PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 135, 12 June 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Speech of His Honor the Superintendent, at the opening of the slxti-entii session of the Kelson Provincial Council, ox Tuesday, 11th June, 1807. Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council — I am glad to commence my first address to you in the position of Superintendent of this province by informing you that the estimate of the revenue for the year ending on the .31st of March has been exceeded by the sum of £3914 ; the estimated amount, exclusive of a sum of £5799 in the Treasury at the beginning of the year, being £71,778, whiie the actual receipts were £75,692. Un the other hand, the expenditure has exceeded the actual receipts by the sum of £6955, which, after reduction by the Treasury balance, above named, still leaves a sum of £115,3 to he provided for out of the current year. The Provincial share of the Customs Duties, estimated at £22,000, amounted to £24,261, showing an excess of £2261. The Land Revenue, estimated at £10,000, reached the sum of £13, 587, exceeding the estimate by £3587. The Gold-fields Revenue, estimated at £GOOO, amounted to £7436, or £1436 above the estimate. The Gold Duty, on the contrary, proved to be £2798 below the sum calculated upon, the receipt being £1&,202, while the estimate was £20,000. As the two Appropriation Acts passed by you during the financial year provided for an expenditure of £108,560, you will be aware that the execution of a large number of the public works you had in contemplation has necessarily been postponed, but I hope my anticipations of an increased revenue during the present year will be so far fulfilled as to enable me to carry out the more important of them. Por a record of the various public works in all parts of the province to wliicli the revenue has been devotad during the financial year which expired before my election to the office I have the honor to hold, and for the reasons apart from financial considerations which have prevented the commencement or completion of several of those you desired to have executed, I refer you to tlie very lull and able report of the Provincial Engineer which will be laid before you.

The great increase vhich is talcing place ir. our departmental expenditure leads me to commend the subject to your serious consideration, with a view to make provision for its speedy reduction in the event of the revenue showing sjiupcoms of decline. Ido not see any reason co apprehend that such a decline will take place at present ; on the contrary, I think there is fair ground to believe that the resources of the previ neo will continue to increase for some yenrs to come : but the rapid diminution of the revenue from the goldfields in Otago, and the symptoms wliicli already present themselves of a corresponding falling off in that accruing to the exchequer oi Canterbury, should lead us to provide for the possibility of a similar collapse in our own. I would therefore suggest to you tlie prudence of framing conditions upon which all departmental officials ou the gold-fields shall ior the future be appointed ; so that, in the event of their services being no longer required, the Government shall Le in a position to dimiiss them on terms declared and agreed to on tbeir appointment. The iidoption of regulations of tliis kind would not only relieve the Executive Government, should the contingency I have referred to arise, from much of the unpleasantness of their duty, but would also prevent the occurrence of individual cases ot hardship and injustice, which would arise from the impartial execution c f it. The visit with which this province has been honored by his Excellency the Governor, took place so shortly after my accession to office, that I fear the measures taken for his reception and entertainment were not so complete as might otherwise have been the case. I have the pleasure, however, to communicate to you, at the Governor's request, that his Excellency was highly gratified by tlie warm and friendly reception which he met with from the people ofNelson, amongst whom he has many esteemed friends, _ and in whose welfare he has always taken a strong interest. The state and progress of the West Coast Gold-fields were so fully dwelt upon by the. late Superintendent in his address to you on the open--ing- of your short session in January last, that I need only assure you that their progress and extension since that date have been in tlie highest degree satisfactory. The reports wliich I receive convince me that the movement of a large number of miners to tlie neighborhood of the Buller Biver will be of a permanent character, and that there is strong reason to believe that Westport will before long become one ofthe most important ports upon the West Coast of this island. For this encouraging state of things we are in a great measure indebted to the liberal policy so wisely adopted by Mr. Saunders, and so ably and indefatigably carried out in the first instance by Mr. Blackett, and latterly by Mr. Commissioner Eynnersley, whose services Mr. Saunders was