PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 106, 5 May 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The twenty-fifth session of the Ptovincial Council was opened at noon to-day. Present: The Speakpr, The Proviccial Secretary, Provincial Solicitor, Provincial Treasurer, GolJfield. Representative, Messrs. Rout, Acton Adams, Kellin-j, Done, Karr, Sharp, Boase, M'-clean, :Gibbs, Parker, Tarrant, Baigent, and Wastney. His Honor the Superintendent read the following speech:— Mr. Speakeb ani> Gentlemen of the Provincial Coukcil — The short time which has elapsed since your hte session, c ur ng which you d .pose I of the important matters then submitted ior yi ur coiaideration so far ns the limit- d powers remaining with the P ovincial Legislature enabled you to do go, makes it tuvecessa r y for me to address you at much length. The annual account of the Provincial Trensu'cr shows a (-light improvement in the receipts ol revenue as compared with tho-e of th°. preceding year, and I think there is fair reason to believe that tbe improvement wi _ be both permanent and progressive. The accounts of the province are however still confpicuous for the almost -ntir. absence of the fetture whrch forms the thief item iv the revenue of the southern provinces, and supplies tho only fund derived from current ievenue out of which public works of at*3* magni'uie <an be constructed; namely the proceeds of sales of land. It rests with the General Assembly to decide whether tbis Province thall be placed in a position to eotr.plcte those main lints of communi -atim without wbich the lands of its interior, much of which may by thes. means be made avoidable for permanent settlennnt, as wtll as immediately valuablfor their minerals and timter, must remain uninhabited and unproductive. Tbe legal questions which were raised in the Province ot Wo'lington hhortly alter your session ended, and are still undtcidel relative to the Bctioh ofthe O.vernirent of th t province in raising money for the execution of pub'le works in antieip ition of the authority of Parliament led met. think it desirable to empt-nd act'ng upon your resolution 'empowering me to borrow tho sum of .£60.000 for the completion of the main road between Nehon, Greymouth, nnd Westport, v- til I had learned the vit-ws of tie Colon'al Government with regard to it. The result of consultations with the Premier nnd other members of the Ministry has been tha abandonment on my part of my intention to rais. thn sum I have referred to on the ground that to do bo woul 1 endanger the success of our proposed application to Parliament for a loan of £250,000; and the acceptance of an alvance from the Colonial Government of £'20,000 for the completion of the main rotd connecting the Upper Buller, as far an the Maruia, with tho port of Nc'son, in order to tender the blocks of lan 1 reserved for special settlement available for that purpose A portioi of this work is already in progress, and tenders for the remainder will be called for as soon as the nee sstry surveys and specifications caa Ye cotnp!c cd. Amongßt tbe measures which will be preFentcd to you are — A Bill for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal-; a Bill to give secutity over the Buller Hes rvo for the cost of constructionandmHintenar.ee of the railway from Westport to Ngakawhan; and a Bill to empower me to hand o e» the Waterworks and Gasworks of the < ity of Nelson to the new-farmed C« rpr r.tion, in consideration of rdfcf to the provi ice from the liabilities and expenditure it bas iucurred with respect to them. Resolutions will aleo *c submittel to you recommending the consolidation of the laws regulating the sale and leasing of tbe waste lands of the Crown within the province, with such minor alterations as tbe course of administration has proved to be desirable. These laws, spread ac they now aro ever a number of statutes, are complicated and difficult to understfml, ani I tbiuk you will concur with mc in the opinion that, it is highly expedient tbat tbpy ehould be tomp e*sed into a single Act so as to be more readi'y accessible and comprehensible to intending immigrants, as well ac to thote already settled amongst us. I propose also tint the land laws should a far as possible bo made uniform throitghou 8 the provine., whether within or without the goldfields, relying upm the provisions of the •'Resumption of L.nd for Mining Purposes Act, 1873," in theorentof land aijposefl of for agricultural or pastoral purposes being subsequently proved to be auriferous. The operation of this Act has already at your j r quest been extended by the proclamation of his Excellency tbe Governor to this province. The Minister for Public Works having now accepted tenders for the construction of the Lake Hochstetter Water Race, I trust th.t this work will at last be pushed o i to completion, and tint it will prove the means of giving profitable employment to a large numr-er of gold miners in the Gyey Valley. Tho steady progress making in th" exploration and energetic working of the god bearing reefs ofthe inangahua and the Lyell, together with the late promising discoveries at the Mkininui and the Anatori induce me to believe th-it this branch of industry will tnko a pr minent and permanent pr_Uion in the province. The formation of the first company, with a capital sufficient to work efficiently a p.i tion of the iron ard coal fields p. Para Para and Co'lingwood, giret* good reason to hope that this valuable mineral district will before long afford the means of support to a large and thriving population. The survey of the line of railway from Foxhill to Brunncrton having now been completed, tbe Colonial Government will be in a position to make application to the General Assembly for an appropriation of money for the construction of a further portion of it, in accordance with tne understanding arrived at during the last session of Parliament. The building of the new Luna'ic Asylum is in progress but as th*J amount of the funds placed at my disposal will not be mflßcient to complete and fumi«h it for \he reception of pitients, you w \ 1 be requested to make further provision for that purpose. I now declare this Council opeu for the di«patch of bus! - ess. Sovera} notices of motion were then given and the Council adjourned until to-morrow evening at five o'clock

It is pleasant to sco things put strongly and pointedly. Some one asked Colonel Howard, of Georgia, lately, if he thought tb.qt Q certain Radical in that State would steal. " Steal !" responded the Colonel, "why, if he were parnlyzad and ham-strung, I wouldn't trust him by himself in tl c middle of the Desert of Sahara with the biggest anchor of the G*.*eat Eastern 1 Steal ! I should think he would," ;