The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 126, 30 May 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1868. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Friday, May 29. The Speaker took the chair at II o'clock. All the members were^present except Mr Bentley. Mr Donne's motion to the effect that horse tracks should be cut at intervals on that part of the coast line between the Kazorback and the Mokihinui River, in order to open up the back country upon the South. West Goldfields, was carried, & wide diversity of opinion on the subject having been expressed. Mr Dreyer moved that the Council be furnished with returns showing what amount out of the sum of £10,293 3s. 6d. expended for roads and other public works between Nelson and the West Coast, was paid for contracts, and also by whom such contracts were issued and accepted, and submitted that this amount was placed against the West Coast expenditure, from which it derived no benefit, the whole system of day labor being most unsatisfactory, and the amount paid for such works without proper inspection preposterous. The Provincial Secretary did not oppose the motion, but objected that the preparation of such returns would take a very considerable time, as the contracts were let in small amounts. After some discussion, Mr Dreyer having replied, asserting that the present system leads to a great deal of bribery and corruption, the motion was carried. Mr Sparrow then moved the recommittal of ' the Cattle Trespass Bill, to enable him to move the insertion of two clauses, which was assented to, and the House went into committee on the Bill proibrma, Mr Gibbs in the chair, and.immediately resumed, the further consideration of the Bill being postponed until Wednesday next. Mr Dreyer' s motion for the abolishment of payment to members for attending the meetings of the Council, lapsed through the absence of the mover. Mr Thompson, on moving fpr copies of all cor- • respondence (not already before the Council) with information as to any negotiation, or attempted negotiation, relative to the Patent Slip and Dry Dock Act, 1867, shortly recapitulated the various steps which had been taken to forward the construction of a patent slip or dry dock in this harbor, and said it was most desirable that the Council should be put in possession of full particulars of any negotiation which might have been entered into with reference to it. Mr Donne seconded the motion. The Provincial Secretary said the Governor's assent to the Bill was received in November last, the Ministry having at first refused to recommend the Governor to give his assent to it. At that time the Colonial Agent, Mr Morrison was expected here, and negotiations on the subject were therefore deferred until his arrival. The Government now propose another scheme, which in their opinion is a preferable one for ensuring the carryout of the work. Mr Thompson moved the adoption of the Report of the Select Committee on Mr. Thomas Andrews' petition, which stated that no grounds for granting any compensation to the petitioner had been discovered, which was assented to. Mr Wastney's motion that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to give instructions to have the various lines of road available for improving the access from the Waimeas to Nelson immediately examined, so that the Council may be iv possession of the plans and estimates of the cost of the several routes, in accordance with the resolution of the 21st instant, relative to this subject, during the present session, was carried. Mr. Donne's motion that his Honor the Superiotendent be requested, with all convenient speed, to take the requisite steps to submit for public sale the Town Allotments in the Districts of Charleston and Brighton, was lost on division, by 11 to 6, the Provincial Secretary having stated that the Government bad decided that the allotments in question should not be offered for Bale for the present. Mr Parker then moved that it is undesirable to let the Provincial Hall for any purpose during the time the Provincial Council are in Session, except upon some special occasion that the public generally take an interest in, and then only by the consent of the . Council, which was seconded by Mr Wastney, and carried .with an amendment by Mr Wigley, seconded by Mr Pitt that the word ' Speaker' be substituted for 'Council/ a general opinion being expressed that the disposal of the Hall might safely be left to the discretion of the Speaker, and the Provincial Secretary desiring that it might be distinctly understood that the Government had never sanctioned the letting of the Hall during the session for any purpose of public entertainment. Mr Wastney's motion for the adoption of the report of the select committee appoinfed to consider the report of Mr T, Mackay, on the explorations through the Happy arid Rae Valleys, was carried by 9 to 5, the Government objecting that the explorations in question would necessitate cutting through a portion of another province, which could not be done.

On the tnotion of Mr Donne, the report of the committee upon the petition of Mr J. It. JFraser wns adopted. Mr i'arker, in moving for a select committee to report upon the state of the Wharf at Westport was in, as regards its completion, up to the time ■when the flood carried it away, and if the conditions of the contract were carried out by the contractor, Baid that the contractor, Mr T. Miles, had been bound, under the, contract to deliver up the Wharf in good condition to the Government. The wharf had been carried away, -when in an unfinished state, and yet the contractor had been paid the whole amount. He also stated that he had reason to believe that if the work bad been carried out according to the specifications, it would hot have been carried away. Some discussion ensued as to the members of whom the committee should be composed, and the motion was ultimately carried. Mr Wastney's motion iv reference to the Bruaner Coal Mine, and Mr Wigley's for a select committee on Sir D. Monro's petition, were both postponed until next week. Several notices of motion ■were given, and the Council adjourned at 2 o'clock until 5 o'clock on Tuesday next.