PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume 1, Issue 21, 23 June 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Monday, June 14, 1875. The Council, having been called together for business, met at 2 o’clock. ADDRESS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. Gentlemen, —It was only this morning that I thought it advisable to be present when you assembled; and, although 1 have not anything very special to say, still, you might like to hear a few words from me on matters connected with the welfare of the Province. In alluding to the extension of the telegraph, he remarked it is most important that the lino 'should be connected, and when I was in Wellington, I made a point '-of getting the matter definitely settled. It was then agreed that if the line could not be joined by the coast immediately it was to be done by the Mountain Road ; at the same time I may say that by so doing it will not delay the making of the coast line by one hour.

With regard to Immigration, I am happy to say that Mr Burton’s mission has been crowned with great success ; and, as you wilt sec by letters which will be laid on the table, ho has done all lie could do to send (/ut people to this province. By the returns it will be seen that between GOO and 700 immigrants for this Province are now on the water.

Ge.ni'emen, the sum that was voted for the building of a Lmudic Asylum, 1 regret to say, was totally inadequate for the purpose, and as the Hospital Board waited upon mo and requested I would take steps to have the patients removed, I had to take action at once. I saw it was impossible with the sum you voted to build an Asylum ; I therefore thought it best to telegraph to the Superintendents in the other Provinces, asking if they could take, the lunatics into their Asylums, and to which I received a most courteous reply from them all, and, with the exception of Wellington, I learned that the whole of the Asylums were full of inmates. From Wellington I was informed by Mr Fitzherbert, the Superintendent, that they were willing to take our insane on the same terms as they took the Marlborough patients, at one pound per head per week. I then made up my mind to go to Wellington and inspect the place, and I can assure you that everything that could be desired for the cure or comfort of the patients was to be found there. There is another matter i will briefly remark upon—that is, with regard to the £2,200 which was to be given to us yearly, in lieu of a land fund—and this I will endeavour to show in a few words. By the “ Public Debts Apportionment Act, 1858,” £IBO,OOO was given to the North Island for the purpose of extinguishing the native title to lauds : of this said £IBO,UOO, Auckland was to receive fivetenths, Wellington three-tenths, and Taranaki two-tenlhs (viz., £36,000). Speaking in round numbers, up to the present time we have had expended in our Province out of this sum, for the extinguishing of native title, about £4,000, leaving a balance of £32,000, which ought to be used for the express purpose as stated under the Act of 1858. But the Government of the Colony being short of funds, with the authority of the Assembly placed it to revenue, and used it for the good of the Colony ; and up to the present time have allowed us £2,200 a-yoar as interest for the same. Now, however, I learn that think of discontinuing this payment, on the plea that the land they have l ately acquired is out of the Immigration .and Public Works money, under which Act the Province is restricted and seriously wronged with the dealing of its hind. If what I have stated be carried our, it will bo in direct opposition to that which I understood from the Hon the Premier in February last, when 1 consulted him on the matter. I certainly then understood from him that until the balance of the £36,000 has been expended as authorised by the Act of 1858, we would receive the £2,200 yearly. The letter to which this matters refers will be laid before you. There is only one more matter left I would refer to, and it has reference to the Provincial Secretary. Before I bad a responsible Executive, Mr Wbiteombe used to draw tier bills, but under the present arrangement Mr Kelly docs not think it his duty to do so, and as Mr Staudish is

