Friday, 31st May.

Southland Times, Issue 1588, 7 June 1872, Page 3

Friday, 31st May.

The Hon. Mr Holmes moved —"That an Address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to cause aline of road, two chains wide, to be surveyed and reserved from sale, from Messrs Thornhill's southern boundary, through the Gorge to the eastern boundary of Messrs Butler and Poynter's Bun. Also, that the Surveyor be instructed to examine and report to Government as to whether the road to Mararoa, for which £500 has been voted, should be made behind instead of in front of the Burwood Home Station." Carried. The Hon. Mr Holmes moved —"That an Address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to cause to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £62 10s, being amount of Mr James Wilson's claim for eaiary as Speaker of the late Provincial Council of Southland." The motion was lost. ! Mr M'Arthur moved —-" That an Address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to set apart five hundred acres of land for opening up the road from Winton to Wrey's Bußh." —Carried. ,The Provincial Secretary moved: " That with a view to place the Government in a position to provide revenue to meet the expenditure of the votes in the appropriation of the present session, this Council resolves to authorise the Government to dispose of fifty thousand acres of land, in one or more blocks ; provided that no block of an area of less than 10,000 acres shall be sold under this resolution." Mr Tolmie moved as an amendment — t( That with a view to place the Government in a position to provide, revenue to meet the expenditure of the votes in the appropriation of the present session, this Council resolves to authorise the Government to dispose of land, in one or more blocks, provided that no block is of an area of less than 10,000 acres, except under special circumstances —compensation for cancellation, if any, under such special circumstances, to be paid by the purchasers." Mr -Shepherd moved —That the following r wprds be added to the amendment, viz :—" Provided always, that no land shall be sold for less than 20s per acre net; and that no such blocks shall include any land suitable for agricultural purposes."; Mr Reynolds would give the Government all the help he could to obtain revenue to meet the various votes the Council-had .insisted upon puttingon-the Estimates fey saying our lands we were simply saving 7 them for the General .Government. We could not take awSy' the.land, and if it was all sold to-mc«3*6w,'rjt!iose who purchased would not allow it to remain idle or unproductive^ I Tbe hon. member read extracts from "Hansard " illustrative of the desire" in certain quarters to acquire possession of the waste lands of the Province, and intimated his intention to Support the motion. Mr Mervyn could hardly understand the conduct df the Government in this matter; He would rather throw out the motion altogether; but if it were to pass, he would more to insert wot&b to exempt from sale any block said or supposed to fcfe'auriferous. '■■■ .Dj Webster spoke strongly in favor of tKe motion, and Mr M'Glashan against &•-*'; *./.. .-' .'. :" L'isMiu Thomson was sorry he could not •upport the Government on this occasion. Hejsupported them in the policy which ledto the Moa Flat sale, but then the cfesefjwas altogether different. He objected to such a resolution being brought dfl»a_4ust_Qn the eve of the close of the session. „ Jiany members held back from «di 4s&&ph !<?; put votes on the estimates, because: they could not see where the money was to come from. , Had they known that' money was to be obtained

