PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. THURSDAY, MAY 7.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 310, 9 May 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. THURSDAY, MAY 7.

Auckland and Drufy/ Rail-way MrDakgavillk moved, "Tlmt a respectful address bo presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to Iny on the tablo copies of any correspondence between the Provincial and General Government relative to the claims of the province for compensation in connection with the handing over of the Auckland and Drury railway, and all papers relating thereto." The Council would know that the province had expended considerably over £100,000 upon the line in (he first instance. But certain arrangements had taken place between the Provincial Government and General Government. What these were, the House, like himself, was probably at a loss to discover. They had the curious fact that persons very high in authority contradicted each other upon this subject. One said the province had a very lartjtt clnim, and the General Government repudiated, or appeared to lepudiato, any liability on this account. The facts were pretty nearly ns follows : For lands which had co3t the provinco of Auckland £36,000, the province had been paid £20,000. The railway plant, which cost the province something like £16,000— some portion of it having born dispose^ of for other work — the province rrceired £6000 for the- balance of plant remaining. It was even said that tho whole of a claim of £90,000 had been liquidated by tlie payment of £26,000. The- province had not received a single frnction for the work that had been actually done, and well done by the province. These works had been executed at a cost to the province of £46,000. Whether that sum were the precise value of them or not, the works still possessed a substantial value. For that work the province had received nothing. That work, whatever might be said of it, had been done in the best manner, according to the testimony of those to whom it had been handed over. It might or might not hare been dear at, £46\000, but it wn» worth something, say £20,000 or £30,000 at least. He trustod the Government would produce not only tho correspondence asked for, but also minutes of negotiations or interviews or deputations relating to this subject. Tho present financial condition of tho provinco he believed to be suoh that £20,000 or £30,000 would be of great advantage Ho thought the Council and the public should be placed in possession of all the facts, so that members of that House and members of the Assembly should be properly posted up in knowledge of how the provinoe stood in this respect. He thought lion members would be willing to strengthen the hands of His Honor the Superintendent in every possible war when dealing with this important subject. M r Shceban said the bon. member had on the whole placed the^ matter very fairly before the- House. He would take occasion'to offer a few further remarks upon the subject, so as to enable the .Council fully to comprehend tho matters immediately in issue. In a previous session £20,000 had bee^ pajjl for the land. He understood that this payment was made solely for the land, and did not include the work which bad been done upon it. At that time there was a proposal to abandon the tunnel lino and take the railway another route. The reply in such a case naturally was—" We are not going .to uae that work : we do not want it, and .therefore wo will not pay for it. But subse« quently this very line which had been previously condemned was adopted. The gross expenditure had been £118,624. The land had been purchased^ at a cost of £34,940 ; various expenses— plant, freight, &0., £22,000; enrvevs, £5516; compensation, £1541 ; miscellaneous, £2240. For several preliminary expenses the proviace felt that it could not make any charge. But the payment, as ho under-tood it, was for land, and the woiks, A.c, were to be paid for at a reasonable charge. He thought and alwajs thought that the province hail a right to ha\e these costs fur work and plant recouped to it. (Hear, hear.) Mr Cheoseman said Auckland had as good right to payment as Southland and Canterbury. Neither did he B*e why there should botiny difference in respect to the working of the line. Tho motion was agreed to. The remainder of the business w»s nnimwortant.

Jcli Billing* lius an entiroly..buld bend ;.«ud.ji j^ related of Imn that once, when lie whs ut (he Zoological Gardens, in Puns, tiro day being warm, lie luv down upon one of the bench ci and went to u\eep. lie was nwnkcncd \?y a sense of Millocatioi), nnd found »omething corcred his Jnee. He hegnn to strus/rle to rele«se himtelj], nnd the next mdtnent a pig.uitic ostrich leaped up mid began to ]»rtinre down the path. Tho ostriohhad- oblai'ved the top of Josh'i bold head, .md, mislnking it for one of its ej-gn, had begun to ut upon it for the purpose of hatching.