Tuesday, July 22.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 287, 31 July 1873, Page 5

Tuesday, July 22.

QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, the Government said the effect of the contract with the Henley Estate Company, to put a bridge over the Taieri River, was, that only the ordinary tolls should be charged. If anything in excess had been charged, the arrangement made with the Government had been violated, and inquiry would be made. — Suitable emigrants were accepted without regard to country. — No decision had been come to re declaring the Crown Terrace, Arrow, a commonage. — Application had been made to the General Government, in order that the proclamations of the Traquair Hundred might be validated by Act, and also in respect of other Hundreds.— Crown giants had been applied for the 2,800 acres reserved for recreation at West Hawkesbury, but were refused. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. The Golfields Secretary moved that Government business take precedence for the remainder of the session. The motion had been made at the request of several members who were anxious to get to Wellington. The Superintendent also wished to get there as soon as I possible. I The motion %vas negatived by 18 against 16. UPPER HOUSE REFORM. Mr M'Glashan moved his resolution affirming the desirability of a reconstruction of the Legislative Council, it to be an elective instead of a nominated body ; and added that tho resolution should be forwarded to the Speaker of both Houses, with an expression of opinion that the measure of reform should emanate from the Legislative Council. Mr Oliver, in seconding the motion pro forma, said he had intended to move as an addition " And that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to send down an Ordinance to give effect to this resolution." His first intention had been to propose, " That in the opinion of this Council the present Constitution of England is old and out of date, and it is desirable that a Republican form of Government should be established, something on the model of that of the United States, but no person shall be eligible as President unless he has at somo time or other been a member of this Council."— (Laughter.) Mr Stout moved an amendment, "That in the opinion of this Council the Legislative Council should be abolished." If a nominee body had been useless, an elective one would be no better, but rather far worse. ■ Mr Reid commented on the uselessness of the debate. On the main question his views had somewhat altered, and he did not now think the whole of the members of the Upper House should be elected. There ought to be power to nominate gentlemen in the Colony who had taken great interest in public affairs, but who, although well fitted for the position of member of that House, would not contest an election. He remarked that to carry out the motion would be to effectually do away with any chance the member for North Harbor might have of becoming a member of the Legislative Council. — (Laughter. ) The motion was negatived on the voices. JETTY DUES, Mr Stout moved that the jetty dues charged i at the Dunedin and Port Chalmers jetties should be reduced one-half their present rates, and that the Government be requested to get the sanction of the Colonial Government thereto. If that were not done, the probability was the dues would hardly be worth the cost of collection. The Provincial Secretary did not think the proposal would be of such advantage to the lightermen as some hon. members imagined ; on the contrary, it would be a greater benefit to the commercial community, as at the present time lightermen competed successfully with the railway. Mr M'Dermid referred to the dredging operations, and said the Council would soon have to consider whether the dues should not go towards paying for that work. After some observations by Mr Davie, who said the Committee were unanimous in recommending the reduction of the dues ; by Mr Lumsden, who considered that it had not been shown that jetty dues were an unfair impost ; and Mr Oliver, who remarked that the Council should hesitate about affirming the resolution, seeing that increased jetty accommodation and additional harbor accommodation was about to be provided — the motion was carried. FOREST TREES. The regulations of the Government re forest tree planting were agreed to. OASIARU MECHANICS' INSTITUTE ENDOWMENT. Mr Sumpter's motion for endowing the Oamaru Mechanics' Institute with 500 acres of land was carried without a division. ! RAILWAYS. The Goldfields Secretary moved that a light line of railway be constructed from River.ton .to Orepuki, sixteen miles, at a cost of L 40,000, to be paid for in land. He considered unless a tine of railway was carried through the district, it would be useless for many years. Reports before the Government showed that every kind of timber suitable for railways, piers, and harbor works grew there, coal of the best quality abounded, and it was fine agricultural land. Warden Wood also expressed the opinion that there was a valuable goldfield there apable of sustaining 3,000 or 4,000 people. Mr Luhsqen compared that with other districts, which he maintained had prior claims. A line from Switzers would have opened for settlement Wahuea Plains, but the line proposed had the smallest goldfields, agricultural, and trading population of any of the goldfields. He would propose an amendment that it would be inexpedient to proceed further than already contracted for, but that a line from Riverton to Otatau and to the Night Cap Goldfields should be substituted. Mr Daniel said, that the hon. member had 'based hjs arguments on hearsay. The Orepuki Gol4A e l^ was one pi the richest goldfields in New ?palan4. $he men wpre' earnwg from L 3 to Lls per week. The, greatest difficulty was bringing water to it : which, however, had been done hi one or two instances at great expense. The timber in the district is the most valuable in the Colony, and access to it could 1 only be had by means of alight railway. Messrs Guthrie and Asher had taken up 2,500 acres, and the white pine procured there would compete with American wood. Two other establishments were also contemplating arrangements for constructing sawmills. To illustrate' the character of the timber, Mr M'Kerrow measured a totara tree, which was 27ft. in girth. The timber would supersede jarrah timber. Employment for a large population could be given during winter. A better settlement could not be selected in any part of Southland. It contained a coalfield, which Captain Hutton said was three miles across. He had traced it 16ft. in depth. Had that forest been opened up, tbe telegraph posts in Southland, brought from

