NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 974, 28 May 1872, Page 2

NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(from our own correspondent.) Nelson, May 23. I anticipate that this letter will partake very much of the character of correspondence from the fair sex —the postscript will bo the most interesting part of the communication. It will also be longer than the letter itself, and it is partly on account of its length that I make the matter a postscript, so that you may select from it such items only as the vastness of your discretion or the limits of your space may dictate. There is first, for instance, a pretty full report of the discussion on Mr Donne's motion on mining leases, as published in the' Colonist.'

Tf you desire to discover the line of Mr D.'s argumeut, or the Provincial Secretary's answer, or the reasons for your two members disputing the value of the proposed Select Committee, you can peruse as much, and quote as littlo, of that report as you like, or leave it alone. I leave it alone because lam not aware to what extent adver- j tisers may bo rushing to your doors, and crushing out items of news which must bo inferior, in literary and pecuniary vnlue to their personal announcements. Then there is the report of an interesting financial statement made on Tuesday evening, by Mr Kynnersley, and of a counter-state- ' ment made by the Treasurer. I send you my notes of Mr Kynnersley's remarks, and also some abbreviated one's of the Treasurer's, and both of thestk you can and should use at your conw venience. Mr Kynnersley's object, as you would discover per telegram, was to show that the revenue of the "West Coast had, for two years, and perhaps for every previous year, been about seven thousand pounds in excess of the expenditure. The Treasurer's object of course, was to show the contrary, and country members think he did so to his own and their utter satisfaction' but not being a " young man from the country," your correspondent fails to see that the Treasurer's assumptions as to the Goldfields paying threefourths of the costs of Government because they contribute three-fourths of the revenue, are quite correct, and ho is disposed to adopt and adhere to Mr Kynnersley's calculations as fair, just, and truthful. Fourthly, as to the matter of my postcript, it includes summaries of several departmental and other reports which you may find interesting. Fifthly, I might have sent you some report of a speech made this morning by your member, Mr O'Conor as to the reasons for the Goldfields separating from Nelson, but, knowing so much as your readers do about these reasons, I may be excused. Moreover, the debate was at once adjourned, to be resumed on Monday, to end where it began—most of the Goldfields members being of the one opinion, and all the other members of position of things which in my humble opinion, should be sufficient to discourage any agitation of this matter in the Council, though it should encourage as much agitation as you like outside.

To resume my daily record, on Monday the Solicitor brought down a Bill for a purpose the announcement of which caused an incredulous amile. It was a Bill, forsooth, " for the management of rivers in the Province"—a work of rather Herculean dimensions, you will admit, so far as concerns the West Coast. The Bill, however, does not contemplate such management as we should like the gods to exercise occasionally when a flood comes, but something that I don't exactly know about till I have read the Bill on which it is based —a Bill already adopted by the Province of Hawke's Bay, and I think also Marlborough. On the same evening the Bill for paying in land, or part land, the road between the Arnold and the Ahaura, was, on the motion of Mr Kynnersley, seconded by Mr Beid, referred to a Select Committee, with the object of getting other works constructed on the same conditions. Such conditions, you must understand, refer exclusively to works of special value, such as trunk roads, railroads, harbors, and docks ; and therefore a suggestion made by Mr O'Conor that the system should be applied to the construction of a towing track from the Inangahua to the Lyell could not be adopted. The Committee subsequently eat, and to an amended Bill they added a schedule, which besides the Arnold and Ahaura road, includes the following proposed _ works :—Trunk road from the junction of the rivers Buller and* Blackwater to the Inangahua Landing) trunk road from the township of the Ahaura to the saddle between the Waiau and Ahaura; trunk road from the junction of the rivers Owen and Buller to the Lyell; trunk road or tramway from Westport to the Nine Mile Creek at the head of the Snag Falls. While making these recommendations, the Committee, however, are " of opinion that the high price at which the laud must be taken in compliance with the provisions of the Nelson Waste Lands Act, 1863,. (namely, one pound per acre), so far exceeds the average market value of the land in some of the remote districts that it is not probable that this form of payment for works will be accepted to any great extent." The land to be taken in payment, I may add, must be within two miles of the particular work which may be executed. On the same evening there was a discussion about a sum of £250 given to Doran's Reef Company to promote the working of their claim—an extraordinary action on the part of the Government, when it is remembered how they refused a bit of road or protection of a bit of road to the Lyell reefs The motion ended in a Select Committee being appointed to inquire into the matter. On Tuesday, as on the two following days, time was principally taken up with the consideration of the Estimates, which are now nearly con» eluded. It was on this evening that} without any pre-arrangement or premeditation, the GoldCelds members were found one by one making a sharp assault upon the Treasurer and his Estimates, and the Treasurer making as smart a defence, though without doing any permanent injury to the enemy. I recommend you to quote from the notes I send, Mr Kyn-, nersley's figure, and the figures given • by the Treasurer in roturn they mftf

