PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 171, 24 July 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, July 23. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock j all the members being present, except Messrs Parker, Baigent, Thompson, and Wigley. The Provincial Solicitor moved the suspension of Standing Order No. 28, to enable him to move that an address from the Council, signed by the Speaker, be transmitted to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to send to the Council a recommendation to grant a sum of money to meet the unauthorised expenditure out of the Provincial revenue during the year ending 31st March, 1867. Mr Burn seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Mr Kingdon asked leave to amend the motion standing in his name to the effect that the report of the select committee in the case of Mr Robert Crawford be adopted, by withdrawing the words printed, aud substituting in lieu " that the Superintendent be requested to place the sum of £75 on the Supplementary Estimates as a compensation to Mrs Crawford." He was aware that an objection existed to such a grant to Mr Crawford, and he thought this course would obviate the difficulty. The Provincial Secretary asked what would become of the report in the event of the amendment being carried, and characterised the report as absurd. Some discussion ensued, and on a division the amended motion was lost by 10 to 7.

The original motion having been put, Mr Wastney proposed, as an amendment, that the Council resolve itself into eomraittee to consider the report, Mr Bentley in the chair, which was carried, and the report was considered in committee, the whole of the evidence, etc., which was of very voluminous character, being read. The Provincial Secretary moved that tfi& '. report of the select committee appointed to enquire into the matter of Robert Crawford's petition be not adopted, as in the opinion of the Council there is a preponderance of evidence in support of the charges brought against Mr Crawford of harshness and cruelty towards the patients, incivility towards visitors, and a disregard of the orders of the medical officers,^ and compensation under such circumstances ought not to be awarded. Mr Redwood seconded the resolution, and a lengthy discussion followed, in which several members took part, the Provincial Solicitor supporting the resolution, and the Speaker opposing it in speeches of considerable length and power. Mr Donne then moved as an amendment, that the sum of £75 be granted as a compensation to Mrs Crawford. Mr F. Kelling seconded the amendment, which Mr Kingdon supported ia very energetic terms. The amendment was then put and lost by 10 to 6. The original resolution was then put and carried by 10 to 6, the Provincial Solicitor, Provincial Secretary, and Messrs Wastney, Burn, Akersten, C. Kelling, Beitt, Sparrow, Pitt, and Redwood voting with the ayes; the Speaker, and Messrs White, F. Kelling, Donne, Dreyer, and Kingdon voting with the noes. The House then resumed. Two messages were announced from his Honor the Superintendent, one proposing certain alterations in the Patent Slip Act, and also in the Gold-fields Licensing Act, and the other transmitting the Appropriation Bill. Mr Burn's motion that a select committee be appointed to take into consideration the petition of certain freeholders in the town of Westport, in the province of Nelson ; such committee to consist of the Provincial Secretary, the Speaker, Messrs Bentley, Pitt, McMahon, Simmonds, Sparrow, and the mover, and to report on Wednesday next, was lost by 7 to 5, Mr C. Kelling having taken the sense of the House on the propriety of asking for a select committee at so late a period of the session. Mr Dreyer moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to invite six members of this Council selected from the town and country districts to accompany him on his visit to the West Coast, with the view that at the next sitting of the Council those members may be able, from the knowledge which they will then have of the importance of that part of the proviuce, to give such information as will enable the Council to be in a better position to express its opinion upon the various questions affecting the West Coast Goldfields. Mr Wastney seconded the motion, in the belief that such a visit would be productive of good. An amendment by Mr Pitt, that the Superintendent be requested not to invite any members who have visited the West Coast, nnd another by Mr Burn, that the members be elected by the Council, were lost, not being seconded. Mr Donne opposed the motion, on the grouud that the Superintendent should not necessarily be " encumbered " by the presence of members of the Council, and that their number should not be limited on snch a visit, and expressed his confident anticipation that, as a consequence of such a visit, the Government would at once adopt all

the motions which had been brought forward by him during the session and rejected. The Provincial Solicitor was glad to be able to concur, on this occasion at least, with the hon. member forjCobden, and thought that if a steamer were chartered at all for. this purpose, it should be open to all the members who might choose to go. He explained that the alleged hostility of th 6 Government to some of the measures brought forward by the honorable member arose from the feeling either that they were premature, or that the Governmeut had already initiated measures of the same nature. Mr McMahon and Mr F. Kelling ,. upported the motion, and Mr Dreyer having replied, urging that the employment of a steamer, as proposed by Mr Donne, would be almost useless, as the visit to the various localities on the West Coast must be made overland, the motion was carried, on division by 9 to 7. On Mr Redwood's motion, the report of the select committee, appointed to consider the proposed site of the Waimea bridge, was adopted. Mr Donne moved, as a more comprehensive proposition than that moved by Mr Dreyer, that the great importance which the South-west Gold-fields have so recently and rapidly assumed render it expedient that the fullest information should be made available to members; of this Council regarding the condition and general requirements of that district. The Council therefore would respectfully, recommend his Honor the Superintendent to place upon the Appropriation Act the sum of £500, for the purpose of chartering a steamer to convey such members of the Council as may be disposed to visit the the gold-fields. Mr Bentley seconded the motion, which was supported by Messrs Pitt and Burn, and opposed by Mr Simmonds. The Provincial Solicitor moved, as an amendment that in any arrangements made in pursuance of Mr Dreyer's motion, all members desirous of visiting the West Coast, should be provided with a free passage thither. Mr Dreyer seconded the amendment, which was opposed by Mr Wastney as not offering sufficient inducement to members, and Mr Donne withdrew his motion. Mr Pitt would support the amendment as involving least expense, but expressed his opinion that a resident Government officer, a member of the Executive, should be appointed for the gold-fields. The amendment was carried on the voices. Mr Akersten's motion that the names of Mr McMahon and Mr Simmonds be added to the Buller and other Coal-fields Committees, was agreed to. On the motion of Mr Wastney the House went into committee for the consideration of the memorial of certain residents of Suburban North, praying for aid in the repair of the public road in that locality, Mr Simmonds in the chair, and the sum of £175 placed on tho Appropriation Act for the Suburban North Road Board was increased to £275. The House then resumed, and The Provincial Secretary, in moving the first reading of the Appropriation Bill, called attention to the following items which had been added to the Estimates by the Superintendent : — 50/ for clerical assistance in the Provincial Treasurer's department ; 3404 J 19s 3d, expenditure incurred during the months of February and March, not brought to account during the financial year ended 31st March, 1867; 750/ for printing and advertising ; 256/ for purchase of land, Waimea-road; and an addition of 500/ to the vote of 2500/ for the Hurunui bridge. The bill was read a first time, and ou

the motion of Mr McMahon the Council adjourned at 10 o'clock until 5 o'clock this evening.