Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1867.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 885, 19 October 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1867.

Last night, the Provincial Council brought its labors to a close. Latterly, its sittings have been so prolonged that we have found it impossible, in tho matter of reporting, to keep paqe with the business j but in course of next week we hope to bring up arrears. On Thursday night, the Toll-gate Bill, after a succession of warm debates, aud iu spite of determined opposition ou the part of a section of the Council, passed through committee ; and, last evening, it was read a third time aud passed. A good deal of discussion took I place upou tho clause which provided for the revenues beiug locally spent. The Government repudiated this clause, and wished to substitute one which would bring the amount realised under

annual appropriation by lhe Council. This was stoutly resisted, vith, we are happy to say, perfect success. The Government was defeated, «,nd the proceeds ofthe toll-gateeffectually localised. The whole amount will no\<, according to the Act, be expended between Napier and Havelock in the ode direction, and between Napier and Piketapu, on the other. The Government submitted with a good grace, and the Act may be said to have received, in its last stages, a support almost unanimous. It was the feeling of a large majority that tolls were an inevitable necessity, aud that the Act must be passed. Such beiug the case, the next best course on the part of those who formed the opposition for the time being was to confine the expenditure to those districts from which the reveuues would be mainly drawn. In this they succeeded j and those upon whom the burden will most fall will have this satisfaction that the expenditure will be in a measure recouped by the improved roads they will have to travel over.