PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 1891, 11 January 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

THURSDAY, JAN. 10. The Speaker took the chair at twenty-three minutes past five o'clock. The following members were present Messrs. Barff, Beswick, Bright,H.Buchanan, Cassius, Davis, Duncan, Garrick, Hargreaves, Hawkes, Hops, Hornbrook, Jollie, Maskell, Montgomery, Ormsby, Potts, Rhodes, Sheath, Stericker, Stewart, Thomson, Waeckerle, Walker, Whall, White, J. S. Williams, Wynn Williams, Wilson, and Wylde. PRIVILEGE. Mr. Maskell, before the minutes were confirmed, wished to draw the attention of the House to what he considered a breach of privilege. In the papers of that moining he had been reported as having made use of certain expressions. He had quite enough to answer for (Hear, hear) without being saddled with the peccadilloes of others. He had not made use of the expressions imputed to him. Had it not been that the session was almost at an end he would have felt inclined to move that the reporters for the press be excluded from the Council. (Ironical cheers.) Mr Stewart said he could, perhaps, account for the mistake which had been made. He (Mr Stewart) in speaking to the question of who prepared the design for the Lyttelton harbour works, had said that the present Government had nothing whatever to do with it. An hon. member on the same side of the House as the hon. member for Sefton expressed his dissent in such a manner as to induce him (Mr Stewart) to call for the protection of the Chairman from what he considered and characterised as " the insulting manner of that hon. gentlemen." He had not alluded to the hon. member for Sefton (Mr Maskell). | DBEDGING MACHINE. Mr Davis, without notice, asked the Government whether they intended to send for a dredging machine for Lyttelton harbour. Mr Stewart replied that he could give no positive assurance on the subject. THE TUNNEL. Mr Beswick laid on the table a section of the tunnel workings, showing the different geological strata passed through. The section had been prepared byDr Haast for transmission to the Paris Exhibition. It was a valuable contribution to science, and would tend to create an interest in the proviuca in quarters where such interest might be of service.

WE9T COAST RAILWAT. Mr Thomson, before moving the resolution standing in his name, wished to be allowed to add a few words to the end of it.

He would read it with the proposed addition: —" That this Council considers that a more rapid and easy mode of communication by land between this and the West Coast of the province is urgently required. That, therefore, this Council would respectfully recommend his Honor the Superintendent to take such steps, by offering each a guaranteed moderate rate of interest for a term of years on the requisite outlay, as may induce contractors or others to undertake the construction and due working o£ a line of railway between Christchurch and Hokitika, and will indemnify his Honor in any expenditure not exceeding £SOOO on any measures necessary to carry out the above." The amendment haying been allowed, Mr Thomson proceeded: It would be in the recollection of hon. members that in a previous session of the Council the hon. member for Christchurch (Mr Hawkes) had brought down resolutions embodying the same idea. The resolution which he (Mr Thomson) had the honour to lay before the House went further than the resolutions he alluded to, inasmuch as it

asserted the necessity of having a regular line of railroad from the East to the West Coasts. His object in bringing it before the Council was that during the recess such preliminary steps might be taken as would enable the House, at its next sitting, to say whether or not the work might be undertaken with advantage to the province. If the plan was at all practicablo lie was sure there were few members of that House who would venture to oppose it. Tha advantages to be derived from such a line of communication between the two sides of tli,e province were, he believed, enormous. On the one hand, it would enable the stockowners and. agriculturists to dispose pf their surplus stock to advantage; and on the other, it would secure to the residents on the western side full supplies of those necessaries of life which they could procure nowhere else so well or to cheaply. Were there a railway from Christchurch to Hokitika, or rather from Lyttelton to Hokitika, we should find all the large merchants stationed in .the former place. There was one objection which might be urged against his scheme. That' was, that the goldfields might in a few years be worked out. Those best informed on the subject believed that the goldfields of West Canterbury would last for many , years to come, affording profitable occupation to a large population. But,; admitting that the goldfields might be worked out, the land on the western side of Sis ranges was so fertile tlmf a large and ourishing population must eventually settle on it. That land was destined to become more productive and of much more value the land on the eastern side of the province. The population of Westland was even now very large, and there was every reason to believe that it would go on increasing. The customs receipts of the West Coast, or rather the provincial share of them was estimated at £45,000 (or the present financial year. In ■ succeeding years these.receipts mustincrease, and if the railway proposed in his resolutions were made the customs receipts of East Canterbury would also increase. There was no practical difficulty in the way of the scheme proposed. The system of guaranteeing a certain rate of interest on railways was in force in India and the Cape of Good Hope, and had.been found to work admirably. In India the Government guaranteed six per cent. (An lion, member "five") In some cases it was 6. He did not propose to give this as a bonus. The Government would simply guarantee to qny company a certain rate on the capital expended. If, for instance, after the railway was constructed the returns paid only 5 per cent., the company, if the Government guaranteed 8 per cent., would receive the difference from the Government. Any contract entered into would, of course, he submitted to the House for approval. If such a railway as he had spoken of were constructed, it need : not be on such nn expensive scnle as the line already made in the province. Very much cheaper lines had been found to answer very well elsewhere, and especially in mountainous countries. The line over the Alps, for instance, was constructed on the narrowgauge system, and was found to work well, even though the gradients were so steepsteeper than anything which would be found between East and West Canterbury. In , South America also, a narrow-gauge railway i was carried over a mountain range success- , fully. These instances—and he had i no doubt hon. members could recall others—went to prore that there, wae really ho practical engineering difficulty in the way. i rte hoped the House would take the plan into

