PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4411, 10 May 1875, Page 7

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH.

3Trom the speech delivered by Mr. Yitzherbert at the opening of the session of the Provincial Council (which is expected to close to-morrow) we make the following extracts : X am glad to inform you that the balance at your bankers, to the credit of the provincial account for the financial year beginning on the Ist instant, amounts to £16,197 10s., which contrasts favorably with the credit balance of last financial year, viz., - £BB4 Bs. 3d. This balance is exclusive of the sum of £3435 16s. 6d., which stood to the credit of the provincial account on the Ist instant. The amount of £3135 16s. 6d. is comprised of £3OOO deposited with the Provincial Government by certain natives, at interest, and of £450 paid to your account by the Trust and Loan Company. Since the amount referred to serves no practical purpose, you will be asked to give an express authority to liberate it. The ordinary income of last year was estimated at £31,800; it realised £30,873 4s, 9d., leaving a deficiency of £926 15s. 3d. The territorial receipts reach £81,455 3s. 3d., being an excess of receipts over estimate of £6455 3s. 3d. This is exclusive of the sum of £9672 10s., the amount of scrip exercised within the year.

The special income fell short of our expectations by £9354. It is not necessary here to advert to the circumstances causing this discrepancy. Altogether, notwithstanding this disappointment, under the head of special income, the total receipts for the year only fall short of the estimate by £3825 12s. 6d. The estimated total income for the year 1874-75 was £122,726 18s. 9d.; the actual receipts amount to £118,901 6s. 3d. The considerable amount realised by land sales within the year, referred to in the report of the Crown Lands Commissioner, is the result of the policy laid down in 1864, when the Provincial Council passed on the Ist of July, a resolution—“ That none of the land whatever, within the Manawatu blocks shall be offered for sale until after it shall have been surveyed, marked off on the ground, mapped, and numbered, and, main district lines of road similarly defined.” Major Palmer, lately engaged by the General Government to report ,on surveys of New Zealand, reports, with respect to Welliugton, that the system of surveyingpursued is a sound one; that in the course of ten years 1,099,000 acres have been correctly mapped ; and that all previous binders have been swept aside by a trignoraetri.*cal survey.

The wisdom and forethought of the Provincial Government in sanctioning the commencement of the trig, survey, is highly commendable, aud, had its example been followed by the other provinces in New Zealand, the saving of half-a-milliou of money would have been effected. I cannot do otherwise than embrace this opportunity of expressing my satisfaction at the recognition, tardy though it may he, of the high class professional services rendered by the Chief Surveyor of the province, Mr. Jackson.

A large amount of valuable work has been done in the Provincial Engineer’s department. Through communication will he established between the Hutt and Pahautanui, when the present line now under contract is finished. A considerable amount of work has been performed during the year on the line from Mungaroa to Waikanae, which was explored and partly graded last year. As I anticipate that the Education Board will have at its disposal during the present year a sum not less than £IB,OOO, there is every probability that increased results will be reported next year. The Principal of the Wellington College, in his report, explains how “ a hoy of the requisite ability, from whatever rank of life he may come, may obtain as high an education as the colony can, offer almost entirely free of all charge.” You have always acted with such great liberality in your votes towards this institution, that it must, I am sure, be a satisfaction to you to reflect that you have materially contributed towards the establishment of an institution, the full benefits of which will he more recognised, perhaps, hereafter than at the present time. A new hospital having become a necessity, the trustees cannot, if I, may venture to offer advice, do better than dispose of so much of their estate as will put them in sufficient funds to defray the very considerable cost of buildinn's such as those proposed to be erected. You will read the report on immigration with interest. The total of 5160 immigrants for this province has been distributed almost on arrival. The, population of the province, according to the census, on the Ist 7*larch, 1874, was 29,790. It may, lam informed, be estimated that on 31st March,lß7s,it amounted to 37,203, showing an increase from all sources of nearly 25 per cent, during the past thirteen months. The best testimony to the general suitability of the. immigrants consists in their ready absorption. The police force continues to be efficiently handled; the management of the asylum is satisfactory ; the warden of the Wellington gaol has had great difficulties to contend with hitherto from the want of sufficient room ; but I am glad to he enabled to state that these difficulties are in course of removal by the additions which are now in course of being made. The harbor-master is diligent in meeting the increased requirements of this province, and exercises a careful control over the outports and ferries. , , t, . . , I have to inform you that the Provincial Government have entered into an agreement with the Wellington city authorities cession to them of a certain portion of the foreshore in the harbor of Port Nicholson, held under grant from the Crown by the Superintendent of the province. It is proposed to cede, on certain conditions set forth by deed, the foreshore referred to, for the sum of , £30,000. This agreement is subject to your ratification, and I recommend it for your acceptance. ... Your consent will he asked for certain conditional agreements entered into with Mr. Moynahan, for the maintenance for three years of a steam tug for this harbor. This proposal, taken in conjunction with the usefulness of the existing Patent Slip, will greatly add to tho accommodation of the increasing gripping of this port. The interior communication is not as good as I could wish, the road to the East Coast being still in a most unfinished state. The railway communication also contrasts unfavorably with other provinces. I should occupy too much time if I were to pursue this question of the relative progress of railway construction in other parts of New Zealand; I believe, however, that the contrasts will he found still more striking. The land in tho neighborhood of Waikanae to the extent of 400,000 acres, which is still in the handsof the natives, greatly impedes settlement. I have done my utmost during the last four years to urge on the General the importance of completing this purchase, but without any result. , . I have thus placed tho subject of communication between the port of Wellington and the interior plainly before you ; because I am of opinion that it is of vital importance to the maintenance and consolidation of your prosperity that no more time should be lost m removing the obstructions to which I have

