PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

I Saturday, January 12. The Speaker took the chair at noon. Present—Messrs. Aynsley, Barff, Beswick, Bright, B. Buchanan, Davis, Delamain, Hawkes, Hoos, Maskell, Montgomery, Moore, Ormsby, Potts, Sheath, Stericker, Stewart, Thomson, Walker, Whall, White, W. Williams and Wilson. Prayers having been read by the A r ery Rev. the Chaplain, the minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. CIIRISTCHUBCn CITY COUNCIL BILL. Mr Wixsojr moved—"That the Standing Orders No. 111, 113, and 120 be suspended, with a view to carrying the Christchurch City Council Ordinance Amendment Bill, 1867, through all its stages." The motion was carried. The Bill was read a second time, committed, reported to the House with a few verbal amendments, read a third time and passed. BOAD EESEEVES. Mr Walker moved—" That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to reserve as roads all tracks at present in use on other than freehold land in the provinco, in pursuance of the powers vested in him." ! The Provincial Secretary said that the subject was under tho consideration of the Government, who agreed with the principle of

reserving as roads certain tracks at present in use He should wish to see the resolution amended by striking out tho word "all inserting in its place the word » such ; and addin" the following words after the word « ÜBO "—as may appear necessary to his Honor to reserve." , The motion with this amondmont was carried. WESTLAND CEMETERIES. Mr Whall moved—" That it is desirable tho Greymouth and Jackson's Bay cemetery should be forthwith fenced in." The Provincial Secretary said that the Government would gire their attention to the matter. . . ~ ... .. . Mr Whall withdrew his motion with this understanding. OBEX EIVEE NAVIGATION. Mr Whall moved—" That in the opinion of this House it is necessary, for the protection of life and property, that steps should be taken to remove the snags from the first and seventh falls of the Grey River. _ Mr Wilson seconded the motion, which was carried. HOKITIKA EESEBVES. Mr BRIGHT moved —" That Clauses Bto 15 of the report of the select committee on the Hokitika reserves be adopted by the Council." Mr Baeff seconded the motion, which was carried. HOKITIKA COEPOEATION BILL. On the motion of Mr BeiGht this Bill was read a third time, and passed. SOBEW-PLuE JETTY. Through the absence of Mr HarGREAVES the motion standing in his name with referonce to the screw-pile jetty, Lyttleton, lapsed. APPROPRIATION ACT, 1867. The Provincial Secretary obtained leave to bring in the Appropriation Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be printed. The House then adjourned, on tho motion of tho Provincial Secretary, to four o'clock. The Speaker resumed the chair at four. BILLS ASSENTED TO. The Speaker intimated that his Honor had given his assent to the Christchurch City Council Ordinance Amendment Bill, 1867. SUSPENSION OP STANDING OBDEES. On the motion of thePEOViNCiAL Secretary the House agreed to the suspension of all standing orders having reference to the following Bills, in order to allow of their being passed.

OBEY EIVEB COAL EESEEVES BILL, 18G7. The Provincial Secbetaey moved the second reading of this Bill. The Speaker ruled that tho Bill could not bo proceeded with until certain papers had been laid on the table of the House, in consequence of a resolution passed by tho Council to that effect. The motion for the second reading waß therefore withdrawn. GIBSON QUAY BILL. The Gibson Quay Amendment Bill, 1867, was read a second time, committed, reported to the House, read a third time and passed. ENGLISH AGENT'S BILL, 1867. On the motion of the Provincial Secbetaey this Bill was read a third timo and passed. APPEOPRIATION BILL, 1867. This Bill was read a second time, committed, reported to the House and read o third time.

On the motion that it do pass, Mr Thomson called the attention of the Government to the fact that there were no copies of the Bill on the table of tho House, as required by the standing orders. He did not wish to delay the business of tho Council in consequence, but he wished simply to get a distinct answer from the Government whether the votes in the Bill were identical with those passed by the House. The Provincial Secretary said that the misfortune of not having copies of the Act on the table of the House did not entirely rest with him. He had endeavored to meet the wishes of hon. members that the prorogation of the Council should take place that day, and consequently the time allowed him for getting the Bill drawn up and printed was very limitflfJ TTft tfinngVifc under *1"» eirnmnstances and pledging himself—as he had done on moving the second reading of the Bill—to the absolute correctness of the items contained lin the Bill, that no hon. member would think | it necessary, or consonant to his own feeling of i fairness or propriety, to get up to ask a question which affected the dignity and character of the Government [Copies of the Act were here I brought in and laid on the table.] The Bill was now open to the inspection of the hon. member, and if he would compare it with the votes given by the House, he would find the items were a transcript of the sums voted. Mr Thomson explained that he had not heard the hon. gentleman pledge himself to the absolute correctness.. of the Bill, and he asked the question merely to hear the distinct assurance of the Government on the point. Mr Maskell wished to ask the Provincial Secretary if a report was true which he had heard, but which he could hardly believe himself. The report was that the Government intended to resign immediately after the passing of the Appropriation Act, in consequence of their having been beaten in every division but one which took place in the House. ["No."]

