LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 25, 29 January 1874, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

The Council met at seven o'clock. Mr Guinness moved, " That in order to insure the future better Government of the Province, it is the opinion of this Council that the Executive of the Province should be made wholly responsible to this Council, and that leave bo given to introduce a Bill to repeal the " Executive Council Act, 1871," now in force, and to make other provisions in lieu thereof." He arguod that under tie present Act by far too much power was placed i i the hands of the Superintendent, to whom alone the members of the Executive were responsible. The AGtof 1870 hid been sneered at and designated a more farce, and so it was, for under its provisions the principal member namely, tho Provincial Secretary, was not removable at the will of the Council. Responsible Government had be n found to work well in the oilier provinces, and, he believed, should be adopted here ns it would lead to a far better and more satisfactory administration of the affairs of the province. The resolution was not brought forward in any spirit of hostility to the r resent Government an 1 he saw no reason why they should not retain office in the evtnt of its being carried. Mr Donne seconded the resolution, which went to a division without difcussion, an 1 was nrg.itivrd by 13 to 6. Ayes— Messrs A. Adams, Kerr, Parker, D nne, Rout, and Guinness Noes — The Provincial Secretary, Provincial ? olicitor, Provincial Treasurer, Me! srs Sh per, Corbett, Wastney. Kelling, Macmahon, Tarrant, Boase, Gibb% Ivess, and Baigent. — Mr Ivess moved, " That in the opinion of this Council, and in accordance with the previously expressed views of his Honor the Superintendent, the two offices of Provincial Secretary and Treasurer can be efficiently vested in one person; end that his Honor be respectfully requested to secure a consolidation of the two offices " He had brought forward this resolution frpm motives of economy, and felt the more crcouraged to do so from the fact that the Superintendent had expressed himself as satisfied with the manner in which the work of the two departments was performed by one officer. They could ill afford in the present ■ financial position of the province to pny £800 for two officers when one would suffice. It might be argupd that in the event of the loan being obtained the Exe '.utive ?rould require to be. enlarged, but in the meantime j.t was unnecessary, and any additional work that might arise could be performed by a clerk. He did not bring forward the motion in a hostile spirit, although if it were carried it would of course be necessary that either the Treasurer or Secretary should resign, anl it would be for the Superintendent to decide which it should be. The revenue did not admit of esftravßgan.ee, and the various Road Boards in the province were quite capable of supervising the expenditure of all moneys entrusted to them. He admitted that it was desirable tnat there should be an efficient Executive, but the province was not in a position to pay too highly for the benefit of their advice. If it were found necessary _ t:> enlarge it ia the event of the loan being secured, a Scpretarp of Public Works could be appointed, but af pr; sent there was no more money at thei? disposal fhan was necessary for an economical dtpartmental expenditure and the maintenance of roads, Mr Gibbs seconded the resolution, statiDg that he had always advocated a similar measure, and was now more than ever encrturaged to do so by the statement ma<le by the Superintendent in hia election speeches. The Provincial Tkba surer thought it Tyell that he should state tho views of the Government on this question. He dil not mean to debate it, but might state that they had made up their minds to treat it as a direct vote of want of confidence in the Executive as at present constituted. Had jt be n possible to view it iv pny other light thpy would willingly have done so, but they could not, snd jii fhe event of its being carried they should adopt the mual course and send in their resignations Me Parker had intended not tc vote, but after the attempt to threaten the Council he certainly should support the resolution, which he hq-d thought from tho first time he saw it cc ataiaed some show of reason, as the Superintendent had made th^ amalgamation of the two offices an electloneeiing question, but now came down nnd raid that on reconsideration he had thought it advisable ogam to separate them without giving any reason whatever for so doing. Tho Provincial Treasurer wished to ciuclaica any idea of threatening the Council, by.t , had thought- it juit and fair to them that! they should be made ac- ! quaintdl with the decision at which the Executive had arrived after giving the matter their fullest consideration. .Mr F. Kelling would oppose the resolution as he thought that both officers would be required. Mr Parker had stated that the Superintendent had made capital out of the consolidation of the offices, but it should be remembered that during the election an opinion was very generally expressed that he should have: a strong Executive. The Provincial Sucre* taby Baid that as he had for some

time held the two offices the Council would / naturally expect an expression of opinion frnm him. He certainly hud been able to perform the duties ro far as the mere office work was concerned, but he had not been able to visit ;;thß West Coast as he had been in the habit of rjdoing previously to the amalgamation of the offices. In these visits ho had always been able to eftrct beneficial changes in the departments and upon his recommendation, after making himself acquainted with the working of them, very large savings had been made. He thought the various parts of the province should be visited occasionally by a member of the Executive but this could not be done if their nu<nbers were too limited. Mr Ivess had stated that a clerk might be employed but it was surely far better to pay a small additional sum to secure tho services of one was competent to undertake the management of the Treasury Department. In the f ice of the policy introduced by the Government, and of the probability of tlie Council authorising the immediate expenditure of £60,00;) it would be unwise to amalgamate the two offices, indeed the separation of them was part of the policy of the Government in connection "with the Public Works scheme. Mr Guinness was proud to see that they were to have:respon ible Government. There was no doubt now what would be the result of an adverse vote ani that was a reason why they should exercise great caution in adopting any resolution which would havo the effect of causing the Executive to resign. What would become of the province if euch a thing were to occur? Our Pubic Works, which, by the way. were not yet commenced, would stop, and all progress which was now making such vast strides must ceas^, indeed it would be hoi eless to try to get on. However, he should vote against the resolution bec*use he thought that the mover had completely misunderstood the whole question. Nothin? could be more impolitic than to attempt to carry on the Government of the Province on tie cheese-paring principle. Young members frequently proposed reductions without the slightest hrowli'djic of what th*y were doing The Council, hehoptd intended to support the pubic works policy and to endeavor to obtain the 1 an without detey, snd if they succeeded it wou d be utterly impossible to carry on the works efficiently without a Jull Executive. Mr Sharp thought a great de-il too much had been made of the Superintendent's remarks with reference to the am -Igamation of the two offices, but the Superintendent was not infallible, an i he now said that he had reason to think that two officp-s were rcqured. He himself had at onetime b. en Treasurer, and oou'd speak with some knowleif.e of the sut jeer, and he felt sure that the two offices should not be combined. Some small savina: might certainly be effected by so doing, but they should take a broader view of the matter than the mere question of whether they could save a few p mnd«, lie BpoUe from an honest conviction that it was for the good cf the province that there should be both a Treisurer and Secretary. He should like to state, though he might be out of order in so doing, that be wns surprised to find that the last question h<id been allowed to go to a division without any expression of opinion from the Executive, for he was anxious to learn what would be the action of the Superinte dent in the event of an adverse vote. It was because no such opinion had been expreseed that he had declined to record his vote. He might say that he was quite pr - pa-ed to give his support to the present Go vernment unless he siw any reason to the contrary, and intended, so far as he was con cerned, to give the Superintendent a full opportunity of developing his policy. The Provincial Solicitor thought that the plea of economy put forward by Mr lvess was a false one. If carried, the resolution would be a plain intimation to the that the work of the two otii ea must be done by one man, and of course he would not think of retaining the two, but Mr Ivess hid said thit an additional clerk might be employed, and a Secretary of Public Works appointed when the lonn was obtained. Why should they not rather retain the two present officers, and if mcessary make one of them Secretary of Public Works? Ele thought the present time was most ilirehoßen for such a resolution, and that it wns rot well -d vised to nttempt just now to impair the departmental efficiency off the province. He dfcchiimed on the part of the Governnvnt anything like a wish to threaten the Council, but upon the resolution being tabled they had met and considered thit it was levelled at one of them, and thit they would not re true to themselves did they permit o o of their number to be sacrificed to what they felt convinced wns a false cry. Mr Poejne said thH the resolution was ono which should not be entertained by the Council, as it related to tho constitution of the Executive with .which they had nothing %<y do, the sole power being in the hands of the Superintend"^, who was authorised by the Act to- appoint a certain nimber, which number had not bein exceeded. Be should vote against the resolution, but n t m account of any threat held out by the Government. Mr Gibus rose to explain thit though be had on more than one occasion proposed and supported a similar measure he should noc support it on the present occasion since the Government had determined to vit-w it as a no-confidence vote. Mr A. Adams would vote against the resolution though he was by no means surprise 1 at its being tabled, as the Superintendent had brought it on himself by what he had said on the subject. So long as the members of the Executive were not responsible to the Council he thought that the titles of Treasurer and Secretary were totally unnecessary, and th.o'se to whom they were given were merely clerks and assistants of the Superinte ndent. He was not inclined to vote large salaries for the Superintendent's advisers until they accep ed a position of responsibility. Mr Ivess was sorry that the Government had taken the resolution in such a spirit, an he hai not so intended it ? although he must say that he had in view the substitution of some more energetic officer in the event of the loan being obtained. The majority of the Executive possessed his confidence, and he was glad to find that they were bent on progress. The two offices were discharged by ono man in Wellington, and he did not see why they should not be here. He did not think It ,was necessary for one of the Kxecutive to travel about on the Coast inspecting the department*, ns that should be done by the Superintendent.