NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 820, 3 June 1871, Page 3

NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, May 25. On the motion of Mr Donne, three resolutions were passed in favour of opening for settlement all non-au-riferous land on the South-West Goldfields; also two resolutions were passed ; the first, recommending that advantage should be taken of the Government scheme to supply the SouthWest Goldfields with water ; and the second, that surveys and estimates of the cost of further water supplies should be made by the Provincial Government. On the motion of Mr Tarrant, it was agreed that two additional members should he added to the Nelson Hospital Committee. On the motion of Mr "Wastney, the Highway Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion of Mr F. Kelliner, £55 is to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates to compensate Mr Fanselew for having forfeited the license of his run. Mr Luckie moved, " That the sum of £l2O be placed on the Appropriation Bill, to be paid to Mr John Kerr, as refund money overpaid by bim to the Crown Lands Department, including an allowance for interest and other charges." The sum was reduced, by Council, to £63 ss. On the motion of Mr Tarrant, the Council resolved that the vote of £IOO for the introduction of usful animals, should not be paid to the Acclimatization Society until the Superintendent has been furnished with a satisfactory statement as to how the votes of this Council paid to that Society during the last three years have been expended.

Tho Council then went into committee on the Supplementary Estimates, and on the item of £l5O for the Goldfields [Representative (including expenses to May 4th, 1871) being read, Mr O'Conor said that he should like to be informed as to the particular services alluded to by his Honour the Superintendent, and what equivalent the country had received for the money stipulated. If the Goldfields' Eepresentative chose to travel about the country the Council ought to be informed for what purpose he did so. Perhaps it was not always in the capacity of an official. He was of opinion that no real service had been rendered by the Goldfields'Eepresentative, but that, on tho contrary, he had been productive of much harm It was a very difficult and delicate matter to discuss a mere money gift in an assembly, such as this, while the person for whom it was intended was present and taking part in the debate ; such behaviour was discreditable to the individual and scandalous to the Council. It was stated that important services uau been renuereu. uy the Goldfields' Eepresentative, but why were they not particularised? His intermeddling with road contractors and others on the Coast was only productive of harm, and verified the prediction made by Mr Alexander Eeid last session, " That a goldfields' representative would prove nothing but a source of annoyance, by his intermeddling with the wardens, police and engineer's departments." Still, let it be shown that work had been done, and value received, and he would not oppose the item, otherwise he most certainly would, and to the utmost. He could not forget the great struggle made last year to obtain, for the very same office, a salary of £SOO, but the attempt failed notwithstanding the joint efforts of a certain party in this Council. Mr Luckie: No!

Mr O'Conor then read from the votes and proceedings of last session the various divisions upon Mr Donne's motion for the sum of £SOO as salary to the Goldfields' Eepresentative in the Executive, which was finally rejected, Mr Luckie voting on the occasion with Mr Donne. He (Mr O'Conor) said that this was but a renewed attempt to get this Council to vote money in reward for intrigue. He considered that it would be an indelible disgrace to the Council if they sat there on that occasion deliberately to vote money to one whose claim would never have been entertained but for his seat amongst them. Still he feared that Mr Donne would carry the present vote simply because of his action. He (Mr O'Conor) was aware that for some time past the members had been sedulously buttonholed and canvassed on this item. Mr Luckie: I rise to a point of order. I protest against these imputations and these insults to the Council, and I call upon the chairman to interfere.

Mr Barnicoat: I certainly consider the language used by the member for Westport to be highly disorderly, and insulting to the Council. Mr O'Conor: I am sorry that in the discharge of my duty here I have been compelled to say that members have been canvassed. If such language is disorderly and disgraceful, what then must be the act. I said so feeling and knowing it to be true, which I regret. Mr Luckie (excitedly) .- He deliberately repeats his insults. I appeal to the Speaker. Mr O'Conor: It is not right to appeal to the Speaker when the Chairman is in the chair. Mr Gibbs: I would rather the Speaker decide on this matter. Mr O'Conor: Then, sir, I shall consider this subject tabooed, and only remark that the member for the city is

very irascible to-night. Last year it was determined that the member for the Goldfields should be non-official, nevertheless we find he has been (although acknowledged to be an official), allotted £llO of that £l5O, voted for n< n official members of Executive, and not only that, but now his Honour actually recommends an additional £l5O.