useful for purposes of reference. q q Wednesday, as the result of the iLton on the previous night, Mr. bb's called for details of revenue j expenditure on the Goldfieds since «6 but, in addition to an accurate ' being almost impossible, two Welds members doubted its reiility unless it were drawn up by hitrators or even an intelligent 0 f twelve, and the motion was [{drawn. Up to this evening the ■timates had passed unchanged, but, (tened into generosity by the fact of West Coast members not strongly losing the Blind Bay steam service Ldy, the country members positi- , approved of the items pf £25. [be Fire Brigade at Westport and Weston boiug increased to £75 in I instance., It would have done nr heart good to bave heard on that casion what a wonderful man you |in Westport as night watchman, . ff ])at a wonderful bell they have ; yi which the Secretary of the f i ga de described as "giving eveFy jjjfaction." The Council were denied, yet Mr Kynnersley would be 'noxious, and say that the increase JIOO to these votes might have j|better spent in making a bit of | He thought of applying for Jilar votes to all the small towns, |Mr Eeid questioned if the townjpof Kynnersley was yet in posses-onofafire-ejigine and Fire .Brigade. D tbe following day, Mr. o'Conor ied the generosity of the Council BCe again by proposing a sum of [l5O« as a steam subsidy for Westort and Ngakawhao. The mention [these two names does not entirely spresent the proposal, as it was more Jfaßteamer useful at the Buller, and w ful also by opening up a comRation with the Karamea, than motion was made, and the ier, freely represented the rie[sitiea of the case, and the propriety (the Government giving such a sub. ( jjyin the absence of their undertak- | any roads to the northward of the Idler, but the motion fonnd no. rinds except the two members repre-' eating the locality, and on a division I negatived. Mr O'Conor's motion on the matter {separation is to this effect:—" That, [lie opinion of this Council, it is driaable to place the Nelson Southrat Goldfields under a local form of jovemuient, so as to promote the aterial prosperity of that district, by Kuring to it more equitable public spenditure, and a more advantageous isposal of the "Waste Lands of the !rown. That his Honor the Superinjndentbe respectfully requested to use a Bill to be introduced during ss ensuing session of the General issembly to give effect to the. foreoing resolution," There is I am sure, ochanceof carrying the first clause, id the second clause, asking the Suerintendent to immolate himself, none mild be likely to support. _ Perhaps j a bit of sarcasm, or to give memera an opportunity of recommending iparation in another form, Mr Eeid w given notice of a motion which srms"That in the opinion of this Eonncil, the affairs of the city of Wilson, its suburbs, and the imlediately surrounding country can be pore efficiently and economically administered by a Government whose Station is not diverted to a distant pmtory of distinct interests and retirements, and it is expedient with jtview to such economy and efficiency, »X? Nelson districts should be P«ed from the South-west Goldields, and that a system of local Spvermnent should be established, Saving the administration solely of the [affairs of those portions of the ProTiace which are outside the boundaries I the Goldfields." ; By the favor of the Speaker, I am idle to send you an early copy of the Towns Improvement Act, which I [hope to hear of your community fquickly adopting, as I understand the [steps (preliminary to that end must be [taken before July. You will find the j Act different from the Bill aa introduced I tut only in a minority of the clauses. I Appended are some extracts from [reports which have been laid upon the I Council table.