SUMMARY FOR EUROPE, Political-Provincial.

Southland Times, Issue 885, 20 January 1868, Page 4

SU MMARY FOR EUR OP E, Po liti cal- Pr ovincial.

My Government felt it to be ft duty, bo goon as, through the Colonl d Financial arrangements, At became apparent that ou* laud ivventte would be released, to cal| for .tfft.dfa for *oadm*lung, eoeittg tijiafctho summer season was fAst passing, 'j|nX*VeWa.terj .necessary, works are now. in proS Sou will be aaked to appropriate the funds ro; quired to meet these,' as well as oth"r containplated works of a flimilar character. Permanent .roadmaking, more especially to the. east of the Province, ought now to be pushed forward vigorously. The roada in the valley of she Aparima also demand your attention, as well as some of parts of our Main North Boad» -'■ _. ' _ It effordo me pleasure testate that the BlttfF Harbor and Invereargill Railway, which, was, when you were last in session, Jfte cause, of Berious alarm on acedunt df ita hmng got into ! great disrepair* arid not meeting working expenses, has now been very greatly improved, and is not only meeting working expenses, but is making up past deficiencies. Were the Oreti Badwav finished, so as to act as a feeler to this line,' I am convinced our railways would, even at the present time, be to some extent, a source Of revenue, as the line eettld.btJ wrtftud with but little additional atpettJeV I should, however, regard even a Urge direct revenue from this source as trifling, compared with ; the ..great, iiy direct benefit to tne PwvinA these worke will insUr>. .The, correspondence referred to by me wiU explain Id you why the project of Eastern Railway has to the present been allowed to remain in abcyanoj ; but the difficulties in the way of its construction, now existing, may possibly be erelong remo*ed. ' .• A proposition wilTbe made to you relative to the' resumption of the Assisted Immigration Scheme. The want of a stream of Immigrants oF the farm laborer and domestio servant class, has for !a length of time been greatly feltr

, J ■ ■ . • . ; ■ . _ » ■ •■-.' • -i.- : > The second session of fehfc third Provin- » cial Council commenced on Monday, the > 6th January . The opening $?as jaine. for r congratulation. Hia Honor tW Superl intendent opened it in person, and reau . 'a most saUsfaetofcy ateesSy it showed y that the P^vince b&d surmounted its i thatfrom land sales iactinlider* , j able amount of money would fee it tt& r disposal 6f the Council fbr the- purpose i o$ r&admaking and dther public works. . He recommended thie m > immigration and other measures calet'lr i latex! to ftcilitate 'progress. The session i Was on the whole the most tranquil and t businesslike ever held in the PrdviilceY 5 There was no organised dgposifcion to the r Government t-^-those who at previous _ f sessions had been loud in censure tacitly 5 granted that the Ministry l had been successful in working the Province out of a pit oi difficulties from I; which at one time it appeared impossible , to extricate it. The session was a marked ) improvement upon previous ones- and ; much business of importance was trans* i acted. , " The Estimates included large votes for ■ roadmaking and other public works — F about £20,000,— the expenditure of which i will render labor scarce. £5000 was ; appropriated to immigration, in addition ,to a scneine for, land grants on deferred s payments to small capitalists desirous of , settling on the land. It was determined, ' the sanction of the General Government , haying been. obtained, that the completion , of the railway to Winton with iron rails , should be immediately proceeded with, and £1000 was set apart for preliminary expenses, in order to have tenders called for without the least delay. The state? ment of the land sales effected during the last few months evidenced the progress of the Province, about 20,000 acres having been disposed of. The future prospects of the Province wear a brighter complexion than has appeared since the commercial crisis of 1864. The subjoined is the address delivered by His Honor the Superintendent on opening the Council, and the reply of the Council thereto :— ADDRESS. * Ma Speaker and Gbniusmes of thk Provincial Council. . 1 have deferred as long as circumstances would permit calling you together for your aJvice anu assistance, in the hope that I should have the final decision of the General Government relative to the prosecution of the Oreti Railway Works to lay beiore you. . . . : The correspondence relating.to this important subject, as well as to the projected Eastern line, will De placed on the Council Table. It has not before been my lot to meet the Council with congratulations on the improved financi'il condition of the province. It affords me all the greater pleasure to be oble to do ao on the present occasion.