Here Mr Luckie crossed over and reaching from behind Mr O'Conor snatched the book which that member had for reference. Mr O'Conor, addressing the chair: The honorable member for the city, Mr Luckie, is really very annoying. Not satisfied with being a nuisance from his own side, he now comes over here to interrupt and annoy. Mr O'Conor then resum d. He was sure that no value for the money already paid was ever received, and not one of those who would on this occasion support the extra grant could show any work done or value received. If they could he would also support it, if not he would oppose although alone in doing so. He foresaw that such votes as the present would demoralis; and disgrace the Council, by placing a premium upon selfish scheming and collusion, in fact it would be an encouragment to persons who came here to work their own ends, and, no doubt, it would result in a plentiful crop of George Donnes. The Provincial Solicitor said Mr. O'Conor had not put the case in a fair light. In the Executive Act of last year, one provision was that there should be a Goldfields' Eepresentative, and that his salary should be £SOO per annum, and it was then contemplated that that officer should devote his whole time to the Goldfields. Mr. Reid was appointed, but when that gentleman intimated that he could not bestow his whole time, the sum was reduced to £l5O, which was thought to be sufficient for the purpose of defraying travelling expenses. After the resignation of Mr. Reid, it became necessary that some other gentleman should be appointed, and Mr. Donne was asked if he would accept the office. The Superintendent said he wouid recommend a sufficient salary to be put on the Estimates, and under that representation Mr. Donne took his place in the Executive. Since then Mr. Donne had devoted the whole of his services to the Coast business, and they were found to be very useful. Of course neither Mr. Donne nor the Superintendent had any idea that the Ac'; would be repealed, and they had no right now because the Act was repealed to turn round and say that they would not pay his expenses. Mr. Wastney said that Mr. Donne, at the time he accepted the office, was perfectly aware what the remuneration was. Anyone t king office in the manner in which he did, could not consistently ask the Council to pay him additional for his services.

Mr. Donne said, he could not allow the statements of the member for Westport to go unchallenged, although he fully expected to be dragged through the mire by him. The Provincial Solicitor had pl?.c d the matter in its proper light. Whatever had been the services .rendered by him (Mr. Donne) as Goldfields' .Representative, they had never been openly and honestly challenged in that Chamber. There might be a difference of opinion as to the value of those services, but the question was, was the time stated to have been devoted to them really so devoted 1 He maintained that it was, and that for a period of six solid months. It was too late or too early now to cast a slur upon him, and he defied Mr. O'Conor, or any other member in that Chamber, to do so. Whether the sum proposed by his Honour for the Gold-fields' Bepresentative was voted or not, it would not be as an equivalent for services rendered, for he had expended out of his own pocket the sum of £62 hard cash in travelling expenses alone. Grievous insinuations bad been thrown out by the member for Westport, to the effect that members had been canvassed outside the Council Chamber to su port the vote, and he called upon the members to stand up in their places and give the member for Westport the lie. (Nobody moved.) He had never asked the Superintendent to place anything upon the Estimates for him, and what was done was by his Honour's own free will. There were other base insinuations thrown out, which he did not consider it worth his while to notice ; they bore their own condemnation, and he could afford to treat them with the contempt they deserved. The Provincial Secretary said, that when Mr. Donne was asked to act on the Executive, he declined to take his seat without he could take it as the Goldfields' Eepresentative, and he could testify that in that capacity Mr. Donne had faithfully and energetically done his duty, and under those circumstances it was hardly to be expected that Mr. Donne should be out of pocket. The Provincial Treasurer said, that within the space of six months Mr. Donne had attended twenty Executive meetings, and that alone must have cost him considerable for travelling expenses, besides loss of time. It was of course expected that having accepted the office of Goldfields' Eepresentative he would attend to its duties, and the Superintendent promised to recommend a sum for his expenses. Mr. O'Conor : The fact remains the same, the office was accepted by Mr. Donne according to the provision made for it. He certainly made himself useful as red stick-in-waiting upon his Honour when he visited the Coast. As to the six months' workspokenof atlcasttwo of that time were spent electioneering, and the

Provincial Treasurer does not £tate how many of those iwcty consecutive meetings occurred in the san e week, perhaps the fame cl;ty. It now appeared that the Superintendent, had exceeded his duty as much in tiiis matter as in the case of Mr. Dent lust year. Provincial Secretary: Nothing of the sore j the Superintendent m rely promised Mr Donne to recommend the Council to vote the sum. Mr O'Conor : I must protest against it, even though Mr Donne were out of pocket, which has not been proved. I again call the attention of the House to the indecency of these proceedings —one of its members actually pleadius; for money for himself None but the member for Charleston would be guilty of such an act; no Council but this would allow it. I shall divide the House upon it. On the division, the numbers were —Ayes, 13 : Messrs Eeid, Baigent, C. Kelling, M'Mabon, Rutherford, Tarrant, F. Kelling, Collins, Luckie, the Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Treasurer, and the Speaker. Noes, 3 : Messrs O'Conor, Wastney, and Wilkie. Two other items of the Estimates were passed without opposition, and the House adjourned until Friday. On Friday, upon the item, towing track for the Buller river, £ISOO, being moved, Mr Donne proposed that the sum be struck out, and £4,000 inserted. Discussion ensued, in which the Provincial Secretary and Mr O'Conor said that the object plainly was to create a blank, and shelve the matter altogether. Mr Donne then withdrew, and the motion passed. On the motion of Mr O'Conor, Mr Irwin, late constable at Charleston, was voted five montßV pay as compensation for abrupt dismissal.