PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 1174, 1 December 1869, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

MQNDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 29. The Council assembled at seven o'clock. Mr Daniel gaye notices of motion as under, viz. :— "To ask for tabular statement of : receipts of the goldfields of the proT-nce s«nce their eomrnencement up to October 30th last." " That a respectful

addres=» be presented to his Honor thr Superintendent praying him to place on the estimates a su-n not exeeeling fifty pounds for the postal service between Eiverton and Orepuki."

The Hon. Dr Menzies " to move that a printing committee be appointed, consisting of Me^rs "Wilson, Macdonald, Lumsdcn, and the mover, to look over the records of the Council with the view to publication."

RESUMPTION OF DEBATE ON EE UNION. Mr Mac donald resumed the debit to. He s.iid nothing had been adduced in the course o£+he -debate in the House by the opponents of the motion which a'tered the aspect of the question as it was at the time when referred to the constituencies. The main arguments against the scheme were such as that we were sacrificing our political indepen- ' de.nee, co'ra'iiittine; suicide and su.-h like, j which were simply " bunkum." It was said our difficulties were of a temporary nature, but he thought if hon. members j looked properly into the m itter, these difficulties would be seen to be of a very permanent character. He quoted statistics to show a falling off of revenue, and concurred ia the statement made by Mr Calder that the present revenue was not sufficient to carry on mere governmental machinery. The only hope of an augmented ordinary revenue depended on an "influx of population, which he did not think likely' to occur while rhe proving continued- under its present financi.il burdens. By re-uni >n with Otayo this burden would be at once lightened, and land anUa also increased. Invorca "gill would become the comin -rcial and logal centre of a much larger district t'mn a^ present. He found on examina* ion that the outlying districts of Otago were very liberally treated in the Appropriation Ordinances,'and the amount of cultivation going on in those. localities showed their wants tp be w^ll atten.led to. Mr M'Neit/l thought the Government had not realized the grave importance attaching to.' the question it was supporting. He did not doubt they had convinced themselves that reunion was the only course open, but it wia remirkable that no expression of regret at the province being driven to such an alternative accompanied the r solutions He looked upon the statement oT provincial affairs, as made by the head of the Government as an ex parte one, not satisfactory to the public. He considered an impartial statement of the case should have been laid before the country, and thought the opposition offered to the motion for the appoint vent of a committee with that object a mistake. The accession of political sfr n o 'th to Otago in the General Assembly he considered as dangerous. He could not aL'ree with the resolutions, as they committed the Council to accepti ig conditions which did not at present exist. He should, therefore, have preferred to have seen the amendment for a postponement of the question carried, so that the House might have been in possession of the views of the Otago Council before it finally disposed of the motion. He was not inclined to swallow the resolutions intact, and moved their consideration iv committee of the whole Hous >. Mr Caxdl:b assured the hon. member that his party had no desire to burke the question in the slightest particular. He had already stated that any time the House chose should be allowed for discussion, and he meant it when he said so. No opposition would be offered to goincr into committee. MrSteuart was appointe I chairman, and the Cou'icil then went int > commit'ee. progress not being reported until 2. 40 a.m. The Speaker then resumed the chair, and a division was taken on the resolutions (slighlly amended) with the following result : — Ayes, 11. Noes, 6. i. Mesars Oalder Messrs Menzips M.ierlonald I/unsilen. ' i M'o-illivrj.y ' Webster Toshack Steuart .Kinross Basstian 'Daniel M'Neill Johnttori . Ljon • Petchell J'alrj'mple i Bell ' - i The Cuuucil then a journed till noon. . . «■ TUE^DVT NOVEMBER 3)ra. The Council met at 12.15, when the Speaker took his seat, and the uauut- s of former sitting were read and confirmed. Mr M'Vetll pre°ented a petition from Messrs D. and P. M'Kellnr, and Mr W. Hill, rolaiive t*> the survey of certain )anr)s purchased by thorn. The memorial would show that in. 18!>6 the petitioners purchased the land iv question from Smyth, Hoyt-, and Co , who were entitled to it for certain railway works. By the retrospective effect of the " Waste Lands Act, L 567," they were rendered liable to c >st of survey of said land, a C'nli'ion which they considered acted unjustly in their case, for relief from which they now prayed the consideration of the Council. He would move that the petition be re.id. Read accordingly, and afterwards referred to a committee. : Mr Ma.cdo.nald presented a petition, signed' by 16 persons, miners and others, praying that IStewart's Island might be created an el ?ctoral district, and moved that it be read. — Agreed to. Mr Macdonald moved that it be received. Dr Mem[ES drew attention to an irregularity in the memorial, w'lich precluded its reception by the Council. Mr Webster wished to be assured whether the names . were those of actual residents, or included persons who had merely paid the island a temporary visdfc. He observed the name of a Mr Irvine, whom he understood to belong to Invercargill. The petition was allowed to lie upon the table. ' Af^er several notices of motion had been made, Mr Daniel moved " That a respectful

