PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 526, 27 August 1863, Page 4

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26th. • The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. THE WAITAHUNA ACCOMMODATION HOUSE. Mr GILLIES complained that the documents produced on this question, were upon the face ot thpm imperfect. What ourss ought he to pursue? * The SPEiKE t thought the honorable member should call the attention of the Provincial Secretary to the fact, an 1- move for a completion of the return. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY must apologise. The matter had been mentioned to him by the honorable member on the previous evening ; and he had intended to"* have the matter rectified during the day. He had simply f'orgottea to do so. HSXDREDS. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY laid on the table returns as to the quantity of land, surveyed and unsurveyed, within proclaimed Hundreds. NOTICES OF 3IOTION. MR VOGEL gave notice that he would move on Thursday, the 27th insiant, "That an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, asking him to cause to be kid on the tabL- of the House, any correspondence in reference to the management of tbe Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, or of any complaints thereof; Also, reports of any Boards of Enquiry (if any) on matters relating to the management of the Hospital." Mr DE WE to move—"That a respectful address be presented to bis Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to place the sum of LIOOO on the t'stimates for the opening up of a Main Branch Road to the Akatore District." Mr PINKEHTON gave notice tbat on Thursday, the 27th inst., he would move—"That, this Council recommend his Honor the Superintendent to place on the Estimates the sum of L3OO to be given to tbe party or parties who shall first introduce one hunired alpacas into the Province of Otago." Mr^M'KENZIE gave noii.e that to-morrow (Thursday) he would move " That an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent to the effect that heb i please Ito t>ive police protection to that portion of the Clutha district situated beyond a radius of twenty m-les from the Clutha Ferry." QUESTION'S Mr DEWE, on Thurs lay, the 27th—To ask why registrars of brands have not beeu appointed, in order to carry out the provisions ot the Cattle Boundary Ordinance, aad whether tha districts under the Ordinance have teen established'? Mr A>.RENNIK,'oa Thursday, the 27th, to ask the Executive—Whether or not it is the intention ofthe Government in releasing the puafc at the Upper Taieri l't rry, to make provision by which all those who are able to avail themselves of a passage by the punt shall be exempted from any charges 1 Mr M'KENZIK To ask the provincial Secretary if any Survey or" the Crown Lands in this Province has been paid for by private individuals, since the 1-tth August, 1881, and if so, the reason 1 MrM'KBNZIE—To ask the Provincial Secretary if it be the intention of this Government to remove, in any manner, the obstructions which the Wa, te Land Board has seen Int. to oppose, to those persons who,-in accordance with existing Regulations, desire to purchase land on runs. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY—To move on an early day, Resolved, 1. That bis Honor the Superintendent be authorised with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, to guarantee interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum, to any company who may propose to construct a Slip or Dock in the Port of Otago. 2. The guarantee to be limited to the sum of LoO.ODO ot the proposed capital of such company ! and to extend over a period not exceeding ten years. ' 3. The arrangements ofthe conditions of guarantee, construction act, maintenance, and fees chargeable' to be subject to the approval of the Government. - ' Mr GILLIES proposed to give notice of motion, of a committee to inquire into the system of working in the Treasury department, consequent upon the statement on the previous evening, tint the books | were not posted up. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY wished to state that hs intended to give explanations on the subject which he thought would render the notice : unnecessary. PROPOSED PUNT TOR INCII CLUTHA. IMr BIRCH asked the Government "If they intend to place a punt connecting Inch Clutha with the I main land V The desirability of a punt being placed I was so evident, that he need not comment upon it; 1 especially as he understood that ths head ofthe Go- I vernment had given a pledge to settlers in the district that a punt should be placed. i

