PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, Friday, February 4.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3887, 5 February 1870, Page 6

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, Friday, February 4.

The Speaker took the chair at three j o'clock.

i trrmoN. I Mr. Ball pre^ »- vl a petition from Mary Ann Frost, pra\ .ug that there may be j granted to her the land to which her late husband, would li i\ o been entitled under a land order ; or that other relief might be granted.

PETITIONS REFERRED. The petitions of the following petitioners were referred to the Petitions and Private Grievances Committee :— John Snodgrass, Richard Galvau, A. P. Spicer, James M. Fraser, and Elizabeth McC'ombey.

SALT- WATER BATH COMPANY. Mr, Clark moved, "That a respectful Address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to send down a bill to repeal the Auckland Saltwater Bath Company Lease Act, 1S6S, and make other provision in lieu thereof." A bill passed last session lapse I through not being signed by the Superintendent before the prorogation. The promoters of the bill were under the impression that the non-signing was unintentional ; and the proposed bill would provide for less, so far as the company was concerned, than was provided for by the lapsed bill. Dr. Kicholsok seconded the motion, without pledging the Government to support the bill in any way. The understanding arrived at with the mover on behalf of the promoters | was, that the province Bhould nob be put to : any expense in printing or passing the bill, The Superintendent would send down the bill at once, so that it could be well considered boforo the next sitting.

A HARBOUR BOARD. Message No. 23, from the Superintendent, was brought down and read. His Honor forwarded a statement of the financial position of tho Harbour Trusts. The intentions of the Government in reference to the trusts -would be explained to the Council by the Provincial Secretary, It was ordered thqt the statement should be printed. Copies of the printed statement were distributed to members. Dr. Nicholson" moved, "That, in the opinion of this Council, it ia desirable to take steps to place the management of the Harbour of Auckland Trusty the appointment and definition of the duties of officers, and the execution of works in connection with that harbour, under the control of Commissioners, to be constituted a Board for that purpose by Act. That a respectful Address be presented to hia Honor the Superintendent conveying thia resolution." It had been generally felt, whether rightly or not, that the management of tho harbour and its endowments by the Superintendent and Executive had been an expensive management — that money had been spent without securing the benefits which might fairly have been expected from such expenditure. He thought it wordd be wi3e not to constitute at once a Corporation to which to hand over the various endowments ; but that the wiser course would be to work for a year or two with a Board of Commissioners, tho Superintendent remaining the Corporation to hold the trusts, and being, ex oflicio, a member of the Board. If this plan was adopted, it would be much moie easy to introduce modifications of the new system than if a Corporation was formed and everything handed over to it. At present it was undoubtedly a round-about process that was necessary to obtain any amendment whatever in the regulations of tho harbour ; but under a Board of Commissioners, with a regular place and time of meeting, it would be easy for the commercial community to press its vi»ws and secure improvements. The resolution embraced everything necessary ; or, at all events, everything that the Council could tiausfer to any body of Commissioners. He was authorised to state that, if the motion was agreed to, his Honor would uao his best efforts to assist the Board in all matters ; would be glad of the assistance of any body the commercial public had confidence in, with a view to electing a good Board of Commissioners ; and would hold the Triuts subject to the management of the Board, of which he would be a member. Mr. Brookfield seconded the motion. Mr. Philips was glad the Government had taken the present step, for it was one which ho believed would give great satisfaction to the commercial community. The motion was agreed to.

RAILWAY TO THE WAIKATO. The Order of the Day for the consideration of Message No. 21, respecting the proposed railway to the Waikato, was read. The Message, and the enclosed report of Mr. Stewart, O.E. [published in the CROSS of Wednesday last], were also read. Dr. Nicholson said that the desirability of having a Waikato railway had been so frequently affirmed by the Council — it had been ao freqxiently decided that the province ought to undertake the construction, if it could possibly do so — that when it w»9 known that a number of private individuals were ready to take up the rnatber - that all now needed was for the Council to strike the key-note, he felt that little waa left him. to do in advocating the now-proposed scheme. The one thing at which the Council might check was the propoaal to spend £500 for further surveys. There had been surveys, and trial sections, and plans ; but still there was not sufficient information possessed to enable any company to secure data on which to advocate the scheme, to those whom they might wish to induce to become shareholders. He understood that some deviations could be made, at the coat of a little increase of length, by which heavy earthworks could bo avoided, and that deviations originally proposed, to avoid lands supposed to be specially available, could now be avoided, as the lands could be no doubt obtained on reasonable terms ; the net result being that the line would be considerably shorter than as now laid out. The restrictions proposed as to any company were — Maximum rates for goods and paasengera, minimum speed of trains, number of trams per day, keeping the line in proper repair. Another proposed condition was, the right of the Government to purchase the line at any time, at a price to be fixed as j soon as the works were completed, He i would move, "That this Council concurs in i the views expressed in Message No. 21, and ! is prepared to sanction the expenditure of £500, and the granting of the railway plant J in the possession of the Government under the restrictions and for the purposes therein mentioned " Mr. May seconded the motion. Mr. Carleton held that the connection Gf I the Waikato with Auckland by a railway would be a gigantic blunder. The proper base for such a work was the Mannkau harbour ; and it would be well for the Council | first to decide what was the proper base of operations. , Mr. DlGtNAK thought it necessary that the Message Bhould ba printed, ao that the j members could consider it carefully, before coming to the question of incurring any further expense. Captain Freer objected to the proposed expenditure of £500. Railways could always be better constructed by some English firm than by any colonial company ; and the best thing for the Superintendent to do was to communicate with some English firm. [The hon. member was about to read an opinion by an engineer of the professional abilities of Mr. Stewart, but he was called to order by Mr. Speaker.] Mr. Clark supported the motion. It was something like anti-centralism gone mad, on the part of the hon. member for the Bay (Mr. Carleton), to suggest, even if a Waikato railway was constructed, we ought to go out of our way in order to avoid bringing the termiuus of that railway to the centre. Mr. Hay supported the motion. Mr. Ellis moved, as an amendment, "That a select committee be appointed to consider and report upon the best mode of constructing the proposed railway between Auckland and the Waikato ; such committee to consist of Dr. Niuholson, Messrs. Carleton, Buckland, Dyer, Maclean, Boylan, and the mofer, with power to call for persona and papers." Captain Freer seconded the amendment. Mr, Diqnax wished to withdraw his ttnurki a* to the proposed expenditure of

