NELSON LOAN BILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 164, 13 July 1874, Page 2

NELSON LOAN BILL.

[Hansard, July B.j Mr Curtis, in moving the motion standing in his name, did not thick it necessary at present .to say any more than that the works which it was proposed to execute had been carefully considered and unanimously determined upon by the Provincial Council and Government of Nelson, and that the security which it was proposed to give io the colony consisted of 400,000 acres of land in various parts of the provipca. Motion made, and question proposed, "That thiß House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into Committee, to consider of giving leave to introduce a Bill intituled 'An Act to authorise the raising of a Loan of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds, for the purpose of constructing certain Works of Public Utility in the Province of Nel--Bod, and for charging the Sums so borrowed against the said Province.' " Mr Yogel desired to take the earliest opportuDuy of stating ihat it would be the doty of the Government 46 express a very decided opinion in reference to measures of this kiud. That opinion would be stated when the financial statement was made, and he hoped ihat occasion would not be delayed for more than ten days. It was the desire of the Government to bring it docva.on as earty a day as possible. In the meanwhile, the Government would ask the House to support it in resisting the second reading of Bills of this character. There would, of course, be no objection offered to the first reading: of the Bill; but he would ask the House not to allow the second reading to be taken until after the delivery of the financial statement, when the Government would fully state to the House the policy that would guide them on the whole subject of provincial borrowing, Mr Culms would say, in reierence to what had fallen from the honorable member at the head of the Government, that he bad no desire to press forward the second reading of the Bill, and he was quite prepared to adopt the proposal that (he second reading of the Bill should be delayed until after the delivery of the financial statement. Motion agreed to.

The reply to the Address was moved by xMr Wales, a new member from the Province of Oiago, and seconded by Mr Gibbs, another new member, though a very old colonist, from the Province of Nelson. Both were well received, and their appropriate but comparatively brief observations applauded — not with the usual •• hear, hear," but in a manner which, though a custom here, is not common in adeliberativeassembly. Both announced their cordial concurrence in almost every item of the address, though Mr Wales took the occasion to give a word of caution as to the possibility of extending raaio lines of railway, perhaps under undua iocal pressure, in districts which might be more properly and economically served by branch" lines. He also refrained from commenting upon the remarks of his Excellency as to the probable importance of the commerce of the Polynesian Islands, and on the paragraph relatiug to the measure which the Government proposes on the question of electoral .qualification, and to . the intention of the Ministry to create and conserve State Forests as a Colonial property. He dwelt, however, on the evidences exhibited by the correspondence placed before the House of the anxiety of she Government to give a proper direction to the stream of immigration now flowing in. Ha joined iv the' expression of satisfaction that the evidences of the prosperity of .New Zealand were now so numerous and genera), while he did not hesitate to state his belief that the prosperity .of the colony dated from the.period when the present premier had taken office, and bad induced the country to adopt a policy which had proved so successful. Mr Gibbs took the same view of the state of things, and of the answer which it was the duty to as it would be the pleasure, of the House to make, his Excellency's address. He dwelt particularly, however— as did Mr Wales—on the propriety of settling the people, who were now arriving in large numbers, on the soil, in place of allowing them to remain iij the towns on the coast. He was also emphatic in his expression of his desire to see New Zealand united with Australia by electric cable. Both members join in their adhesion to the Government on broad grounds, though reserving their individual opinions for expression on the two or three subjects alluded to as not commented upon, for fuller expression when those subjects should come up in their turn for dis-' cussion.— i\r. Z. Times. The Premier, as Minister of Immigration, writes to the Agent-General regarding Mrs Howard's little arrangement in procuring young girls from the Cork Workhouse for New Zealand. 'Mr Yogel is certainly plain, if not particularly pleasant, in ths following terms: — "If it is difficult to believe that you could sanction such emigration; whilst, on the other baud, it ia as difficult to believe that you can be unaware of the published proceedings of your agent the woman Howard, whom, by the-bye you seem to have employed after informing me you would not do so, vide your letter No 551, of 29th November, 1872. At another Board meeting, a copy of report of which I enclosed, "legal proceedings were actually threatened in your name to enforce completion of the miserable bargain entered iato by Howard. I endeavour to think that

you knew nothing about the matter, ,but, if so. bow singular must be the organisation of your department, thu, with a proceeding so canvassed in the place, with a ship calling off the town, and, it is to be presumed, some of your' officers in attendance to see the emigrants off, you should have to be informed from New Zealand of what occurred under the immediate notice of your officers. I find it impossible to adequately characterise the iudignation such a shipment produces, or the alarm which is felt at the intention which is apparent of sending further similar shipments. There was a natural disinclination to serve upon the jury empanelled to try Rupert Green. The prospectof several ' nights* incarceration— for jurors, unlike i prisoners, can't be released on bail—was not cheering Then it was not surprising that some efforts to escape should be made. " May it pleasa your Honor," eaid one juror, when directed to take the box, « I have a conscientious objection to serve on this jury ; I bave formed a strong opinion about this case, lam really prejudiced. Ordered to stand aside. Another juror pleaded that he also folt prejudiced. " Prejudice," said his Honor, with grave, severity, "is the growih of ignorance. I cannot 'understand excuses of this kind for evading a duty. No well- j balanced mind could be so warped as to be unable to correct an impression by evidence." After that unwilling jurymen pave up the plea of prejudice. As two of these who had escaped serving were discussing the matter, said one hypothetically, "Suppose, now, I had been seized with a violent spaara in the jury-box, would his Honor have let me go?" Nothing of the kind," eaid the other, " he would have told you that bo wtll-balanced mind ever gave way to spasuas."— Australasian. During the trU\ of a mon in a New York Police Cou re, on a charge of robing a church, the culprit burst iuto tears and asked for a private interview which was granted. Mr Matsell was coaeted for some time with Thomas, who, when the interview ended, was lakenaway by Captain ileddon and the officer. Mr Mntsell said that during the interview the man told a most, pathetic story, which he believed to he true. He refused to give his right

name, but said I hat, three or four years ago be was in good eircumstancea and had raeny friends. He played faro afc the time. Gambling: soon became a mania with him, an* he was beggared. made a few months ago the aoquaintaoceof a man whom he calls the « Colonel," who gave him a< little money, and got such control over him that Thomas was compelled to do whatever ihe •« Colonel " pleased. The " Colonel " furnished tho burglar* tools, and Thomas committed several robberies, and was at :.tbe VGolomVa" instigation to have rotbad (he church "on Monday night, but pdf.it .off "I till ; T^ 6 ! ? 7 ' The Poor-boxes contained 150dols.,aud the plate i 8 worth several thousand dollars. .: