The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 107, 7 May 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1868.

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Wednesday, May 6. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock. Present, all the members, except Messrs F. Redwood, Wigley, and Baigent. Mr Bentley presented a petition from Mr Reuben Waite, with reference to the loss which he had sustained through the delay on the part of the Government in permitting him to select land at Waite's Pakihis. The Provincial Secretary laid on the table a letter from the Government to Mr Commissioner Kynnersley, expressive of their entire approval of his conduct during the late disturbances on the West Coast which was read and ordered to bo printed. The Speaker read a message (No. 2) from his Honor the Superintendent, enclosing copies of correspondence between the Waste Lands Board and the late lessees of the Brunner coal mine, with a letter from Mr Burnett. The Provincial Secretary's motion for the transmission of an address from the Council, signed by the Speaker, 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 amounting to £1760 6s. 5d., out of the Provincial Revenue during the year ending 31st March, 1868, was adjourned The motion standing next on the paper in Mr Kingdon's name, asking the Superintendent to place on the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £50, to erect a monument to the memory of the late Clerk of the Council, G. White, Esq., lapsed in consequence of Mr Kingdon's absence. Mr Donne's motion that the petition of Mr J. R. Fraser be referred to the Select Committee on Petitions also fell through, the petition in question not having been received by the Council. The Provincial Solicitor, in reply to Mr Donne, stated that the Government had no intention at present of bringing in the bill for a railway to the West Coast. In reply to a question from Mr Akersten, relative to the cost of improving the Waimea Road, the Provincial Secretary stated that the information required had been laid on the table on the previous evening. In reply to Mr Donne, the Provincial Secretary stated it was not at present the intention of the Government to offer for sale the town allotments in Brighton and Charleston. Mr Donne asked leave to withdraw his motion asking for a return of officers in the employ of the Government on the Nelson South West Gold-fields on the 31st March last, &c, the return asked for having been laid on the table hy the Provincial Secretary. Mr Gibbs' motion for an. account of the total cost of constructing and supporting the dipping stations and quarantine grounds under the Scab Act, was carried, the papers asked for being also laid on the table. On the motion of Mr Burn, the Council resolved itself into Committee for the appointment of a member of the Nelson Hospital Committee, in the place of D. Rough, Esq., on whose discharge of the duties of this office and general worth the highest eulogium was passed, and the fol- , lowing gentlemen were proposed: — Messrs R. Burn, M.P.C., H. Goulston, Bentley,

M.P.C., and Sclanders, the first named being elected by the Council. Mr Simmonds's motion for a select committee to consider the report of the Hospital' Committee was carried without division. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary, seconded by Mr Kingdon, a selectcommittee was appointed to select papers to be printed in the votes and proceedings of the GouDcil. In reply to a question from Mr Dreyer, the Provincial Secretary laid on the table the conditions on which Mr Beauchamp was granted permission to erect a wharf at Westport. Mr Bentley's motion, seconded by Mr Pitt, that the petition from the occupiers of the Coal Keserve at Westport, received on Tuesday, be referred to the Petition Committee, was lost by 11 to 7, considerable discussion having arisen wtih reference to the functions of the committee. On the motion of the Provincial Solicitor for the second reading of the Public Wharves Bill, Mr Home said that he did not object to the reading of the bill, but objected to any G-overnraent having the power to dispose of public property in any other way than by public auction, under a Board, and suggested several alterations in the bill with this intent. The Provincial Solicitor had no objection to make an alteration in the bill, but thought public auction preferable to pub- ! lie tender, whilst the Executive was in fact a far more responsible body than the proposed Board would be. The motion was carried by 20 to 1, Mr Dreyer being the sole dissentient, and the bill was read a second time. The Provincial Solicitor, in moving the second reading of the Gold-fields, Licensing Bill, said that the existing bill had been found not to work well, and the Resident Magistrates had recommended various alterations which had been embodied in the present Bill, which was also read a second time. The House then went into committee on the Public Wharves Bill, which was reported with amendments. On the House going iuto Committee on the Goldfields Licensing Bill, several amendmends were made on division, and. the bill was reported amended. Several notices of motion were given, and the Council adjourned at 10 o'clock, until 5 o'clock this evening.