THE OTAGO PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 1185, 20 December 1869, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE OTAGO PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

» THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPENING ADDRESS. Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council : — I have felt constrained, very reluctantly, to call you together at the present time, knowing, as I do, that the attendance of many of you involves considerable personal inconvenience. I felt, however, that to defer the Session until the usual period of meeting would be to postpone the cornmenceraent of a work which ought, ere now, to have been completed — I allude to the construction of the Southern Trunk Railway. With regard to this, and the question of Hundreds, as there are differences of opinion between myself and my responsible advisers, I propose to address you by message presently, fully explaining the nature and extent of those differences. You are no doubt aware that negotiations have been for some time pending between the Government and a number of gentlemen in Dunedin for the construction of a Railway between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. These negotiations having fallen through, the Government have accepted the offer of a contracting firm in Dunedin to construct the Eailway under a guarantee of interest at 8 per cent, on £70,000, to be secured on the Jetty Dues, in terms of your resolution of last Session, adequate security to be given by the contractor for the due completion of the work within 18 months. The details o£ tlie contract are being prepared, and we ruay expect the work to be commenced within the next two months. In compliance with your resolution of last Session, three delegates were appointed on behalf of this province to confer with an equal number representing the province of Southland, with a view of arranging a basis of re-union between the two provinces. The report of the Commissioners will be placed before you, as also the resolution of the Provincial Council of Southland, which, I. am happy to say, has, by a large majority, concurred iv the report of the Commissioners. It now depends chiefly upon you to decide whether or not the two provinces, which never ought to have been separated, shall be re-united and resume those functions of genuine colonisation which were prosecuted with o-reater vigor prior to the separation than they have been ever since. To those who take a comprehensive view of the future, it cannot but be a matter of congratulation that two such important provinces as Otago and Southland should unite of their own free will ; and although to gome it will, no doubt, appear that Otago can reap but little advantage from the union, yet I believe that this is a very superficial view of the matter. lam persuaded that under the existing political organisation of the colony, the magnificent territory which is comprised within the two provinces, if colonised at all, must be colonised at a very great disadvantage unless this reunion is effected. I am quite prepared to admit that at the outset, perhaps, the pecuniary advantage of re- union will be in favor of Southland ; at the same time, however, it cannot be disputed that there will be mutual advantages, and that the assets which Southland will bring into the joint account will amply cover any temporary advances which Otago may be called upon to make. In dealing with this subject, we must not overlook the fact that Southland is the natural key to a very considerable portion of our territory, and that the proper development of the resources of the one necessarily involves the benefit of the other. I hail the union of the two provinces as the first step towards reducing the cost and machinery of government in New Zealand, and as an example which the other provinces will do well to follow. While upon this subject, I would only further express my conviction that should the proposed union happily be completed, the various districts which at present constitute the province of Southland will receive the same treatment and consideration at the hands of the Provincial legislature of Otago as any other district throughout the province. G-entlemen, — You are doubtless aware that by an Act passed in the last session of the colonial Parliament, we are empowered to dispose of land on the West Coast of the Province upon terms which it is believed will attract settlement of a suitable kind. The first step to enable I me to take action in this matter is your assent to a resolution which will be submitted to you, defining the boundaries within which the Act is to be brought into operation.

In connection with the settlement at Martin's Bay, it i g yev J advisable that a passable road should be formed between the Wakatipu and Kakapo Lakes. In the meantime a bi-idle track would suffice. The chief obstacle iv the way is crossing the Hollyford River. I believe £ 1000 would suffice iv the meantime to opeu up communication right across the Island. If this were done it would have the twofold effect of a ffording the means of em ployment to the first settlers at Martin's Bay, and it would lead to a large accession to our mining population from the West Coast. Although it is not proposed to introduce an Appropriation Ordinance during tbe present session, you might by resolution enable the Government to proceed with this work. Another subject to which I desire to direct your special attention is the necessity for sending to Europe one or more agents to promote the emigration to this Province of suitable labor and capital. I feel strongly that we have not been doing our duty in this matter, and that the most important function which has been assigned to us,— that, namely, of promoting the beneficial occupation of the country, is being to a large extent neglected. I may say that, "but for a resolution passed by you last session, steps would have been taken since then largely to increase the stream of population to our shores. It is manifest that without this the vast resources of the Province must continue undeveloped for centuries. Another very important matter to which I would bespeak your attention, chiefly with a view of bringing public opinion to bear upon it in the General Assembly, is the question of some comprehensive scheme of water supply on the Gold Fields. Although, in all probability, we are on the eve of a new phase in the developementofour Gold Fields, one which, as likely as not, may throw all that has hitherto been done into the shade — I allude to the discovery of numerous goldbearing quartz reefs — at the same time there is an amount of uncertainty about this description of mining which does not apply to alluvial diggings. With respect to the latter it is well known that the auriferous resources of the Province have been scarcely touched — there are literally mountains of alluvial gold. This is no matter of mere conjecture, the ground having been fully tested. What is wanted to increase our production of gold to an enormous extent is all abundant supply of cheap water, which supply cannot be procured unless by loan, which, unfortunately, we have no power to raise without the sanction of the Colonial Legislature. Although the policy of the Colony for several years past has been to prohibit loans for reproductive purposes, yet, I believe, we are on the eve of a change in this respect ; and that if the whole of the Otago [Representatives unite next Session, the Province is very likely to succeed in procuring the means of providing water reservoirs on the Gold Fields. In order to this, there should be an unmistakeable manifestation of public opinion upon the subject, with which view I have thus enlarged upon it. I must say that I know of no more effective way in which the Colony could improve its position financially than by not only permitting, but encouraging this Province to develope to the fullest extent its Gold Fields— Gold Fields which, unlike others, have not to be discovered. There are various other topics of an important nature to which I might refer, but seeing that you have been called together chiefly to consider the special questions to which I have already alluded, I deem it expedient to defer introducing new matter for consideration until next Session, which will be held in a few months hence. I now declare this Council open for the despatch of business.