EVENING SITTING.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 6 March 1863, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

* The . chair, w«»! taken by Mr M'Nab ataeveri o'clock, pt6vipi'."'"^i<--;< _ ' Mr Calder gave notice that at to-morrow morning's sitting he would ask that the Tlouse take into consideration the report of the jetty committee. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. THE BLUFF RAILWAY BILL. i Mr Tarlton wished to express an opinion before the House went into committee on this Bill. The question had been deliberated upon at considerable length, and the time had arrived when the House was called on to express a decisive opinion in one of three ways. Either the plans proposed must be rejected, or modified, or adopted. He should scarcely feel disposed to reject any plan were it possible to obtain the money. In the infancy of a Province it had opportunities of constructing a. railway which it would never hay. again. The question of compensation alone seriously affected all such matters, and he fully believed that a railway— not necessarily a locomotive one — was the only proper way of constructing a permanent rond. All other roads belonged to the past, and that exclusively belonged to the present. He would any, therefore, that if it were possible to go on with this measurs, without.endangering the stability of the Province, he would be disposed to give it his support. Another alternative was, were they prepared to modify the said Bill ? instead of constructing the whole could they be content with part ? if a part, what part ? At this end there were facilities for travelling which did not exist at the other end, and in some respects the arguments in favor of the other end were the stronger. A railway to the Mokomoko only he considered would be an imperfect scheme, incomplete, and one that would not meat with the support of the inhabitants. (Hear, hear, from the Provincial Treasurer.) Even though it did meet with their support, there were other opinions to be consulted. Suppose they were going to borrow money, they must ask the men who were going to lend it what they thought of the scheme. "Whereis the Mokomoko ? " gentlemen at Lloyd's,or on the Exchange in London say. It is a Maori name, may be answered ; but where is it ? " Xie know wh,re the Bluff is, but do not understand where the Mokomoko is ;'' consequently, whatever its virtues and excellencies, the Council would have to convince the world of them before money would be lent. He had, at the same time, to qnalify his statement, because the evidence submitted to the House went to prove that the undertaking w.is desirable to that extent, and the evidence for tliat extent was greater than for that beyond it. Eut then came another question. If gentlemen said, " Whsre rre the customs dues tf the Bluff, it could be replied, simply because that harbor is in such a position that it is impossible to land goods, and consequently tluie can be no customs duo?. After illustrating the necessity of a wh-.irf, he continued — Another view of the subject was the financial one. Would it pay ? That could be answered in two ways. ile had often been amused at the efforts made by London shopkeepers to draw custom — such as keeping three blind fiddlers playing before thoir door, selling below prime cost, &c. Did that pay them ? It did. They were docirous of establishing a position, and it did pay them, even when making a sacrifice. Would it pay, also, to make these sacrifices on the part of the province ? He was disposed to think it would, so far as men could look into futurity. It might be that there would be no balance shoet for the first, second, or third year, such as they would like to so, but at the same time, would the inv23tment induce men to travel Lito the interior and see what the province W33 like ? "Would it induce men to purchase l,md and setLle here? If it did that, we might be paying rponey for establishing a position, but it would not be a positive loss, ile thought when any gentleman tried to prove anything else, he asked too much of an undertaking in its infancy ; he asked too much to think it would be able to pay on the whole concern more than 20s in the pound. But if it did not do that directly, any loss would be compensated for by giving a character to the province, marking it as governed by men, by a Council fully alive to the advances of mockrn locomotion. For these and other reasons, lie supported the Bill. The House then went into committee, and the clerk rcr-d V\e preamble of the bill. The Provincial Treasurer, after replying to provious speakers, and adducing arguments in i.ivor of the line being carried to the Bluff, said that in deference to the wishes of the House, Government tv: uld offer this proposition. They would br^H the railway and go to the Mokomoko, and not proceed to the Bluff till a resolution authorising them had been passed by the House. The Government were perfoctiy willing to stand by the bill, and were qui>e convinced that no half measures would meet the requirements of the Province ; but they offered this in the hope that it would secure unanimity in the passing of the Bill. Mr balder never wanted more. He saw tbp ultimnte necessity of going to the Bluff quite as much as any member of the Government, but he took exception to such a large sum being applied for an object which the evidence failed to establish. He contended that their hands would be tied up, and before the completion of the line the money might be more urgently required elsewhere. He was therefore surprised the sum was not modified also. If a future Council did not think fit to go on to the Bluff, they would have the large sum asked for on their shoulders, and be unable to m.ike any use of it. The Provincial Treasurer replied that the money could be drawn in driblets, as required. Mr Pearson pointed out the danger of the General Government refusing any sum if the bill was prated by a narrow majority. After the concession made, he hoped there would be no opposition. Mr Wilson said there had been no opposition except for the purpose of eliciting infoi inution. The preamble of the bill was then read, and unanimously a-? read to. Progress was reported, and The House resumed. The third reading was appointed for tomorrow morning's sitting. The standing orders were suspended, and THE LOAN ORDINANCE, 1863, read a first and second time. House went into committee. Clauses 2 to 8 were considered and passed, without alteration. Progress was reported, and The House resumed. The standing orders were suspended, and THE APPROPRIATION BILL, No. 1, brought in and read a first time. The House went into committee, when clauses second and third were passed. Progress was reported, and The House resumed, to adjourn at ten minutes past nine o'clock.