GABRIEL'S SLUDGE CHANNEL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 394, 26 September 1874, Page 3

GABRIEL'S SLUDGE CHANNEL.

( From" Hansard")

Mr. J. C. Brown rose to move, That the House do forthwith resolve itself into Com-

mittee of the whole to consider the report of the Immigration and Public Works Committee of certain settlers at Tuapeka. He would not detain the House by making many remarks on this Bubject. He would merely Btate that a petition had been presented from a number of residents at Tuapeka, asking the Government to make provision for enabling works at Gabriel's Gully, in that district, to be carried on, so as to enable a huge quantity of auriferous ground to be worked. It was estimated that there was work on the ground to hist for thirty or forty years. The petition had been very carefully considered by the Immigration and Public Works Committee, and they reported as follows :—" The Public Works andlmmi. gration Committee, to whom was referred the petition of the residents of Tuapeka 're works at Gabriel's Gaily, 1 have the honor to report that, from the evidence before the Committee, it is manifest that the auriferous deposits at Blue Spur are of enormous value, and cannot be fully worked without some such provisions being made for the disposal of the tailings as are indicated by the petitioners, and therefore recommend that the question be referred to the Government for its favourable consideration ; and ! that, with a view to enable effective steps to be taken in the matter, the amount available for works on the goldfields under Immigration and Public Works Loan be extended." As there /would likely be some difficulty in going into " Committee of the whole House on the subject, he wonld ask leave to substitute- if or the motion on the Order Paper the following resolution : — "That the Government be requested, dur.ing the recess, to take such steps as may be desirable with a view-of giving effect to the recommendation of Immigration and Public Works Committee on the. petition of settlers in Tuapeka district re works at Gabriel's Gully."

Mr. Richardson was well aware of the importance of this work in the district referred to, and was quite prepared to accept any resolution which would not be binding on Government, or which would not place the Government in the position of in any way compromising the House during the receas. He saw no reason why the Government should not ascertain the real and true bearings of this case. There was no doubt it was a very important work, and the Government would be in a position to come down with some recommendation in a future session. He thought that was as far as the honorable member could ask the Government to go. Mr. O'Neill hoped the Government would see their way to come down next year with some measure to give gffect to the prayer of this petition. It was beyond all doubt a question of very serious importance to a most important part of the goldfields of Otago— Tuapeka, which was the first place in which gold had been discovered in Otago. It .had been shown already that carrying out the operations referred to, would be the means of giving employment to two or three hundred men for a number of years. Mr. Macandrew regretted that the honorable member for Tuapeka had altered the form of his motion, and it would have been far better if the House had. gone into Committee to consider the matter, with a view to action being taken before twelve months had expired. It was a pity that the Government did not see their way to going into the matter at once, if it was to be gone into at all. The expense involved would not be more than £10,000, and there was no doubt that no work on the goldfields was more certain to give a good - return for the money expended. He hoped the' Government would give a little more certain sound on the subject than could be gathered from the speech of the Minister for Public Works. The position which he would like the matter to assume would be that the Government should be placed in funds, *ud should have authority to expend the money as they thought fit. If the resolution were passed as it was now worded, the Government would have no power to spend any more on the work, even if they thought it right to do so.

Mr. Richardson thought it would be better for the honorable member for Tuapeka to take the assurance from the Government that they would make a thorough inquiry into the matter. He would point out, also, that a course was laid down in all similar works, that a recommendation should be given by the Provincial Government to the General Government to carry out the work, "and ao such recommendation had been made in this case, so that, if the resolution were passed, even in its original form, the Government would not be justified in taking action in the matter any more than they now were.

Mr. Reynolds hoped honorable members would not consent to an address being passed praying His Excellency to place a sum of money on the estimates for thiß work, as it would be really only waste paper. If the resolution were adopted as it was worded, it might commit the colony to an expenditure of fully £100,000. He cautioned the House not to pass an indefinite resolution of that kind. Under the circumstances, it would be better to adopt the proposal of his honorable colleague the Minister for Public Works, that during the recess information should be collected, which would be laid before the House next session, when it might vote the necessary money or not as it thought proper. Mr. Tribe hoped the honorable member for Tuapeka would accept the assurance of the Government, and let the matter be inquired into next session. It is very unwise for the House to try to pledge the Government to carry out works and involve themselves in expenditure which they could not see their way out of. Works had already been undertaken, and the estimates formed butthose who were supposed to be authorities, had been so much' out, that they had greatly embarrassed the~~carrying out of the large public works in - the colony. ' Mr. Murray understddd that, whatever decision th<B Government arrived at, .they would lay it before the'-Houße next session, when,, if they 'approved of the work, they would give effect toit by Bill, and, if they disapproved "Of it, the honorable member for Tuapeka could try and.'make them reconsider their decision. "This was a matter of great importance, and if it could be carried out, the Government should take it up. He knew that a great deal of gold had been got in that locality, and that a good deal still lay some 30 or 40 feet down in the tailings, the working of which would give occupation for several years. He hoped the honorable member for Tuapeka would not press the motion this year, Mr, T. Kelly would suggest that the honorable member shduld alter his resolution, B 0 that it should read in a similar war to resolutions brought up for the adoption of reports by the Public Petitions Committee. He would move, as an amendment, the following resolution :— "That a report of the Immigration and Public Works Committee, on the petition of certain settlers at Tuapeka, be taken into consideration by the Government." ' -

Mr. O'Conor did not think the honorable member for Tuapeka would gain any more by pressing his motion than the Government had agre«d to do, and it would he better i;o withdraw it.

Mr. Macandrew would recommend the honorable member to accept the amendment of the honorable member for New Plymouth It was clear that it all amounted to leaving the matter over for another year. There would be no more information before the Government then than there was now, but it was eviderit that there was no use in pressing the matter further. Amendment by.ilr. T. Kelly agreed to.