its serioui and favourable consideration, and j not reject it because it was' advocated in ft i very inefficient manner. The idea had been < present with him for ft long time, and the more he considered the subject the more convinced did he become that the Government of Canterbury could not affyrd to con-, struct large and important public, works from the revenues of the province. In a new country encouragement must be given to the promoters of such works. Any company which might be induced to undertake the formation of this railway might not for the first few years reap a large return, but that ultimately they would do so he was firmly convinced. He had made his resolution vague, because it would give the House an opportunity to make it . definite. He had also placed powers in the Jhands of the Superintendent, which some hon. members might be inclined to consider excessive. It was necessary to give large powers to his Honor, but not excessive powers. No one in that House would doubt for one moment but that these powers would be used for the advantage of the province, the interests of which no one had more at heart than his Honor the Superintendent. (Hear, hear.). Mr Hjlwkes said he had very great pleasure in seconding the resolution, because it was carrying out the spirit of some resolutions which he (Mr Hawkes) had the honour to lay before the Council at a previous sitting. He had been induced to withdraw his resolutions because they were brought down at the close of the session, when hon. members were not inclined to enter on a subject of such vast importance in the spirit in which it ought, to be considered. He would venture to say, however, that _ hia resolutions had been very favourably received by the Council, and the principle allowed to be a very good one. He was in favour of inducing foreign capitalists to undertake the construction of the great public works of the province. The only difficulty he saw in the way of the proposed railway was its enormous cost. He had an estimate of a tramway prepared—a rough estimate it was true—but 1. was one which was reliable, and he found that a tramway from Christchurch to Hokitika—to be usfd either for horses or steamwould cost at the very least £450,000. He thought voting a sum of £5,000 for preliminary expenses a very wise step. It would show that the Council was thoroughly in earnest, would put his Honor the Superintendent in a position to obtain the very best advice, and would strengthen his hands in •very way. Mr Wylde said he agreed with the spirit of the resolution, but he could not exactly understand the latter clause. Was the £5,000 in payment of the interest which was to be guaranteed, or was it in payment of merely preliminary surveys and engineering expenses ? Mr Bbswick thought the House ought to, thank the hon. member for Timaru for having brought the subject forward. The resolution ought to receive the hearty support of every hon. member, for no one could doubt for one moment that a more rapid means of communication between the East and West Coasts was very desirable, and even urgently required. He also agreed with the hon. gentleman in saying that steps ought to be taken to induce a company to undertake the construction of the line. He might be permitted to say that the subject had been under the consideration of the Government. It had been their intention to bring down resolutions on the subject, but the hon. gentleman had forestalled them, and they would give the resolution before the House their hearty support. He would suggest to the hon. gentleman the advisability of splitting up the resolution into three. It would be much more convenient, and he believed, more agreeable to the House. Of one thing he was quite satisfied, namely, that if the relations between East and West Canterbury were to be beneficial, if Weft Canterbury was to become an integral part of the province, if the two sides were not to sever, it was absolutely necessary to bind East and West together by meanß of a railway. Mr Jollie said that a railway from the eastern portion of Canterbury to the western was, no doubt, very much to be desired. He must take exception to the wording of the resolution. Instead of carrying the railway from Christchurch to Hokitika it might be found on examination more advantageous to

