Saturday, August 18

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 440, 20 October 1849, Page 3

Saturday, August 18

Present : — The Governor-in-Chicf K the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-Genet^, the Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Merrimao, Mr. Barstow, Lieut. -Col. Hulme, Major Matson, and Mr. Kerapthorne. The Colonial Chaplain read, prayers. Minutes lead and confirmed. Mr. Mernman presented a second petition from a number of the inhabitants of this Province relative to the Crown Titles Bill, praying that the last clause of the Bill might be struck out. Petition received. The honourable member also presented a petition from the stockholders and graziers of New Ulster against the Crown Lands Bill, and another on the insufficiency of the Crown lands for depasturing purposes, which were read and ori dercd to be printed.

Appropriation Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer* further consideration of the Estimates was proceeded with. The Governor laid on the table several of the returns that had been moved for on Thursday. On the motion of Mr. Merriman, the salary of the clerk in the Survey Department was raised to £150, and that of the messenger to £52. The sum of £221 10s, was agreed to for the Department of Public Works. The Eoad Department was allowed to stand over. On the motion for the sum of £300 for Commissioner of Crown Lands. Mr. Barstow moved that the sum be struck out. Mr. Merriman seconded the motion, and said that if it were impracticable for the Sur-veyor-General to fulfil the duties, he thought the offices of Resident Magistrate and Sheriff might be combined, so as to relieve the present Resident Magistrate from his duties in that office, and then combine his present office of Commissioner of Police with that of Crown Lands Commissioner. The Governor would vote against tuch a reduciion, as he believed that if the arrangement just proposed were carried out, there would be nothing but a perpetuation of the confusion that had existed in this colony in relation to Crown Lands. He was empowered by the charter to appoint such an officer, and it would be competent for him to charge his salary upon the Land Fund. He had put the salary on the estimates, so that every item of expense might appear : but if the Council thought proper not to vote the sum, he would only have to make the salary a charge upon the Land Fund. After an animated discussion, in which nearly all the members took part, the amendment to strike out the salary was pressed to a division, and the gallery was cleared. On the public being admitted, it was announced that there were — For the amendment .3 Against it 7 The sum of £300 then stood for Commissioner of Crown Lands. The sum of £446 was agreed to for the Post Office Department. On the sum of £1820 10s. being proposed for the Customs Department, Mr. Barstow moved that £100 be added to the Collector's salary, which,, being seconded by Mr. Merriman, was agreed to, the Governor stating that lie would represent the wishes of the Council to the Commissioners, of Customs in England, but would not consider himself authorised to pay the salary until he received their approval. The sum of £262 for the schooner Albert was agreed to. The sum of £874 ss. was agreed to for the Harbour Department. On the sum of £4216 6s. being proposed for the Police Department, Mr. Barstow suid that a great reduction was necessary in the expense of this depart, ment. It was a most fearful item of expen. diture, and much of it, he thought, nnneces. sary. It appeared from the distribution of

