WEDNESDAY, JULY 1.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 960, 14 July 1868, Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1.

The Council met at 3 p.m. Present, all the msmbers, . ■ Brinting Committee. " Mr. Cablyon, having obtained the suspension of standing rules and orders, moved for permission for the printing committee' to' sit during the recess. The motion was agreed to. .. ! . f : Prison Zqibour. Mr, DoiißßL, pursuant to notice, moved— That Hi^ Honor the Superintendent bo requested to .coiamunicate with the Provincial Engineer on the advisability of employing the prisoners to continue the road that has been commenced on the north of Scinde Island, . and that, in the opinion of this Council, prisoners ought not to be employed, directly or . indirectly, on any public works for which .■„'. votes have been granted. .. Mr. 3*AEBONS seconded the motion. - S.^ON/sujrp'qwd'.the road referred to iva's ,pn^^ which £200 had «lready been spent without reference to

the Council. The road in question was almost a private road, only being used by one or two persons ; and he hoped the prison labour would lie devoted to some better purpose. Mr. M'Lean considered it beneficial to employ the prisoners as close to the jail as possible, and they were now employed on an important road there, which was not yet completed. The motion was negatived. Appropriation Act. Mr. M'Lean, by leave of the Council, brought in an Appropriation Act) which was read a first time, and the second heading made an order for next sitting day. Credit Bill. Mr. M'Lean, pursuant to notice, moved — For leave to bring in a bill to authorize the Provincial Treasurer to take credit for certain charges, Leave was granted ; the bill was intro? duced and read a first time, and its second reading ordered for" next sitting-day. Boiling-down Company. Mr. Tanner, pursuant to notice, moved — That the Superintendent do point oufc to this Council under what Act he has authorised the levying of certain fees for cattle killed at the Hawko's Bay Steam Boiling down Company. , —He believed that under the Slaughterhouse Act the Government had no claim for fees except for direct use of the slaughter-house ; and he wished to know under what Act the Inspector had been instructed to claim fees, for there was nothing in the Act to warrant the imposition of these fees on either a private person or private company who did not use the slaughter-house. Mr. M'Lean said that the Government had considered it only fair that the tVdm* pany should pay the same fees as the butchers $ but he must admit that no legal authority could be found for the charge. Papaltura Road Bates. Lieut.-Colonei Whitmobe, pursuant to notice, moved — For a select committee to examine and report upon the manner in which the Papnkura road rates have been expended. Committee to consist of Messrs. Locke, Kennedy, t)olbel, Wood, and the mover. Major Lambert seconded the motion, which, was agreed to. Wairpa School-Jiouse. Lieut.-Colonel Whitmoee, pursuant to notice, moved — That the Government be requested to provide, by placing a sum of money on the estimates or otherwise, for the repair of the Bchool-house, Wairoai Mr. DotßEfc seconded the motion. Mi\ BtftsftANAN saw no necessity for an appropriation of this kind if the Education Bill passed the Council. Mr. M/Lean said that such items as this would have to be made a charge on the Education rate. Motion negatived. SlaugJiter-house Act. Mr. Dolbel, pursuant to notice, moved — For a select committee to inquire into and report upon the working of tho " Slaughter House Act of 1867," so far as the BoilingdoSvn establishment iseoncernedv Such committee to consist of Messrs. Parsons, Sutton, Ferard.BhodeS) and the mover. Eeport to be brought up on Thursday. Mr. Tanner hoped the motion would be withdrawn. It was a strange thing that the butchers could not find a town member to take this in hand, and should get the member for Mohaka to do it for them. Mr. Woo© said that with reference to what had fallen from the Superintendent, he had been instrumental in obtaining a license for an outlying butcher, but it was granted on condition that tho slaughter ouse fee of 3d. per head should be paidi The Inspector seemed to read the Act otic way, and the Government another. The law was in a very unsatisfactory state, and the Government should take steps to remedy such a state of things. Mr. Rhodes said that the Government had no wish to commit any injustice ; but he thought this matter required very careful looking into. Mr. Perard opposed the motion. He thought the Inspector was a benefit generally to the inhabitants. Any tax on the company would fall on the stockowners, to whom it would be unfair, as they already paid large sums to the revenue aa sheep assessments. He did not see that a select committee could do any good. Mr. Sutton could see no advantage in a select committee, but he considered the Slaughter-house Act very unfair, as it made the butcher's taxes heavier than those of any other business. Mr. A'Deane considered that there was no necessity for special legislation on this subject. He should oppose the motion. Mr. Obmond hoped the motion would not be pressed, ds he could not see what a committee would have to report on. The proper way to deal with the act, if it required alteration, would be to bring up an amendment bill. Mr. Carlyon said that the run-holders were already more excessively taxed than any other part of the community, and he had been surprised at no one* coming forward to speak in their favor. . They had to pay an assessment of per head for sheep, a tax which was imposed when sheep were worth from 20s. to 305., and still continued, though they were selling at Is. 3d. at Wairoa, and at 3s. 6d. in other parts of the province, and it would be highly unfair to ask them 3d. per head more for killing their sheep. The motion was withdrawn, Mr. Dolbel saying he would press it had there been more time to spare before the end of the session. Supply. The Council then went into committee of Supply on the following motion by Mr. M'Lean — A resolution recommending the adoption by the Council of the report of the Finance Committee, upon the " Loan Appropriation Amendment Act," including a detailed statement of the proposed expenditure under tho bill now before the Council. The committee adjourned at 6 p.m. for an hour and a half, and afterwards sat till ten minutes to 12. The following were voted, as recommended by the finance committee, viz. : — Lighthouse, Napier £120 Purchase of native lands 1 1, 500 Main lines of road, viz. : — Napier to Havelock 2700 "Waitangi toEperaima 2000 Eperaima to Porangahau 500 Bridge over Maungamairi creek 300 Middle road 780 Main north line, via Petane to "Waipunga 1500 Road through the 40-mile Bush 1500 Petane to Wairoa 500 Compensation for road to PekaPeka....; 400 Havelock to Aorangi 450 Waipawa to Hampden 150 Aorangi to Hampden 200 Tuki Tuki to Oero 350 11,330 These amounts were repeatedly divided against, but they were all curried by large majorities.

Building near Goal for lunatics. ; . £17 Harbour purposes ; ;.... 288 Immigration purposes ii;...in>». 200 On the item, Harbour purposes, £288 — Mr. Perard moved that it be increase to £4880. The motion was lost on th following division :— Ayes, 4 — Messrs. Whitniore, Ferarc Kennedy, Button. Noes, 9 — Messrs. McLean, Orniond Parsons, Tanner, Lambert, A'Deane Buchanan, Tiffen, Dolbel. Similar motions for reducing the £160' to b 6 devoted to tile 1 40-niile Bush road &c, were negatived on similar divisions and, with the exception of a transpositioi of £50, the resolutions were reported a sent down.