of the same opinion I have thought it my duty to lay the matter before you. I have got a statement of the land sold, which has been handed to me by the Waste Lauds Commissioners, and amounts to £G,713 17s Gd, the details of which will be laid before you. After thanking the members for their kind attention to his remarks, his Honor then withdrew from the Council Chamber. PETITION. Mr Sherwood presented a petition from the hotelkeepers of Patea requesting that the danse of the Licensing Ordinance relative to the granting of bottle licenses be rescinded. TUESDAY, JUNE 15. The Speaker took the chair at 11 o'clock. The whole of the members present. LETTERS. A letter was read from Mr Hutton, Secretary of the Patea Institute, asking for a grant of money. A letter from Mr Burton, giving information relative to the immigrants that were on their way, and those about to depart. Letters from Captain Wray, referring to the closing of certain roads at Patea, and to the extension of the township of Patea, were read. ACCOUNTS FOR DRAFTING BILLS. The account of Mr Kelly for drafting the Harbour and other Bills, and for drawing up specifications for tenders, &c., were sent down by the Superintendent for the information of .the Council. PATEA RESERVES. In reply to Mr Sherwood’s question, why the reserves in the Patea District were not vested in local trustees, Mr Kelly said the Government were awaiting the grants from Wellington, when a bill would be sent down to the Council. PETITIONS. Mr Peacock presented a petition from the inhabitants of Patea, requesting that a sub-inspector of sheep and cattle be appointed for the Patea District. Mr Hughes also presented one from the publicans of New Plymouth, praying that the bottle license be abolished. PATEA ROAD COMMISSIONERS. Mr Peacock inquired what steps the Government bad taken towards increasing the number of Commissioners in each ward in the Patea District. Mr Kelly replied that the Patea settlers wished to have the three districts made into one, but that could not bo done without an Ordinance. The number of Commissioners, however, could be increased by resolution of the Council. PROGRESS OF THE PROVINCE. Mr Kelly (Secretary for the Province) said, before the Council proceeded to business, ho wished to make a statement of the work done since they had met in

January last. At that period it was considered necessary to vote a considerable sum of money for public purposes. Commencing wHi die public works, they had expended some £8,030 out of the £20,000 anth-.i is--d to he advanced by the General Assembly; and from the P.ovineial revenue, about £3,000. With regard to the main line to the North, wiioii the present contract was completed, the road would be metalled and gravelled as far as Bundle’s farm, with the exception of about ten chains. On the Sontii Road metal had boon commenced at Allen’s Hill and Pbvmc Hill ; and the hill at Tatar dmaka had been reduced to an easy gradient. On the inland load, from the Meeting of the Waters to Inglewood, little money had boon spent, it being thought best to wait till spring, when it would be in a more fit state to commence. The money that had boon spent on immigration purposes, with the concurrence of the General Government, had chiefly been expended in the erection of cottages for immigrants. There had been forty-six cottages contracted for—both two and four-roomed—the total expenditure being £4,000. The portion of the advance from the General Government had been expended in carrying out and opening up district roads. Tenders had been asked for the building of the Maugawera bridge, and the timber was being cut for another ; and tenders would soon be called for it. It was also the intention of the Government to have continued the Mountain Road, but the Genera! Government having intimated its intention to make a deviation, it would be a waste of money to make the old line, and therefore the Government would not push the work on in that direction till ihe line of road had boon settled. There were, however, some twelve miles of road on the Hawera side on which there would be no deviation, and which the Government intended to proceed with.

The Government regretted that it had not been able to proceed with the surveys us rapidly as it could wish, but all had been done that could be. The whole time of one surveyor had been occupied in cutting the Hues and pegging the sections out. Another delay had bee caused by the time taken up in the exploration of the country. One party had been out six weeks. It was absolutely necessary that they should have some idea of the country at their buck, ami the Council would concur with him in the wisdom of the work that had been accomplished. He need not refer to the expedition, as a report of what the survey parly had done was before, them ; and although it. was to be regretted that they did not succeed m reselling the Mokau, still what had been dime shows that there was an excellent country for settlement, and a line of railway could easily be taken by that route. The survey pariy had done their best ; hut considering they ran short of provisions, and that it had rained three weeks, night and day, the pariy displayed great energy and courage. Thousdav. The Speaker took the chair at 11 o’clock. Mr Elliott asked whether the hind sold in the Moa Block is surveyed sufficiently to allow purchasers to commence work at once? Ho did this so that the reports in circulation might be contradicted.—Mr Kelly replied, and said that the reports were unfounded, because pc;sons who had purchased could, by giving a day's nolice, have their boundary marked, and fresh claims cut in. Mr Sherwood asked whether any application had been made for a refund to the Province for the public buildings erected at Patea?—Mr Kelly replied that he believed the buildings had been erected before 1871 ; but when in Wellington he would see to the matter, and got it settled. Mr McGuire asked what steps the Government had taken in giving effect to Mr Brown’s motion, asking that the whole of the unsold sections in Waitara and Carlyle Townships should be handed over as endowments for the improvement of the Waitara and Patea rivers? Mr Kelly said the Genua! Government had been communicated with on the matter, but no reply had been received. The General Government, he thought, wished to refrain from handing the sections over to the Province, so as to show the benefit of central government by endowing townships so liberally. When in Wellington, he, as a member, would enquire into the matter, and endeavour to get the reserves handed over.