LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, May 9, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 394, 12 May 1849, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, May 9, 1849.

The Council met at 2 p.m. All the Members were present, with the exception of Messrs. Bannatyne and Bell. The minutes of last meeting having been read, the Attorney- General moved the second reading of the Naturalization Ordinance, observing- that the bill was so simple, he did not expect any objection would be raised against it, and he would therefore make no remarks upon it, The Colonial Secretary seconded the motion. The Attorney- General then moved, that the Council do resolve itself into committee on the Naturalization Bill, which was seconded by Mr. Ludlam. The clauses of the ordinance were then read by the clerk seriatim. The bill being a matter of form, but little discussion ensued. The Colonial Secretary moved that the ordinance do take effect from the day of passing the same, and in reply to an enquiry from Mr. Moore, he explained that the date of the bill coming into operation was quite independent of the dates from which the privileges of naturalization were conferred. The Council having resumed, the Attorney- General moved that the bill be read a third lime, at the next meeting of Council. Col. M'Cleverty withdrew his notice of motion for the first reading of the Harbour Regulations Bill. Mr. H ckson then moved, that a select committe be appointed to enquire into the best means of supplying copies of the ordinances now in force in New Zealand ; the committee to consist of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney- General, Messrs. Hickson, Monro, and Greenwood. After a brief discussion the motion was withdrawn in favour of the following amendment, which was moved by the Colonial Secretary, and seconded by the Colonial Treasurer : — That a select committee be appointed to enquire into and report upon the practicability and expediency of revising and consolidating the various ordinances now in operation upon subjects on which this Council has power to legislate, and of reprinting such ordinances, as j well as all others still in operation upon subjects beyond its legislative province. The Colonial Secretary then moved the first reading of the Bill to define the qualification of Medical Practitioners. The motion was seconded by the Attorney-General. The bill having been read, the Colonial Secretary gave notice that he should move the second reading at the next meeting of the Council. Mr. Moore gave notice that, on Thursday, he should move that the sittings of the Council be limited to four days a week, and that those days be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Dr. Monro gave notice that, on Monday next, he should move for copies of various Parliamentary papers, and other official documents relating to this colony, with a view to their being laid on the table of the Council. On the motion of Mr. Hickson, seconded by Mr, Moore, the Council then adjourned till Thursday, at 3 p.m.

! Thursday, 10th May. The Council met at 3 p. m. All the Members were present with the exception of Mr. Dillon Bell. - - - Mr. Hickson presented a petition from Mr. S. E. Grindstone claiming remunerafor past services. His Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor laid on the table a bill for Appropriating the Revenue for 1849, and al^o the Estimates for the current year. On the subject of the latter his Excellency read the following minute : —

Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, — In laying before you the Estimates for the year, it is my duty to make such explanatory remarks in reference to particular departments or services as may seem likely to be useful in elucidating any points of importance connected with them. I proceed therefore to comment upon such as appear to me more particularly to require notice but should further information be wished for, I shall be happy to supply it as far as I can do so, in each particular case when the estimates are brought forward for consideration in Committee.

