Wednesday, May 23.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 398, 26 May 1849, Page 3

Wednesday, May 23.

The Council met at 2 p.m. The minutes of last meeting having beeti read, Mr. Moore rose to present a memorial from the Committee of the Port Nicholson Mechanic's Institute. He said the petition was signed by the Vice-Presidents and Committee. His Honor the Judge, who was President, warmly approved of it, but he (Mr. Moore) believed that some point of etiquette prevented his appending his siguature. He would move that '.he petition be read, and he gave notice that on Monday next he should move that a specific sum, not exceeding one hundred pounds be placed on the estimates in aid of the prayer of the memorial. Mr. Hickson seconded the motion. The memorial was then read by the cleik as follows: — To his Excellency Edward John Eyre, Esquire, Lieutenant- Governor of the Province of New Munster, in New Zealand, and the Honorable the Members of the Legislative Council of the same Prorince, in Council assembled. The Memorial of the Committee of the Port Nicholson Mechanics' Institute, Sheweth — That the object* of the Mechanics' Institute are, by the delivery of lectures, the formation of classes, and the use of a library, and reading room, to advance the knowledge and promote the beneficial recreations of the settlers;

and incidentally by the formation of a museum to collect and record interesting and useful facts in the natmal history of the colony. A gi eat desire for 'he establishment of such an Institution has been manifested by a Invge number of persons likely to be benefited by it, and one hundred and fifty members have actually entered, although want of accommodation has prevented, and continues to prevent, any real progress. „,,.,,. For this purpose a suitable building is required, for the erection of which liberal contributions may be expected from persons who have manifested a warm interest in the welfare of the Institution, but who withhold their subscriptions until the grant of a sum of money on the part of the Government shall encourage them to believe that this object will be obtained. Your Memorialists, therefore, respectfully submit to the consideration of your honorable Council the claim to public support which the Mechanics' Institute presents, praying that such a sum of money may be granted out of the public funds of the Province to the Trustees of the Institute, and upon such terms i>s to your honorable Council may seem fitting. i (Signed) Wm. Lyon, V.P., Geo. Moore, V P Wm. Fox, V.P., R. J. Duncan, hon. Trea!. R. Hart, E Roberts, J.M'Beth, G. Hunter, W. Hart, J. Watkin, W. Spinks, G. Pickett, E. Stafford, W. Norgrove, H. B. Scaly, hon. Sec. The third reading of the Census Bill was postponed till Friday. At the request of Mr. Hickson, his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor laid on the table an account of the items under the head of contingencies for the year ending 31st March, 1849. and also the estimated contingencies for the current year. The discussion on the Roads Bill was then resumed. In the course of the discussion on the 21st. clause, Mr. Moore in reply to a remark of the Colonial Treasurer observed, with regard to the length of time which had been occupied in the repair of the beach road, that it arose from the impossibility of obtaining the necessary supply of labour. The gentlemen who had volunteered to collect the subscriptions had done what they could, but on calling on the carters to contribute the amount of work which they had promised they had not come forward. This case shewed' him the necessity of some provision to compel those who most used the roads to contribute towards their repair. His Excellency laid on the table a petition from Mr. Roots complaining that the purchasers of the town acres on Lambton Quay had not fulfilled their agreement to make a road 50 feet wide in front of their property. The Lieutenant-Governor then stated, with regard to the correspondence on the subject of land purchased on account of the New Zealand Company, and which correspondence was printed by order of the Council, that he had received a despatch from the Governor-in-Chief, dated 27th April, stating that arrangements had been made with the Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company by which"the necessity to which he had alluded to in his opening address, of making provision for meeting the expenses of these purchases no longer existed. The Council then adjourned to Friday.