PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 66, 22 December 1871, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20. Tiie Speaker took the chair shortly after 3 o’clock. RAILWAY RET WEEN TARARU ANT GRAIIAMSTOWN. Mr Farmer asked the Secretary for the Goldfields “ If the Government intend taking over the Railway from Graharnstown to Tararu from the parties who have constructed it, in terms of the agreement with Mr J. S. Macfarlane ? At the request of the Provincial Secretary, Mr Farmer consented to let the question remain in abeyance until the Goldfields Secretaiy, who was absent from ! the Council, was able to give an answer to ! the question. RESPONSIIJLE GOVERNMENT. j Mr Carleton moved, “ That in the ! opinion of this Council the system of Pro- | vincial Government, called ‘ responsible,’ : is inconvenient, and ought to be abolished.” i He explained at very considerable length that there was no such thing as responsibility, and that the whole thing was a | sham—that it was expensive—that it induced party government—that it had not ! been a success at home—and that it was only after responsible Govermnennt began there that the national debt was con- , traded. It weakened the Executive, and i was altogether a thing in appearance only. j Dr Nicholson seconded the motion, j Mr Farmer considered the days of Provincial Government were near at an end, and concluded by moving the previous questiop.

Mr J. McLeod seconded the amendment. Several members deprecated the introduction of such a motion at that period of the session. On tho motion of “ the previous question ” being put, it - was -earned on the voices, and the original motion was therefore not put. THE CASE OF MR UNTHANK. Mr Mackay brought up the report of the Committee on the Petitition of Mr A. Unthank. The committtce considered Mr Unthank had an equitable but not a legal claim. THAMES HARBOUR. Mr. Mitchell moved, “That in the opinion of this Council the consideration of his Honor’s Message No. 16, and the consideration of the whole question of harbour works at the port of Thames, should be referred to the Engineer-in-Chief for his opinion thereupon ; and that a respectful address be presented to the Superintendent, requesting him to give effect to the same.” Mr Mackay seconded the motion. The ' Goldfields Secretary said he presumed Mr Mitchell meant the Engi-neer-in-Chief for the colony, and in order to fix that he would move an amendment to that effect. The Provincial Secretary seconded the amendment. The motion as amended was agreed to. MU HENRY KEESING, .lUN. Mr Philips moved, “That an address bo presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to give effect to Interim Report No. 3, part 2, of the Goldfields Reward Inquiry Committee of last session, recommending that the sum of £2OO be awarded to Mr Henry Kccsing, jtm., for Ids share in the discovery of a payable goldfield.” Mr Freer seconded the motion, which was negatived. UTILISING THE MANUKAU IRONSAND. Mr Mitchell moved, “That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that lie will place upon the Additional Estimates a sum of two hundred pounds (£200) in aid of tho novel industry of manufacturing the sand of the Manukau harbour into railway rails, coach springs, axles, &c.” He read some statistics showing that some 12 tons of steel could be produced at a cost of something like £l5O or £l6O. The man who had given him the statistics was a practical man, and knew well what lie was talking about. Mr Boylan seconded the motion, and said he was well acquainted with the gentleman referred to. He might be deceiving himself about the flux he was to use, but, as lie was a practical man, he thought some attention should be paid to his recommendation. Mr Buckland considered that, if it cost £I,OOO for every £IOO asked for, the secret to be purchased would he cheap, provided the gentleman was not deceived. The Goldfields Secretary promised that the matter would be inquired into. Mr Mitchell then, by leave of the Council, withdrew the motion. A HONORARIUM TO THE MINING BOARD. Mr Mitchell moved, “ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that he will place upon tlie Additional Estimates a sum of £l5O, as a honorarium to the Mining Board for the district of Auckland during its current Year.” Mr Mackay seconded the motion, which was negatived. INCREASING THE WARDEN’S SALARY. Mr Mackay moved, “ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to place on the Additional Estimates tho sum of £SO, for the purpose of increasing the salary of the Warden at the Thames Goldfield from £SOO as Y'oted to £550.” Mr Beveridge seconded the motion. A discussion ensued, after which, on the question being put, the Council divided. Ayes, 8 : Messrs Mackay (teller), Hurst, Beveridge, Sam, Philips, Mitchell, Cadman, and Macrcady. Noes, 14 : Messrs Hamlin (teller), Shanaghan, Tonks, Swanson, Dyer, May, Ball, Hay, Lundon, M. McLeod, Shepherd, llcylnmi, Dignan,and Lusk. The motion was therefore lost. THE GOLDFIELD AWARD ANI) MR WALTER WILLIAMSON. * Mr Mitchell moved, “ That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to give effect to Interim Report No. 2, part 2, of the Goldfields Reward Inquiry Committee of last session, recommending a sum of £SOO to be paid to Walter Williamson.” Mr Mackay seconded (he motion, which was negatived. PROSPECTING FOR GOLD. Mr Mitchell moved, “ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to place upon the Additional Estimates a sum of two hundred and fifty pounds (£250), to aid in prospecting for gold within the province.” lie said there were other goldfields in the province besides the Thames, which it would be desirable to have some report on. Mr Ellis seconded the motion. Mr Mackay said between Coromandel and Cape Colville there were several places where gold had been found, but the men were too poor to continue the search. He proposed that sum should not be given as a reward, but as an aid in the shape of rations or a few pounds when people had got something tangible, Mr Buckland opposed the motion. The province was being prospected by a large number of working parties. The less the Government interfered with the matter the better. By spending sums like £250 the Council would get rid of its means, and no good would be done. Mr Cadman spoke in favour of the motion. Mr Lundon agreed with the motion. There was a large district in the neighbourhood of Hokianga, where it was believed gold could be obtained. It had every appearance of the land at the Thames. Mr Swanson opposed the motion in its present form. A great number of working parties were out here and there. He himself was connected with one of these parties, and could show several ounces of gold which had been got in that way, and nothing said about it. In former times the Council gave aid of this kind, and it ! was said that the men who got that aid played at pitch and toss while the rations lasted. Let the Council state where the goldfield was wanted to be found. A new : discovery on the Thames could scarcely be called a new goldfield. On the question being put, the Council ; divided. . Ayes, 13: Messrs. Sam (teller), Lundon, Brookfield, Tonks, Ellis, Cadman, Hamlin, Douglas, Mitchell, Sheehan, Mackay, Beveridge, and Shanaghan. Noes, 12 : Messrs Buckland (teller), Shepherd, i Lusk, Dignan, Reybum, Farmer, Hay, • Nicholson, Ball, Swanson, Macrcady, anil ; Philips. I The motion was therefore carried. THAMES ESTIMATES. The debate was resumed on the question, “ That a respectful address be pre-

