FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 3, Issue 132, 31 March 1860, Page 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment. Present the Speaker and all the members. Land Regulations. Mr. FitzGeealiD, pursuant to notice, moved the following series of resolutions : — 1. That to carry out the reccommendations contained in the 11th paragraph of the proposed supplementary land regulations, the Superintendent should, with the advice of the Executive Council, be empowered to make purchases out of the provincial funds of the blocks of land alluded to as suitable for the profitable occupation of the working classes. 2. That on the purchase of every such block a short deed of trust should be executed by the Superintendent, declaring the trust for which such lands are to be held by him and his successors. 3. That no leases be granted to occupiers till after a residence on the land of at least 12 months. 4. That rules for the allotment or selection of sections within the blocks above referred to be made by the Superintendent and Executive Council and be published at least 2 months before any occupation is allowed to take place under them. He said that as the 11th clause of the proposed new regulations had nothing to do .with the General Government, and as it was advisable that immediate effect should be given to the provisions of such clause, he had brought in the present resolution. He thought it woiild not be wise to lose any time in making such purchases. At present a great many laborers were employed by government ; and it would be well that tiiey should have a suitable location to look forward to when the work upon which they were engaged came to be completed. It woald be necessary that a deed of trust should be signed as a legal record of the transaction. The member for "Waipukurau had given notice of amendment that powers given in the 11th clause should rest in the land board ; and he (Mr. F.) was quite willing to agree to this so soon as such board might be in operation. But he hoped, until that time, that such powers should vest in the Superintendent and Executive Council. He submitted that the members of the Executive were also, members of this Council, and were no more likely to act with partiality than the members of the board. Mr. Orhoud, who had given notice of the following amendment, — " That the agricultural lands named in the 11th clause of the additional land regulations shall be held in trust by the board recommended under these regulations, and that the board shall also decide in what cases such lands -shall be given on deferred payments," — was quite willing that it should be as- the Superintendent suggested, but would like to see it so expressed in ■the resolution. Mr. FitzGebahd, with the leave of the council, wo\xld add those words to the resolution. The Speaker. ruled that they should take the shape of the amendment ; whereupon Mr. Ormond moved and Mr. Tucker seconded the following addition thereto : — " That such powers do rest with the land board to be appointed under the additional regulations, when created." Mr. Colenso would oppose the amendment on the general ground that it went to confirm the land regulations. Mr. TuckeEj in rising to support the motion thus amended, hoped it would be the means of satisfactorily supplying a want long felt in the province — that of a great middle class, a class to which the prosperity of their father land was in a great measure owing. Motion, a"s amended, agreed to. Aid to Country Schools. Mr. FitzGeeald, pursuant to notice, rose to move, " that as the amount of government aid at •pretscnt— .payable .. under the. Education Act of Hawke's Bay is found in some cases to be insufficient to meet the wants of country schools, the rate to be during the current year should be 10s. 6d. per quarter, instead of 75." In doing so, he recapitulated what he said on a former occasion as to the necessity of further assistance to schoolmasters in sparsely populated districts. An irrelevant discussion here arose — not bearing upon the motion, but arising from a question put by Mr. Colenso as to what the members for Waipukurau and Te Aute had been doing during the recess that no schools were yet established in either of those districts. The members referred to felt of course called upon to retort, and half an hour wasted was the natural consequence. There was no opposition to the motion, bo soon as the Speaker got a chance to put it. The Finance Report and Audit Act Were both postponed, in consequence of the gentlemen, employed by the select committee as accountants not having finished their labours. Land Regulations. Mr. Oemokd brought up the memorial to the General Government, embodying the report of the select committee as adopted by the council. As the substance of the memorial was already well known to members he thought it would only be necessary to read the introductory and concluding sentences.

Mr. CoiENSO insisted that the whole of it should be read ; to which Mr. Orinond had no objection thhis only object having been to save the time of c council. The memorial having been read and some clercial errors rectified, Mr. Ormond moved and Mr. Tucker seconded its adoption, and that it be transmitted to the General Government by the Speaker. The motion was agreed to — Mr. Colenso dividing the|council upon it and being himself the only dissentient. The council then went into committee on the adjourned consideration of The Estimates, Police. — One sergeant at 7s. per diem. Mr. FitzGerald said that to have two corporals only in the police — one at Waipukurau and one at Napier would not tend to the better discipline of the force. It was therefore proposed to have a sergeant at Napier, under whom the whole force would be put. It was also intended, as he had before stated, that the force should be a moveable one. Some difficulties presented themselves to this arrangement, such as the incongruity of a corp oral beiag allowed a horse while his superior had to VTO& <>n foot ; but he (Mr. F.) , thought thaftbeslT'might be overcome. Item passed.* Also, one corporal at 6s. per diem, 5 privates at 55., and contingencies, rations for prisoners &c, £100. On the item c allowance for 2 horses at £36 105. per annum each,' (for the use of a corporal and private stationed at "Waipukurau) a long discussion ensued. Mr. Rhodes believed that the principal duty to be performed was the carrying out of summonses, and he thought that a full private instead of a corporal and private, would be quite sufficient for the duty of the district. But if it could be shewn that two were actually required, by all means have them ; but even then he could not see why they should have £36 103. each as allowance for horses. His (Mr. Ehodes') shepherds walked 30 or 40 miles a day, and why could not the policemen when engaged in serving summonses. He quite agreed that the police should be movable — so as not to have time to attach themselves to any particular set. What policeman seemed to be most wanted for in country places was to quell public house brawls ; and he thought that if pixblie houses were to lead to this heavy expense they should be called upon to pay a much higher license. Mr. Colenso enlarged upon the necessity of having district constables in such places, to act when required, and s when necessary, to hire a horse, but he repudiated the idea of stationing 2 policemen at Waipukurau, much less allowing them such a sum as £'66 10s. each for horses. Mr. Curling pointed out the great extent of the district , and the possibility;of a policeman having to travel 100 miles to serve a summons. How could such work be done on foot ? And as for two not being required, what was to be done on an emergency if the only policeman happened to go to Napier, with a prisoner, or elsewhere. And there was now a great addition to the population in the shape of road party men &c, while cases of assault and robbery were by no means of unfrequent occurrence. Mr. Ormond reminded the members that the police had often to travel to and from Porangahau, and that they had also to carry the branch mail to Ruataniwha. Mr. Alexander thought that the police of Napier, a district extending to the 39th parallel of latitude, were quite as much in want of horses as those of Waipukurau. He thought 1 policeman quite enough for that locality, especially as the assistance of a native could be got at any time. Mr. FitzGerald believed the vote to be one actually necessary. A district constable might do very well at Mohaka, and he would propose a vote for the services of such a person, but regular policemen with the means of being mounted, were wanted at Waipukurau, where the district was so large and the duties so heavy. Dr. Hitchings | believed that in Waipukuraushire, as members felt pride in calling it, the duties of policemen were only nominal. It seemed monstrous to have two there, with their shilling cases. He would vote for one only being stationed there, and against any allowance for horses. The discussion upon this subject was prolonged to a period of about two hoars. It was brought to a close by Mr. Rhodes moving " that the horse hire and corporal for Waipukurau be struck off the estimates." The chairman, however, refused to receive the motion on account of the item for one corporal having been already passed. Mr. Colenso then moved " that the item for allowance for horses be struck off." The council divided upon the amendment with the following result : — Ayes, Messrs. Colenso, Hitching 3, Alexander, Rhodes, 4. Noes, Messrs. Carter, Riddell, Ormond, Curling, FitzGerald, 5. The amount was then voted, together with £30 for a district constable at Mohaka. Total, police, £676 10s. Inspector of Sheep. — A long discussion arose upon a motion by Mr. Ormond that there be two inspectors of sheep, instead of one, and that the salary of each be increased to £150. The motion was strenuously opposed by Mr. Colenso, who held that this item should not become a tax upon the country, but should be within the fees levied for the purpose of such inspection. The item was ultoately postponed, and the council adjourned till Saturday — the standing rules and orders having been suspended for such purpose.