LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 108, 7 May 1874, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

; The Council met at five o'olock Meesrs Corbett and jVlaguire took their seats for the Grey Valley. On the motion of Mr Kelling, a Select Committee consisting of the Speaker, Provincial Solicitor. Mr Parker, Mr Sharp, Mc Kerr, Mr Gibbs, and the mover was appointed to take into considera.tion a report upon the working of tlie "Cattle Branding Act, 1858," with the view of amending the same. — On the motion of Mr Gibbs, a Petitions Committee was appointed consisting of Mossrs Wastney-, Parker, Kelling, Maclean, Boasa, the Provincial Secretary, -aad the mover. — Mr Maclean asked the Provincial Secretary, What, rent, if aoy, is paid by the General Government for the uso of Provincial Office Buildings for Goneral Government purposes? He anticipated that | the reply would be in the negative, but thought it advisable to put the question, as when in Wellington he heard that the General Government there paid £600 a year or six per cent on tbe total cost of lhe buildiogs for tho uso of offices belonging to the Provincial Government. The offices were equally valuable here, and he thought it was a pity tbat where the revenue was so small any sum should be lost to the province. Tbe Provincial Treasurer in the absence of the Provincial Secretary replied that no rent waa received, but that the matter bad been under the consideration of the Executive and they had decided to endeavour to obtain rent for tbe use of the offices, — Mr Rout asked the Provincial Solicitor, Whether the Byeltiws submitted by tho Waimea Road Board for the confirmation of the Executive have yet como under their consideration, and, if so, why the eaid proposed Bye-laws have not been confirmed? The Waimea Road Board had been put to great inconvenieuce by Iheir inability to obtain these bye-laws which had been submitted to the Executive a year and ten months since, and ■no reply had yet been received. The Provincial Solicitor said that in statiDg that the bye-laws had been sent in a year and ten months ago Mr Rout was making ao assertion tbat was equally correct with Others that he bad made of lale. Tho letter was received at the oflice in February last just before he and the Provincial Secretary were storting for the Weßt Coast and was placed before him on his return last month. They had been considered, and No 1 was not approved of, but Nos 2 and 3 were, and a letter had been written to the Board to that effect. The following papers were laid on the i table: The estimates for the current year; a return of receipts and expenditure for the past year; a comparative statement of the votes and expenditure j for the past year; a Bill for the prevention of cruelty to animals*; a Bill to enable the Superintendent to transfer the Gas aod Waterworks to the Municipal Corporation; a Bill to bring into operation in and for the borough | of Nelson the "Municipal Corporations ! Act, 1872," and the "Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Act, 1873." The Bills were all read the first time, and Monday next was appointed for their second reading. — -Mr Baigent presented a petition from the settlers in the north part of the Motueka Valley Road Board district prayiDg that the money voted for them might be handed over to them, and tbat the boundaries of the district might be altered. — Mr Sharp asked whether the Provincial Engineer had, io accordance with a resolution passed in the last session, been requested to report upon some means for improving the acoustic properties of the Hall, which appeared to him to be. worse than ever. The Provincial Treasurer said that the Provincial Engineer had been spoken to about it, but had stated that it waa a matter entirely outside his profession, and never having studied it he declined to give an opinion. — The Provinci l Treasurer gave notice that on Tuesday next he would move that the Council go into Committee for the consideration of the Estimates. — The Council then adjourned until five o'clock tbis evening. •