— Th •. motio i was then put. and the Council divided with the following result; — Ayes 2: Messrs Jvess and Wastney. Noes 16: The Provincial Treasurer, Provincial Solicitor, Provincial Secretary, Messrs Phapter, Baigent, Guinness, Boase, Rout, Corbetr, Maclean. Sharp, Donne, Turrant, Kerr, Kelling and A Adams. — The I'rovincial Trraetjbeh on bring called upon to move tho loan resolution said that he felt sure that the Council would only take it as re.-peotlul to them if in view of .Mr Donne's direct want of confidence motion he were to a9k permission to postpone moving a resolution so intimately connected with tho policy of the Government until that motion was disposed of. — On the motion of Mr Pabker iV was resolved, " I. That his Honor the Superintendent bo requested to fu-nish this Council with a return, Bhowing what is the financial liability of the Province of Nelson, Ihe amount of loa-s authorised, and the work nnd purpose for which they were raised, and to what amount have tho loans been reduced by ths sinking fund. 2. The liability of the Province for Public Works already completed, and agreed to be executed, by the G i neral Government up to the present date, ehqwing the nature of and in whit particular district such works are intended.'' The Council then adjourned until this evening at five o'clock,

A very clever capture of a supposed murderer named Chun Hun Young was; effected at Foss on Saturday. T^e 'Times' says :— " It appeared that Chun Hun Young and another Chinaman, whoso name has not reached us, were working on (he gold diggings in Tasmania about, two years a?o, and were engaged in driving in a claim situated in a guily at some distance from the other workings, and were getting a little gold, 'i ho prisoner was in very poor circumstances, and tried repeatelly, but without avail, to borrow money to pay his expenses to Westland. One day his mnte was missing, and the prisoner stated that he had gone to Victoria Shortly afterwards the prisoner left the district, and then had money. Nothing more was heard of the matter until a few weeks since, when some diggers who were working the old ground which ral been abandoned by the prisoner, found in an old ehaft the remains of a Chinaman, and it was foand that spick had been driven clean through the skull. Some of the clothes were identified a 8 having been worn by Chun Hun Young's mate. Enquiries were set on foot, and it was discovered that the suspected man had left for the West Coast. The Commissioner of the Westland Police force was communicated with, and at length information was received to the effect that Chun Hun Young was digging at Ross, Detective Browne was at once dispatched with with a warrant for the suspected man's arrest, and within a short time succeded in nrresiing him." Several of the religious bodies at Yorke's Peninsula, South Australia, intend holding a week of humiliation on account of the drought there. A Sydney telegram states that a busbrauger stuck up and robbed Mr Slocombe 40 miles from Goulburn. The fellow tied him to a tree and then attempted to cut his throat. Ho succeeded in inflicting several wounds. Mr Slocombe then broke loosp, when the bushranger fired two shots at him. , The ball perperforaied his coat and glanced off his pocket be ok. An exploring expedition which lately proceeded up the Endeavour River, in Northern Queensland, discovered a large C cut on a gum tree. Tuis, it is asserted is a momento of Captuiu Cook, who in this river careened his vessel to repair a leak. On the other side of the tree in question there were two W's one above the other. The latest news from the Endeavour River is that rich gold discoveries have been made in. its vicinity. It is said that one-third of the present Parliament of Canada, consisting of 200 members, are now or have been members of newspapers. A gentleman in Brooklyn, N.Y., has invented a life-preserver which has the advantage of being always at hand, and which can be fitted for use in a moment. It consists of a false sleeve of Indiarubber, which is worn on the arm, and only requires to be ■ inflated by the breath. Jt is not cumbersome, and may be worn without iucouvenience at all times. When inflated, it will sustain the body in water in any position the wearer chooses to assume. Holloway's Pt7/s. — This purifying and regulating medicine should occasionally be hud recourse lo during foggy, cold, and wet weather. It is the best preventive of hoarscnes-, sore throat, diphtheria, pleurisy, and asthmn, and a sure remedy for congestion, bronchius and inflammation. Attention to the directions folded round each box will enable invaliJs to take th,e Pills in tb.9 most aivantaveous manner ; they will be taught the proper doses, and the circumatanosa under which they must be increased or diminished. Holloway's Pills act as alternativeß, aperients, and tonics. When taken as a last resource the result hus always bt en gratifying; even when they fail to cure they always assuage the severity of the symptoms end diminish the danger. 266