PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Monday, May 17.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 40, 19 May 1869, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. Monday, May 17.

The Council assembled at five o'clock. All the members present except Mr. Hornet The minutes of the previous sitting having been read and confirmed, Mr. Donne brought up the report of the selept committee appointed to consider the petition of John William Lynch. This report recommended that the petitioner was entitled to and should receive compensation. PEINTING- AND ADVERTISING- FOE SOUTHWEST GOLD-FIELDS. ■ Mr. Donne moved, and Mr. Hescstelly seconded, " That his Honour the Superintendent be requested to furnish the Council with a detailed account of the expenditure or £1,225 voted last year for stationery, printing, advertising, and contingencies, under the heading, ' South-west Gold-fields.' " The Provincial Secretary said he should not oppose the motion, although he must warn honourable members that, to make this return, considerable time would be requisite. Motion adopted. RESERVE OF LAND, NELSON INSTITUTE. Mr. Reid moved, " That tho following resolution, passed on Thursday last, be rescinded, viz :— ' That the Waste Lands Board be requested to reserve a block or blocks of Crown Lands, not exceeding in all 1,000 acres, as an endowment to the Nelson Institute, iv accordance with the 9th clause of the " Nelson Waste Lands Act, 1863," on the Committee of the said Institute agreeing, to employ the rents and profits of such land on lectures and evening classes ; to keep the accounts of such funds distinct from those of other departments of the Institute, and to submit them aunnally to the Provincial Auditor ; the land to be selected before the 31st March, 1870.'" He said the result of adopting this motion was that they had one from Mr. M'Mahon and another from Mr. G-ibbs, both of a similar nature. Dr. Irvine said he had wished all along that a general scheme of endowment for these Institutes should be carried ; but not knowing what would be the effect of Mr. Wastney's resolution, unless amended, he should certainly oppose the present motion. Mr. F. Kelling- and Mr. Gibbs would vote against the motion, but not for the purpose of rescinding any intention of tho Council to endow all these Institutes. Mr. Lttckie said the good that would arise from the resolution already adopted would be more than overbalanced by the other motions for similar endowments to several districts of the province. To set aside 1,000 acres would be comparatively useless, for in twenty years hence the utmost revenue would be, say threepence per acre. He, thinking that the smallness of the sum would be comparatively useless, considered that the motion already carried should be rescinded. Mr. Burn was surprised at what Mr. Luckie had said. He read the retux*n of amounts received by the several Libraries, &c, from local subscribers, and the amounts given to them under the Government grant, which showed that nearly all of them received amounts equal to or exceeding their annual subscriptions, whereas the Nelson Institute, with £100 of subscriptions, had voted to it only £50. Motion, on a division, carried. Ayes, 16 : Messrs. Wastney, Baigent, M'Mahon, Parker, Simmonds, M'Dowell, Eeid, Boitt, Thompson, Donne, Hennelly, Luckie, C. Kelling, Sparrow, Gibbs, and N. Edwards. Noes, 5 : The Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Secretary, Messrs. F. Kelling, Dr. Irvine, and Burn. The adjourned debate on Mr. Wastney's motion was then called upon:— "That the Waste Lands Board be requested to reserve a block or blocks of Crown lands, not exceeding in all 25,000 acres, as an endowment to the various Public Libraries and Institutes of the province ; tho proceedings arising from such lands to be divided each in proportion to their number of annual subscribers." The Provincial Secretary moved, as an amendment :—": — " That the attention of the Waste Lands Board be called to clause 9 of the ' Waste Lands Act,' which contains a provision enabling the Board to make reserves for the endowments of public libraries and reading-rooms; tin's Council being of opinion that the Waste Lands Board should, if practicable, make liberal reserves for the purpose mentioned." Mr. LircKia seconded the amendment. Mr. M'Mahon opposed the amendment. Dr. Irvine would rather support the amendment than Mr. Wastney's motion, a 9 it at present stood. On the motion of Mr. Parker, after some further discussion, the debate was adjourned till Thursday next. SCAB ACT. Mr. Simmonds moved the following resolutions contained in the report of the Belect committee appointed to take into consideration the working of the " Scab Act :"— "1. That an Inspector be appointed who should reside at or near tho dipping station, Fox-hill, whose duty it should also be to carry oul the provisions of the Act iv tho Wauneas.

"2. That an Inspector be for the districts of Motueka and Massacte Bay. "3. That the Inspector in Nfejson attend to Nelson and its Suburbs, and, for the purposes of the Act, bo called the Chief Inspector." x - Mr. Kelling seconded the motion. Mr. Wastney moved, and Mr. Lxtckie seconded, that tho Council go into committeo on thero resolutions, with Dr. Irvine in the chair. Amendment adopted. Mr. Simmonds moved the first resolution. The Provincial Secbetaey said it was most extraordinary that; a committee should have sat on this question without having called the Chief Inspector, or without having had a member of the Government upon it. He should now move to alter the motions as follows :—: — " 1. That the Chief Inspector should reside at or near Fox-hill, whose duty it should also be to carry out the provisions of the Act in the Waimeas, Motneka, and Moutere. "2. That an Inspector be appointed for the district of Massacre Bay. " 3. That the Inspector in Nelson attend to tho City of Nelson and its Suburbs." Amendment agreed toESTIMATES. Tho Council wont into committee to further consider the Estimates, with Mr. Edwards in the chair. Scab Act. The words " Chief Inspector, and Inspector for Suburbs, Waimea, Motueka, and Massacre Bay. £350," were read. On the motion of the Pbovincial Seceetaby, the words were altered to " Chief Inspector, and Inspector for Waimea, Motueka, Biwaka, and Moutere." Mr. Wastney moved that the item for salary be made £150. Mr. Luckie moved that it be £200. Mr. Hennelly moved that it be £250. The Speaker moved that it be £300, saying the Council, he thought, should vote a sufficient sum in order to secure a good servant ; and then, if an inefficient person were appointed to fill the office, the blame would rest with the G-overnment. On tho motion to make it £150, the following division took place :—: — Ayes, 3 : Messrs. Wastney,' Baigent, and Simmonds. Noes, 16 : The Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Secretary, Messrs. Gibbs, Sparrow, C. Kelling, Luckie, Hennelly, Donne, Thompson, F. Kelling, Beitt, Eeid, M'Dowell, Parker, M'Mahon, and the Speaker. Motion rejected. On the motion of Mr. Lttckie to make it £200, the following was the division upon which the motion was carried : — Ayes, 12 : Messrs. Wastney, Baigent, M'Mahon, Parker, Simmonds, M'Dowell.'Keid, Beitt, F. Kelling, Thompson, Luckie, and Gibbs. Noes, 7 : The Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Secretary, Messrs. Sparrow, C. Kelling, Hennelly, Donne, and the Speaker. " Deputy-Inspector, Nelson and Suburbs, £50." Mr. F. Kelling moved that this item be made £100, but subsequently withdrew it. After concluding the other items under the " Scab Act," the Council resumed and adjourned.