PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF CANTERBURY.

West Coast Times, Issue 87, 23 December 1865, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF CANTERBURY.

November 28, 18C5 ( . TBB ESCORT. v " '

Mr Stewart moved for copies of correspondence botween tho Government and the various Banks'' in the Province and elsowhei'e, as to the advisability or othorwiso of establishing a direct; escort botween the West Coast goldfiolds and Ohrißtohureh. • < , .. Tho Provincial Secretary laid tho correspondence on the table. He reforred to rumors that had prevailed, thot tho Banks would not sond gold by tho Escort, but thought that after reading that correspondence tho House would bo of a different opinion. Tho preparations woro now complete, and tho Escort would start on Monday next, so ns to be baok in tiiuo for tho steamer vlrioh left on the 16th. GIBSON'S QUAY ORDItJANOE. „-•,,( Tho Provincial Solicitor moved the Houso into committeo on Gibson's QiTay Ordinance. Mr. Hawkcs objected to fhe, power given to tlio Superintendent to let 'th'o wharf fora term not exceeding three years, and after some discussion had taken placo, ho moved an amendment, which tho Chairman rejected ns informal. Tho clause was then put and carried. Mr. Hawkes then moved that it be reconsidered, whioh was opposed by tho Secretary for publio' works, but carried on a division by a majority of 14 to 9. Mr. Hawkcs moved that for tho words " for p! term not exceeding threo years'.' be mitolitutod tb* worfls "from year to year," Mr. Dutfcan seconded thc'amon.diueul. '' '

v The Secretary for public works could bco no reason for tying up^ho hands of Government in , this particular instance, j ( It . had always bcon the practice of the. Qorernmenjb to let wharves' t from year to year, but, $jcre. mjjght be good .grounds for.Jettipg them for a longer period, and he B\yr po sufficient reason for making this an exception to the general rule of giving the Suppr- ( intended power to leaso for any term not exceeding three years. , , . Mr J. D.Maopberson po doubt Govern • 'ment would do what they thought best for tho .public interest, but; he attached much impor.fanco in this matter ,to the opinion 'of Mr Hawkes, wjio had been on tlio, spot, and was the ibcst judge as. to .the,, probable. development of 'Hokitika. No good reason 'had been nddnced for granting a long lease. Jf any improvements jvere required on the wharf they should be dono by the fttovornment. If the, wharf was let for , thr,ee yearf, and the jtrafflq ehoald happen to increase, the country, would lose, os'the rent could not be received in proportion. , , . , ( Mr Wilkin thought -that, the circumstances of ,the We/^Coiut differed so much from thoso of , the, : resetyflS that the Council had been accua. tomed.lo <Joal with, that it would be better to ( limit, the powers of the Government. It was .Impossibly to fores'co what might happen even "within a year.

, September, 29, 1865. . . ■• • MESSAQH.FBOM TIIB BUI>KRINTENDBNT. • . The t 6p<eaker. ■.announc.ed a messago from his , Honor,'acinowledging receipt of the resolutions [of jthe Council. with, reference, to^tho proposed Bittingspf' the Supreme Court at Hokitika, and c etatipg that ho would transmit them to his Exoellenoy the G0vern0r,. '..,,,. . „ • N : , , •dAMita Wr >festt,Alb. „• . , ' Mr Wilkin'. mQved~ ll i < „Tliat a select coramitteo, copsisting of tho Secretary for Publio Works, ,Mr Prosser, Mr rjlawkes, Mr ifyyh.urat, and the mover, ,bo appointed .to consider what stops, if . any, should be token to socuro a moro regular .supply of fat stock for Westland ; to report in, ten dwa." ... ' • Mr Hawkos seconded tho motion, whioh was 1 Carried. .„.,, „,* , v<l , Vl ,s . „, , ,. t ainSON 8 WAY AND .AKAROA •WHARF ORDINANO& , The Provincial Solicitor moved — "That a .teelect committeo, consisting of, Messrs liar- ■; greaves, -Aynsley, Hawkes, Birch' and the mover, be appointed to consider and report, upon tho 'schedules io the Akaroa Wharf Ordinnnce, 1865, r »nd the Gibson's Quay Ordinance, 1865.'' t .. Mr Hargreaves. moved thatitho pamo of Mr .Macpheregn be added; also the words, "and ,'to rovlsQ wharf t,olls on Government wharves genernlly.'J \ • .... t , name of Mr Peacock was^ also added, and tho motion as amended was carried. / , . jMESSAQK, KO. 1, FROM HIS no^Oß.v ••• t \ On the '^motion, of the Secretary for Publio' , Works,' tte'fiouee "went into committeo to consider Message. t No f^l from- his Honor, Mrlloch,ford, chief surveyor -,6h. th^West.Ctoast^. being admitted ifi explain tl^, matjer ou the map 3of tho townshjl'p under considoratipn, . ( , . „ The Secretary for Publio Works moved, " That ,the Council haying had under its consideration .the Message No. 1 of His Honor, resolves that, ( ln cases in which the town lands in Hokitika and Grey mouth aro . lawfully occupied as business "j)ites, it is expedient that such lands should bo • sold as /town sections of not less than two perches 'in ©xtont.", • ' , j Tho resolution was carried, reported to tho House, and adopted.