fortunate enough to secure. lam confident you will agree with me in the wisdom as well as the justice of continuing in the course which has been marked out, and in devoting every shilling of our rapidly increasing revenue which a fair consideration of the claims of other portions of the province will permit, to promote the progress ' and prosperity of the mining community. The expenditure of the funds wliich you place at my disposal for this purpose is entrusted almost entirely to the judgment and discretion of Mr. Commissioner Kynnersley, in whom I have entire confidence, and who has achieved the difficult task of giving the highest satisfaction both to the Government in whose service he is, and to the community whose special interests are in his charge. When the estimates for the expenditure of the you current financial year are in 3 r our hands, will see tliat I have proposed to you to make a most liberal appropriation fbr the South-west Gold-fields, both in providing for the large staff of officers which the rapidly increasing population of that district renders indispensable, and for the public works in the shape of roads, tracks, bridges, wharves, and buildings for public purposes which the interests of the gold-fields, as well as those of the whole province, imperatively require .to be executed. But while recognising to the fullest extent the value ofthe gold-producing districts, not only to this province, but also, to the colony as a whole, which I firmly believe they have rescued from impending financial difficulties of no ordinary character, I cannot concur in the view which is commonly expressed on the part of the mining community, that the whole of the gross revenue derived, either directly or indirectly, from their industrial occupation of the Waste Lands of the Crown, is necessarily and as a matter of right to be expended in the particular portion of the propince whence that revenue is derived, and that the remaining districts of the province are to take upon themselves the expenses of that Government to which the population of the gold-producing districts are indebted for protection in their industry, and for the means of pursuing their avocations. The gold duty is levied as payment for the use and occupation of the Waste Lands of the Crown and any surplus which there may be after defraying departmental expenditure upon the, gold-fields becomes available, as a portion of the land revenue, for surveys and explorations in new districts for the construction of roads and other public works, whether within or without the particular district in which it has been raised, for immigration, and generally for all purposes calculated to promote the occupation and settlement of all parts of the province. The provincial share of the Customs Duties I consider to be available for the general expenditure of tlie province, without regard to the district in wliich it has been collected. I do not conceive, for instance, that the City of Nelson or its immediate vicinity has any claim superior to that of the most distant part ot the province to the Customs Revenue on the ground that the greater portion of it is collected at this port ; and if that be admitted, the same rule clearly applies to the ports of the West Coast. Had the principle against which I am contending been acted upon iv past years, the large sums which have, year after year, been drawn from the other parts of the West Coast while it was yielding little or nothing to the revenue, could not j have been so appropriated, and the development of that district would necessarily have been retarded.

I have received a i omnmnicatioa from Mr. Francis Stevens, in which that gentleman offers to go to England at his own expense to negotiate for the construction of the proposed Nelson, Cobden, ai.d Westport Railway, provided . that certain additional concessions are made to capitalists willing to construct the work. The leading novelty in Mr. St^Vi-ns's proposal is that the line, instead of being leased at a nominal rental to the company constructing it, should he made over to them in fee simple. The papers connected with Mr. Stevens's proposal will be laid before you, and I am confident that you will give them that earnest consideration which the importance of the subject demands, in order to determine, in the first place, whether the terms which Mr. Stevens proposes should be offered to capitalists are more liberal than is necessary or politic, and, secondly, whether the prospect of Mr. Stevens's success is sufficiently promising to warrant us in deferring negotiation in any other quarter for the time which Mr. Stevens stipulates ior, to enable him to reach England, and to briug the question under the consideration of capitalists likely to embark in the undertaking. A proposition has been made to me to lay down a railway between the towns of Westport and Charleston in consideration of certain privileges to be conceded by the Government, and a grant of 1,000 acres of land. The proposal received the recommendation of Mr. Commissioner Kynnersley, and was favorably entertained by the Executive Council. At present