AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1672, 26 April 1862, Page 3

AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22nd, 1862. Mr. KING moved that Message 117 be taken into consideration, and thought that in the event of the estimated revenue not being sufficient to cover the expense of these items, that a loan should be raised for that purpose. The Council then went into committee on this messag". Mr. KING moved that the snm of £430 be placed on the Estimates for repairing the Queen-street wharf. Mr. FOLEY opposed this motion; he would oppose every vote unless the Government would show where the money wta to cores frorru

Mr. LYNCH followed in the same argument Dr. POLLEN moved, in answer, that Message 147 I be as;ain read, which was done. Mr. FOLEY would not accept this message as an answer. Mr. DALDY objected that it was not specified how the loan was to be raised, and at what interest. Dr. POLLEN thought the message as explicit as words could make it. The money might be obtained from the General Government, of perhaps by a loan from tho Bank. Mr. DALDY asked if the Executive would bring down a' resolution specifying some particular course. Dr. POLLEN stated that if the Council would pass a resolution, the Superintendent could then readily take action upon it, and find means for raising the money. Mr. RATTRAY would like to know the rate of interest at which it was proposed to borrow the money. Mr. HARROP made some remarks which were inaudible in the gallery. Mr. KING explained that it was not a loan of £3OOO which he advocated, but only some £I2OO, excluding the vote of £2OOO for general contingencies. He wal of opinion that the money could be obtained from the Bank at 8 per cent. Mr. CADAIAN again reminded the Council that Dr. Pollen had once again showed to the Council that there was upwards of £2OOO interest of debentures which the Council had placed on the expenditure of the present year, when they knew well it was properly a portion of the expenditure of 1863. This was the source from whence the money would come, but the opposition wished to throw dust in the eyes of the public, and cripple the Superintendent's Government. Mr. J. O'NEILL thought it would not be necessary to borrow a shilling of money, but he did think there should be some money placed in the hands of the Executive for contingencies. There was no reason why, looking impartially, the Executive should not be so trusted; the Council was sufficiently protected by the Audit Act. Mr. FOLEY would still oppose the motion; he would not trust the Superintendent with a single shilling. Mr. J. O'NEILL'S amendment was then put, " that in case the revenue of the Province be found not sufficient to meet the expenses that the Superintendent be empowered to effect a loan not exceeding £3OOO, at a rate of not more than 8 per cent." Mr. DALDY thought the question should be postponed. Dr. POLLEN explained that this Council had been following a financial ignis Jatuas. The Superintendent had agreed to the desire of the Council that they should empower him to effect a loan, and now they were unwilling to fulfil their part of the bargain. If the Council did not wish those items to be passed, let them say so at once. The Superintendent had shown the Council how to get out of their difficulty, and he (Dr. Pollen) had endeavoured to explain his views, and regretted that the Council could not see the matter in the clear light in which he beheld it. Mr. DALDY taunted the Executive that they had entered into a contract with the Council to equalize the estimates; this they had broken. Dr. POLLEN denied that the Executive had given such a pledge. The pledge he had given was that not he, but that the Superintendent should revise those estimates, and he had already done so. Mr. DALDY contended that the pledge was from the Provincial Treasurer, not from the Superintendent. Dr. POLLEN must distinctly contradict the hon. member, and would wish it at once to be placed on record. Mr. O'NEILL'S amendment was then put and lost. Mr. FOLEY, in putting his amendment, that the matter be postponed until it be shown where the money was to come from, took occasion to accuse the Superintendent, Treasurer, and Law Officer of peculation. The amendment was then put and carried. The second reading of the Debenture Bill was then proceeded with. Mr. BROOKFIELD explained the nature of the Bill, which was to raise a sum of £60,000 to build the necessary works of Gaol, Hospital, Supreme Court, Post Office, Market House, Registry office, and offices for both General and Provincial Governments; the loan to extend over 30 years, at the rate of not more than 7 per cent., to be a charge on the general revenue of the Province. Mr. BUSBY proposed, and Mr. Rattray seconded the proposal that this Bill be read this day six months, which was ultimately put and lost. Mr. DALDY aud Mr. LYNCH both differed with Mr. Busby. Mr. FOLEY would vote £50,000 but not £60,000. Mr. J. O'NEILL expressed his willingness to vote for this Bill. He thought that the member for_ tho Bay should withdraw his amendment, more especially as he must know how much these public buildings were required. The Bill was then read a second time, and the Council went into Committee on the same. THURSDAY, 24th APRIL, 1862. Mr. DALDY presented a petition from certain butchers in Auckland, praying to be allowed to slaughter small cattle within the City; and moved that the petition be forwarded as information to the Superintendent. In answer to Mr. FOLEY'S question, "If it is the intention of His Honor the Superintendent to send down a Bill this session to provide for the erection of a bridge over the Tamaki river at Panmure?" Dr. POLLEN said that owing to the late state of the session it was not advisable to hurry a work ofsuch importance, full particulars of which would be ready for the next session. Dr. POLLEN, speaking of his motion, " That this Council will make provision for the cost of obtaining from the General Assembly of New Zealand an Act to enable the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland to construct a railway from the City of Auckland to Drury," assumed that the Council did not intend to allow matter to rest with a mere preliminary inquiry, but that if such inquiry should prove satisfactory, that the Council would empower the Superintendent to go on i with the work. The expenses of obtaining a bill of i this kind would be considerable.

