PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 953, 20 June 1868, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The Provincial Council did not sit on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday —it having been matter of arrangement that, | owing to His Excellency the Governor being in Napier, there should be no quorum upon those days. Yesterday, the Council ! met pro forma, with the view of suspending ! standing orders in order that Saturday might be named as an extra sitting day. The requisite number of members having been obtained, not without some difficulty, the Council adjourned till Saturday (this day) at the usual hour! Previously, a large number of notices of motion &c, had been given, a list of which is appended, from which it will be seen that the notice paper is more than usually heavy: — Mr. Buchanan to move — For a copy of the order either sent, or (if yet settled) proposed to be sent to England for light-house apparatus. Mr. Fekabd to ask — 1. Whether fees from Crown grants do not form part of the Land Fund as defined by the 6th clause of the " Public Revenues Act 1867 " ; if they do, why no estimate of the amount of such fees is included in the Estimates of Revenue ; if they do not, why the province is charged with the preparation of the G-rants and the parchment. 2. Why the salaries of the auditor ajid deputy auditor appeal* upon the estimates, though the sth clause of the "Provincial Audit Act " provides that they shall be paid by the Colonial Treasurer. 3. Whether an efficient person could not be found to undertake the office of deputy auditor upon the terms that he shall receive no salary except whilst discharging the duties of auditor, and the full salary of the auditor whilst discharging the duties of that officer ; and whether the Government will tiy to bring about such an arrangement. 4. Whether, having regard to the provisions of the "Provincial Audit Act" that all provincial revenues are to be paid into a bank and drawn only by authority of a warrant under the hand of the Superintendent, certified by the provincial auditor, such warrants being registered in the Superintendent's office, and to the duties imposed upon the provincial auditor by law, the office of provincial treasurer cannot be abolished, and arrangements made for the accounts of the province being kept by the bank, and whether the bank would not be willing to facilitate such an arrangement by assigning a clerk during one or two days in the month entirely to this service. 5. Whether, in the event of the office of provincial treasurer being abolished, the offices of registrar of deeds and commissioner of Crown lands might not be advantageously combined. 6. Why the Estimates of Revenue do not contain any estimate of fees from the weighbridge. 7. Why the expenses of the gaol are placed under the head " Sheriff's Department." 8. Why the interest on the Wellington debt is calculated at less that half the amount hitherto paid. 9. Whether the sum of £9500 for main roads, in the " Loan Appropriation Amendment Bill" mentioned, is proposed to be applied in repairs of the present roads, or in the formation of new roads, and the construction of bridges and other permanent works. 10. Whether the sanction of the Governor has been obtained to the erection of a lighthouse at Napier, and whether such a light would be dealt with by the General Government as a harbor beacon or a coast light. Whether any report has been made by the marine Engineer in relation to such lighthouse, or upon the most suitable place for the erection of a lighthouse in Hawke's Bay or upon the capes adjacent thereto. Whether any estimate has been made by the Provincial Engineer showing that the sum of £1000 in the " Loan Appropriation Amendment Bill " mentioned, will be sufficient to pay for a lighthouse and fittings, and all costs incident to the erection thereof. What will be the probable cost of maintaining the lighthouse. In the event of tho lighthouse being treated as a harbor beacon, what harbor dues or additional harbor dues is it proposed to levy upon a vessel entering the port, to defray the expense of such lighthouse, and what will be tho probable amount realized by such harbor dues in the first year after the erection of the light. Whether tho Lighthouse Reserve has ever been conveyed to the Superintendent. Whether the Government are willing, before, going into committee upon the "Loan Appropriation Amendment Bill," to lay > upon the table copies of all correspondence which may have passed between them and the General Government relative to the lighthouse ; copies of any reports of Mr. Balfour, the provincial engineer, or other professional person, respecting the same ; and of any estimates in their possession of the cost thereof; copies of any report of the harbor-master or other nautical authority as to the utility thereof ; and of any other information in their possession relative thereto. 11. What are the rents likely to be realized from the Education and Harbor Reserves respectively ; and why the rents from Educational Reserves are classed under the head of "Ordinary Revenue," though specially appropriated by the "Educational Reserves Act." 12. Whether the expression " main lines of road" in the "Loan Appropriation Amendment Bill," has an assigned legal meaning. 13. Whether the expenses of the new post-office and telegraph office, and of a

