Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 131, 5 June 1868, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

lhursday, June 4. The Speaker took the f-hair at 5 o'clock. All the members were present except Mr Thompson. Mr Wastney presented a memorial from Mr James Mackay, of Drumduan, making various suggestions as to the public works, and recommending that the 12,000/. now lying in the Union Bank should be -devoted to the purchase of a Patent Slip. The memorial was read amidst mingled dissatisfaction and laughter. Mr Home moved that the memorial be not received, for whilst it purported to be a memorial, it was in fact a dogmatical pamphlet of valueless character. Mr F. Kelling seconded the motion. A very animated discussion then took place on this question, Messrs Akersten, Baigent, and Burn opposing the reception of the memorial, and Messrs Parker, kacmahon, and Dreyer supporting it. The Speaker called the attention of the House to the fact that the memorialist had not complied with Standing Order, No. 52, which states that the conclusion of the memorial must contain its prayer, and the question being put to the House, the reception of the memorial was negatived by 16 to 5. Mr Beitt, in the absence of Mr Thompson, moved that a sum of -£200 be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose of procuring from England a stone breaking machine. Mr Baigent seconded the motion, wbich was alao supported by Messrs Redwood, Burn, and also by Mr Home, who recommended the Government to put themselves in communication with an engineer in Melbourne,where all the stone is crushed by these machines. The motion was carried, the words ' from England' being struck out on the amendment of Mr JF. Kelling. The next motion on the notice paper, standing in the name of Mr Thompson, and asking that 200/. may be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose of making a road to connect Waimea West with Dovedale, was postponed, at the request of Mr Beitt. Mr Burn's motion, Beconded by Mr Bentley, that the sum of 300/. (tp meet equivalent subscriptions) be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose of forming and making Halifax- street from Collingwood-street to the Haven Road, was assented to, the mover stating that the work was one likely to prove of great pubhc benefit, and that the people were ready to contribute the requisite equivalent. Mr Simmonds' motion for the adoption of the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the desirability of constructing an iron girder bridge, instead of one entirely of wood, over the Wai-iti, at Foxhill (which was read) was negatived, after a long discussion which was characterised by some acerbity. On the motion of the Provincial Solicitor, the Amuri Reserve Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr White's motion for a Select Committee to take into consideration the Scab Bill now before the Council, which was seconded by Mr Dreyer, and supported by Mr Wigley. was opposed by the Provincial Solicitor (who submitted that there was too much work already for Committees to do, and also that there were very few alterations in the present Bill), and by Messrs Burn, C. Kelling, and Simmonds. The motion was lost by 10 to 7. Mr Wastney moved thnt it is desirable that the resolution passed by the (Council on the 27th of May last, relating to the letting of public works, be rescinded, which was seconded by Mr Burn. A long discussion ensued on this motion, and Mr Kingdon, seconded by Mr P. Kelling, moved as an amendment, to strike out all the words after ' That,' and insert ' In the opinion of tiiis Council it is desirable that the resolution passed by it on the 27th of May last, relating to public works, should so far be rescinded that all works not exceeding the sum of £100, may on all occasions be undertaken without having to wait for the formality of calling for public tenders.' This amendment was lost by 19 to 4, aud Mr Parker, seconded by Mr Redwood, then moved as an amendment the addition of the following words: — ' So far as relates to cases of great emergency, or when for well assigned reasons it is really and clearly unadvisable to resort to public tender.' This was agreed to by 17 to 5, and the amended motion was then put and adopted. Mr Akersten's motion for the consideration of the enclosure to the Superintendent's Message, No. 6 (containing correspondence between the Hon. the Colonial Secreeary, and his Honor the Superintendent with reference to the Provincial Debt), was, in deference to the expressed wishes of the Council, postponed until Tuesday next. Oa the motion of the Provincial Solicitor, the Council went into Committee for the further consideration of the Cattle Trespass- Act, Mx Kingdon in the chair. The new clause proposed by Mr Sparrow was moved and adopted, with an amendment by Mr Simmonds, and the House then resumed. Mr Pitt presented a petition from Mr C. M. Karsten, asking for compensation for injury sustained by his house and land situated in Bridgestreet, in February 1866,' which was read and laid on the table. . Several notices of motion having been given, the Council adjourned at a quarter past. 9, until il o'clock this morning.

I Friday, June 5. The Speaker took the chair at 1 1 o'clock: — Present: All ihe members, except Messrs Bentley, Doune, and Pitt. Mr Donne's motion that the next session of the ' Nelson Provincial Council he held at Westport was postponed until Wednesday next, in consequence of the absence, through illness, of the mover. Mr Dreyer asked leave to withdraw his motion for a sum' of £20,000 lor the purpose of forming a railroad from the Brunner coalmine to the port of Cobden, which was granted. On Mr Sparrow's motion, seconded by Mr Gibbs, for the adoption of the report of the select i committee appointed to consider the petition of the settlers and miuers of Takaka and Collingwood, a division took place, the numbers being 8 to 8, and the Speaker giving his casting vote with the ayes. Mr Thompson begged to call attention to the fact that the copies of any correspondence or information as to any negociation relative .to the : Patent Slip or Dry Dock Act, 1 867, which had ( been called for by the-Couneil, had not yet been laid on the table. The Provincial Secretary reminded the honorable member that he had at the time stated that no such negociation had taken place. Mr Parker then moved that the Council regrets that the Government have not taken some means of bringing before capitalists, in England and Australia, the provisions of the Patent Slip or Dry Dock Act, passed by this Council in Session XVI, 1867 ; and would now urgently press upon his Honor the Superintendent the desirability of taking immediate steps to bring the same before the public, with a view of getting some company to carry out the work provided for by that Act. Mr Parker said that knowing tbe great interest taken in the construction of the Dry Dock, and as the matter would probably be brought before the Council in another shape, he was desirous of knowing why the ' Govern ment — as he gathered from the announcement just made by the Provincial Secretary — had taken no action whatever in the matter since the passing of this Act, which, it ' would be remembered, had been carried almost unanimously. The Provincial Secretary submitted that it could not be shown that tiie Government had lost any time in the matter. The Superintendent had pointed out ia his address to the Council in 1867 that it wonld be necessary to wait until Mr Balfour's report had been received, and the Council had unanimously agreed that no action should be taken on the harbor improvements pending the receipt of that report. The bill was not assented to until November 1867, and the report was not received until last April. Mr Morrison, the London agent of the province, was then in the colony, and the Government were waiting to consult him on the matter. They had, however now, altered their views, and proposed a scheme more likely to secure the construction of the dock without further delay. Mr F. Kelling denounced the motion as being premature, and proposed that its consideration be postponed until Wednesday next, when the question of the dry dock would have come before the Council. Tbis was seconded by Mr Akersten, and carried by 11 to 9. One notice of motion, proposing a new clause in the Scab Act, was given, and the Council adjourned at a quarter-past 12 until 5 o'clock on Tuesday.