take it to Greymouth. He did not say absolutely that such would be the case. He merely warned the House that it would be much better to leave it an open question by changing the words in the resolution. He thought it would be desirable to have more information before giving such large powers to the Superintendent and his Executive—not that he doubted for one moment either the. patriotism or prudence of his Honor—but because he considered it wise, on a subject of such vast importance, to proceed very cautiously indeed. He would suggest that the resolution be broken up; that the first part stop at the word "required;" that the remainder, as printed, be left out, and that the addition proposed by the hon. mover form a second resolution. Mr Walker seconded this amendment. Mr Thomson said he was quite willing to substitute "West Coast" for "Hokitilca," but he could not agree to the amendment proposed by his hon. friend the member for Selwyn. It would destroy the spirit of his resolution; it would even leave out the idea of a railway. Mr Stewart thought "more rapid and easy mode of communication" should be left out of the resolution. Mr Jollib suggested that the words "railway or tramway" should be inserted instead of the words mentioned by the hon. Prorincial Secretary ; and that the words " by land" be struck out. MrBARFF had no desire to oppose the spirit of the resolution, but he would ask hon. members whether, if they adopted the exact words used, they would not be affirming too much. The resolution, as proposed, said that a railway or tramway was absolutely necessary and urgently required. He was not prepared to go so far as that, although he was quite willing to support a vote of £SOOO for preliminary expenses, provided always that the inhabitants of the West Coast should not be asked to bear more than a fair share of the expense. Mr Cassius said he had listened to the various speeches which had been made, and more especially those which: had come from the Government bench, with feelings of disappointment—almost of regret., The idea of a railway or tramway to connect the eastern and western sides of - the province wis, in his opinion, premature! He did not object to surveys being taken with a view to contracts being entered into with foreign capitalists at some future time, but he must protest in the name of the distriot he had the honour to represent against any part of the expense being charged against the West Coast. He could not help alluding to the road which had been constructed over the ranges at an unheard of price, and without any consultation whatever with those who were now called on to bear a large share of the expense. The people of Westland could never forget that road, and it would be impossible to delude them into the belief that they had derived any advantage from it whatever, other than the advantage of being graciously permitted to put their hands in their pockets and pay for it. The road had been constructed ostensibly for the benefit of the West Coaßt. But what were the facts f Why, that East Canterbury derived all the advantage while West Canterbury was called on to pay the lion's share of the cost. It was for this reason, it was because lie could not forget that road or the circumstances under which it had been constructed, that he took the very earliest opportunity of protesting against a further outlay from which his constituents could derive no benefit, but which, doubtless, they would be called on to contribute to. He could not, and would not allowthe subject to be even mooted without protesting , against any part of the expanses either preliminary or future being charged to tke account of Westland. He was most anxious, and he had repeatedly said so, that the friendly and mercantile relations between the two parts of the province . should be continued, but he could not ignore . the fact that nature had placed between them ah almost insurmountable barrier, and had provided a means of livelihood for the fail kbitantsonmhsidethe range totally dis-