The Provincial Secretary thought that the "wish was father to the thought." [Laughter.] The Government had no intention of allowing the hon. member, or any other of the opposition, to step into their place. [Laughter.] No one had heard the rumor but the hon. gentleman himself. [" Oh, oh," from Mr Maskell.] With the large majority the Government had had all along in the House [loud laughter] they did not intend to allow a small minority to trouble them notv. If the hon. member had considered fairly and impartially the occasion when the Government were beaten by one, he would have seen that there was no desire on the part of the opposition —he would call them so — to get rid of the then Government. It seemed to him (Mr Stewart) that hon. members on the other side of the House had been until lately living in the country, and in consequence were ignorant of the rules of political life, and j thought they voted on tho side by which they had been caught, they were not identified with \ it, as they had since stated over and over again that they did not know the effect of their vote. [Loud cries of " No," and laughter.] Their living in the country had so far dograded them —if he might be allowed to use the term—that they were ignorant of the result of that vote. [Laughter.] The hon. member (Mr Maskell) bad talked very many absurd things {during the course of the session, but he (Mr Stewart) had never heard from him a more absurd or childish proposition than the one he had just given utterance to. It was very unlikely that the Government, having borne the heas and burden of the day, should now vacate their seat 3. Mr Thomson widhed to know if tho Government had given up the idea of handing over the boat service at Timaru to the Municipality. He took that opportunity of congratulating the Provincial Secretary on the coolness and firmness he had assumed since the passing of tho Appropriation Act. [Laughter.] He (Mr Thomson) would suggest that the very first act of the House in future should be tho passing of this Act, as he thought by so doing the Government would bo able to address the Houso in a more dignified manner than they were in the habit of doing. [Llughter.] The Secretary for Public Works replied that the Government did not intend handing over the boat service to the Municipality of Timaru, as there was no possibility of any arrangement being come to. The Government intended to keep it in their own hands. The Bill wa3 then passed, and tho minutes of the day's sitting were read and confirmed. BILL ASSENTED TO The Speaker intimated his Honor's assent to the Appropriation Act, 1867. PROROGATION. His Honor tub Supebintendent entered

the Council Chamber, tho mombors receiri him with tho usual formalities, and proro_u I the House in tho following speech :— * " Mb. Speaker and Gentlemen of _»■ Provincial Council,— 8 " On behalf of his Excellency tho Governor I have assented to 10r "Tho Cameron Grant Bill, 186(5" " The Sheep Rating Bill, 186G " " The Fencing Bill, 1866." " The Hokitika Municipal Bill, 1806 " " The Medical Practitioners Bill 1867 " 1867 r ''° Wcatlaml Board of Education" Bill, « The Stanmore Road Bridge Bill, 18G7." Tho Cass Pension Bill, 1867." " The Fire Ordinance Bill, 1867 " iRro TI A° Ch J ßtch »r«h City Council Ordinance 1862 Amendment Bill, 18G7 " tio'n iC^C ™<* C -P°^ ° rdinance 1866 Amend ' The Westland Public House Bill, 1867." Bill, 1867" Q " ay ° rdinance Amendment !! -J, he and Hospital Bill, 1867." The Enghah Agent's Bill, 1867 " "The Appropriation Bill 1867." " Gentlemen, — " The greatest care shall be taken to effect an economical ex pendituro of the liberal sun plies you have voted for the public servioJ consistently with a duo regard to its nffi. ciency. "It is my intontion to take the earliest opportunity of visiting the West Coaat goldfields. Tho importance of the interests of that portion of tho province demands tho serious attention of the Government. " I concur in the opinion of tho Council regarding the railway to the West Coast, and shall take measures to carry into ofFect tha resolutions of the Council in that behalf. " Steps will be also takon for carrying o u fc ; the resolutions of the Council having roferenca to tramways in various parts of tho province " Measures will bo adopted for promoting legislation in tho General Assembly iutondel to effect those alterations in the Waste Land Regulations relating to pre-einptivo rights suggested by your resolutions. " I heartily join with tho Council in thj expression of its high appreciation of th» valuable services rendered to tho province br Mr Henry Selfe Selfo. ' " I trust that tho labors of this as of at other sessions of the Provincial Council will prove to bo of advantage to tho provinco and to tho colony.

" You will join with mo in congratulatinf the province upon the approaching visit of hia Excellency tho Governor, a circumstance which will be grateful to tho loyal feelingß oj Her Majesty's subjecta in this part of Ne*j Zealand. !

"Gentlemen, I thank you for thayer* laborious attention you havo given to busing®; of a very protracted session. ' ,';\ " I now declare this Council to bo prorogue! to the Ist of May, 1867." '.: ;