i IjTiie PROVINCIAL SECRETARY was certainly :»ot aware of any such pledge, on the contrary, he lid not see how it could hive been given. He found chat there had been r« presentations from time to time •nade by inhabitants of inch Clutha as to the necessity of a punt; but the difficulty was this, that it placed, the punt would be on a district road, and not on a main line, and therefore to place it would be at variance with thereso'utions on the subject. I< fr.ct, is he was informed, the setthrs were not agreed tnioagst themselves as ta the proper roe .ns of communication ; for while some desired a punt, a considerable number had de fennined not to be satisfied with any- • hing short of a bridge. But the answer ti the question was, that the Government had no" intention of constructing a punt at present. THE EMIGRATION C JXXRACr. Mr HEPBURN moved"Thatthe Council express its sense ofthe very satisfactory manner in whicb the contracts of Messrs ... Benders™ and Co., for conveyance of emigrants h'otn the Clyde to Otago, ex;ending over the period horn 1857 up to March of this year, have been uniformly carried cut." He thought that considering the long connection between Messrs Henderson and' the Province, and the very satisfactory manner in which tuey had always carried out their i ontracts, ho thought that this expression or opinion was fully deserved. He was not aware of a single complaint having been made against Messrs rlenuerson or auy of their ships. The motion was all tne more catled for, because, fhrougk no fault of their own, tnose gentlemen had now lost the contract, llie object seemed to have been to save a «»a.l sum per head on the emigrants: but the lowest priced article was not always the uusapest; and considering the importance ot securing tiie comfort of so many people on the long voyase out, He could only express a hope tbat the new contractors would do all m* their jower to gain the same Mr PINKERTON seconded the motion. He admitted that to passsuch areselutiou was only a imis*able in very unusual cases; but this wa-- one in connection with which he thought the Council might most iustly depart from a general principle. He believed that upwards of4OOQ souls had been brought to this province onder the contract with Mess-s Henderson. It had always seemed to him that our einig ation scheme had redounded more tothe credit of the Council and the Province than we gave it credit for. He believed that a better selected class of men had never been ; taken from the home country to any Australian ? colony than had been brought here. Mr VOGEL was at a loss to under.-tand why the ' resolution had been brought before the House, unless . there was something involved of which the House had not been put in possession. If it was to be car- , ned, the Council had better pass votes of thanks to all ' contractors who satisfactorily carried out their con- : tracts— ("Hear, hear," and'«• Oh!") There were .' two Glasgow houses connected with the Otago shipt ping trade; and there was ample evidence of the fact-for though new in form, it was no new matter i —that Messrs Henderson having secured the contract [ for bringing out passengers, were for a time still per- . mitted to do so, after the expiry 0f ... tlieir contract, although the other house had offered to bring them * out at a less rate. This matter was discussed in the t late Councii, and in consequence of what t thpn took place, the Home - Agents advertired for fresh tenders. The result was that - the firm whom the Council were asked so heartily to - thank, had lost the .contract, as the other firm had . undertaken to do it for a less sum. But still Messrs Henderson and Co found that it would pay them to send out ships, so that there really was no cause for f gratitude to them. He considered that it was de- . cidedly improper to interfere in the question of the relative merits of-two commercial firms.—(Hear, hear.) In;this matter of bunging out emigrants > as in everything else, it was very desirable that t there should be some competition; and he could not help ieelmg that to pass a vote of thanks to those who had lo3t the contract, was very much like an indirect vote of censure on those who had obtained it.