ct in its hearings, and totally different in tendencies. The people of Westland were te willing that the two parts of the pro. ce should be connected by means of a rail, y, if Only Bast Canterbury paid for it s istruction. They did not wish to deny the item side any advantages which such j lway might confer, and they certainly dy t wish to take from East Canterbury the vilege of paying for these advantages. in vord, the people of Westland believed that this matter the people of Eastland ought to ir all the burden, because all the advantage luldbeon their side. Let hon. members ink for a moment, and they would see that estland could supply all her wants by sea r cheaper and far more effectually than she old by means of a railway from akitika to the port of Lyttelton. if ything could induce him to advocate the nstruction of a railway over the ranges it juld be that Hokitika might-asshe uniubtedly in that case would-enjoy the [rantage of supplying East Canterbury with erchandise, while the latter would send, in turn, her cattle and sheep and her agriculiral produce. Any one who had the slightest lowledge of the question, any one who took ie trouble to study the geographical position : Hokitika in relation t? the Australian ilonies, whence most of our supplies were rawn, would leer that no port in New Zealand, ast of all Lyttelton, had the slightest chance E competing on favourable terms with MelDurne. If it could be shewn to him beyond doubt that an agricultural country exted between the two coasts, of sufficient ngoitude and probable fertility for the setement of a large and thriving population—- [ this could be proved beyond a doubt, den he would support this railway scheme lost heartily. He had not consulted with is hon, colleagues about this scheme, but he rould be very much disappointed indeed if hey did not agree with him in the line he had aken. The only communication which the ieople on the West Coast wanted with Eastmd was that by electric telegraph. The elegraph was the only useful measure which he Government of Canterbury had carried hrough, and it was the only thing which the ieople on the West Coast derived the. least idvantage from. In point of usefulness, the oad was not to be compared to it for one noment. The laughable and utterly ridiciious returns which appeared from time to ;ime in the public journals, showing the passenger traffic between East and West Canterbury, proved beyond the shadow of a doubt the fallacious hopes which had been raised by the road, and the outrageous mistake which had been made in constructing it. That road, lie was bound to repeat, had never been of iny real practical use, and would remain a monument of the supreme folly which guided the councils of the province when it was constructed. Unless the promoters of this railway scheme were prepared to prove in an unmistakeable manner that there existed between the proposed termini of the line such an extensive tract of rich agricultural country as would suffice for the production of those necessaries of life in sufficient abundance which both East and West Canterbury required, he would feel it his bounden duty to oppose to the very utmost even the preliminary expenses of a surrey. He believed that this irrational scheme had originated with those who dreamed of a great future for the Grey River Coal-Md. It struck him forcibly that there existed a very intimate connection between the proposal of a railway to Westland and the intention to lease that large reserve to a company. He was very much opposed to the alienation from the province of 5000 acres of country rich beyond even the conception of any hon. member of that House, and he would consider it his duty to offer as strong oi jections to this as he did to saddliag West-

land with even one fraction of the expense attendant on the construction of a railway. So far as sending supplies of merchandise was concerned East Canterbury was, and erer would be, useless to Westland. He spoke from an experience of two years, and from a very close observation. There was not, he believed, sufficient energy among the mercantile community of East Canterbury ; not sufficient go-a-headism, if he might be allowed to use the term, to induce them to attempt to supply Westland with anything. Who had gone from East to West Canterbury, and settled there ?" What good had they done? Mr Hawkes said he must protest against this style of argument. It was becoming personal. (Great laughter.) Mr Cassius continued. If, in the heat of debate, he had allowed himself to be carried away; if he had made use of any expressions which could be called in the least offensive, either to the hon. members of the House, or to the people of East Canterbury, he begged to apologise. (Hear, hear.) The subject was one on which he felt deeply, and his language might be stronger at times than was consistent with the dignity of the House. But he was sure hon. members would give him credit for at least a desire to express himself becomingly. (Hear, hear.) The people of Westland had felt themselves constantly haunted and harrassed with a debt which was alleged to be due by them to East Canterbury—a debt which might be due, or might not, but which the inhabitants .of Westland .felt had been incurred, not only without their sanction, but without even allowing them the expression of any opinion on the matter. It was for this reason that he again protested most solemnly against the railway scheme. Let its supporters show, and let Government give an assurance that its construction will entail no expense on Westland, and he, for one, would raise no objection to it. On the contrary, he would look on it as an additional meansiof cementing that friendly feeling which, whatever their fortunes might be in the tuture, he hoped would always be maintained between the two parts of the province. (Hear, hear). Mr Wilde had listened with very great pleasure to the eloquent address of the hon. member for Hokitika; the more so, perhaps, that it proved one thing clearly. It showed indubitably that the great merchants of Westland—the go-ahead merchants of Hokitika—were actually shaking in their shoes at the bare prospect of being brought into competition with the merchants of East Canterbury. These gentlemen knew very well that if such a competition was made possible they must themselves go to the wall. The hon. gentleman had spoken of the Grey River Coal-field. Who was it that first proposed to render it available ? Was it the the energetic and enterprising merchants of Westland ? Nothing of the sort. It was East Canterbury men who had first proposjd to work it. The Hokitika merchants were very long-headed men,. no doubt; they \yere at all events clever enough to see' that a railway from Eastland to Westland would deprive them of that snug monopoly they had enjoyed to so much advantage. It was a notorious fact that the Hokitika merchants did not precede the population of Westland; they would even have left the inhabitants to starve had it not been proved to tkem by East Canterbury merchants that a profitable trade was possible. He had heard one fact which would prove that these Hokitika merchants were not so enterprising as was said. The population on the West Coast was at one time infested with vermin. (Great laughter.) He meant no offence, and would say plainly, with rats and mice. What did these go-ahead merchants do ? Why, they made use of the much-despised road to convey over a supply of a very useful domestic animal. (Laughter.) Mr Bright said the tone assumed by the hon. member for Kaiapoi was not calculated to assist the mover of the resolution. He had hoped that the subject would be treated at least serioußlj, and was greatly disappointed with a speech which, with all due deference to the House and to the hon. member for Kaiapoi, he could only characterise as illtimed chaff. He was happy to be in a position to supply the hon. gentleman with some accurate information regarding the supply of a certain domestic animal to Westland. He happened to arrive at Hokitika in the same steamer in which there was a large consignment of cats (laughter), and he believed he was right in saying that they were a drug in the market. He was disposed to support the resolution, if an assurance were given that the preliminary expenses would be borne out of the' general revenue of the province. He foresaw that the construction of this railway would be of very great advantage to the

