PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 28, 4 August 1864, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, 2jrb A-tratrsT, 1864. The Council met at six o'clock, but a quorum oTthe members was not present till nearly seven o'clock. ■ ■'■'-'...:: .. _V . c< , Mr. Peaeson was appointed Deputy bpeaker. The minutes of the -previous sitting -were read and confirmed. ( -„Ay<• vo ■■, __ _jp"_ssid-E KO. 6. . vw... . -... The following message was received from His Honor the Superihtendent * — •** To the Provincial Council of Southland. "Tbe Superintendent' acknowledges the receipt of a communication from, the Council, in reply to his Message No; 5. "' It" states ' That it is not a function belonging to the Council to take the initiative in the introduction of financial mea-j sures,' and denies that its "refusal to "pass certain resolutions involves responsibility for duties which do not properly belong to it. Furfcher on it states 'that the Council conceives that: tiie ob-; jeefc at present before it, is to give to the Government all the aid mits- power, to- enable 'it to tide over a pressing financial emergency. yy -, " bonvened specially for this object, with a dissolution certain at a' very early period, ifc will appear improper thafc the Council should entertain »ny larger or more permanent measures than the immediate circumstances demand.' ■ y •■ The Superintendent is of opinion thafc it is the duty of the Council to advise on any subject involving the interests of the province, .and he regrets, to find that the opinion entertained by the Council ' appears to be so widely different. He thinks that the objects to be attained by a meeting of the: Council were ; these. .-—First— To enquire into, and fully discusß.- and consider the financial circumstances of; fche province, in order that the whole community- might,. be thoroughly informed on the subject. -Second— To .consider the proper .mode" of meeting,^outstanding liabilities; and Thirdly-- I To ...determine, the best way of meeting cohtogenfcliabihties. , ; -• ; . : "-: . " The first object has been, fully, attained-; :Wifch regard to the second, the Council. bas approved of a mode which the Government have ? adopted to a limited extent, and authorised the payment - of interest on such 'claims,-;-* course which the Government was scarcely authorised vfco takeViiY absence of the sanction of the .Council; .Onthe 80th of June these outstanding- habihties were about £30,000., > v; v ,-;-,,; ... - ;' [ ,-:*-v.--T yy. :*■. .: ■ " With'reference to the contingent; liabilities/) -which are estimated afc" £135,000, gradually falling due in the next three or four months— ln Message ■' No. 5, the.Superintendenfc-statedwhafche beHeved; to be simply ,a fact, rthatfche only practicable proposal for meeting these had been made by the Provincial Treasurer,: and that fche Council rejected, the proposal ; he; therefore-requested the. Council to suggest some other mode of -;meeting those liabilities, as ifc disapproved of -the mode which had been submitted for its consideration. jv -^ " This advice the Council declines to , give — - first, on a,point r of punctilio, as a ma'tter :; beyond the sphere of its duty; and next,, to , quote ; the words of the answer, because 'The. Council having failed to establish any satisfactory connection; with the Executive .Government, and^eing/therefore deprived of any effectivej.cpnfcrolioyter.fche expenditure, it would Jbe unwilling^.to ;entrusfc7 io a Government in which it has ceased to have confi-., dence, any power not absolutely necessary for the conduct of r the 7businesß of the province^ duringthe «hcfrfc .'interval, ifor; -which, 'it.oJnll: control them.'" " ' AA rA-'-f'-'- ..■"•■''■ yA-y^-yl •:•-■;,*■. "Itis of importance, to .ascertain-; the ..reasons',' on account of : wHch7jti^ tb-. establish any Ba^tlsfaetoi^rVicpnnection^i^thoLtTiel Executive Government. It .should bear in mind that in the beginning; of the session in-; February, 1864, the question of relative.powers of the Superintendent and the Executive were,keenly diaeussed,' in the Council. After a tedious discussion and various messages apd; commutations. .the,' Council • agreed-omithe- 22nd /^-February to, aresolutioh emboa.ying';tie};&UoJ!i r mg/; terms :—^' K Tha*fc7ifc, is the , opinion .. pi ,lihw r 3louße, _ thafc^under the ; provisions ; of -tha -PikvracaJal ,'Gbyemment Qrd^mnce,rNo. 3,* "1862,7*ftU.powe^7tha.tc^d ? be,leg^ the Baid 'Olrdin^j^r^oidflbe administered-by-i the Superintendent only -with the advice and consent of an Executive Council V more especially ifc is the opinion of tibia' Vbitdcil? tliat' ,'*.ffl?moneys appropnated.by it Bboi4d7be^exjeh4e'd/under Bupervisiori'of ah^ Executive ' Council, chosen .from . its mei^^^v^ -TMi^W respohsiblertb -this Council.' A y n % A'AiXA.ll^ MXAAAn'pAAi ;• "To the proposition? contained in tHs resolution the Superintendent agreed, as expressed^^ hii mw^yiWt^W& ra^.s64p^ ,on ;:fche ba«b of^thu agreemeht ah Executive' was ' formed ; t. risziivtii AAiHAi-i-AAiAPA: -.: A.-yX : 'Xi- r ;.y i~y<-

without delay. By a-jreforence ; to the ; *eply of the Council to the address of the Superintendent in February, ifc will be seen thai the Council at firsfc •made extreme; claims "for entife control, > which, affcer discussion and consideration, it waived, and finally agreed to the terms of the resolution above quoted. In the- present session, however, it has, in disregard of its own resolution, reverted to, the extreme views which were held in the beginning of last session, which were, opposed by the Super-intendenfc,-and ,wMch;,.we*re^*mpdified;,in order to produce an 4 agreemehfc between the 1 parties. V "The Goiincil'musfc have; been fully awarev that a reversion to those views would necessarily lead to a difference , pf^opiniqn, , witli ...the Superintendent;"' Oft? does no^appeiar^tbthink'fchat itis bound' to adhere to; .the resplutipniaboye.qupted.^. Onthe ,other hand, the Superintendent does not consider ' that he is releasedfi-om the bbUgafobirbf observing 7 it, and bis membranda to' Mr. 