LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 104, 4 May 1870, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

The Council met last night, all the members being present except Mr. Franklyn. Mr. Macmahon, in moving for a Select Committee to consider the Crown Lands Leasing Act, said that he wished to see some amendments made in the Act so whereby greater inducement would be offered to the young men rising up in our midst to occupy and settle upon the waste lands : of- the Crown.; agreed to. Messages were received from the Superintendent enclosing the Estimates for the ensuing year, a comparative Statement of excess of vote over expenditure, &c.,andan Abstract of Receipts and Disbursements. The message stated that a reduction was proposed in the departmental expenditure of £3423 as ( . compared with that of last year. The correspondence, relating to the West. Coast Railway, was also laid. on the table. Some discussion took place on a motion of Mr. Wastney's that no Select Committee. should be appointed after the end of the fourth week of this session. Mp. Donne objected to be bound hand and foot by a resolution of .that sort. He was there at great personal sacrifice, but was prepared to remain six months if tbe interests 1 of the province demanded it, and, if necessary, without honorarium.- Mr. O'Conor thought that if they took any steps towards bringing .the session to a close at an early date it should be by facilitating the progress of business by more frequent sittings. Eventually, on the motion of Mr. Luckie, a compromise was effected by passing a resolution "That it is desirable that all Select Committees be appointed not later than the end of the fourth week." A motion of Mr. Wastney's, that a sessional Committee be appointed to. enquire into all petitions, was ( negatived. In reply to certain questions from Mr. Reid, the Provincial Secretary stated that the Government proposed to grant protection to anyone placing a punt over the Buller at the conflux oftheLyell ; that the Government did not propose to purchase the bridge erected by Mr. Jones across the Orawaiti river, as the funds for that purpose must be taken from the amount appropriated to the Buller district, and those" funds were required for important works ; and that the Provincial Engineer bad been instructed to have a track made along the populated part of the Lyell Creek. Select Committees were, on the motion of Mr. O'Conor, appointed to consider and report upon the working of the Licensing Ordinance upon the .Goldfields ; and to repqrt as to the most practicable means of developing the Mouut Rocbfort Coal-mine. The name of Mr." Tarrant was added to the Committee on Charitable Aid, and power given to it to call for persons j and papers. Mr. Wastney moved the adoption of the reply to his Honor's address. Mr. Luckie would offer no opposition, but wished it to be understood that in voting for the adoption he considered himself in no way bound to acquiescence in the matter contained in the Superintendent's speech. Reply adopted. Mr. Gibbs mpyed. for a Select Committee "to take , into consideration, and report ppon, the reports, returns, correspondence, &c., sent down to.the Council by his Honor the Superintendent." The feeliug of the Council being evidently against the appointment of such a Committee, Mr., Gibbs withdrew his motion. Some discussion arose on the question of removing the reporters back to the place occupied by them last session, but no definite arrangement was madel The Council then adjourned until this evening, at 5 o'clock.

The Otago Provincial Council was opened on Wednesday last. The Superintendent in his opening address dwells at length on the subject •of immigration, which, he says, demands prompt and practical action, to the neglect of it he attributes the present depression. By the present arrangements 4517,000 are to be spent for immigration, but he asks that it should be increased to £25,000 for three years, whereby arrangements could be made, and a - direct steam line secured and immigrants brought out in fifty days, at the same rates as in sailing vessels. He asks that £200,000 should be borrowed for gold-fields purposes, and concludes his speech by saying, that although the progress of agricultural settlement is not so marked as during the past two years, it is by no means standing still. There have been 240 new holdings during the year, the escorts have increased by 10,000ozs,

and. the Customs excess is £6,000 During the same time £30,000 have beett spent on roads. It is somewhat amusing to a disinterested spectator, says the Timaru Herald, to see the " see saw " arrangement between the Premier and ex Premier of New Zealand at the present moment — : not that we think Mr. Stafford can help the position in which he is placed, but it seems to us extremly ludicrous. A few weeks since we saw Mr. Stafford's name as a passenger to Auckland. Mr. Fox was there the next week ! Then Mr. Stafford takes a trip to the South Island, and has just been visiting his constitutents. Mr. Fox is on his track immediately, dogging his footsteps, and although he has no constituents in this Island to hear him, Mr. Fox is in Dunedin, waiting to reply to anything Mr. Stafford may say. It must be a source of great unhappiness and anxiety to Mr. Fox to see the exPremier going about the colony at his own free will, and we. are not prepared to say that some restraint should hot be placed upon Mr. Stafford's movements, as they seem to cause nervous irritation and to disturb the peace of mind of an eminent colonist — the Hon. Mr. William Fox, to wit. A beautifully illuminated address has been completed, to the order of the Tauranga settlers, for presentation to Captain Palmer, of the Rosario.