people of East Canterbury, for it would be |he means of supplying them with • their merchandise at a much cheaper rate. •Tf tins railway were made hoKitiKa would become' the port of supply lor East Canterbury, for it would not be ..disputed that Hokitika was the nearest port m ail New Zealand to .the whole of Australia.' From Melbourne they could get supplies in iour or fire days by means of a fine fleet of steamers, and he would repeat that if this proposal were carried out it would make Westland the great source of supply- for East: .Canterbury; Mr Whall said lie would support the resolution, because lie . believed the construction; , of a railway siich as . tbat alluded to 'would; benefit the whole province alike. The West Coiist merchants had nothing to : dread from competition. ■ All that they looked to, or need look to, was tbat they should not be: paddled with debt. . .." ~ .. Mr Maskell thought that the best thing for Canterbury would be that it should be divided into two parts as ; soon as possible. He was the more convinced of this from having listened to the speech of the hon. oneinber for:Hokitika; (Mr: Cassius). : Mr iMoNTGOMERT liad not heard auy argument adduced which proyed satisfactorily ;tp him the desirability of constructing .a railway or tramway from East t West Canterbury. He had listened very attentively to the hon. member for Hokitika (Mr Cassius) and the impression left on his mind was, that the hon. gentleman had spoken good, sound sense. For what was this railway or tramway wanted ? If for the conveyance of passengers, he had no hesitation in saying that it would never pay its working expenses; if for the transport of merchandise, it was clear that at no time would there eve-be a demand in Westland for anything which Eastland could , supply, unless by mere accident, and then ouly for light goods. - He quite agreed with the hon. member for Hokitika (Mr Cassius) in thinking' that the■ merchants .on this side the range could never, even with a railway,'compete with the merchants on the other side. There were sufficient geographical and ; physical reasons why such. should be their relative positions; Did the promoters of this railway expect to bring coal from the West Coast to supply the wants of the East? Coal could be brought at a far cheaper rate; from Australia. Did they hope to carry on a large trade in cattle ? They could be driven over the ranges for a great deal less than the cost of their transport by railway. lie would not now discuss the principle involved in guaranteeing a certain, rate of interest on the construction of public works, as it was not so immediately before the House;. He could: not. tote for either the resolution or amendment. Sir Sheath thought the scheme demanded the earnest attention of the House. The arguments of the hon. member for Hokitika (Mr Cassius) had convinced him of one thing,. namely, that although Westland said all she wanted was justice she was ready to accept all she could get from us. If there was the least probability that any great public work would cost Westland anything there was at once a most earnest protest against it. Colonel White, said he heard almost every liight in ; the. Council either cries :;for,' or threats of separation between East and West Canterbury. He was sick of it, and could not help asking why there should be so much recrimination. He intended to support the spirit of; the resolution,;;, for .the, hon. member for Hokitika (Mr Cassius) had given him a very good reason for doing so. That gentleman had said that if the railway were constructed it would be entirely to the advantage of East Canterbury, inasmuch as she would get her merchandise at a much cheaper rate. Well, it was notorious, and had been always, that East Canterbury was the dearest place in the whole colony to live in. If the railway was to make living cheaper, it must be a very good thing, and therefore he would support it. He had one or two verbal amendments to propose in the resolution when the proper ■time arrived." '■ '' Mr Davis would support the resolution. He saw no reason why we should not get our merchandise direct from England. Why go to Melbourne for it ? As to the merchants of Hokitika being so very go-ahead, it struck him that they were behind the times; He had heard with great surprise a proposal made the other evening to introduce a bottle business in Hokitika. (Cries : ; of order, order, and laughter). ■■ "v The Speaker then put the qustion that the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the question. The motion was negatived, and the words were inserted in the first part of the resolution. " ; V Colonel White proposed that the word "this." be struck out, and the words "the East" inserted in lieu of it.He also proposed that the word " urgently" should be 6truck out. ■ , Mr Whall seconded this amendment. Mr Thomson was quite willing to agree to the first part of the amendment, but he must oppose the striking out of the word " urgently." The railway would be of great and immediate advantage. If he had not thought it was urgently recfuired he would not have proposed his resolution. ■ The first part of the amendment was agreed to, and the word " urgently" was allowed to stand part of the resolution. . Mr Jollieproposed that the words, "That therefore this Council, would, respectfully recommend his Honor, the Superintendent to take such steps, by offering such a guaranteed moderate rate of interest for a term of years on the requisite outlay, as may induce contractors or others to undertake the construction and due working of a line of Railway between Christchurch and Hokitika," be altogether omitted...... The amendment was seconded. Mr Maskell wished to know the meaning of the words" offering a guaranteed moderate rate of. interest for a term of years." . Mr Thomson explained. It meant that the Government was. to guarantee to any company constructing the railway a rate of interest to be agreed on. v If the revenue of the railway when constructed and in working order did not amount to that rate, the Government would ; have to .pay the difference. If, forinstance, the Government guaranteed 8 percent.and the revenue only/paid 5 per cent., the Government would have to pay the company 3 per cent. He objected to the amendment of the hon. member for Selwyn. If adopted it would do away with the spirit of his resolution.

