PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 148, 27 June 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday. June 26. The Speaker took the chair at a quarter past 5 o,clock. All the members were preseut. Mr Akersten brought up the Report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the improvements necessary in Nelson Harbour, which was read and adopted. A message was annouueed from his Honor the Superintendent, enclosing a petition from William Fox, claiming to be the discoverer of the Waite's Pakihis Gold-field, and praying for compensation, with a letter from Mr. Commissioner Kynnersley, with reference to this aud other claims of a similar nature. Mr. Donne asked the Government when they would be prepared to bring forward a West Coast Railway Bill? The Provincial Secretary replied that the Government were not prepared to bring forward any Bill of the nature alluded to. Several notices of motiou having been given, Mr. C. Kelling moved that nis Honor the Superintendent be requested to place ou the Estimates the sum of £15, for the purpose of completing the Public Cemetery iv Moutere. The motion was carried. Mr. Donne's motion that in the opiuiou of the Couucil the time has arrived when the Government should take out of the hands of private individuals the several ■ Ferries aud Bridges which have been constructed on the Kelson Gold-fields, and recommeuding that the sum of one thousand pounds be placed ou the Estimates for that purpose, was seconded by Mr. Gibbs, iv order to enable the Government . to reply;

Mr. C. Kelling enquired whence the aEIOOO was to come ? The Provincial Secretary said that he wished that the mover would, for once, bring forward some motion which he could support. He must oppose the present motion, as the protection granted to the individuals to whom these bridges and ferries had been entrusted was only .granted for a very limited period, and the sum proposed would be for more profitably spent in bridging other rivers. Mr.- Donne, in reply to Mr. Kelling, said that the £1000 might come from the same source as the £15 just asked for aud obtaiued by the honorable member. He then stated his belief that the policy of the Government was to take as much as possible from the West Coast, and °-ive back as little as possible, an assertion which was roet by general cries of " No, ■no." '■■ He then alluded to the annoyance cansecl by the numerous, tolls levied upou the inhabitants of the district represented by him'which in- some cases bore very heavily upon poor miners. The motion was lost by a majority of 16 to 3. Mr. Gibbs moved that a Select Committee be appointed to take intoeonsideratioa the petition of the inhabitants of Collingwoed, against the working of the Cattle Trespass Act, 1866," as applied to their district ; such committee to consist of the Speaker, Mr. Wastney, Mr. McMahon, Mr. Simmonds, Mr. Bum, Mr. ft Kelling, Mr. Sparrow, and the mover. An amendment to this motion, rendering it of more general application, was moved by Mr. Simmonds aud carried. Mr. Baigent, in moving that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to furnish this Council witli the reports of Messrs. Rochfort, Skeet, and Groom, with regard to the different routes taken by them from the Baton to the Karamea, said that he had asked for the production of these reports, because he cousfdered it was necessary, in order to allay rumors which were afloat relative to these documents. The motion was carried. Mr. Akersten moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to order tho prison labor to be employed in stonebreaking for road purposes, and said that the prison labor in Nelsou was at present by no means remunerative, aiid was,-* in' fact, a subject of common derision. He would recommend that the stone from the Boulder Bank, a hard granite, well adapted for the formation of roads, should be used for the purpose mentioned in the motion, and that the work should be done withiu the precincts of the Gaol. The Provincial Secretary opposed the motion on two grounds ; first, because the Council had nothing to do with tho matter, aud secondly, because stone-break-ing was not considered a suitable occupation, under present circumstances, for the prisoners. The labor performed by the prisoners had been done very satisfactorily during the p:istsix months, and was not open to the censure passed upon it by Mr. Akersten. Mr. Donne opposed the motion. Mr. Baigent was of opinion that the long-senteuced prisoners should be employed in breaking stones. Mr. F. Kelling opposed the motion, considering that the Council was not competent to deal with the matter. He thought that a return should be published, shoeing the work done, and whether the city benefitted by it in any degree. The motion was lost. Mr Gibbs's motion that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £150, for the ; purpose of further improving the track to the river Heaphy, was lost ou division by a majority of 11 to 10. Mr Baigent, in moving that his Honoi ; the Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £1000, for th**

purpose of lowering and otherwise improving the hills on the trunk-road from Nelson to Greig's Hill, said that this object . had been brought before the Council some five or six years ago, but had given way to more pressing necessities. He thought that the time had now arrived when the subject might be reconsidered, and alluded to the frequent accidents which had occurred at Greig's Hill. Mr Burn seconded the motion, expressing his opinion that money could not be better laid out than in improvements on the road to the Waimeas. Mr Wastney thought that the road should be taken round by the Beach, which would be a better and shorter route, and also avoid the hills in question. Mr Donne opposed the motion, alleging that wh'en any motion was brought forward having for its object the improvement of any part of the province, save the West Coast district, it was received with favor and consideration by the Council, and excited much amusement by accusiug the Council of partiality and combination -against the interests of the West Coast population. Mr. Kelling moved, as an amendment, that the proposed improvement be carried' out, if the estimated revenue is exceeded hy the amount asked for. The Provincial Secretary, though admitting the necessity of such an improvement, was compelled to oppose the motion, deeming the revenue not sufficient at present to hear such an expenditure. The amendment, was then put to the Council and carried. Mr. Wastney withdrew his motion to the effect that the papers laid on the table in reference to the Grey coal miue should be read. On the motion of Mr. Kingdon, seconded by M\ Pitt, the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the petition, praying . the CouncU to authorise his Honor the Superintendent to place at the disposal of the Board of Works a sum of money for the erection of a cart-bridge over, the Maitai, was adopted. . " that his Honor the 'Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £200, for the formation of a road to connect the East and West Takaka roads above the Wai-ngaro, as recommended by the Provincial Engineer, and the Report of the Provincial Engineer was read, favorable to the formation of this road, which would avoid the necessity of crossing the Wai-ngaro, a rapid and very dangerous river. Mr. Gibbs seconded the motion. The Provincial Secetary said that the Government had only a certain revenue to lay out, and he thought there were works in the Takaka districts of more immediate requirement than this. The motion was carried. On the motion of the Provincial Solicitor, the Council then went into committee of the whole on the Licensing Bill, Mr. Parker being in the chair. All the clauses of the Act were agreed to, from the 10th to the SOth, with the exception of the 25th. which authorises the Resident Magistrate in certain cases to permit the sale of spirits, &c, in unlicensed places. This was amended by the addition of the following words : — < 4 It shall also be lawful for the Resident Magistrate or any two Justices residing in the neighborhood, of any house licensed under this Act, to grant an extension of the time prescribed by such license, on payment of a fee of five shillings for each day." An animated discussion took place ou the provision in the 12th clause, which permits the closing of certain licensed houses at 12 o'clock p.m., on week days, au amendment being moved to the effect that such extension should only be grauted until 11