the town of Charleston receives the chief part of its supplies in duty paid goods from Canterbury, considerably to the loss of our provincial revenue ; but the construction of a railway to Westport would probably bring the trade with Charleston to that port, to the manifest advantage of this province. The details of the proposition, together with a bill to enable me to carry it into effect, in accordance with the provisions of the Waste Lands Act, 1863, will be submitted for your consideration. The want of extended telegraphic communication upon the West Coast becomes daily more apparent, and I propose, with your sanction, to make arrangements with the General Government for the immediate construction of a line from Greymouth by way of Brighton and Charleston to Westport — undertaking on the part of the province to be responsible for any deficit which may arise between the receipts and the cost of maintenance, inclusive of interest on the sum expended on the work. The cost of the line is estimated at about £7,000, interest upon which will probably be reckoned at the rate of six per cent, per annum. When the new line has been completed, not only will the towns of Cobden, Brighton, Charleston, and Westport be supplied with intermediate telegraphic communication, but they will also, though by the very circuitous route of Hokitika, Christchurch, and Blenheim, be connected by wire with this town. The vexed question of the existence of a practicable line for a dray-road from the valley of the ' Motueka to that of the Karamea, across the Mount Arthur range, has occupied much of my attention. I am satisfied that much of the apparent discrepancy between the statements of different explorers in that district, has arisen from a confusion as to the part ofthe Karamea river which would be reached by the route so long insisted upon by Mr. Hough. And as — although I am convinced that what is known as the " Karamea Bend " cannot be directly approached by Mr. Hough's route — I consider that a practicable road to any part of the Karamea Valley would be of the utmost importance to the development of that district, which has long been known to be auriferous, as well as to Motueka, the Waimeas, and the town of Nelson, I have despatched a carefully-selected exploring party, who, I trust, will set the question at rest one way or the other. At the same time the track ordered by Mr. Barnicoat, when Acting Superintendent, to be cut in a comparatively direct line irom the Motueka, up the course of the Gi-ahanijand over the part of the Mount Arthur range known as the Loadstone to the Karamea Bend, is being proceeded with, and although there is probably no prospect of a drayroad by that route, I hope for the formation of at least an effective horse-track. A contract has been entered iuto for building a hospital on the Waimea-road, upon the plan submitted to you during the last session of the Council. The cost of the building will, however, greatly exceed the su in you then appropriated for that purpose, but the demands for hospital accommodation, consequent upon the rapid increase of the mining population upon the West Coast, make **he erection of a building upon the contemplated scale absolutely necessary. Ths present hospital is, as you are aware, under the sole management of the Superintendent, whose other engagements make it impossible to exercise the needed supervision, and I think it is essential to the well-being and comfort of the patients received within its walls that an immediate change should be made in this respect, more especially having reference to the enlarged scale on which the institution will be established when the new building is completed. It appears to me that the Hospital Act of 1859 contains provisions for the efficient management of the establishment, and I hope that you will agree with me that it is most desirable to put these provisions into action without delay, by your appointment of two members of the Committee of Management to act in conjunction with a third, to be nominated by myself. The question of the erection of a patent shp or dry dock in Nelson harbor has engaged much of my attention. Mr -Barnicoat, while ActingSuperintendent, applied to the General Government for the services of the Marine Surveyor to advise upon this and other practicable improvements in the harbor, and Mr Balibur has recently paid us a very short visit, during wliich he conferred with the Provincial Engineer, and made a hasty inspection of the harbor. Before offering any opinion on the subjects referred to him, he requested that soundings might be taken and other data furnished, on receipt of wliich he would make such further examination of the locality as might appear to be necessary, and report upon the whole subject of harbor improvements. Pending the receipt of Mr Balfour's report, it would be premature to take any definite steps fbr the erection of a slip or dock; but as the Patent Slip or Dry Dock Act 1864 has .lapsed, a bill will be introduced to you, authorising the Superintendent to guarantee mterest on the sum of