beyond Wellington, could have been supplied at a less amount than it cost to draw them out of the bush at "VVcUinston. The line woidd pay within eighteen months. Mr Cujiming supported the amendment. Mr Reid supported the proposition of the Government. He presumed the contract ws* let in accordance with the resolutions of the House. It was not his intention to oppose the Government resolutions. The Goldfields Secretary said the contract was for payment in cash, as it was necessary to construct a bridge over Jacob's river, which would have had to be done whether the railway was made or not. Mr Stout opposed the motion, and supported the amendment, on the ground that it was premature, and that other lines were more necessary. The amendment by Mr Lumsden was negatived by 21 to 3. The Secretary for Works moved " That a line of railway between Riverton and Otautau, in length 16^ miles, already surveyed, be constructed, at a cost of L 40.000, payment to be made in cosh or land at the option of the Government." Mr Lumsden proposed the insertion of the words "The Nightcap Coalfield via" after Otautau. < The amendment was negatived, and the original motion carried. The following resolutions were also carried : -"That a light line of railway, to connect the Otantau line with the Invercargill and Winton railway at Wallacetown Junction, a distance of fourteen miles, be constructed at a cost of L 20.000, payment to be made in cash or land, at the option of the Government." "That a branch line be constructed from the Southern Trunk line to Green Island coal-pits and meatpreserving works, and that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place the sum of L 6,000 on the Estimates for this purpose." " Resolved further, that the following branch railways be commenced next year, and that the Government be requested in the meantime to obtain the necessary survey and estimate, viz. : Waipahee to Tapanui ; main trunk line to Kaitangata ; main trunk line to Outraui ; Palmerston to "Waihemo ; Otautau to Nightcap Coalfield." "That in the opinion of this Council the General Government should be strongly urged to take immediate steps to construct the Dunedin to Moeraki line of railway, being a highly important portion of the Main Trunk Line, and one which, there can be no doubt, would prove pre-eminently reproductive; and further, that failing the General Government being in a position to undertake its immediate construction, the Provincial Government be requested to obtain borrowing powers on the most favorable terms possible, so as to enable them to proceed with its immediate construction." Mr Maokellar moved— " That the extension of the railway line Jfrom Tokomairiro and Tuapeka to Roxburgh, Alexandra, Clyde, and Cromwell (and which for shortness sake may be hereafter designated the Otago Central Railway), be proceeded with. Thiyt the said cxten sion shall be proceeded with in such a manner that the portion between Tuapeka and Roxburgh be constructed concurrently with the ' progress of the present contracts between Tokomairiro and Tuapeka. This railway would pass through districts with a population, according to the last census, of over 12,000 people, and no doubt the population had since increased. If they included the Tuapeka district, which was interested to some extent, this railway would benefit 16,000 or 17,000 people, and would be the means of settling more people in these districts. A mimber of valuable minerals, besides gold, were known to exist in several places ; but, owing to the cost of conveyance, they remained undeveloped. There could be no doubt that this state of things would soon be changed when they had the railway. The length of the line from Tuapeka to Roxburgh would be about thirty-eight miles. At the suggestion of the Government, the debate was adjourned till Thursday, so that the report of the Select Committee might be printed and considered by hon. members. NEW HUNDREDS. On the adjourned debate being resumed on Message No. 9, the consideration of Mr M'Kenzie's motion, recommending the proclamation of a Hundred of 6,000 acres in runs Nos. 80 and 109, a large portion of that area having been surveyed, was proceeded with. The Government intimated that they would hsvve no objection to recommending that the Hundred proposed should be proclaimed, and the motion was affirmed. Mr M'Kenzie moved—" That after the proclamation of said Hundred, 2,500 acres be at once set apart to be dealt with under the system of deferred payments." Mr Stout suggested that the Government might, after the Hundred was proclaimed, reserve, with the sanction of the Waste Lands Board, 2,500 acres of the best land in the block until next year, and then they could proclaim it in the next 30,000 acres to be proposed. The Government adopted the suggestion, and the words "at once " were struck out. The resolution was then agreed to. Mr M'Kenzie then moved the following series of resolutions: — "That in the opinion of this Council, for the better encouragement of a healthy flow of immigration, and bona fide settlement of the waste lands of the Province, a block containing 30,000 acres of good agricultural land, say in the Mataura, district, as near as possible to the Invercargill and Mataura Railway, should be set apart for the purposes of special settlement. That said lands should be surveyed into farms containing 200 acres each, the general character of each farm being noted by the surveyor in his report. That tho planß of and reports on such land should be forwarded to the Home Agents of the Province; and that the said Agents be instructed to advertise the same as open for selection at Home. That the terms and conditions on which said lands should be offered, be similar to those provided for under the system of deferred payments in the ' Otago Waste Landß Act, 1872.' " Mr M'Kenzie's motion was lost on a division by 17 votes against 14.