LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 111, 9 May 1873, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

The Council met at 5 o'clock; On the motion of the Provincial Secretary it was resolved, "That, in the opinion of thia Council, it is desirable that the telegraph -wires fce extended- from"Beefton* to the Lyell." Mr Donne moved, " That the question of railway extension between Foxhill and Brunnerton be referred, together with the report of the Inland Communication Committee, to a Select Committee, consisting of Mr Shephard, Mr Guinness, the Provincial Secretary, Mr Reid, the Speaker, Mr A. Adams, and the mover." He thought much useful information might be obtained by a Seieot Committee, and some understanding arrived at with regard to the mining interest, and if this were arranged to tbe satisfaction of the Groldfields members, he believed the scheme would receive their support. Mr Burn seconded the motion, as be wished the proposals of the Inland Communication Committee to be subjected to the most searching inquiry. Mr Reid objected to a Select Committee, as he thought it would be better to refer the matter to a Committee of the whole House, from which the Government resolutions, if thoroughly washed, might come out clean, and in a shape to meet with the approval of the Goldfields members. Mr O'Cokor did not at all approve of a Select Committee, as he was quite sure that tbey would collect no more information than that which the report of the Inland Communication Commtttee afforded. He approved of tbe conference that had been proposed between the Goldfields members and the Inland Communication Committee, and if tbe obstacles which at present stood in the'way of the scheme being supported by the representatives from the West Coast could be removed, he was sure they would work together with the Committee. Mr Shephard would vote against the resolution, first, because he thought the step proposed by the Tnland Communica-. tion Committee was far preferable ; and secondly, as a matter of principle, as he thought there was no occasion tp re-open the whole question, which had been decided by the Council in 1866, and no fresh reasons had cropped up to induce thetn to change tbeir minds in 1873. He believed that the objections at present advanced by the West Coast members would disappear before the full inquiry that the Committee courted. —The motion was negatived on the voices. Mr Tarrant moved the address in reply, which had already been • printed and laid before the Council. The Committee appointed to frame it had endeavored to avoid the introduction of any debateable matter. Mr Macmahon seconded the address. Mr O'Conoe would move an amendment in order to do away with such a mockery of Parliamentary forms. He looked upon the address as not only debateable, but absolutely offensive to some of the members, and calculated to promote an acrimonious discussion of a most useless nature. He meant no disrespect whatever to the Superintendent by bis amendment, but proposed it as the most feasible way of disposing of the address. He would move that the following be substituted for it: — " That the Council thanks bis Honor for his opening address, and assures him that the matters therein contained will receive their earnest attention." Mr Ivess seconded the amendment, which on a division, was carried by 10 to 8. —Ayes: Messrs Ivess, Acton Adams, Pinkerton, Reid, F. Kelling, O'Cohor, Gibbs, W. Wastney, Guinness, and Shephard. Noes :— ■ The Provincial Solicitor, tbe Provincial Secretary, Messrs Macmahon, Tarrant, Burn, Baigent, C. Kelling, and Donne. —The Provincial Solicitor moved the second reading of the Goldfields District Bill, the purport of which was to provide ifor the constitution of districts within the. .Nelson Goldfields, and to appropriate a portion of the Provincial revenues to the making and maintaining of pablio works therein.—The Bill, the details of which wete opposed by the Golufields members, was ordered to be read a second time. —The CouncU then adjourned until this morning afc 10 o'clock. , At the meeting this morning there was no business transacted of any interest, and the Council adjourned until Monday evening.