PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Tuesday, June 18.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 141, 19 June 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Tuesday, June 18.

The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock. Present : All the members except Messrs. H. Redwood and Thompson. The Provincial Secretary laid on the table a report by J. R. Dutton, Esq., on the Loadstone Track to the Karamea, with several papers and returns which had been called for.

Mr. R. Burn presented a petition from Mr. J. Crate, praying for compensation for alleged injury to his property at Westport, which was kid on. the table. Mr. KingrJon brought up the report of the Select Committee on Mr. Stevens's proposal with reference to the West Const Railway, and gave notice that he should move tliis evening that the report ■be adopted. Mr. Doune presented a petition from Mr. G. Fox, prjiying for a reward, as having been the discoverer of die Charies-gold-field, aud also ;t memorial, signed by 500 miners, supporting the petition. Mr. Dreyer, in moving for copies of all correspondence between the Government and the South-west Gold-fields, from the 10th of April last to the present date, said that he did so. in order to remove an impression which prevailed on the goidfields, that the same good feeling did not now exist between the Government and the Commissioner as was formerly the case. ,Mr. F. Ilelling secouded the motion, but thought it unnecessary to call for the production of the whole correspondence. Mr. Donne supported the motion, but repudiated the existence of any such impression on the mining population as that alluded to by the mover, stating that, uuless anything occurred during the present session to disturb their present relations, he had every i-eason to believe that the naming population would contiuue to regard the Nelson Government with favor. The Provincial Secretary opposed the motion, on the ground that the production of such a voluminous correspondence would iuvolve the unprofitable expenditure of very considerable clerical labor. Mr. Parker and Mr. McMahon opposed the motion in its then form. Mr. Burn and Mr. Gibbs said that there could be no unwillingness on the part of the Government to produce the correspondence ia question, but thought the mover should state "what particular documents he desired to have produced. The motion was put to the Council and negatived without a division. Mr. Dreyer begged leave to withdraw the motion standing in his name, asking for returns, showing the number of miles of tracks made along the banks of the Buller River, (by Counor and Winter) and the cost per mile, &c. Mr. Pitt, on rising to ask the Provincial Secretary whether or not the Governmert intend during the present winter months to expend any sum of money in improving the roadways in the New Cemetery, Suburban North, said that, since he had announced his intention of asking this question, he had learned that the Trustees were moving in the matter. The Provincial Secretary, in reply, stated that no sum had been placed on the Estimates, because thei'e was a clause in the Cemetery Act which enabled the Trustees to raise money for the purpose alluded to, but, unfortunately, the security they were able to offer had been found to be insufficient. The Government therefore proposed to place a sum on the Estimates for this object. }iir. Wastney, in moving for a Select Committee to take into consideration the whole of tlie working of the Country Roads Acts, especially with regard to the manner in which the public funds are voted for that object, stated that he considered that the increased requirements of the country demanded more extensive and energetic action in this respect. The motion was carried. Mr. Wastney asked the Provincial Solicitor, whether it was the intention of Mr. J. Sharp, siace his having become a member of the Executive Council, to resign liis office as Chief Returning Officer of the Province?

The Provincial Solicitor, after remarking that the question had probably had its foundation iu a rumour originating in Mr. Sharp's having acted as Eeturning Officer sit the lute Election for Suburban North, stated that Mr. Sharp had resigned the appointment alluded to. Mr. Drever rose to ask the Provincial Secretary on what date the G-overnment received tne resignation of the Warden at Charleston, and the reasons for delay in the appointment of a new Warden ? The Provincial Secretary, in reply, said that the Warden's resignation -was received on the 27th April ; that Mr. Harris had been acting as Warden ad interim, and that the reason why no successor h:id bet'u appointed was that the Government had experienced great difficulty iu fiuding any suitable person for the post. Mr. Gibbs asked leave to withdraw his motion for a return of the number of miles of road proclaimed as " Trunk Lines," iu the various districts under the operalion of the Country Roads Act, the return in questiou having been laid on the table. Mr. Donne withdrew his motion in reference to a re-distribution of the Cobden and Buller Electoral Districts, and 'for an enlargement of the representation of the Kelson South-West Gold-field.s, pending the arrival of certain necessary documents from the West Coast. Mr. White, in moving that a sum of £l s ooo be placed on the Estimates for a cart-bridge over the Wai-iti River, to connect the districts of Waimea West and Waimea South, enlarged upon the great convenience which would accrue to the inhabitants of those two important districts, through the erection of such a bridge, and trusted that the Council would support the proposal. Mr. F Kelling seconded the motion. Mr. Baigent thought that the construction of such a bridge was far more required on the trunk line to Walcefield, and reminded the Council that a vote of £250, for a foot-bridge to connect Waimea West and Waimea South, had beeu passed in the last session, but did not appear on the present Estimates. Considerable discussion ensued upon the motion, in which Messrs Simmonds, Gibbs, Parker, Pitt, F. Kelling,. Wastney and McMahon took part, and an amendment, moved by Mr. Pitt, was ultinaately carried unanimously, to the effect that a sum of £250 should be placed on the Estimates for the construction of a foot-bridge, the original motion being lost by a majority of 18 to 2. The motion by the Provincial Secretary seconded by Mr. Burn, that a Committee be appointed to select papers to be printed in the Votes and Proceedings of the Council, such Committee to consist of the Speaker, Mr. Parker, and the mover, was carried without a division. Mr. Donne, in moving that a sum of money be placed on the Estimates sufficient to construct a line of telegraph from the Buller to Cobden, stated that there was uo guarantee in the paragraph of the Superintendent's address in reference to this subject that such a line would be constructed at once, which was a great desideratum. He showed that the cost would be comparatively trifling, while the convenience would be great. The line, too, would be found to be productive of a considerable revenue. The motion fell to the ground, there being no seconder. Mr. Donne moved for a return of the amount of revenue received from the Brighton and Charleston districts, and of the amount expended in those districts, during the six months ending April 30, 1867, stating, as a reasou for this motion, that he had seen a return in the Government Gazette of the revenue derived from these districts, which appeared to him to be much below what it should be, and

that, although a large amount of money had been received thence, very little comparatively had been expended on these districts. Mr. Dreyer seconded the motion. Mr. F. Kelling considered that a much fuller report than that required by the honorable member had already been placed 011 the table, in the report on the revenue and expeuditure on the gold-fields. Mr. Bentley moved, as an amendment, that a return be furnished for the month ending April 30, which was carried. Mr. Akersten's motion for a Select Committee to take into consideration the improvements necessary in Nelson Harbor, seconded by Mr. Bentley, was carried, with the addition to the Committee of Messrs. Baigent and White. Mr. Burn, in moviDg for a Select Committee to take into consideration his Honor's Messtoge. No. 4, in reference to the resignation of the Gaoler of Nelson Gaol, and also paragraph No. 3 of his Honor's address, said that it was a question whether or not the Council should recommend superannuation pensions, and the two matters referred to might well be considered together. Mr. Wastney seconded the motion, which was carried. The Provincial Solicitor then moved, that the Council resolve itself into Committee, Mr. Kiugdon in the chair, to cousider the Crown Lands Leasing Bill, several clauses of which were passed, whilst the consideration of others was postponed. On arriving at clause 12, the number of members in the House being very thin, the Council adjourned at a to till 5 o'clock