Mr. WYNN argued that this was properly a private Bill, and that the sum of £SOO was only voted to encourage a company to speculate in these works. He deprecated the construction of a railway from Government funds. Mr. DALDY blamed the Law Adviser, that he had not advised the Government after the discussion, on advancing the £SOO for survey, that the Council did so, not intending to go further in the matter. Mr. BUCKLAND dissented from the statement just made by Mr. Daldy. The question of who should take the expenditure of the work was, he maintained, scrupulously avoided on that occasion, still he did not think it a wise step for any Government to carry out a work of this nature. There was not, he was sure, the remotest chance of being able to carry this Bill through the General Assembly. Mr. HOWE agreed with the views expressed by Mr. Buckland. Dr. POLLEN again stated that his object in putting this question to the Council was to ascertain its feeling on the matter, and it was no wish of his unduly to press the question. Had he not made this motion, the Government might have been justly blamed for discourtesy to the Council in not taking their advice after they had, in an early part of the session, so unanimously adopted the resolution of carrying on the preliminary survey. With the permission of the Council he would withdraw the resolution. The Speaker was about to decide, when Mr. BUSBY rose to enquire if the opposition of one member would prevent the withdrawal. Being assured that it was so, Mr. BUSBY then formally objected to Dr. Pollen's being allowed to withdraw the motion —in order to push matters to a division. Several members having expressed their regret that Mr. Busby should have taken such a course, Mi - . BO WE moved as an amendment, that this question be postponed till next session. Mr. BUCKLAND would support the amendment as a means of saving the Council from the dilemma into which Mr. Busby was thrusting them by his opposition to the withdrawal of the motion. Mr. POLEY thought that no railway was wanted, and that the sooner they (the Council) were sent about their business the better, for what use they were. Mr. BUSBY thought the Council ought to put on record their unanimous reprobation of such a project as that of constructing a railway in the Province of Auckland. On a division being taken on Mr. Eowe's amendment, there were for the amendment 6, against it 11. The original motion was then carried. Mr. KING moved, and the Councfl acquiesced in the motion, " That an address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to make provision on the Supplementary Estimates for the Auditor's salary and contingencies of that department; also for the several amounts recommended in the Private Grievance Committ' e's reports Nos. 1 and 2, adopted by this Council, and forwarded in addresses Nos. 71 and 120 to His Honor the Superintendent. Mr. SKHYME moved, " That an address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to send down to this Council a Bill authorising him to borrow a sum of money not exceeding £ , to supplement the revenue of the current year, in order to enable His Honor the Superintendent to carry out any works which the Superintendent and Council may concur in deeming adviiable and have not been pro- " ride* for by ths Appropriation, A,et <sf JS6f, in th«

eveut of their not being sufficient available surplus revenue in the Provincial Treasury to perform such On Mr. BUSBY'S motion all the words after "1862" were struck out, and the motion as amended was Mr. TUTVDY, as Chairman, then brought up the Report of the Select Committee on the Debenture Bill (£60,0G0) for public buildings. In explanation of the Report, Mr. DALDY stated the Attorney-General had acquiesced on the part of the General Government to hand over the title of th» sites of these buildings to the Provincial Government. That the General Government would pay the interest on the debentures and sinking fund on the cost of buildings for general purposes. It was then moved that a copy of this report be forwarded to His. Honor the Superintendent for his information.