tbe force that it took nearly £1000 a year to keep up a police at the pensioners villages alone. He thought that the pensioners should do this duty themselves, which might be practicable by appointing men from one company to act in the villages of other companies to which they did not belong. The pay also, to the privates appeared too high ; it was more than any farmer could afford to give hard- " working labouring men. The Governor thought that, when the population of the country amounting to nearly 60,000 or 70,000 souls, was taken into consideration, and the character of that population as well, it would only be a matter of surprise that so small a force was made to do the service. He had taken care to have the force of the army in the Province concentrated as much as possible at Auckland, and the outer stations supplied by . the police, so that they were scattered all over the country. Tbe presence of a party of them at Monganui had proved very conducive to the peace of the country; and elsewhere also their services had be"en of much value. 'He believed that tbe employment of the natives in the force had done more than anything else to induce the aborigines to resort to our courts of law instead of to violence for a settlement of their disputes, the native policemen who had done duty about those courts had an opportunity of witnessing the evenhandedness of our law proceedings, and reporting to their friends. Besides, the mails that were forwarded through the interior were conveyed by the police, and this alone was a duty of no small importance. The thought bad also struck him of employing the pensioners in the manner tbe bon. member had suggested, but there were difficulties in the way ; he had also thought of the native road parties doing police duty alternately with their work ; and, although no one would be more willing than himself to bring about a saving of expenditure, he thought a reduction of the police force would be unwise and unsafe at the present time. Tbe sum was ultimately agreed to. On the sum of £1246 7s. 6d. being proposed for the Medical Department, Mr. Kempthorne proposed that tbe Surgeon's salary should be raised to £20.0, so as to put it on a level with the Surgeon of the Province of New Munster. The Governor said that he bad received a letter from the Surgeon complaining of his salary being too low in proportion to his duties. On the motion of Mr. Merriman, seconded ■by Colonel Hulme, tbe sum of £150 was voted for the Surgeon. The sum of £1380 was voted for tbe Judicial Department; and the sum of £680 for the Law Officers. For the Registrar of Deeds Department the sum *f £270 was voted. Mr. Merriman proposed to have the amount of £200 for Registrar struck out, and that the duties should be performed, with the help of a clerk, by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, as formerly, but tbe original motion was ultimately agreed to. On the sum of £1415 being proposed for Resident Magistrates, Mr. Barstow proposed that the sum of £100 for Howick should be expunged, and that the salary of the Resident Magistrate at Russell should be reduced to £100. Co\onel Hulme seconded the motion as regarded the amount for Russell. The Colonial Treasurer suggested that the sum of £50 should be paid to tbe Resident Magistrate at Howick, as, being -a staff officer of Pensioners, that was the amount to which be was entitled, according to the arrangements with the Secretary-at-War, for services performed in this capacity in the colony. The Governor said that certainly such an arrangement had been made, but it was in order that tbe colonists should be able to command the services of intelligent respectable gentlemen to fill such offices, at a moderate salary that the agreement was entered upon with them. For his own part he looked upon the sum allowed as too small, and had arranged to pay them £100 a year ; but if the Council thought that the first arrangement was the best they could certainly claim their services for £50. As regarded the Resident Magistrate at Russell, be (the Governor) had followed the plan adopted at tbe South, of placing the military and civil command at out stations in tbe hand of one officer ; but be had no objection to the reduction, if the Council left him the power in the event of tbe, officer refusing to serve for the reduced salary, to pay £200 to a civilian, as a gentleman competent for the office, could not be induced to accept it at a lower salary. The amendment was agreed to — £100 for Russell and £50 for Howick. The sum of £726 15s. was proposed for tbe Sheriff's Department. On the motion of Colonel Hulme, seconded by Mr. Barstow, tbe Sheriff's salary was raised from £200 to £300.

I The Governor said he had received a petition from the Gaoler relative to his salary. — Petition read. On the motion of Mr. Merriman, the Gaoler's salary was raised to £125. The sum of£3O was allowed to stand for Coroners ; and £200 for the Colonial Chaplain.

Miscellaneous. The sum of £1175 for schools, was on the motion of Mr Kempthorne, allowed to stand over : The sums of £1000 interest on Debentures, and £700 for Printing and Stationary, were agreed to. Mr. Merriman proposed that the sum of £1000, as a contribution to steam, should be struck out,- and that a resolution should be passed by the Council, au'horising His Excellency to appropriate that sura to the purposes of steam, if it were expedient so to do, within the year. Mr Kempthorne enquired whether the sum was intended as a contribution towards steam between this port and Sydney ? The Governor in reply said that it was to assist any project of steam communication that might be established between the ports of New Zealand. Mr. Merriman's notice was agreed to. The sums of £100 for Walker Nene's pension : £22 for Timotiu's gratuity ; £100 for gratuities to native chiefs ; and '£2oo for aborigines, presents, &c, were agreed to. The Committee then adjourned.

Crown Lands Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Secretary Council resumed in committee on the bill. Mr. Merriman proposed to amend the 43d clause, so as to throw the onus probandi upon the Government instead of on the trespasser. . The Governor and Attorney-General thought that it was clearly the right of the trespasser to prove that he had a title to the land, as against the Crown. The clause was allowed to stand, and the committee having adjourned, the report was brought up. Mr. Merriman gave notice that on Tuesday he would move the further consideration in committee of the subject of the introduc tion of exiles into this colony ; he also gave notice that on a future day he would move that the Council do resolve itself into committee for the purpose of addressing the Governor to introduce a measure for settling the land claims. Mr. Barstow moved for the following return : — A return of the amount expended in the purchase of horses for the road department^ stating the number bought and the price of each ; how many are still retained in the department, accounting for any number deficient. Major Matson gave notice that, when the miscellaneous estimates were again under consideration, he would move that not less than £200 be granted for erecting a public market house. The Governor laid on the table a bill to authorize the payment of pensions to certain persons in consideration of the injuries received by them while acting with her Majesty's Forces. Council adjourned until two o'clock en Monday.