Mr J. S. Williams opposed the amend- : ment, and in doing so took the opportunity of explaining the system of guarantee so far as it applied to the Indian railways, The Government tfe: guaranteed interest at 5 per cent on a certain amount of capital, both during the construction of any line and after it was opened. If,. after the: line was in working order, it was found to pay more than the guaranteed rate, half the excess went to the Government, . to refund the out-, lay they might. have been put to. Thus, if Government guaranteed 5 per cent., and a line of rail paid 1° per cent., half the difference, 2J per cent., would go to the Government to reimburse them for any sums expended. He believed the Great. Indian Peninsular railway was paying more than the rate of interest guaranteed by the Government. Of course it would be.understood that the; Government did not continue to share in ; the 'excess:: beyond the time when they were reimbursed for the original outlay. . The system had been found to work very well in India, and he saw no reason why the same, or a similar plan should lot be introduced here; Under proper supervision it would answer very well. As regards this particular railway, he was in favour of it. It might not pay" for the . first; three or four years, but we ought not to legislate from hand.' to mouth. . We ought,' if we believed in the future of the country, to legislate for that; future as well aa for the immediate and pressing present. Several other merely verbal amendments were proposed. Ultimately the resolution Waa put in the following shape " That this Council considers that rallv&y or tramway communication between the East and West Coasts of the province is urgently required, v That therefore this Council would; respectfully recommend his Honor the Superintendent to take such steps; by offering such a guaranteed moderate rate of interest for a term of years oa th? requisite

outlay, and obtaining such data as may induce contractors or, others ; to .undertake the construction of a line of railway or/tramway between the East and West Coasts. And.this Council will indemnify his Honor in any expenditure not exceeding £SOOO, on any .measures necessary to carry out the above." A division took place on the amended resolution, which resulted as follows Ayes, 16—Bright, Hawkes, Maskell, Moore, Hoos, White, Whall, Wylde, Barff, Beswick, •Garrick, J. S. William's;'Stewart, Davis, Sheath, Thomson. Noes, 7—Walker, Jollie, Rhodes, Montgomery, Cassius, 11. Buchanan, HornbrooL At this stage the House adjourned for a quarter of an hour. The House,''on resuming, went on ..wi th the business on the order paper, and adjourned at twelve o'clock till five p.m. this day The remainder of the report will appear in pur next issue.