The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 109, 9 May 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Friday, May 8. The Speaker took the chair at 1 1 o'clock. Present, all the members, except Messrs H. Redwood, Wigley, and Thompson. Mr Smith, for Mr Bentley, moved that the petition of Mr Reuben Waite be referred to a select committee, cousisting of. the Provincial Secretary, Messrs Pitt, White, Burn, Smith, Parker and Bontley, which was put to the Council and passed. Mr Akersten'3 motion that £100 be placed ou fche Supplementary Estimates, to be expended in improving the Trunk Road through the Waimeas, at the various corners described in Mr Thompson's report, was also carried. Mr Donne then moved that the Council resolve itself into committeo to take into consideration his Honor the Superintendent's Message, (No. 3) in reference to the correspondence between the Government aud Mr Commissioner Kynnersley, and inveighed in the strongest terms against the haste which had been shown in sending down the message in question, and against the policy pursued by the Government in refusing to produce this- correspondence. Mr Gibbs seconded the motion, because he could see no reason why the correspondence — unless indeed any portion of it resembled, in style Mr Commissioner Kynnersley's report — should not be pro•duced. The Provincial Secretary, having remarked that tho mover never lost any opportunity of abusing the Government, said that he had certain iy done so this time without reason,- for the Superintendent had never refused to send down the correspondence ; he had stated that there was amongst it what should not be made public, and had therefore suggested that the Council should alter the terms of its resolution. After some further observations from several honorable members, Mr Beitt proposed that the Council should delegate three members to read the correspondence in question. Mr. F. Kelling thought the matter would be better discussed in Committee The correspondence might contain information about individuals which it would certainly be well Dot to make public. The motion was then put and carried, and the Council went into Committee on the subject, Mr Kingdon in the chair, when a lengthened discussion ensued, Mr Donne moving a resolution to the effect that the committee, while admitting generally the justice of the reason assigned by the Superintendent for non-compliance with its wishes, would respectfully suggest that some few of its own body should be delegated with his Honor's permission to inspect the correspondence in question, wbo should report to the Council their opinion as to the undesirability of transmitting the whole correspondence to the Council. Upon this an amendment was moved by Mr Parker that the Superintendent be requested to furnish the Council with ail cwrespondence between the Provincial Government and Mr Kynnersley, from the Ist January to 31st March, 1868, the publication of which his Honor considers would not be injurious to the public service. This amendment was afterwards withdrawn, and a second amendment, by Mr Beitt, that the Speaker, Mr Parker, aod the mover be delegated as , a Committee to investigate the correspondence in question, was negatived on I the voices. A third amendment by Mr ] Macmahon —to the effect thafc as the I

Superintendent is of opinion that a portion of the correspondence moved for should not be made public, the Council has no wish to press the resolution referred to — was ultimately carried on division by 15 to 1, Mr Donne being alone dissentient, and the Speaker, with Messrs Gibbs, Dreyer, Home and Bentley declining to vote. The I original motion was therefore lost. Tlio House then resumed, and proceeded to the Order of the Day, the further consideration in committee of the Goldfields Licensing Bill, which was r&ported witb amendments. Several notices of motion were given, and the Council adjourned at 10 minutes past 1 o'clock until 5 o'clock on Tuesday next.