THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 1572, 3 May 1872, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Dunedin, April 30. The Provincial Council met to-day at noon. His Honor, in the opening address, congratulated the Council on the fact that while there had been no startling or spasmodic advancement, yet a steady growth of settlement had taken place, (j47 additional agricultural holdings having been taken up during the year, exclusive of towuand village occupations. The number of immigrants was 4092, of whom 527 adults were assisted passengers. The number of emigrants was 1508, leaving 2584 as the balance in favor of immigration. The value of provincial produce exported from Dunedin and Invercargill was £1,990,000, irrespective !of that sent to other provinces, and, making allowance for the portion raised in Canterbury, it gave a rate per head of the population double that of Victoria. Goods to the value of £147,000 were shipped to the United States. The gold duty amounted to £21,415 16s 4d, agaiust £19,069 28 9d for the previous year. The gold escorted for the year ended 31at March last was 156,0260z., being 104oz. less than the previous year, the continued drought more than explaining the trifling reduction. Pending the establishment of a Mint, the formation of an assay melting department, in connection with the study of metallurgy at the University, is recommended ; the miners to bring their gold for assay and melting, and arrangements being made by the Government for having the gold minted at Melbourno or Sydney. His Honor expressed the opinion that no colonial action in re. Education is likely to improve or extend the means of education more than the province can do, or , is actually accomplishing. He therefore asks the concurrence of the Council in deprecating or resisting interference with the existing provincial system. The sum spent upon it last year was £23,059. He recommends improving the school administration by thorough inspection, by raising the qualifications and status of the teachers, and by eliminating from the class-books whatever is contrary to the truth, or calculated to give offence. He congratulates the province on the successful establishment of the University, Dock, and Californian Mail Service. Eespecting the latter, he Htates that under the new arrangement, the proportion of subsidy payable by New Zealand will be much less than before — Port Chalmers remaining the New Zealand terminus of the line, and the outward mails being carried through to San Francisco without transhipment. The Port Chalmers railway, he says, will probably be opened in July. He recommends the granting of bonuses for the developement of coal-fields, and the manufacture of paper. Eeferring to the colonial works, he says it is much to be feared that, so far as the" province is concerned, the colonial legislature made a mistake in ' not leaving the practical administration of the matters in question to the Provincial Governments, holding that, if one thing more than another be essential to insure the success of the great policy of public works and immigration, it is local administration, and that, however expedient that there should be only one national borrowing power in the colony, such power should be exercised only on behalf of such provinces or districts as i are in a positioa to employ the loau

advantageously — its administration being left very much to .themselves.^H4|j|Sitil^!^ it is very much to be regretted tbiait this principle did not commend itself to the legislature, and that it did not, instead of creating entirely new and distinct machinery, make use of that already in existence. Bills had been prepared, and i would be submitted, providing for the formation of shire councils, and for securing to them and municipal bodies the whole of the publicans, auctioneers, and other license fees levied within their respective boundaries, on condition that main roads when once formed within said boundaries, shall be maintained by them. The provincial revenue for the year from all sources was £256,23G, and the expenditure £245,000. The cash expenditure on roads and bridges had been £82,000, or £1600 less than the amount voted. As the meaus for expenditure are entirely dependent upon the extent of waste land sales, he recommends the Couacil, in, voting sums beyond actual requirements, to distinctly understand that their expenditure is contingent on land sales. In view of the reduced work devolving upon the provinces, he recommends adapting the staff to diminished functions, ! not by reducing salaries* but the number of officials, and increasing their duties. As indicative of the beneficial results to be expected from railways,' he introduces a comparison of- the traffic returns on the Bluff and Winton railways during the months of February and March, 1871, and the same months in 1872, showing that with a comparatively small population the passenger traffic had nearly doubled and the goods traffic nearly trebled, while the revenue had increased from £700 to £900, notwithstanding that a considerably reduced scale of charges had been in force during the latter period. May 2. The address in reply was carried after a trifling discussion. It has been rgsolved to apply to the Superintendent to bring the Forest Tree* Encouragement Act into operation within the Province. The Superintendent's recommendations for the sale of the Long BusH arid Elbow sections, with Messrs Baker and Hughan as assessors, the Riverton Reserves Management Bill, Southland Police Ordinance Repeal Bill, and Licensed Carriage Bill, have been passed. The luvercargill ... Reserves Management Bill passed its second reading to-day. The third reading has been postponed. ♦