LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 133, 5 June 1874, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

The Council met at 5 o'clock. — Mr Sharp's resolution relative to the allocation of fines received under the Scab Act was, in accordance with an amendment proposed by Mr Greenfield, passed in the following form : — That, in the opinion of this Council, all sums of money received as fines for breaches of the Scab Act, and all moneys received for renewal licenses be retained for expenditure within tbe districts in which such breaches shall occur for the purpose of. preventing, further spread of tbe scap or other sheep diseases. — Mr Ivess moved for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal; "The Goldfields' Revenues Act, 1873," and Amendment Act, 1874. He was the more induced to bring this measure forward that I " the •Provincial Secretary'sought to deprive the Boards of their portion of the "revenue. He could not object to this course as the Boards had declared their intention not to maintain tbe main roads with the small asßistftncgt they now received fronj the Go^fy ment. Tbey must therefore be- re'lieveo of the maintenance of those\roads or their revenues must be increased. 'J^he latter was not at all likely, and consequently it would be but prolonging their agony to leave them in such a chronic state of insolvency as they were in at present. Had the Boards anything like an adequate^MKenue they would be very servicea^HKt as it was they were likely to braHpown with their own weight, as their- expenses ; ' were very great, fie admitted that the Act had not received a fair trial, but thought it was better that the Government should assume the immediate control of the expenditure than to leave it to the Boards who would very shortly re fuse to undertake the maintenance of the trunk lines of road. Mr Corbett seconded the resolution. Tbe Boards consisted of good men, but they had not the means to be of use. Mr Donne thought it would Jbe injudicious just now to repeal the Act, as in some districts portions of the rates had*been collected, and it would be unfair to those who had paid that those who had not done so should reap the benefit of funds to which they had not contributed, and, if the Act were repealed, would not be called upon to contribute. I Mr Shapter thought that the real j difficulty in the/way was the absence of rateable property. It was not aB in !tbe settled districts where the Waimea Road, Board, for instance, maintained 150 milps of roads with the small assistance bf £600 ffom the^Government, It would be a mistak^'t^ repeal tbe Act, as by so doing the Government would have thrown on their hands a ■nuibber of roads only partially formed, .which tljiey would be compelled to com-"-■"Y \ 4

plete without the power of raising rates. He would rather see the 22nd clause only than the whole Bill repealed. Mr Bhephard thought they were bound to give the Act at least a year's trial. The Provincial Solicitor bad no objection to the -first ieading" oF the Billasa matter of courtesy to the mover, but would go no further. It would be a great injustice to the Boards just now to summarily deprive them of their existence. jThii Government would be fully prepared to deal with the matter next session. Mr Iyess said, that .after the expression of opinion he had obtained he would not press the Bill beyond the first reading — On this understanding it was read the first time.— Mr Gibbs moved, That the division of the amount of £4,225 accruing to the Road Boards of the province under "The Payment to Provinces Act," by which so large a sum as £2000 is given to one district, has not been made with sufficient consideration to the requirements of tbe various Road Boards of the province. He objected to tbe large sum of £2000 beiog handed over . to the Motueka Valley Road Board while Boards in other districts, his own especially, received but very small amounts. — It was suggested by several members that the passing of such a resolution would be perfectly useless, as it merely contained a reflection upon a past administration. Mr Shephard moved the < previous question, which was carried. — Mr Tarrant aßked the Provih«ial Secretary, whether any steps had been^taken with regard to a motion passerby the Council on the 27th May last requestin? the Superintendent to cause an inquiry to be made as quickly as possible as to the cause of the spread of scab in sheep, in the district of Motueka, and if no such steps have already been taken, how soon such inquiry will be made? The. Provincial Secretary that nothing had yet been done but that the fullest enquiry would be made. The Council then went into Committee on the Estimates. The supplementary estimates were passed as sent down. Those passed before the change of Government were recommitted. ItemsAssistant Surveyors (2) Nelson £450; Assistant Surveyor, Westport, £250; Ditto, loangahua, £300r Ditto, Grey, £250; Draughtsman, Neison, £250, Clerk in Land Office, £150. For these a block sum was voted of £1650. — Three Wardens and Resident Magistrates, £1500; one Warden and Resideut Magistrate, £200. For these wae substituted the item, " Wardens and Resident Magistrates £1450." Clerks, Westport, £275; Charleston, £275; Ahaura, £225; Reefton (2) £450. For these the block sum of £750 was substituted. The proposed reductions in the salaries of gaoler, Inspector of Police, and Harbor Master were abandoned by the Government, as was the block sum for District Constables.