Wellington. Lieutenant- Governor's Establishment. Under this beading is included the salary of an officer designated as Native Secretary and Interpreter, who although especially attached to the Lieutenant-Governor's establishment and by the conditions under which he holds office bound to reside near the Government House so as always to be within reach when required as an Interpreter, is yet liable at all times to be called upon to undertake any duties connected with the natives in which his services can be made available for the public good. During the past year the gentleman at present filling the office has twice been so detached from his ordinary duties to negotiate the acquisition of lands from the natives. When not fully occupied in matters connected with the natives, it is the duty of the Native Secretary to assist in the Private Secretary's oH'ce, by which the necessity of employing an additional clerk is obviated aad that expense saved to the public. Colonial Secretary's Department. ' ■ I have continued 'o this department the same establishment as it was originally constituted with, though I am aware that the increasing business of the Colonial Secretary's office has made the duties much more onerous, and that occasionally there is some difficulty in getting through the current business. I anticipate therefore that another year it will be found necessary to increase the establishment by an additional clerk. Survey Department. In the estimate for this department I have only included the salary of one surveyor, although in reality two have constantly been employed during the past year. The necessity for a second sui veyor arose from Mr. Fitzgerald's being exclusively engaged in superintending the construction of the Wairarapa Road, and his salary therefore ought to have been provided for out of the road funds and to have appealed as a part of the expense of constructing the Wairarapa line. Should Mr Fitzgerald be" again exclusively engaged during the ensuing yeaFiri the same service, I propose that this course should be adopted and his salary and allowances form a charge upon the road fund, in which case the amount now estimated for, would be available for the payment of an additional surveyor and other expenses legitimately connected with the Survey department. Customs Department* Some increase has been found necessary to this establishment to secure efficiency »od protect the Revenue. A Searcher's office has been established, and additional Tide Waiters have been employed. An arrangement has also been made by which the Harbor Master, who is also an officer of Customs, shall devote all his spare time to the service of the Customs. The good effect of these changes is already apparent in the increase of revenue obtained for the quarter during which they have been in operation. Harbor Department. In this department considerable changes have been made during the past year. Formerly it was the practice to pay the Pilot £100 a year and allow him the whole pilotage on rondition of his providing his own residence, boat and boat's crew ; but after the wreck. of the Subraon whilst in chargeof the Pilot, it was considered desirable that the Government should take all these matters into their own hands, and that arrangements, u,pon which the efficiency of the pilot service so materially depended, should no longer be left to the Pilot himself. A residence is now therefore provided for him as well as a boat and boat's crew, and a salary of one hundred,

pounds per annum is allotted to him in addi-' tion to one-third of all pilotage received, the other two-thirds forming a part of the Revenue. The Harbor Master himself is also, as Ihave before remarked, is an officer of Customs and is now required to devote his spare time to that department. The whole establishment estimated for is as moderate as is compatible wkh efficiency, and a reduction of £95 16s. has recently been effected by substituting seven native boatmen for Europeans as rowers in the Harbor and Pilot boats ; it is still, however, considered desirable to retain one European in each boat in addition to the natives. Medical Department. In the Medical department an increased expenditure has unavoidably arisen from the necessity of renting a building as a Colonial Hospital, the former one having been destroyed by the earthquakes. Even with this addition howevei, the sura of £8 19:10s. cannot I think but be regarded as a very moderate expenditure, to' keep up efficiently so useful an institution and one which has hitherto been very successful, and productive of much good to both races of her Majesty's subjects. Attorney- General. This department has necessarily been called into existence by the Charter, but the office of Crown Solicitor has been abolished. The only unusual item of expenditure connected with the department is that of clerk to the At-torney-General, an appointment which was sanctioned in consideration of the AttorneyGeneral having to draw out all grants of land, and his being unable, as at Auckland and other places, to obtain assistance in preparing such documents from officers of the Land Department. Here the Demesne Lands being vested in the New Zealand Company no Government Land Office is required or exists. Post- Office. The Post-office having been placed under the colonial authorities some additional arrangements in connection with the department may hereafter be required, but I have been informed by the Governor-in- Chief that his Excellency is expecting some communication from" England on the subject, and I have therefore for the present made no alteration in the existing establishment. Police Department. The altered circumstances ol the colony and. the prospect of continued tranquillity, added to a remarkably small amount of crime in proportion to the population, have enabled me to make very great reductions in the strength of the Police establishments. In 1847 the force for the Wellington district alone amounted, including officers, to 57. Under the changes which have been made it now numbers only 20 men exclusive of officers, and 27 including officers, but to increase the efficiency of this small body, and more especially as regards their services in the country districts, where lines of road have been opened or where the country is naturally traversable by horses, I propose to mount seven of the men during the present year, and from year to year afterwards to mount such an additional number as the occupation of the country districts, the formation of roads, or other circumstances may render necessary. The Council will perceive that the character of the Police Force will thus become gradually altered with the changing circumstances of the colony, but at all times it will be confined to the smallest number of men compatible with an efficient discharge of the duties expected from them. In making these changes, I also look forward to the time when the progress of the colony may make it necessary that the Police Force should be divided into two distinct classes, one of which would be a foot or Metropolitan Police, and the other would be exclusively a mounted force. To this division the arrangements I propose will gradually prepare the way.