EXPENDITURE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS FUND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 114, 14 May 1872, Page 2

EXPENDITURE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS FUND.

It is utterly impossible for us, with the limited space at our disposal, to give anything approaching to a report of the speeches made in the four hours' debate that took place in the Council last night, upon Mr. Collins motion relative to the expenditure of the Public Works Fund on the West Coast, nor do we think that

he mass of letter press that would be placed before them did we amplify a tenth part of the notes wo have before us. We shall, therefore, content ourselves with giving a very slight, sketch of the proceedings. Mr. Collins commenced the debate by moving — 1 hat this Council desires to place on record its entire disapproval ot the recent interference of Ministers in the expenditure of that portion of the Public Works Fund allocated to this Province, and to express its conviction that the plan recommended by his Honor the Supeiintendent would have been much more to the advantage of all the interests of the Province. It was too late now to remedy the evil, but he thought that the Council should express its opinion upon what was a most despotic and arbitrary act of the Premier's. If the expenditure, as decided upon by Mr. Fox, had been the only one that was fair to the West Coast he should not have moved in the matter, but the plan recommended by the Superintendent — with whom there had previously been an understanding that a portion of the sum should be spent in the Upper Buller district — and which had been totally ignored by the Colonial Government, would bave been equally beneficial i to the goldfields, while at the same time it would have opened up the Buller Valley | where there was a large extent of land of the richest description. This interference by the Ministers with the scheme proposed by Mr. Curtis was most unfair both to him and to the Province. The Government would not have dared to treat the Superintendent of any other province in such a manner, and it was high time that the people of Nelson should show that they were not always disposed to sit quietly under the lash, but were ready to resent such an insult a3 that now offered to them. Mr. Donne failed to see what the Council had to do with this matter which was one with which the Assembly and the Colonial Government alone had to deal. The Public Works Act provided that the manner in which the money was to be spent was to be decided upon by the Governor in Council, and although something had beeD said about an understanding having been arrived at in Wellington, he could not fiud any mention of it in Hansard. The wording of the resolution led to the inference that the Provincial Government had the sole control over the money, and that the Colonial Government had interfered with them in spending it, whereas the contrary was the case, and it was the Provincial that sought to interfere with the General Government. The works that were now being carried out were by \ far the most pressing and important, and 1 it was a question whether even now they would be finished in time before the winter set in. The residents on the goldfields had not attempted to interfere with the construction of the Foxhill railway, and the inhabitants of the settled districts should not attempt to deprive them of their share of the fund. Mr. Ktnneksley would oppose the resolution, as it could answer no good purpose. It was not the proper function of the Council to criticise the Colonial Parliament and Government acting within their regular powers. The only question was whether the money was being spent judiciously, and. although no friend of Mr. Fox's or his Government, he believed that for once they had blundered into a judicious course of action and that the money was being spent entirely in accordance with the wishes of the residents on the goldfields. He then went on to criticise the conduct of the Superintendent generally, giving it as his opinion that it was entirely owing to him that the feeling of dissatisfaction with the Provincial Government had sprung up in the out districts. If this resolution was carried he was sure that the representatives of the settled districts would regret it afterwards, as the Council would by so doing place itself in direct antagonism with the goldfields, and with the General Government. He was quite alive to the value of a road in the Upper Buller, but felt sure that so far from there being money to spend there, the £24,000 would be insufficient for the For remainder of news see fourth page.