o'clock. The original clause w r as, however, carried, by a majoritj- of 12 to 6 the Speaker and Mr. Wigley declining to vote. The Council adjourned at 20 minutes past 10, until 5 o'clock this day.

We have been requested by the Conductor of the Harmonic Society to impress upon the Members the necessity of attending the practice-meeting this evening at the Temperance Hall, for the rehearsal of the music selected for performance at the Concert which, it is understood, will take place on Monday next at the Provincial Hall, the use of which has been kindly grauted by the Speaker, on behalf of the Council. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, Paul Coffey was charged by William Wells, with having, on Monday last, used firearms in an unguarded manner in Russell Street off the Beach Road, thereby placing the complainant and his family in bodily fear. The defendant was bound over in two sureties in £10 each, and himself in £20, to keep the peace towards the complainant ami* all other her Majesty's subjects for six calendar months. The following cases were aiso heard : — Wilson and Richardson v. A. G. Cave. This was an action to recover £5 ss. 2d., for goods delivered. Jndgfnen't for plaintiff, for £5 ss. 2d. and costs. James Jary v. George C. Saxton. This was an action to recover £51 lis. 6d., for flour supplied to the defendant. Judgment for plaiutiff, for £51 lis. 6d. and costs. D. Robertson v. R. M'Donald. An action to recover £53 9s. Id., for timber supplied to the defendant at the usual trade prices, amount of a dishonored bill for £33. Mr. Pitt appeared for the plaintiff. Judgment for the plaintiff, for £53 9s. ld. and costs. James Robertsou v. G. C. Saxtou. Action '_to_ recover £15 Bs. for blacksmith's work. Mr.' Pitt appeared for the plaintiff; the defendant did not" appear. Judgment for plaintiff for £15 Bs. De Carle v. Abrahams. Action to recover jgiS 7s. for goods supplied. It appears that the plaiutiff had supplied the defendant with goods to the amount of £24 75., who had paid £11 on accouut. The action was to recover the balance. Judgment for plaintiff for £13 7s. and costs. Samuel Carter v. J. Barrett, ns executor of the late John 'Ctindy, to recover ]3s. 7d. for ale supplied. The defendaut admitted the debt. Judgment for the amount and costs. James Anderson, a confinee of the Crown, charged with escaping from Nelson Gaol, was brought up on remand this moruiDg, and fully committed for trial at the next assizes. A telegram from Dunedin, dated 17th instant, appears in the Wellington papers, stating that in the Supreme Court that day, the Judge had quashed the indictment in Mr Smythies' case. The Evening Post says that a telegram has been received from Adelaide, stating that the intemperate behaviour of Judge Boothby on the bench and his persistent obstructiveness to the administration of justice have forced on the Government the necessity of decided action. The appeal to the Imperial authorities having resulted in tbeir throwing upon the colony the responsibility of dealing with the Judge, the Executive have now caused notice to be served upon him to aus wer the following charges, viz.: — Inability to control his temper; placing obstructions iv the way of the administration of justice ; want of courtesy to his colleagues on the bench; and a display of violent partisanship in his rulings. It is confidently expected that the Judge will be suspended by the Executive before Parliament meets. The Obituary for April contains the following names:-— -The Dowager Countess of Ripon ; the Bishop of Rochester (Wigram); Lord Llanover (better known as Sir Benjamin Hali); Sir W. S. Tliomns, Bart.; Lady Croftou ; Lady Lister Kayc ; Lady Davison ; Sir S. V. Surtees, D.C.L , formerly Chief Justice of the Mauritius ;

tbe Dean of Hereford (Dawes); Sir Robert Smirko, the distinguished architect ; Lieuteuaut-Colouel Sir T. Wilkinson ; Mr. Robert Bell, a well-known contributor to periodical literature, both as editor and writer, and Carlo Poerio the Neapolitan patriot and ex-Minister. The Home News says that since the commencement of the illness of the Princess of 'Wales, it is said, the prince and princess and their medical advisers have been overwhelmed with letters of advice and recommendation. All kinds of embrocation have been sent; the most varied specimens of leather, felt, and tin splints; and a thousand (and more) prescriptions of the most varied character. One good soul from Ireland recommends that a potato be worn; aud a lady sends a large piece of ordinary oil-silk, which she feels certain, from her own experience, would effect a cure. It is stated that, in one instance, a donation of £2 was forwarded to some one who had sent a bottle of embrocation. This must, it is surmised, have been under very peculiar circumstances — not really forwarded at all iv reward for the advice or the embrocation. To have sent similar recognition of the multitudinous and, no doubt, well-meant prescriptions and embrocations, &c, forwarded, would have involved an expense of many hundred pounds. There is a large box full of such letters.