—(Hear, hear.) The step would 3 be most impolitic, it would establish a very bad pref cedent, and the mover had not shown to the House that there was the least occasion for the motion r The PROVINCIAL TREASURE a did not ap- - prove of such motions as the present. But the case 1 was _a special one. True, Messrs "P. Henderson and Co had been paid for what thsy had done; but it ' must be remembered that when ihev took the con- - tract, there was a refusal by those who had ii now to . do the work unless they had something like L 2 a-htad more than Messrs Henderson asked., When a contract so began had been so satisfactorily performed for so many yeais, a difference of 10s a head was not sufficient to warrant a change. He believe! thafeach Superintendent since 1857 would readily admit, not only that the contract had been properly carried out, but that it had been clone far more liberally than the terms of the contract required. He did not wiili to censure the agents or to say anything against tbe course they had adopte-1; but he believed tint discussions iv the Counc.l caused thera to advertise for new tenders and toaceept the lowest tender. But what was the result ] Were the ships as satisfactory as before ? They 3 were not, in any shape or form. . l Mr BRODIE : Then cancel the contract. < The PROVINCIAL TREASURER"'considered r that it was bad policy, after such long- experience of r Messrs Henderson, to take the contract from them . for Ihe sake of 10s ahead ; aad he trusted that the . Council would, under the peculiar circumstances, » adopt the resolution of the honorable member for the 3 Waikari district (Mr Hepburn). ; Mr HAlt'Dl said that from the remarks of the last speaker, this seemed to be a Gorern ent ques-tion.-(Hear, hea".) The PROVINCIAL TREASURER: It is no , Government question at all. I have simply ex. pressed my own views Mr HiRDY: At al events, the Government Sfemecl to take it up pretty warmly. (Hear, hear.) i He thought the motion was intended to cut two c ways—to be a vote cf censure as well as a vote of ? thanks. If the views of the Provincial Treasurer . were endorsed, ifc would be a vote of.ce:isure„ not only t upon those who had the contract, but upon the agents. - In addition to this, if the motion was passed, it would f almost lead the world to believe that it was an un- - common thing for contractors to perform their contrasts. 3 Mr REN\UE coil.l not support fie motioa, esol- -■ caaliy after the remarks of the Provincial Treasurer. ! Mr GILLTE3 supported the motion. He believed there had beeu less complaint as to emigration to Otago thatitoanyanothcrpart of the world. Jtfvpa«sing , the resolution, it would encourage the present coni tractors to do their duty by showing thai if they .ailed, tfiey might expeit au expression of a very dif. : ferent opinion. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY denied that the question had ever been before the Government He supported the resolution; and he very much rei gretted the tone attempted to be given to it by the honorable member for Waikouaiti (Mr Vo^ei) bei cause he was satisfied that, in its 1-g'timate meaning . it was simply an expression of opinion which was' ncbly deserve.!. Mr BRODIE denied tint there was evidence enough before the House to justify a number cf the new members m giving an opinion. The Executive seeinei to be resigning their functions; and they would soon become merely a sort of C jmmittee of the House If Messrs Hen-iersoa were to be thanked tie Executive who knew all of the c;iss ou»ht to'do it. ° Mr M r»SS. opposed the mofc'on. He could not help thinking, despite what had been said as to the Provincial Treasurern*tspeakingautboritat:ve]y, that he bad somewhat let the cat out of the bag; and'that if the moti.n was adopted, more would be heard of the matter. Mr B L i? R supported the motion.: Mr PATERSON added his denial to tint of his colleagues, that the question was in any sense a Go-vernment-one. Mr DIOK could not see hiw the question could be thrown upon the Government; but he sincerely hoped to see every number cf the Government voting for the motion. He never knew of any contractors or public servants, who more richly deserved the thanks of the Council. He said this, although he knew thafc the present Superintendent, during the periol when there wa? no Executive, wrote to the agents, anl paid tiie highest compliment to the manner in which Messrs Henderson hai carried out the contract. Captain BALDWIN" kaew so litt'e of the whole matter that he could not vote for the motion ; aud as he did not wish to vote against it, he would move the previous question. Mr WALKER seconded the motion. After some discussion, The SPEAKER put the question, "That this que-.tion be now put.-' Upon a division there appeared - Ayes 15: Messrs J. Cargill, Hughes, Miller, & H. Cargill, Burns, Pinkerton, Blair Min-ii Patera, Dick, Reynolds. Gillies, Steel Reid! Hepi burn (-eller). ' r Noes, 17: Messrs Rennie, Bro.lie, Mansfbrd, Duncan, Murison, M'Kenzie, Walker, Glees m vH' n ST' fri*™. kilgour, Birch, Moss Vogel, Hardy, BaLwin (teller). The decision therefore was that "this question" the original motion) should not be'" now put;" and tlie -PhiKER explained that, the effect was that t?e question coulj not be put during the present sit-

Mr HEPBURN gave notice to repeat the motion at the next sitting.