16 1 have directed your attention to the results of the administration of the Public Works policy of 1870, so far as this part of the colony is concerned. If it be urged that, m the due course of development of administration the inequalities noticed will be redressed, then ■we may expect that a very good time indeed awaits us in this part of the colony. The Bills which will be introduced are few in number, and of a practical character. They are as follows, viz.: — 1. The Wellington Harbor Reserves Sale Act, 1876. , 2. The Wellington Land Sale Act, 1875. 3. The Local Districts Impounding Act, 1875. 4. The Wanganui Reserves Management Act 1874 Amendment Act, 1875. 5. The Municipal Corporation’s Waterworks Act (Wellington) Adoption Act, 1875.

6. The Wellington Church of England Site Sale Act, 1875. 7. The Sandon Public Park Management Act, 1875. , ... . The estimates of income and expenditure for the year 1875-76 will be presented to you without delay. X may state, that I placejdie receipts from ordinary income at £32,/00. The territorial receipts are estimated to realise £120,000. In this latter sum is included £30,000, the proceeds of the sale of the foreshore proposed to he made to the Corporation of the city of Wellington. Under the head of special income, the amount of £74,750 is expected to be received ; 74,550 of this amount being receivable from the Trust and Loan Company, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of reclamation, for which I was authorised to contract. After excluding this last amount, and including the credit balances (to which I referred at the commencement of ray speech) viz., £16,157 10s., and £3430 16s. 6d., there will remain, if my calculations are realised, the sum of £172,383 6s. 6d. for you to appropriate for the service of the year 1875-76. c , In the estimate of expenditure you will tmcl the following increases, viz. : Salaries increased .. .. £' l9s 6 0 Increase of staff in the following establishments, viz. : Police } Hospital . • • • •• 1. £1,141 18 0 Wellington Harbor .. Rangitikei Pilot .. Increase of cost of maintenance for the following services, viz. : Mount View Asylum .. 'i Gaols at Wellington and I gg<> q q Wanganui .. ( ’ Charitable aid.. .. - • J The total ordinary expenditure is placed at £40,639 135., as against £38,565 for last year. Tile total amount proposed to he expended on public works and undertakings (exclusive of the £75,000 for reclamation), is £152,942 7s. 2d., as against last year’s vote of £98,499 11s. 10:1. ‘ . ... Comparing tho total estimated income with the total proposed expenditure, there would be a deficiency to make up of rather more than £21,000, provided the entire sums voted for all the services were expended. But this is not likely to occur. If, however, some of the items voted should come in course of payment, such as the rewards for the discovery of gold and coal, the stimulus imparted by these discoveries would tend to increase the income in a greater ratio than the expenditure. In any case, the legal overdraft to which we are entitled, and for which we have made provision, would be more than sufficient to bridge the difference to which I have referred between estimated income and expenditure. NOTES OE PROCEEDINGS. The business of the Provincial Council, which will probably be closed to-morrow, has been got through with unexampled it may he said that provincialism in Wellington has been reduced to its legitimate aud constitutional basis. In pursuance of the practice brought into vogue since Mr. Fitzherbert’s advent to the office of Superintendent, the Provincial Council has been stripped of the trappings of high parliamentary procedure, and has developed into an administrative board. In place of weary debates upon abstract questions, involving points of order and appeals to Mr. Speaker and to May, the Councillors perforce devote themselves to the practical work of the province, for the sufficient reason that the Provincial Government places before them none but administrative measures. No tedious legislative enactments were added to the statute book. Subjects properly belonging to the higher Legislature were carefully excluded, and so efficient is the existing provincial machinery that the usual string of amending Acts was missing from the Order Paper, the Ordinances passed being so few in number that a shilling stamp would convey them to any part of the world. An attempt was made by Mr. Hutchison to add weight to the Premier’s abolition resolutions by endorsing them with the assent of the Council, but the motion met an inglorious fate, only four members voting for it on division. This may be said to be the only sign of opposition manifested throughout the session. Mr. Andrew proposed a caricature address in reply to his Honor’s opening address ; but the hpn. member’s speech in support of his motion was wanting in wit, and to the great disappointment ol the public, was very common-place. Thus the session was without a single feature to make it notable, if we except the fact that the Estimates, involving an expenditure of £268,632, were passed through committee in four hours. The education question elicited a short but unsatisfactory discussion, which resulted in nothing being done. This, however, was not surprising, as the Education Board itself is just now halting between two opinions as to whether or not the Board should consist of nominated members, the experience of the past three- years having conclusively proved - the impossibility of getting the country members to attend. Many members of the Board believe that the present system will yet prove equal to all the requirements of the province, and ■ this opinion receives general endorsation amongst the people, who have great faith in the ability of the Inspector, Mr. Leo, aud the Secretary, Mr. C. 0. Graham, who are working energetically to the system. It is not likely that any alteration will be effected this year. The Council meet this evening to receive the report of the Audit Committee, and pass the Appropriation Act, and in all probability his Honor will prorogue the Council for another year.