PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1865, Page 5

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

f _'I he Council met for the twenty-third session on luesday last, at 2 p.m. 'J he following members were present: —Messrs. Tancred. Hall, Cowlishaw, Berwick, W. Wilson, •J. C. Wilson, Maude, Moorhouue, 'J'osswill, Ollivicr, Hornbrook, Clark, Aynsley, Hueklcy, Peacock, "V\ bite, Vilnius, and Shund.

Prayers living been read by the Von. the Cha - lain <ji the Council, I lie election of the following members was notified to the House:—The lion. .J. Hall (Mount (look), Messrs. Stewart (Kakaia), Cowlishaw (Avon), liarjzreaves (Lyltelton). I he (Ji.Eitit of the CouNcir, announced tlnit the first business before t!ie House would be the election of a Speaker, in the h:c:al of Mr. C. Ho wen, resigned. Mr. J'a.vi ijko proposed Mr. Ollivicr for the vacant office. lie performed the duty of nominating a Speaker on behalf of the Government with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret—pleasure in proposing Mr. Ollivicr, and regret for the resignation of 1 f vtn ' should riot on the present occasion dwell upon the regret which lie felt at the absence of the late Speaker ; that regret would be shortly expressed in another shape. From Mr. Ollivier's great experience of the business of the Council, arising from the prominent part lie had always taken in the debates, he whs eminently qualified for ibe o tice of Speaker. His personal qualities fitted him or t ie post: from his kindly courtesy hon. members *ere iiilly warranted in expecting every aid and ssistance it wus in his power to extend towards 'f" 1 - . n< * } ,c W!ls sure that Mr. Ollivicr would on if easHins do all in his power to support the dignity of the House. l<or his own part, lie had great

pleasure In nominating Mr. OlUvler; for he thought it fortunate for tho tone of the Council that a gentleman so generally esteemed should preside over its deliberations. He himself and Mr. Ollivler had often, in fact, generally, opposed one another in public life, and other lion, members had no doubt done the same, but these differences were merely political, and by no means affected the regard and esteem personally entertained towards him by every member of the Council. Mr. W. Wilson seconded the nomination of Mr. Ollivier. He thought that it reflected great credit on the Government that they had selected a gentloman bo well fitted for the office. Tho hon. member paid n tribute of respect to Mr. Bo wen, who, he remarked, had always shown tho kindliest sympathy with the more recent members of the Council. The question was then put by the Clerk, and Mr. Ollivier wan declared duly elected Speaker. Mr. Ollitikr returned thanks for tho honour which had been done to him. Hon. members might depend that he would do his utmost to preserve tho dignity of the office and the tone of the Council. Ho was aware that in succeeding Mr. Bowen he had undertaken a very difficult task, as that gentleman had so ably presided over the Council for a long period of time. For his own part, he should endeavour to discharge the duties of office fairly and impartially, and to follow the footsteps of those men—ho might say those illustrious men—who had preceded him. Messrs. Tancred aud Wilson, tho mover and seconder of the nomination were deputed to report to his Honor the Superintendent that the choice of the Council had fallen upon Mr. Ollivier, and shortly afterwards they announced to the House his Honor's assent to the appointment. Mr. Ollivikh then took tho chair, and again briefly returned thanks to the House. He requested the members to give all the assistance in their power in supporting him in his office. At half-past two. his Honor the Superintendent entered the chamber, and delivered the following Speech:—

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council— " When I last prorogued this Council I intended to call you together for the purpose of the ordinary annual session before the expiration of the present financial year. The meeting of the General Assembly, which it was then anticipated would have been held early in the present year, has, however, not yet taken place, and the measures which may be expected to be proposed to that body in reference to the financial position of Provincial Governments throughout the colony, and to other matters seriously affecting this province are yet unsettled. As your proceedings with regard to these important questions must depend, to a great extent, on the action of the General Assembly during the forthcoming session, I have thought it expedient to defer your ordinary meeting until that session shall have been held. I trust you will agree in that decision. " The business to be now submitted to you will, therefore, be confined to asking for authority for the expenditure necessary to carry on the public service of the province during a limited period after the expiration of the present financial year, and to one or two other questions of pressing importance. '• Among the latter I would especially mention the subject of railway communication. It is with much satisfaction I have to inform you that I have concluded a contract with Messrs. G. Holmes and Co. for the construction of a railway from Christchurch to the north bank of the Rakaia river. The recent financial depression in the colony generally, and the difficulty which, owing to various circumstances, has been experienced in negotiating provincial debentures in the London Market, have rendered some delay in the commencement of this important work unavoidable; and have also made it expedient to introduce some special provisions, for which your sanction will be asked, with regard to the payments to be made to the contractors. I trust that the stimulus which will be afforded to the prosperity of the province by the undertaking of so important a means of developing its resources, and the greater favour with which the debentures of this province appear to be now regarded in the English market, will enable me to take steps at an early date for carrying out the contemplated line of railway communication to the northern part of the province. " Since your last meeting, a valuable and extensive goldfield has been discovered on the West Coast, and a large mining population is now congregated in that part of the province. In anticipation of this event, I had made preliminary arrangements, which enabled me, as soon as the importance of the discovery was ascertained, to take the steps required by the emergency for the maintenance of order and a proper regulation of mining pursuits, as well as for providing improved means of communication between those districts and the eastern portion of the province. I commissioned the Provincial Secretary to proceed to Hokitika, with authority to organise the machinery for the government of the goldfields, and with instructions to furnish me with detailed and authentic information as to their condition and requirements. In pursuance of the information thus obtained, I have thought it desirable to appoint a Commissioner for the Goldfields, who acts as the representative of the Provincial Government, has the general control of its several departments, and is invested with sufficient authority to deal with all cases requiring prompt action on the part of the Government. This arrangement has been found to work very beneficially. " YVith a view of remedying the difficulty of communicating by land between the eastern and western parts of the province, I took immediate steps for ascertaining the route best adapted for the formation of a road. The result of these inquiries is embodied in various papers which will be laid before you. Among them is a comprehensive and valuable report from Mr. Dobson, the engineer to the Lyttelton and Christehurch Railway, which leaves, I think, no room for doubt as to the route on which it is most desirable that any considerable expenditure should take place. As soon as this question was determined. strong road parties were engaged to improve the existing road by way of Porter's Pass to the Upper Waimakariri, and to open a communition between that locality and the West Coast itself. A good dray road now exists for two-thirds of the distance between Christchurch and the goldfields, and along the remainder of the line a bridle-path is in coarse of formation, which, although delayed considerably by unfavourable weather, will be completed in a few weeks, and may, if it be deemed expedient, be converted into a dray-road at a moderate cost. " Information very recently received leads ine to hope that it may be found practicable to open by way of the Rakaia a second line of communication with Hokitika, which during the greater part of the year would be available as a horse-trajk and for the driving of stock. Further explorations are now being made with a view of determining this question. In the meantime the road by the Waimakariri isso far advanced that I have taken steps for obtaining the immediate establishment of an overland mail, and I have pressed on the General Government the necessity which appears to me to exist for the extension of telegraphic comrnuniciition to the West Coast at the earliest possible

