr. Parker explained that in wording his enquiry he had used the terms employed in the Act. By birds, he meant " pheasants " to be understood. The Provincial Solicitor then went on to say that the Superintendent had never given permission for the capture or sending out of the province of these birds; and if such bad been done, it was in direct violation of the law, and the parties so offending, if detected, would subject themselves to punishment. The Government had given instructions to the constable atMotuekato lay informations against any persons who should be found to have thus transgressed the law. The Provincial Solicitor, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to promote the construction of a Railroad from Westport to Charleston, after adverting to the growing importance of the two townships which it was intended to connect, said that the gentleman who had offered to construct it, seeing how readily the Council had jumped at the terms offered by Mr Stevens, had now endeavored to ameud his original terms, and had asked for a larger compensation iu land for the work. Mr Bentley seconded the motion, expressing his gratification that the Government had recognised the importance of Westport. Mr. Donne supported the motion at some length, suggesting the propriety of extending the line to Brighton. Leave was given to bring in the Bill, which was read a first time. Mr. Gibbs moved that Standing Order, No. 38, be suspended, to enable him to move that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £147, towards the completing of the repairs of the Heaphy Tract, and stated that a vote of £100 for the track from Cojliogwood to the Heaphy, passed last session, had been handed over to the Coll ing wood Road Board for expenditure. This sum had been spent, together with an additional £47, and it needed £100 more to carry out the repairs of the road. The Provincial Secretary said that the sum required would be well expended, the more especially as there was every probability that this track would be largely used by diggers going to the West Coast from Collingwood and elsewhere. The motion was agreed to. On the motion of the Provfncial Solicitor the Council went into committee to consider the adjourned clauses of the bill, Mr Kingdon in the chair. These clauses were considered and passed, and the house having resnmed, adjourned at ten minutes to eight, until five o'clock to-day.