PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Colonist, Issue 63, 28 May 1858, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, Fkbuuary 26. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock. " Mr. Eban put a question to ,the Provincial Secretary as to the number of claims for' land compensation.

The Provincial Secretary said in answer that the Commissioners had prepared the Report but in consequence of other pressing business* sufficient time had not been given to get it copied to lay before the Council that evening, aa he had expected, but that on the following day it should be presented to them. Mr. Saundeks complained at the great dereliction of duty on the part of the Provincial Secretary, the Superintendent, anl the whole of. the Commissioners, whose office and province it Avas to bring up the Report. He said it was putting the country aud members to great and unnecessary .expenee and inconvenience; in fact it was deceiving them into the expectation of having an opportunity of transacting,'the business of the Province and calling them together without any intention or earthly use whatever. - The. S; 3#b&tary . threw back the' taurfta and -charges' of the honorablegentleman. He showed;' him how little he knew of the toils and onerous duties of offices of responsibility, and would have been very glad of the assistance of the honorable gentleman, and thought it would hive helped to fill up his loss of time complained of if he lud called upon him and lent a hand to prej are the reports, the.delay of which had caved them so much loss and inconvenience, and that-if the honorable gentleman thought he could fill- the office and discharge its duties better, he was-willi/ig to give up his place to him at once.

Mr. Parker roso and complained in a similar strain to that of the hoiforable gentleman on thesame side, and moved that the House on vising do adjourn to Wednesday, 11. o'clock, to the end that the Proy'ncial'3Bcrefay,.on its reassembling, be provided with the anxiously desired Report; but was on the point of withdrawing his motion on account of the shortness of the notice to prepare the same, when this interesting debate was silenced by the Provincial Secretary promising to furnish the report by 10 o'clock, the time of meeting. On being called upon by the Speaker, ■ ■ Mr. Ebax said he merely tqso to request permission to withdraw the motion, the notice of which stood in his name.' He had ascer^ tamed that the standing orders would not allow of a re-discussion of the topics involved in his threefold resolution. He had 'hoped that the compounded form of the subjects contemplated' would have assumed such a peculiar dis'inetness—such<a composite order, so to say—as to have entitled the entirc'structure of any legislation in the mode ih^ tended to all the consideration of a new principled Private sale of land, sale by auction under specified^ circumstances, and credit to occupiers, were so! connected, if not mingled, as to constitute a new element, differing from any on; previously mooted.' In fact hj deemed the motion in its entirety to compose a fresh principle with properties entirely its own. But as many honorable members of larger experience iv that Council than himself avowed their friendliness to the separate items of liis general statement, who could not support his1 main view by their votes, on account of its informality, he would not at so late a period urge the Council to accept his proposition. He did not wish to cast forth the apple of discord on a doubtful point. Besides, the General Assembly, it was understood, was about to entertain the subject of Waste Lands in, he hoped, a more liberal spirit than formerly.' Under these circumstances, therefore, he begged to withdraw his motion. The House then adjourned.

Wednesday, May 27. The Speaker took the chair at 11 o'clock. Mr. Curtis moved that any arrangement which it may he desirable to make with reference to the' building in Avhich tho next meeting of the Council. shall be held, be left entirely to the discretion of the Speaker. Seconded by Mr. Sinclair. , A Message was received from his Honor tho Superintendent, transmitting copy of the Report of the Commissioners upon the subject of certain Claims for Compensation from several persons for -non-fulfilment of certain contracts entered into with the New Zealand Company; Report read and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Parker moved that a Committee be appointed to take into consideration the Report just read, consisting of Messrs. Sinclair, Monro, Domett, Dodson, Simmonds, and the mover, and that they report this evening at five o'clock. Seconded by Mr. Ma okay. Mr. Elliott moved that an address be presented ' to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that , he will remit back to the Commissioners the report which had just been read, for further investigation, . Seconded by Mr. Kelling. Mr. Parker,' moved that the Council do adjourn.' until half-past one, and that his Honor the Superintendent be informed that the Council had closed? its proceedings. _ . Seconded by Mr. Domett. Council resumed.1