road between the G-rey ana Buller valleys "which was of far greater importance. He would move as an amendment In the opinion of this Council the action of the General Government in expending upon the construction of a main trunk road through the Buller and Grey district, the sum of £24, 000 from that portion of the Nelson share of the Middle Island Railway Fund, set apart by the General Assembly for the construction of roads and tramways upon the Nelson South-west Goldfields, is highly judicious, hi perfect accordance with the ■wishes of the inhabitants of those goldfields, and meets with their entire approbation. Mr. Reid seconded the amendment. Mr. Macmahon was surprised to hear Mr. Kynnersley speak of the Superintendent as he had done, as he could remember the time when he expressed a very different opinion of him. Mr. Curtis had frequently defended him in the Council and elsewhere, and he thought it showed very bad taste that he should turn round and abuse him as he had done. He denied that there was any feeling of jealousy between the West Coast and the settled districts, feeling as he did that each was dependent on the other. The one found .the gold, and the other the stock and produce. Mr. O'Conok would support the amendment, as he thought Ministers were discharging their duty most satisfactorily to the goldfields in spending the money as they were doing. The goldfields members had" opposed the Foxhill railway in the Assembly, but a compromise had been made by which they were to get the £24,000 to be spent on roads on the West Coast, and it was unfair that the Superintendent should now attempt to get a portion of it for expenditure in the settled districts. A road connecting Nelson with the Inangahua would be of no benefit to the latter, as Nelson had nothing to send there. She was importing breadstuff's, and a cargo of cattle would sell well here at the present time. Take away the £6000 for the Upper Buller and what was left would be useless, as it was not enough to finish the road they wauted, and unless this road were made at once the Inangahua would be emptied, as provisions could not be got there, and thus there would be a large falling- off in the revenue. The Provincial Treasurer stated that the Provincial Government were perfectly willing to allow that the roads at the Inangahua were of the first importance, but that they believed they were ; not beins made as cheaply as they might, and that the £24,000 -was sufficient for them and for the Buller Valley road as well. It had at first been proposed that three-elevenths of the financial j railway fund should be set apart for roads in the electoral district of the Buller, but the extent of country to be benefitted by the expenditure was afterwards enlarged, and was defined as the district lying to the south of the northern boundary of the BuUer district, which took in a considerable portion of the Waimea electoral district. The vote was then increased from three to four-elevenths so that it was clear that the intention was to spend a portion in the Upper Buller, but this was all changed ■when Mr. Fox went to the West Coast, when, without communicating with his colleagues and without ascertaining the opinions of engineers, he caused the expenditure to be changed. He could not support the resolution as it -was worded, and thought that the only question for the Council to decide was whether the money was being spent in the manner likely to prove most advantageous to the province. Mr. Gtjinness hoped that the resolution would not be carried, as it would be sure to create an ill feeling on the goldfields towards the Council, ■while it could be productive of no possible good. The argument that the road up the Upper Buller "was necessary to provide Reefton with meat was of no avail what -ver, as the best of beef was now sealing there at fourpence per pound. There was a population of 3000 already there, and unless the roads were proceeded with and finished with aU possible despatch, there would be the greatest distress there this winter. Mr.'Gxßßa would vote for the resolution, which •was put with the following result : — Ayes 6 — Messrs. Macmahon, Baigent, Wastney, Gibbs, Collins, and the Provincial Secretary; Noes 10 — Messrs. O'Cmor, Donne, F. Kelling, Reid, Kynnersley, Luckie, Guinness, Tarrant, the Provincial Treasurer, and the Provincial Solicitor. i Mr. Kynnersley's amendment having now become a substantive resolution, Mr. Ltjckib, in a speech principally devoted to a personal attack upon Mr. Collins and Mr. Kynnersley, moved as an amendment — " That this Council desires to place on record its approval of the recommendation made by Iris Honor the Superintendent for the apportionment of the £24,000 available from the Middle Island Rpilway Fund for expenditure within the goldfields, and regrets that the Colonial Government found ifc inexpedient to rany out that recommendation." He believed that the General Government had been actuated in spending the money as they were doing by the continuous discoveries that were being made in the Inangahua . district, which rendered it necessary that the roads should be constructed ■without delay; While he was anxious to see these works proceeded with, he did not wish to see the Upper Buller road left undone, and he was glad to see that a sum had been placed on the Estimates for that purpose. MrVKKEtMNGseconaed the amendment. The Pbovinciai. Seobetaky would support the amendment and had it been before the Council before would not have voted for Mr. Collins resolution, -w hicb, however, he preferred to Mr. Kynnersleyfe amendment. . He thought that the £16,000 proposed would have beeD quite sufficient for the road recommended by the Provincial Engineer, and that the • £6,000 woi'ld have been left for expenditure in the Upper Buller. , Mr. Kynneraley's motion was then put and lost. Ayes, 5 : Messrs Reid, Kynnersley, Donne, Guinness, O'Gonor. ; Noes, 9:- Messrs -Tarrant, Gibbs^LucJriejJ?. : Selling, Cojlips, Wastney, the Erovincial Solicitor, the Provincial Treasurer, the Provincial Secretary. v V amendment,yag then^piit" and

A Californian paper says that there will be a great demand for grain bags next season. A modern exchange points out that the hint should be taken advantage cf in the manufacture of woolpacks aud cornsacks from New Zealand flax. Think Twice Before Speaking. — Some absurd stories have been told of judges thinking aloud. The folio wing story is told by one of the Registrars of the Court of Chancery of a great Chancellor : — " A barrister, whom he had not previously heard, was retained to argue before him. The counsel was a man of ability, but began in a very confused floundering manner. Lord Chancellor : ' What a fool the man is ! ' After a while he got more cool and collected. Lord Chancellor : * Ah ! not such a fool as I thought.' Finally, he quite recovered himself and proceeded admirably. Lord Chancellor : 'Egad ! It was I that was the fool.' "