! Supreme Court-house, should such be herei after required, would not be charged upon the provincial share of the. re venue, by the General Government. 14. Whether the Government intend to propose to the Council to make provision for the proper care and custody of lunatics apart from criminals. 15. "Whether the Superintendent claims the right to. enter upon private property and destroy the trees growing thereupon. Mr. Buchanan to moye — That the Superintendent lay before the Council, at the earliest possible moment, a synopsis of the entire General Government expenditure in this province, with an expression of opinion of himself and executive, founded on tlieir experience, where ■ and in what degree, reduction can be effected, as invited by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Mr. Buchanan to move — For a return of all lands acquired by purchase from the natives as a provincial estate, under the authority of the "Loan Appropriation Ordinance," Sess. 8, No. 4, shewing — 1. The name of the block. 2. From whom purchased. 3. Area within the province, and area beyond the botindaries of the province. 4. Price expressed in deeds. 5. Payments in cash, and dates of payment. 6. Expenditure other than payments in money. 7. Amounts still due. 8. Cost of surveys. 9. Interest and other undescribed charges. 10. Total cost of each block. 11. Bate per acre. 12. Aggregate oxitlay for the whole of the lands. 13. Quantity of land sold in each block since its acquisition. 14. Quantity remaining unsold. 15. Amount received on* account of each block, with dates of receipts. 16. Aggregate receipts by sales. Mr. Buchanan to move — 1. That the Superintendent obtain and lay on the table of this Council, the opinion of his law adviser as to the legality of either the Superintendent or the treasurer of the province supplementing the revenues accruing in ordinary course by a bank overdraft. 2. That the Superintendent instruct the provincial solicitor to prepare forthwith a case for the opinion of the Attorney-gene-ral as to the legality, in the existing state of the law in regard to provincial revenues and expenditure, of supplementing the said revenue without the direct sanction of this Council, by bank overdraft, or by any other method whereby indebtedness may arise. 3. That a copy of. the law adviser's opinion, and of the case for the Attorneygeneral's consideration, be laid on the table of this Council before it separates this sitting. Mr. Fekard to move — For a report in detail, by the provincial engineer, of all works proposed to be executed and defrayed out of the portion of the loan proposed to be set aside for main roads by the " Loan Appropriation Amendment Bill," such report to be presented before the Council goes into committee on that bill. Mr. Weston to move — For a return in connection with the following roads : — Waipawa to Waipukurau, old line and new line ; Waipukurau to Porangahau ; Waipukurau to Ruataniwha, ; Waipawa to Euataniwha. Such return to show — 1. Amount spent on each road. 2. Amount estimated as required to complete each road. 3. Number of bridges, cost of each, and whether executed by contract or how, on the said roads. 4. Number of culverts, cost of each, and whether executed by contract or how, on the said roads. 5. Sums paid for timber for bridges, &c. 6. From whom purchased. 7. Price per tree. Major Lambert to move — That his Honor the Superintendent will lay on the table, with as little delay as possible, all or any letters, &c, that have passed between the General Government and his Honor relative to the resolution passed by this Council, at its last session, requesting courts of petty session being established in certain districts of this province. Mr. Ferakd to move — The motion standing in his name on Tuesday, June 16, and not then brought forward (education resolutions). Mr. Buchanan to move — That the notice standing in his name for Tuesday, 16th June, be now considered.

and would, but for the pluck of a stranger, have proved fatal in this instance. The Revision Court sat on Wednesday last at 1 1 o'clock. Mr. Carlyon appeared for absent persons whose names had been objected to, and a few ; were retained on the roll. Onlf one or two objectees appeared in person. The postponed Waipukurau claims, respecting which a good deal of interest had been excited, came on for hearing — Mr* Cuff meting for the claimants, and Mr, Carlyon against. The persons claiming lived on Mr. Russell's property, and Wersi considered by Mr. Cnrlyon to be that gentleman's servants. Mr-. Cuff, on the contrary, said that they held their tenements at a rental, but could not offer evidence owing to the flooded state of the rivers. Ultimately, au adjournment till Tuesday next was acceded to. Mr. H. E. Webb will hold his maiden sale this day at noon, when will be offered by auction the lease of the premises known as the Napier Horse Repository, &c. Postponements. — The cattle sales announced by Smith & Co. for this day, and by Routledge, Kennedy & Co. for Wednesday, 24th inst., have both been postponed in consequence of the inclemency of the weather — the latter to Wednesday* July i•.