TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 126, 30 May 1871, Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1871.

It so happened that we were, on a recent eveuing, in a room where, among mauy others, thsre were two Irishmen present, one"tj4^hom was narrating some wonderful expnaits of a friend of his. The admiration of his hearers had risen in proportion to the marvels he was recounting, until atlast it leached the culmiuiitingjipint when he statea that his friend had, to his own knowledge, visited a certain town with only £500 in his pocket, out of which he contrived to spend £750. Hereupon, Hibernian 'No. 2., with a ready appreciation of so egregious a " bull, " delightedly exclaimed, " Sir, I hail you as a countryman. " -Possibly, we may invite a similar salutation- — although we have no personal acquaintance with the Emerald Isle — when we state that in the Appropriation Act, passed last ni^hf, the Council, out of a possible revenue v of £87,000, voted the expenditure of £96,083 12s4d. Such, however, is the case, and, whatever there may be peculiar about it belongs, not to us, but to the Council. We but state the fact, they created it. Not long since, we showed that, as a legislative body, the Provincial Council is really no longer necessary, and now we find that it has voluntarily abrogated one of its most important functions in handing over the revenue to the Superintendent and Tm\ Executive, to be by them expeuded 'pretty much as theyDlease. There was a certain amouut of tnutlfffii what fell from one of the members Histr night when he said^hat they might just as well vote the whole revenue in a lump sum, for, by dealing with imaginary sums, as has been done in voting some £9000 more than is ever likely to find its way into the Treasury, it has been left entirely at the option of the Superintendent lo say upon which, out of the many public works recommended to be executed, the real funds shall be expended. It is quite possible that such a course is as wise a one as could be adopted, as the Government are in a position to know the real wants of the province, and to decide which of the proposed works are the more urgently needed, but; if they are frit have the control of the public purse, wherein -lies the advantage of that expensive machinery known as the Provincial Council ? If " passing the Estimates," which certainly constitutes the most important work of the session, simply means the offering of suggestions as to how the money shall be expended, why could not these suggestions be just as well sent through the post, thus avoiding the necessity of taking members from their homes for a mouth or two in every year ? The idea, we believe, is quite a novel one, but, if put into practice, is one which would have the effect of saving a . vast amount of both time and money, besides being productive of quite as good results as those to be attained under the present system.

The Outgoing Suez Mail. — In consequence of an intimation having been received that the Omeo will not call at Nelson on her present trip, new arrangements have to be adopted for despatching the Suez Mail. For information on this head we refer our readers to the Post Office Notices. , , .'.■';..•..; The Provincial Council. — There seems to be some little uncertainty a3 to 'i when the labors of the Council will be brought to a close, but, in all probability, it will be prorogued to-morrow morning, as the business wijl most likely be brought te a termination this evening. , ... '/ iA. letter has been received in Greymouth by Messrs. Nancarrow, Henderson, & Co., informing them that the Jane Anne, schooner.*, irwhich j left Greymouth on .the; 28tli March last| now nearly two months 'ago, had not reachied' Kaiajioi on the^frtV

inst. It is feared that she has foundered at sea, with all hands. Shipwreck.— The Lady Darling from Riyerton? for Melbourne, laden with oats and wheat, went : ashore ou Wednesday last on the Riverton beach. Tlie vessel is a total wreck, but. the carpo, it is reported, will be saved. Both vessel and cargo are insured.