PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 266, 8 November 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, November 7. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock; all the members being present except Messrs Wigley, Thompson, and Macmahon. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary the Supplementary Appropriation Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr Simmonds moved the adoption of the leporfc of tbe select committee appointed to consider the petition of Mr Edward Fowler. The report recommended the payment of 10/ to the petitioner as compensation for any injury he might have sustained by the loss of his Appointment as district constable of Waimea South. , The Provincial Secretary explained the circumstances referred to in the p tition, from which it appeared that he had informed Mr Fowler that the appointment could only be made on the recommendation of Messrs Morse and Shepherd, the magistrates of the district, one of whom was at the time in Wellington and the other lived in Motueka- valley. He was therefore appointed . pro tern. until their opinion could be received. It was unfavorable to the petitioner, and his appointment was not ratified, another person being appointed in his stead, and Mr Fowler being offered payment for his services at a reasonable rate of remuneration. For these reasons be opposed the adoption of the report. Mr F. Kelling, as one of the select committee, vindicated the report, and Mr Baigent said that i the petitioner was so fully impressed with the ' idea that his appointment waß of a permanent : character that he had* r efo-tftd srofltaWe enyploy- - moot to oooßeq-ae&ce. j . ;■ :

Considerable discussion arose on this motion, •which was ultimately carried on division by 13 to 5, Messrs Akersteu, White, aud Burn declining to vote. Mr Gibbs moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place ou the Supplementary Appropriation 13x11 the sum of £100, for the purpose of exploring and blazing the tracks to the auriferous country inland from Collingwood, such sums to be placed at the disposal of the Warden, and the motion was seconded by Mr Kingdon. The motion was amended by Mr Parker, by the omission of the words ' **uch sum to be placed at the dispo-al of the Warden,' on the ground that votes of this nature*should be at thi disposal of the Government, aud was carried on the voices. In reply to a question from Mr Sparrow, the Provincial Secretary stated that no petition had been received by the Government, from the inhabitants of the districts of Takaka and Motupipi praying for the repeal of the Cattle Trespass Act, 1866. Mr Dreyer moved that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to recommend to the General Government that a sufficient number of officers be appointed under the Registration Act, on tlie Southwest Goldfields, to enable the householders of the different townships to have their votes placed on the Electoral RoU of the province. The motion which was seconded by Mr Donne, and opposed by the Provincial Secretary aud Mr Parker, as interfering unnecessarily with the province of the General Government, was carried on division by 9 to 6. A message was announced from his Honor the Superintendent, inclosing the Amended Appropriation Act. Mr Wast ney, in moving that the Council before separating desire strongly to impress upon the Executive the absolute necessity of using every effort in their power during the present state of the money market to forward the construction of the railway from Nelson to Cobden and Westport, said that he did so, because an impression had gone forth to the effect that the Government intended to shelve this ' question of questions,' and he thought it highly desirable that some expression of their opinion should be elicited on the subject. The motion was seconded by Mr Macmahon, and was carried on the voices. Mr Dotme moved for leave to bring in a bill to provide for the election of additional members of the Provincial Council of the Province of Nelson, and repeated at considerable length the arguments which he had adduced on previous occasions for an increased representation of the goldfields in the Council. Mr Dreyer seconded the motion. The Provincial Solicitor reiterattd his former statement that it was the intention of the Government to introduce a bill next session providing for the additional representation of the Goldfields, and the Government would also consider the propriety of dividing the districts, and by that means prevent the whole representation being vested as at present, in the holders of miners' rights. If the bill were passed, and an election took place shortly, a large number of persons would be excluded from the franchise, and the district would ' not be fairly represented; because the only electoral body would be those holding miners' rights, j and property qualifications would be uurepre- [ sen red. The motion was carried on division by 10 to 8. On the motion that the bill be read a first time, Mr Parker objected on the ground that the motion was intrinsically the same question as had been already brought before the Council, but this was overruled by the Speaker, and the bill was read a first time. The Provincial Secretary's motion that a select 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 Burn, and tho movpr. was carried. On the motion of the Provihcial Secretary the standing orders were suspended, and the House went into committee on the Superintendent's Message No. 2, proposing an addition of 5000/ to the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, which was read and agreed to, and the Council, having resumed, adjourned at five minutes to 8 o'clock until 11 o'clock this morning. •■