PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 316, 24 December 1862, Page 5

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, 23rd December.

The Speaker took the chair at one o'clock; and the sitting was opened with prayer.

THE APPROPRIATION BILL.. Upon the motion of the PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, the House-went into Committee of Supply, for the purpose of filling :i blank in a resolution respecting- the Estimates, with the words " Four hundred and-five thousand and fifty eight pounds nineteen shilling* and ten peuce" (L 405,058 19s 1(M), that being the amount of the estimated expenditure for the six mouths from the 13fch »:er>teniber last. The" PROVINCIAL SECRETARY moved, t( That the Standing Orders be suspended, to the effect of allowing the Appropriation Bill to go through all its stages tit tlm sitting; and that the printing thereof be dispensed with until it k parsed." Mr KILGOCJII seconded the motion, which was agreud to. On the motion that the Bill be read a first time, Mr HO WORTH said that there was a profession that land was to be brought into the market to meet the, wants of poor nu?n; but there were none such as buyers at pr* sent; so that if lands were forced on to sale it must be only for the purpose* of revenue. If so sold, an adequate, price ouetfu to be obtained, so as to raise something towards the works which it was proposed to carry out without adequate means, except from a loan. That loau, it was proposed to obtain on the secivity of the land ; but he did not see how that security could exist, if the land was-ta be sold as rapidly as possible at a low j price. It must Lo raaniiest that land was being sold i to,avoid-the necessity for direct taxation. When it was gone, direct taxation there must be. There should therefore be some well weighed system of .selling the land—not selling it cheap, professedly for the poor man, when it was clear that only those who I bought to sell again could bu expected to buy it. The taxing of land that r. mahied unimproved at the end offour years instead of checking speculation would increase it four-fold; fora speculator would know that the improvement clause was now a nullity, a,nd that if he could not sell again profitably within four years, he had only to pay a small fine as the pi-ice of holding on until he could so sell. To pass such an Appropriation Bill, iv the expectation of raising a loan, was a fallacy; for he thought it would be found that, under the circumstances, no loan could be advantageously negotiated. The first and second readings of the Bill were agreed to. In Committee, the clauses, (including one indemnifying the Superintendent for L 19,602 12s 3d unauthorised expenditure) were adopted. The House resumed, and the Bill was .cad a third time and parsed. MLI.S READ A THIRD TIME. Tne following were read a third time and passed:— Otago Loan Bill. Dog Nuisance Bill. Turnpikes Bill. Mr 110 WORTH opposed a motion for re-commit-ting the Turnpikes Biil, on the ground that levying a ! tax by means of tolls was not sound policy, and more especially berause the. object of going into Committee was to increase some of the tolls already agreed xo. In Committee, two or three modifications in the ! schedule were proposed, but none of them was ajjrefd to; and the PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR said he had only desired to satisfy some members of the' Government and of the House, who, as was understood, considered some of the tolls to be too low. PROROGATION OF THE COUNCIL. At a quarter to two, Hia Honor the Superintendent entered the House, and was received by the members standing. He read the following address :— " Mr. Speaker a*d Gtentle3i:en : " I have to thank you for your continued exertions j during the present session to meet the requirements of the times by a suitable legislation. "In addition to the Bills which I have already assented to, on behalf of the Governor I now assent to the following: " Impounding Bi# 1862. " Licensed Hawkers' Bill IBG2. " Oamam Town Board Bill 1862. " Dunedin Buildinec Bill 1882. "Turnpikes 131111862. " Dog Nuisance Bill 1862. " Appropriation Bill 1862-3. . " The following Bills which have been passed by you have necessarily been reserved for the signification of the Governor's pleasure thereon :— "The Otago Loan Bill 1862. " The -.Miner.,' Provincial Representation Bill 1862. " The Ofago Representation Bill 1862. " The Port of Otago Marine Board Bill 1862. " The Panama Mail Subsidy Biil 18S2. " The Unimproved Land Bill. " It is^ with much regret I arrived at the conclusion that, owing to circumstances which could not have ,been anticipated, it would be undesirable at so late a season, and.at a sacrifice as was necessary, to despatch the projected West Coast Expedition. The results of such an expedition will be, I doubt not. of such a ehai-acter as to justify the recommendation which you adopted of making the necessary arrangements, during the ensuing year, for the despatch of a thoroughly organised and f ally equipped Expedition in November next. You will be happy to learn that, as far sis the Geological Department is concerned, no loss will he sustained, as there are some questions to be Solved which an Overland Expedition, now under arrangement, will dispose of, and thtu the way will be cleared for subsequent inyestigatunv ■ ; " I most cordially thank you for the readiness with which you have accorded your approval of the system of increased ministerial responsibility which JL laid before you. " I trust your Resolutions on- the Laud Question zaay have the effect, which I most earnestly rieiire, of securing the country tor those who are willing to make it their home, and who invest their capital, be : ,it small or larg?, for the purpose of, cultivating the land they, occupy. The question of the disposal of , the Waste Lands is one of pre-eminent 'difficulty.:; and it would be unreasonable to suppose, because ; from:our rapid rise as a Province and our restricted power of sale, we lmve been the first amongst our neighbors to encounter these difficulties, that/therefore, our, system is faulty in its construction. With others the hour of trial has soi; yet come. I thank you for so steadily confronting these difficulties, and for the anxiety you have evinced in the endeavor to remedy them. " As I have no doubt that His Excellency will be advised to accede to our mutual request that the i Provincial Council be dissolved, it only remains for me to ihank you for the valuable assistance you have, given me duiing a time of considerable difficulty. '*. Whatever may be the future position I may occupy. I shall ever look back with pleasure to my association with you in the endeavor to advance the be3t interests of our adopted; country y' and I shall regard your cordial co-operation in th's endeavor, as one of the most pleasincr -reminiscences connected with my tenure of office, as Superintentendent'of the Pro- . vince. ..".;.' ...". "''. ,' ;■ -~ . ~'.... .; .y ; ., ... . ■ " I now hereby notify to you that the Council stands prorogued. ' "J.L.C. RICHARDSON, ; '• Superintendent."