THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1874

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1750, 14 March 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SA TURDA Y, MARCH 14, 1874

According to all appearance? the ijrst session of the Provincial Council will terminate to-day, if it did not come to a conclusion yesterday. If it is to be judged by its results, it may be fitly described as one of the most profitless passions that the governing body of Westland ev£j? held, Considering the gravity of the new duties imposed upon the representatives by the Province of Westland Act, and the necessity thereby created for, the most calm and careful consideration of the important questions presented to it, the Council has fallen very far short of what might reasonably have been expected from it, eyen after making allowance for the inexperience of most of its members. The experiment so far of an enlarged body under Provincial priviliges has not been a success. The proceedings of the Council have been marked, in almost a greater degree, by the foibles and mistaken action that characterised the late County Council during th,e last two or three years of its existence. There has been the same lamentable want of judgment ; the same disposition to turn the Council into a mere debating club ; and the same disregard of the facts of the financial position of the Province — and with the same result, that beyond passing the Estimates and deciding pne or two, at most, matters of import.aftfte—much time has been wasted in an jnd##tnjous attempt " how not to do it. v Some delay necessarily arose on account of the n,e,cpss£ty fqr

going through the various forms incident to the new form of Government — the election of Speaker, the framing of Standing Orders, and so on — but making allowance for all this, the amount of practical business disposed of has been lamentably small. The only question of importance that appears to have caused real discussion in the Council has been that of whether there should be an Executive or not, and oven this question was disposed of in a most irregular fashion, the debate upon the principle of the Bill having been taken in Committee instead of upon the second reading. For the rest, the time of the Council has been chiefly occupied by the discussions of motions, many of them absolutely unnecessary, and most of them withdrawn after time had been wasted in talking about them. The extent to which the Motion Paper has been loaded with motions of this kind is absolutely astonishing, and can only be ascribed to the vanity and ignorance of members, who think that their duty consists in exhibiting themselves in print for the admiration of their constituents. As for real practical business, there has been practically none. One of the most, if not the most important question of policy, has been allowed utterly to escape attention. We refer to the proposal to obtain borrowing powers from the General Assembly ; and we confess to a feeling of intense surprise that the Superintendent has not thought fit to invite a resolution of the Council upon this subject. It was notftnecessary to specify any particular sum, but the Council should, certainly have expressed an opinion one way or another upon the expediency of obtaining a loan. The Special Settlement scheme referred to by the Superintendent in his opening speech has been also treated with solemn silence, and the Council has not thought fit either to deal with the question of immigration. Nor has it ever expressed an opinion with regard to the proposal to construct a railway between Greymouth and Hokitika — in short nothing but the merest parish business has been attended to, and all the larger questions with which it was the privilege of the Council to deal have been set aside. But even the finances of the Province have evoked no discussion. Beyond the statements of the Superintendent nothing has been evoked ; no questions have been asked upon many matters in connection with the public accounts which require fuller explanation than has been afforded, and the Council has ignored the accounts and estimates by bringing forward and passing votes whichit was well known the revenue could not meet. This last offence is most to be denounced of all, and we are surprised that it was allowed to be carried to such an extent. Altogether the session has not been a creditable one, and hag not augured well for tlfe success of the new institutions under which Westland has been placed.

In the Provincial ..Council, on Thursday, a letter laid on the tablo from Wm. Fox, the prospector, offering to head a prospecting party to search for cold in the southern part of the Province, was referred to the Petitions Committee. The report of the Petitions Committee, recommending the sale of Maori Gully township, was brought up by MrLahman and received, as also a report of the Public Works Committee, recommending a survey to be made of a reservoir at Maori Gully. On the motion of Mr Lahman, it was carried that his Honor be requested to place upon the Supplementary Estimates the sum of i'sso, as a payment out of land fund to the Borough of Gveymouth fcr lands sold within the borough. The report, recommending the survey of a track from Nemona to Cameron's diggings, New River, was adopted. In Committee of Supply, all the items under the head of miscellaneous were passed, except travelling expenses of officers, L7OO, which was postponed. The following items were also passed, after considerable discussion : — Advance by Bank of New Zealand in anticipation of loan, L 31,067 12a 5d ; outstanding accounts, L 4836 Is 9d ; due upon current contracts, L 3922 8s; refund publicans licenses, LlOls 11s 6d. The following items under the head of unauthorised expenditure, were passed after discussion — Advances fpr legal expenses, &c;, re Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway, L 500; and reception of his Excellency the Governor, L3BB 10* lOd. The item Lll3 6s 7d, for interest, was, on the motion of his Honor, struck out. The following postponed items were then agreed to : — Secretary, L 350 ; treasurer's department, L 450; travelling expenses of officers, L7OO. In Committee on the Administrative Bill, clause 8 was, on an amendment moved by Mr Lahman, struck out. On clause 9 being put, Mr White moved the following amendment : — In clause 9, after the word "Council," to insert the words "if the Council be in session, and such appointments shall be made as hereinafter provided, if the Council be not in session;" and to strike out the words "and hold office during the pleasure of the Superintendent." A "long and somewhat noisy discussion," we are told by the Register, ensued, and at the expiration of one hour and a half a division was taken, with the following result : — For the amendment, 6 ; against, 9. The amendment was consequently lost. Mr Guinness moved an amendment — " That the words ' Provincial Pounpil, if in session' be added after the word f Superintendent.' " The amendment was carried on the voices, and the Council adjourned. The Register says that the Council was expected to come to a close last evening or to-day.