'Pearson in July will be fcmrid to harmonise with ifc. ,j , ; , ; .: "If the Council should' -^hero. to the opinion, expressed in ; the' resolution, "; the 'Superintendent . kno v;s of mo valid reason tb^'event the formation of an [Executive; Council now, any more tlian .existed when ah Executive was formed'after the re-* solution was agreed to ; and if in this session the Council had desired in 'aU- sincerity to forniitn _ -Executive-in* conformity with'-' that resolutioh, : fche Superihtendent iB '■' convinced tliat it would have been effected withoiifc-'idifficulty-^certainly,' he -would- have- assisted as far as he7could. : "'-■'' "If the Council has not estabhshed a connection with the; Executive, fit vis " ifc has i attempted, arid* failed ■■-* to • * bringY into practical {operation^ certain; opinions basedon special construction of laws under -which, thei Government is administered, and which- int- the* course of lasfc session ifc had- waived, lin '* agreement with the Superintendent, a It'is to be regretted that on account of a 'difference of .speculative opinion, in a matter affecting practical- administration, it should refuse (io assist; or^advise, the Government in dealing with- the most serious part of .the liabilities ; yefc these liabilities must.be provided for in some ,way,,and before a, new Government can come into power in this Province. , The advances from, the General Goyernmenl under the;agreement will extend into September. After fchey shall .have ceased, no resources will be left from whence to meet the.habilities falling due, unless some-provision is shortly made. " Ifc was to this exigency that the Superintendent, in Message No. 5, desired fco draw the special attention ofthe Council, and he still trusts that they will' evidence an appreciation of its grave importance, by, advising as to the most prudent course to be adopted. "J. A. R. Menzies, Superintendent. "Superintendent's Office, 'l' Southland, 2nd August, 1864." Ordered to he on fche table. the Estimates. The Pboyincial Tbeasubeb moved, and Mr. Wilson seconded — " That the Estimates, as amended, be passed.'.' Carried. COMPLETION 07 EAILWATS. Mr. Wilson obtained leave to bring forward a motion, as follows : — "Thafc the credit and prosperity of' the Colony in general, and this Province in particular, require an immediate loan to complete the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway, and Northern Railway ; and thafc it should be granted upon the security required by the General Government, and that commissioners should be appointed by the General Government to superintend the completion of these works, in accordance wi}h the. terms of contract, and to act as arbitrators on the part of the Provincial Government, as it is , contemplated that the contractors will demand damages on account of the temporary suspension of these works." Mr. Caldeb thought that this motion opened up just what the Council, he thought, wisely decided not to do. The appointment of commissioners by fche General Assembly was always a point on which the Council had been of opinion was a wrong step, and should not be advocated by them. If we accept thiß resolution, we w-ill have departed from the previous policy decided upon by the Council. He would move that the* hon. member withdraw his motion. Mr. Wilson replied that he considered it would show an anxiety on their part for the money being properly spent. He thought that unless the works were immediately proceeded with, the loss to the province would be most serious. If the Council, however, thinkß the motion stultifies former decisions, he would withdraw it. The motion, not being seconded, lapsed. MEMOBIAL TO THE GOVERNOR. -' Mr. Haevey said he hacl a clause which he pro- ; posed as an . additional clause. It was inserted, and the memorial; as amended, now reads as follows : — ' ■■ , "The memorial ofthe Provincial Council of the Province of Southland, in the colony of New Zealand, assembled. "To His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight Commander of tbe most honorable order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief 'in and over Her Majesty's colony of New Zealand and its dependencies, and vice-ad-miral of the same, &c &c. „ Sib,— Certain Ordinances having been passed by. the Provincial : Council of this and other Provinces in this colony which have received the sanction of Tour Excellency for the purpose of raising loans by the sale , of Debentures, and the negotiating these loans in the London market being difficult * because the ; securities possess simply a Prdvincial'guarantee, arid as other ordinances of a like nature will be required to meet the necessities of the various provinces, it is most desirable for'the well--beirig, not only of the Provinces, but of' the ; colony as a whole, that such guarantee should be enlarged, and that the colonial 'guarantee "should be given to the same by act of the General Assembly *, and. as the necessities ■6f the -Provinces immediately affected are very ■urgent, we would earnestly entreat your Excellency to summon the General Assembly to meet atthe earliest practicable time, in order to take this matter into consideration. Also, thafc your TExceliency would be pleased to set apart for the * charges for interest and sinking fund on the loans which may be thus guaranteed on behalf of any Province, such a. sum as may be requisite from tlie land and customs' revenue of such Province^ as they arise. ' '{ And your memoralists will ever pray." The hon. meniber then moved the adoption of the' memorial as amended. Mr. -Haevey seconded.— -Carried. - i APPEOPBIATION BILL. The Pbovincial Tbeasuee;© obtained leave to bring in an Appropriation Bill for the expenditure of the current three months. • -'The Bill was carried through all its stages and passedY - , ' i '"-'"! '- ' " "A ' y>. \ 'j-YT,*' •- "'AiuJOIIENMBNT. -'■' The PB'oviNCiAL , 'TBEABUEEB then moved; and Mr J Haevey seconded, .that the House do now ' adjourn till Tuesday . next, the ,9th. current, afc • : 2j).in. — Carried; *"'" -*-•■'-" ■"' ' ■'■'■'■■-•■ •■ . ■'■■■'■ "The House then rose. • „ ;/ ;'.-, ;v