period. . " The expenditure necessary for the objects above alluded to cannot fail, under existing circumstances, to be felt as a heavy charge on the revenues of the province, but they are objects calculated to exercise so important an influence on its prosperity and trade, and are so necessary for the efficient administration of its government, that I have no doubt you will approve the steps which, in the emergency, I have thought it advisable to take. . ... , " The subjects to which your attention will tnus be called, though few in number, are of more than u-ual importance, and will, I doubt not, receive at your hands the grave consideration which their character demands. " I now declare this Council opened for the dispatch of business." His Honor retired at the close of his speech. Mr. Ham-said he would take the opportunity at once of informing the House of the principal matters which would require the consideration of the members. He thought that it would be better not to fix am- Particular date for anyone debate, but to put alf the subjects on the notice paper, and to go through them until they were all discussed. The principal subiect for their consideration would be the contract with Messrs G. Holmes and Co., for the Great Southern Railway ; for this he should ask tlie sanction of the House for an expenditure, Ht the present rate, for three months. Previously to this, his hon. friend the Provincial Secretary and himself would make their respective financial statements, lucre was the expenditure on the West Coast road to be sanctioned, as well as that of the postal communication with the West Coast for six months There was also the Lyttelton Harbour works o be considered. He begged to lay the follov, ng papers upon the table -.-Contract Messrs Holmes and Co., for tlie construction of tlio Gruit Southern Railway; Report on * he We«t by Mr. E. Dobson ; Report by Mr. <^ 1)obs ""jj explorations of a route to the West Coast hv the Waimakariri ; Correspondence rc atmg to that part of the West Coast road between the Hurunui saddle and the Waitolu » Instructions and Report of Mr. I W. Wake and Mr Thornton, respecting the West Coast road, Rqort

by Messrs. Harm an and Browning of explorations of n route to the West Coast by the head waters of the Rakaia ; Report of Geological Explorations on the West Coast, by Dr. Haast; Correspondence relating to the survey of railway reserves between Timaru and tho Waltangi ; Correspondence relating to the Little River Tramway ; Correspondence with Mr. Balfour, relating to the breakwater and jetty at Timaru, and with Messrs. Doync and Haast respecting a supply of water at Timaru ; Correspondence respecting the erection of a toll-bar in the Avon district? Correspondence relating to tho Amesbury road; Correspondence relating to the purchase of a town Rection as a site for the Custom-house, &c. ; Correspondence relating to the advnnce of £5,000, for the purpose of facilitating the carriage of stone s Correspondence between the Provincial Secretary and Mr. 11. S. Selfe, and Mr. Mtirshtnan, from October, 1804, to May, 18f>5; Acts and Appointments by his Honor the Superintendent under the Goldfields Act, 1862. Mr. Mooriiouse suggested that a committee should be formed, in order to decide which of the papers now laid upon the table should be printed. Dr. Tuhniwll should wish to see the contract with Messrs. Holmes and Co. printed. Mr. Hall said he would move for the appointment of a Printing Committee, to consist of Dr. Turnbull, Mr. Maude, Mr. Tosswill, the Provincial Secretary, and the mover. The railway contract should be printed at once. Mr. Mooriiouse would like to be informed if any steps had been taken by the Government with respect to the City Council Ordinance. Mr. Hall remarked that the Ordinance was in the hands of the printers. He would give notice of the day when it wns proposed to bring it on for discussion. He would endeavour to lay it oh the table at the next sitting of the Council. Notices of motion were given, and the House adjourned until this day, at the usual hour.