address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, to place on the estimates a sum not exceeding £50 towards the maintenance! of the postal service between Hi vert >n and the Orepuki goldfields." He said no class was so heavily taxed as the diggers. They had to pay for rights?, water, &c, &c , and yet their requirements were but very imperfectly attended to. He believed some £700 or £SOO outfit to be at the credit of the gold fields account, and as the Act provided that surplus revenue should be eraploved in opening up the district in which it was raised, he thought the request a very mild one. The roads in that local ty were of the roughest, while w.iter communication, though good, was often interrupted by boisterous weather, Something should' be done towards placing the miners of Orepuki oa an equality wii:h the other inhabitants of the province in the matter of communication. Mr M Grcr-TviiAT snpp rtod the motion. He could apeak of the disadvantages under which the population of Orepuki labored in this respect, as well as in others. There were upwards of 10J people there, including 2o children fit for school, but, alas! ther-: was no sc'ioot to which they could po>si;dv be sent. He considered it a g'ett hardship that they should he deii'd postal fu-iliiie*. Mr D^VXIETi asked the Q-ov -vnnent to furnish a tabular statement of all monies receive 1 an I disbursed on golifieids account, under their respect 1 ye headings, from the opening of the goldfields to 31st October, 1869. Mr Caldeu produced and read the document called for. which showed a balance of about £700 in favor of the gold fields department. Dr Mentztes, in moving v that a com mittee consisting of tie Speaker, Mr . Macdonald, Mr Lumsden, and them>ver, be appointed to act as a printing committee to look over and arrange the records of this Council with a vie.v to their being printed," sa d the desirability of having the proceedings printed had often been alluded to, but hitherto the expense had been an objection. Now, | however, when the Council was likely to come to an end, he thought the record of its actions should be properly arranged for preservation. In other provinces the proceedings were generally printed us soon as possible a''ter their occurrence, under the supervision of a standing committee. He understood that the documents connected with the Council were very voluminous, and in some confusion, so that he anticipated the committee would be able to do but little towards their arrangement this session. They might, however, be got in^o proper shape after the Council was over by hir.'d assistance, under the direction of the committee. T c motion was carried on the voices. Mr Stkctabt. in asking the Govern- i ment " what action his been +aken, or is contemplated, in reference to the report of Mr Dunrlas on the Mararoa "Road," recapitulated the explanation of the circumstances of the case as stated by him la*t session. Mr Caldetc said the Government had not yet seen the renort called for. When it caoie before them th^v w.mld take the steps in the mitt^r which might then seem desirable. He supposed t T ie brief j and stormy nature of last session had caused the subject to be overlooked, but if the Council sat on the following day, he should probably be able to lnv the report on the tab'e and say what would be done about it. Mr JoiTN'SToy mo-ed " thn*-, in the opinion of t'm Council, that piece of land, viz., five acre?, at present occupi d by the Southl md Agricultural and Pas toral Associ iti >n, should be leased to the alb'eiaid Society for the term of fourteen years, and that his Honor the Superintendent b^ requested to take steps to effect the same." He said the matter had beeutwi.-e before the Council already, but as only temporary provision had then been ma c, it was necessary it should again be. brought up. The Association Sad expenled about £500 in building and fitting up a first-class show-yard, an;! they were naturally anxious t > secure pc eeful possession. The Superintendent had pow^r only to lense the land for three years, which, had been, d.me, .but that term was now n>\arlv run, and as it wa s possible a municipality would be formed which might not recognise the claims of the Association, it was desirable that the use <f th* g-ound should be secured. Hr di I n t think it would be required for i's original purpose, o^ interfere Avith the inhnb'tants of the town for the next 14 years or more. ) Mr Daniel ha.l pleasure in seconding I the motion. Mr Websteu enqnirpd whether no legal obsta *les interfered to prevent the >uperintenJent leasiug the ground in question. Mr Mactdoxald explained the terms of the " Public ft serve* Act" un ler which the land was granted to the town. Mr Johsstont explained that although the exact course w r . is not pointed out in the wonling of his rosolution, it was understood that the Superintendent would require to proceed by enactment. Mr Lumsden' supported the motion. He considered the town r 'serves ample enough to permit of that portion being set aside for so lauda'de a p.irpo-ie. Thy motion was t'.ien passed unanimously. Mr .Uacdoxat/T) asked leave to bring in a Bill, intituled, " The Diversion of Roads Ordinance, No. 2, 1509." Leave was given andthe Bill passed itsfirstreading. Mr Steuart resumed consideration of the " Sheep Ordinance, 18GG, Amendment Ordinance, 18G9," on the second reading. The Council went into committee on the Bill, and passed it with but little alteration. The Speaker having resumed the chair, Mr Calder obtained leave to postpone consideration of the Appropriation Ordinance till next sitting. Several notices of motion were then given, and the Hoase adjourned till 7.30 p.m.