£500. He had not, aa the message was read, correctly • aughfc the proposals as to the £500. If what was proposed covld be done, perhaps £5,000 would really not be too much to pay Mr. Brookjfieu) thought that the honourable member for City East (Mr. Ellis) had fallen into an error from not attending to the message as read. The honourable member spoke aa though the proposal was to seek for a company to construct the railway on a guaranteed interest, as was done with the Helensville line. In the present case, it was proposed to ask that a company would take the present plant, with the land belonging to the Government as required for the railway, and take these things instead of a money bonus, aa an inducement to carry out the railway with some modifications. The proposal in the 1 message was that the £500 should be appropriated partly to the necessary surveys, partly m advances for land which it was necessary to obtain, and partly for other purposes, Mr. Lusk believed that the construction of a Waikato railway was a subject on which much light would "not be thrown by the investigations of a select committee. If what was proposed to be done with the £500 coull be done for anything like that amount, there would be good reason to thank his Honor's Government for haying put the province in the way of getting recouped, or made of value, the vast expenditure on the railway, which had unfortunately been, hitherto, of no avail whatever. Mr. Litndon opposed the motion and the amendment, Mr. Hill supported the motion. Mr, Swansoit would vote for the £500 ; but as to the construction of the railway he was sure the Government would find that the cost had been frightfully under-es-timated. Mr. Mackay, while voting for the expenditure of the £500, wished the Council not to lose sight of the fact that there were, in all, four available lines qf eominunjcation with the Waikato. Firstly, there was a line from Auckland to Onehunga, and then frorn "VVaiuku across the Ahoroa portage, thus connecting the waters of the Mauakau with those of the Waikato, Secondly, there was a line from gMauku to Camerontown. Thirdly, came the line now being discussed. Fourthly, there was a line from the upper fall on the Thames (to which the river was navigable) across, the Matainata plain to Cambridge. From the falls there was really level country into the heart of the Waikato and Taupo country. Looking to the large population now on the Thames, and the much larger population that would be attracted by the opening of the Ohinemuri and other districts, it would be well to remember that the great bulk of the consumers of breadstuffs would be in the Thames district. If the Maori difficulty was to bo aimed at, the line of railway he had indicated was the one to be adopted. While bringing forward the Hue from Newmarket to Tuakau, it was desirable that the route from the Upper Thames to Cambridge should also be kept in sight, as ore that would assuredly become one of the utmost importance. Ho understood that the_ late Government made a present of the railway plant co the Thames goldfields ; and, if he wag right, he should lifco to know what there was left to hand over to the contemplated, company. Messrs. Gordon, Hay, J". McLeod, Murray, May, Sheehau, and Buckland addressed the Council. The amendment was, by leave, withdrawn. The motion was adopted, there being but one voice in the negative,

Messages from his Honor the Superintendent were read, a3 follow : — No. 24, enclosing a statement allowing the financial position of the Ciby Endowment Trust. No. 25, forwarding a memorandum by the Inspector of Works as to the suggested enlargement of the Domain Water lieservoir ; and expressing an opinion adverse to the doing of that work. No. 26, transmitting a bill to repeal the Auckland Saltwater Bath Company Lease Act, 1863, and to make other provisions in lieu thereof. The bill was read a first time, ordered to be printed (at the expense of the promoters), and the second reading was made an order the day for Tuesday next. The Council was adjourned for an hour ; the sitting being resumed about 7 o'clock.