by a great sale of blocks of land, manj more would have used their efforts to gel justice for their constituents. Mr Shand spoke in favor of the ori ginal motion. Mr Bastin^a strongly criticised the conduct of the G-overnment in respect tc the Moa Plat sale, and expressed his intention of supporting the motion, as i1 became an act of necessity to provide tht revenue required. Mr Tolmie's amendment was negatived upon a division of 22 against 12. Mi Shepherd's addition being put, it also was negatived, and in this instance by 2£ against 5. Mr Merryn moved, as an addition — " Nor shall any block be sold known tc be auriferous." The Provincial Secretary thought the addition was harmless, and also unneces- ! sary. • Mr Eeid's motion, with the addition I proposed by Mr JVEervyn, was carried. Mr Lumsden moved — " That an Ad dress be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to cauat an examination to be made by the District Engineer, during the recess, of th« line of road between the Mataura Bridge and Switzers, with the view of supplying this Council with a report as to the requirements of that road as regards bridges or other works, at its next session." — Carried. Mr "Bastings moved — " That the Government be requested to set ofl Eeserves, through the Province, where they are in a position to do so, for the purpose of camping grounds for sheep and cattle."— Carried. Mr Bastings moved — " That, in the opinion of this Council, if it can be shown to the Government that the traffic over any river in this Province is such, that it would pay interest, or nearly so, upon the outlay for the construction of a bridge across such river, that the Government be empowered to make such arrangements as they may see fit in the interests of the Province, by guaranteeing to any private persona constructing the same interest at the rate of 8 per cent, upon the amount of outlay." Carried. Mr Tones moved — " That the petitions of 246 residents in Queenstown, 132 residents in Frankton, 70 residents in Moonlight, 60 residents in Moke Creek, 57 residents in Shotoyer,~and 263 residents in Arrow, against the removal of Mr Warden Beetham, be referred to the Government." . :■ \ j . . -■ Mr Ilallenstein seconded the motion, and said he stated at as his firm conviction that the petition unfavorable to Mr Warden Beetham did not emanate.from the Chinese, but that it was simply the product of the poisoned minds of one or two individuals. Mr Hallenstein concluded by referring to Mr Warden Beetbam's conduct as a resident and Magistrate in high terms. The motion was carried. At five o'clock His Honor the Superintendent entered the Council Hall and delivered the prorogation speech : — His Honor said : Gentlemen, — I have to congratulate you on the termination of a session, which although not so lengthened as former sessions, has nevertheless been productive of a large amount of important work — work which I have no doubt -will have a beneficial effect on the best interests of the Province. I have this day, on behalf of the Governor, assented to the following Ordinances passed by you :— Police Ordinance (Southland) Bepeal Ordinance, 1872 ; Licensed Carriage Ordinance, 1872 ; Cemeteries Ordinance (Southland) Repeal Ordinance, 1872; Hospital Ordinances (Southland) Eepeal Ordinance, 1872 ; the Otago Roads Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1872 ; Licensing Ordinances Amendment Ordinance, 1872 ; Lawrence Athenaeum and Mining Institute Ordinance, 1872 ; the Fencing Ordinance, 1872 ; the Impounding Ordinance, 1872 ; Appropriation Ordinance, 1872. I have this day also reserved for the signification of the Governor's pleasure thereon, the following Bills passed by you : — Riverton Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Lawrence Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Invercargill Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Southland Education Reserve Exchange Ordinance, 1872 ; Invercargill Athenseum Ordinance Beserve Management Amendment Ordinance, 1872 ; Invercargill Reserve Exchange Ordinance, 1872 ; Education Reserve, Jacob's River Hundred, Sale Ordinance, 1872 ; Otago Local Reserves Ordinance, 1872 ; Counties Ordinance, 1872; Otago Municipal Corporation Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1872 ; Oamaru Town Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Lawrence Athenaeum and Mining Institute Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 j. Balclutba Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Oamaru Hospital Reserve Management Ordinance, 1872 ; Roads Diversion Ordinance, 1872; Dunedin Manse Reserves Ordinance, 1872 ; Dunstan Racecourse Reserves Management Ordinance, 1872. Gentlemen, — The numerous and important resolutions which have been transmitted to me have met with due attention, and the supplies which you have voted for the public service will be distributed as equitably as may be throughout the Province, and with due regard to economy. The expending of the comparatively large sum which, at your request, has been placed on the Supplementary Estimates, will be contingent upon such revenue as may be derived from hind sales — beyond the-ordinary estimate. I am glad, that you have concurred in the proposal of, the Executive Government dispose of large blocks of land sufficient to; enable your votes to be carried into effect. Gentlemen, — You will, I am- sure, agree with me in regretting that a number of' the Constabulary Force, .of which the Province has hitherto felt so greatly proud, have so far forgotten what was due to themselves as well as to the Province, as to relinquish their duty without notice. The Government hae taken the most prompt measures to meet the occasion, and hope in due time to have the force so re organised aa to prevent the recurrence of such an emergency. Gentlemen 1 , — In thanking you for ' youi attendance, I now declare this Council prorogued, and it stands prorogued accordingly.