£25,000 to capitalists willing to expend that amount in the erection of a dry dock or patent slip. . . Some further correspondence between, this Government and that of Canterbury respecting the bridge over the Hurunui will be laid upon your table, from which you will see that a contract has at length been entered into for the erection of the bridge at a total cost of £6000, and that I informed the Superintendent of Canterbury I that I would propose to you to vote the sum of £2500 as the contribution of this province to the amount. When this subject was last under your consideration, it was supposed that the cost of the work would be considerably more than it has proved to be, and'you appropriated £2000 in ad- ■ dition to £1000 to meet equivalent' subscriptions to be raised in the Amuri district, making altogether a proposed contribution from this province of £4000. The site for the Waimea Bridge has now been fixed by the Government, who were influenced in their decision chiefly by engineering considerations, to be on the line of the Appleby Eoad. The iron work, ordered from England by the late ▼ Superintendent, may be expected to arrive in the course of a month or two, and in the mean time the timber will be ordered, so that this important work may be proceeded with as rapidly as possible. The construction of the reservoir for the Nelson Waterworks has now been commenced, and the remainder ofthe plant may be expected to arrive from England in the course of next month. I trust, therefore, that before the end of the year this city will be furnished with an abundant supply of fine water, which is so much required upon sanitary considerations, and that its inha- ' hitants will be relieved from the perpetual fear of TT the wholesale destruction of their property by fire. • The necessity for the erection of a lighthouse on Cape Farewell, or on the Sand Spit forming the western boundary of Golden Bay, has long been felt, and pressed upon the Colonial Parliament by the Nelson members of the Assembly. I am glad to be able to inform you that the Marine Engineer has been dispatched to the locality in question, to decide upon the most desirable spot, and that it is the intention ofthe Colonial Ministry to lose no time in providing by that means for • the safety of vessels approaching Cook's Strait from the westward — a measure which our increasing commerce renders daily more essential. In the Estimates of Expenditure which are about to be submitted to you, I have recomt mended a more liberal appropriation to the support of the Volunteer force tli an has hitherto been made. I tliink you will agree with me that the removal of her [Majesty's troops from the colony, makes it desirable to encourage in every practicable w r ay the training to arms of a portion of the population, and more especially of the rising generation. Quite independently, moreover, of the duty of providing for defence against foreign aggression, I look upon it to be highly expedient to provide for the younger members of our society an occupation for their leisure hours, which will at the same time lead them to the acquisition of habits of obedisnee and self-control. The laws regulating the licensing of public houses have been found to require amendment both as regards their operation on the gold-fields, , ' and in the more settled parts of the province. \ A measure to effect this object will therefore be i brought before you. * In. the last session of the General Assembly, a resolution was agreed to by the House of Representatives to the effect that certain provisions of the Nelson Crown Lands Leasing Act, 186 c*, are highly impolitic and injurious to the interests of the community. To a certain extent, the Waste Lands Board agree with the purport of tnis resolution, while they have found the Act to be in many respects unworkable in practice, and consequently ineffective to secure the ends which the Council had in view in passing the resolutions | upon which it was founded. 1 have therefore, in [ conjunction with the Commissioner of Crown Itf Lauds, prepared for your approval, previously to j its being submitted '.o the General Assembly, a draft Bill, which, while founded more strictly | upon the spirit of the resolutions passed by you !,' in 1865, is at the same time free from the objection, referred to by the House of Representatives. A measure for the amendment of the 38th section of the Education Act will be proposed to you. This section was introduced into the Act to enable the Roman Catholics to bring their , schools under its operation, but has failed to effect ■ that very desirable object. The proposed amendment has been drawn after consultation with the head of the Roman Catholic '.; persuasion in this province, who has pronounced i ut to be satisfactory to that body, and to be suffi- ; ciently liberal to enable them to bring their j schools under the working of the Act. _ I hope you will agree with me in the great im- | portance of securing the adherence of the Roman 'Ji Catholics in our educational system, and in the | : opinion that the proposed amendment can be 1 made without endangering its secular principle. (1. Oswald Curtis, |f Superintendent.