THE ESTIMATES. On the House resuming, the Council went into Committee of Supply on the listmiatea ; Mr. Gordon in the chair. The item, expenses under Lunacy Act, £50, was agreed to. Harbours. — Auckland : The following item was agreed to : Chief Harbourmaster, and pilot for all ports in the province, 300/. The item, Local Harbourmaster, 100/., was struck out. The following items were agreed to — Second pilot, 200/. ; signalman 100/. ; chief boatman, at 8J. per month, 9Gt. ; two boatmen at 11. per month each, 168/. Contingencies : Buoys and beacons, 250/. ; new whaleboat, 35/. ; repairs of boats, 15/. ; paints, &c, 20/. ; ropes, blocks, &c., for pilot boatf", 10/. ; finishing new house at signal station, 10/. ; alteration of local signals, 20/. ; repairs of flags, and sundries, 10/. Harbour Trust.— Local Harbourmaster and Wharfinger, 200/. ; assistant-wharfinger, 160/. ; clerk and collector of wharf dues, 160/. ; scavenger, &c, 109/. Manukau : Harbourmaster and pilot, 200/. On this, item, Mr. Hurst moved, as an amendment, that the salary be reduced to 100/. a year. —After some diBQugsion, in which it appeared to be the wish, of the Council that the pilot should live at the Manukau Heads, the amendment was withdrawn and the item was agreed to as it stood. The following items were agreed to: — Signalman, 100L; chief boatman, afa 7/. per month, 84/. ; three boatmen, at 6/. a month each, 216/. Contingencies : Repairs of boat, &c, 15/.; repairs of signal-maat, &c.,30Z. ; repairs of signal-house, 31. ; repairs of signalman's house, 50/.; new signals (Commercial Code), 20/.; extending South Head Beacon, 76/.; other ' contingencies, 150/. — Kaipaja : Harbour-master and pilot, 200/. Mr. Magkay moved that this item be reduced by 50/. — On a division tfrere voted — Ayes, 9 ; noes, 17. The item was agreed to. Chief boatman, at 6/. per month, 72?. ; two boatmen, at 51. per month each, 120/. Contingencies : Repair and relaying buoys and beacon, 300/. ; new boat, 40/. ; general code of signals, &c, 15/. ; oil for harbour light, 20/. j pain.t, oil, &c, 10/. — Hokianga : Harbourmaster and pilot, 350/. Mr. J. McLeod moved to increase the item by 50/. The Chairman said that no question o£ an increase could be entertained in committee. After a long discussion, the item was agreed to, Three boatmen, at 51. per month each, 180/. Contingencies : Commercial code of signals, 20/. ; general and danger signals, gear, &c, 15/. ; new yard for flagstaff, sundries, 171. 16a. — Mangonui: Harbourmaster and pilot, 100/. ; commercial code of signals, 20/.— Shortland : Harbourmaster, 2001. Mr. Boylan moved to reduce the item by { 500/. ; and the motion was agreed to. ! Two boatmen, at 71. per month each, 168/. Mr. Mackay believed that the harbour very rarely needed boatmen. If the item was struck out, and 50/. put on for boat-hire, it would be quite sufficient. The item was straok out, Light-keeper, 50/. ; contingencies — boat and gear, 30/. (negatived) ; oil wicks, glass, for lighthouse, 40/.; repairs to lighthouse, 10/.; flagstaff for watermen's signals, 51. 10s; paint and other stores, 5/. — Tauranga : Har-bour-master and pilot, 200/. Mr. BoYliAN moved that tne total set i down for this liarbour (436/. 10s.) be reduced by 300/. He had ascertained that men-of-war were not bound to take a pilot, and steamers that did call at Tauranga had now ceased to do so. A vote for general purposes for the district would be much mor# useful ; than ft harbdur e*t»blii&n.ent.

Mr. Mackay believed that no man-of-war ■would enter Tauvanga harbour without taking a pilot. But a pilot at fJOO a-year, and two boatmen at > 4 a-month each, would be sufficient for the harbour. Mr. Boylan's motion was negatived. Harbourmaster and pilot, 200/. was reduced to 100?. ; two boatmen, at 61. per month each, was reduced to 4?. per month ; buoys and beacons, 50/. ; flagstaff, 15/. : new code of signals, 201. ; paint, oil, and other stores, 7?, 10s. was struck out. Eussell Harbourmaster and pilot, 100?. (Mr. J. McLeod has a notice for an Address to increase this salary by 50/.); two boatmen at 5/. per month each, 120/. ; repairs to flagBtaft, 5/. ; new code of signals, 20/. Sick and Destitute,— Believing-officer. 150/, Belief— Auckland, 400Z. ; outsettiements, 100/. j aged and infirm, 250/. ; rent, firewood, and sundries, 80/. ; capitation allowance for orphan children, 1,000/. ; care of yoimn; children, 80/, The House resumed, progress was reported, t and leave waa obtained to sit again on Tuesday. The Council was, shortly after half-past 10 o'clock, adjourned until 3 o'clock on Tuesday next.