sented to his Honor Iho Superintendent, requesting him, should an elligible opportunity offer, to enter into an agreement with a private company for the taking over and the completion of the waterworks at the Thames.” Mr Beveridge said since the matter was discussed before a meeting had been held at the Thames, and the opinion of the people there was against it. He would therefore oppose the motion. Dr Saji held that the terms offeied by the company were fairer than those offered by the Government, and that the statements of the Highway Boards were not to be depended upon. Mi’Cadjian spoke at some length against the motion. If anything wore done in the matter it should lie in abeyance for the present. Mr Swanson considered that mere threats held out by the goldfields members should not be paid any attention to so long as reasons were not given. Tf a private company could be got to take the work a bargain could be struck, as thereby a large amount of public funds would be relieved for other works.

Mr Tones would • vote against the motion, as the Government had sustained all the risk hitherto ; that now, when a profit was to be made, it should be received by the Government. Mr Mitchell considered all such works could be better managed by private companies than by Government. On Monday, when he was down there, lie found a strong feeling in the Highway Boards against the transfer, but a strong feeling in favour of it in the public. The company would provide the water for houses cheaper than the Government. He moved as an amendment that all the words after “ him” should be struck out, for the purpose of inserting tha following : —“ Not to transfer the water works at the Thames to any private company, unless a definite scheme is furnished to him.” Mr Mackay seconded the amendment. Mr Boylan considered it a great mistake that private companies could do things at less cost than the Government. The people in Great Britain were begining to find that mistake, and were already kicking the traces. Mr Dyer replied at some length, and expressed himself in favour of the amendment. The resolution was amended as above. On the amended resolution being put to the Council, a division took place with the following result':—Ayes, 7 ; noes, 14. The motion was therefore lost. At 3 o’clock a.in., the Education Bill was called on, but how it fared we know not, as our reporter left at that hour.