mruuKJVS moved— "That a ,re-p3ctful adlress be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, lvquesiingthat he would be pleased to lay upon the table of this Hou>e the correspondence hitwfen the General and Provincial Governments with r.ference to the purchase of Stewart's Island." The PROVI.NCIiL SECRETARY raid thnt, anticipating the motion, Hie Superintendent had sent down documents, which he (the Provinci.il Secretary) believe! to be all ths correspondence onthe subject He laid it ou the table.' The correspondence wii? as follows: — Coinspondenee between the Honorable the Colonial Secretary and His Honor the Superintendent of Otago, relative to the purchase of Stewart's Island. Colonial Secretary's Office. Aucklsnd, 23 Janunry, 1861 SIR,—-I have the honor t~> enclose a copy of a letter from a Native, named '-"John Topi," in which be '■■tJ'ffa'-s part of Stew irt's Island for sa'e to the Government, and to request that Your Honor will be goo i enough lo inform me whether the Provincial Government of Ota^o require this laud, and if so, w-ether •they will provide the neeps-ary funds for extinguishing tha native title thereto, Ihave&e., (Signe.l) Henry John Tawarep, In Mr Stafford's absense. To His Honor The -Superintendent of Otago. Roupuke, August 2, 1830. To His Excellency ColonelT. Gore Brown, C B. Sir—l beg-to address your Excellency repecting the sale of Stewart's Island—the sale—and I beg to offer to your Excellency (for sale) all that portion o the said island westwar 1 of the one hundred and sixty eighth degrae of longitude, under tin Regulations for the Sale of Maori L-inds. Hoping to rec.ive an answer as early as convenient, I remain, kc, (Signed) John Topi. Dunedin, 20th February, 1861. To the Honorable • . The Colonial Secretary, Auckland. Sir—With reference to your dispatch of dite as per margin, respecting the purchase of Stewart's island, I have the honor to state that the Provincial Government of Otago will be prepared to provide the funds required for extinguishing the native title, assuming-, of course, that the price is not unreasonably high, aad the land so required will be administered by, and its proceeds be at the disposal of the provincial Government of Otago. I may state thnt I have had repeated and numerous applications from Otago settlers to acquire timber land on Stewart's Island, and that there are now several individuals erecting;saw-mills, and otherwise squatting on the island; so that it is highly desirable that something should be done towards its regular colonisation, looking at the proximity of the island to this Province, and the fact tliat there are weekly "steamers,- -from Dun din, passing almost within hail of it, it would appear that the work of settlement or colonisation can be best performed by and nalurally devolves upon this Province. lam not aware-or the nature and extent ot native claims'to Stewart's Island, if occupation may be regarded as any test of this—that claim is very small, if it exists at all. .'..-'.- If compatible v/ith the native policyof the Govern ■ ment as respects th?. Northern Island, I feel assured that, if authorised to do sc, the Provincial Government could deal with John Topi and his co-partners upon very moderate terms.; While upon this subject I would call your attention to the Native Reserve at the Lower- Taieri Ferry regarding which L spoke to Mr M'Lean when here last year. It is moSt desirable that t.hi 3 should be in the hands of the Province, and if the few natives living in the neighborhood would be induced to dispose of it, the Government xronld be prepared to-pay a fair price. The spot in questiol i 3 one of the most important town sites in the Province, and it would tend greatly towards the public convenience if a town could be laid off on it at once. > I have, ' kc, (Signed) James Macandrew, Superinendeat. EDUCATIONAL RBSERTES. Mr GLEESON moved— " That the Educational Reserves ia country districts he Ut on short leases, the revenue so arising to ,be"devoted, to the. purposes of education within the distncts-in which such reserves occur." Mr-HEPBURPi'seeonded the motion. The PROVINCIAL TREASURER moved as an amendment— •-....-. .'• That a Select Committee be appointed to consider the terms and-conditions tipon-'wliich such reserves were authorised-to be made; the"'extent and loc dity of such reserves; the steps to be taken to make them available as a means bf reducing-taxation for tbe purpose of education. The Committee to con>ist of Mr Speaker (with his consent), Messrs Dick, Gleeson, Hepburn, Morris, Rennie, and the Mover: and to report on the 3lst insc" Tin PR .iVIJTCIA'L' SECRETARY seconded the amendment. - Mr GLEESON was quite content to take thft course proposed by the Government; and the motion having been/by-consent,1-withdrawn/ the amendment was adopted. UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE Mr VOGEL moved- " That tfce House go into committee for the purpose of considering the following resolution, viz:— That his Honor beiequested fo lay. upon the table of the House a statement of unauthorised expenditure to date." . . He was within the Standing Orders on the subject; for whereas lie had previously asked for the return .before the House considered the Estimates, hs now simply asked for it, and left it to the good taste of the Executive to hurry on its preparatim. Wliaihe heard on-ihe previous day made it ten timsa more necessary that be'should press for tha return. He ;wM'indeed astoiiished to leara that the books had not been posted since the Ist. April • The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said that if he was being quoted, he wished lo s^y that the statement was contrary to ascertained facts. Mr VOGEL: The honorable the Provincial Treasurer distinctly stated tliat the books had not been postel since the Ist April. - The PROVINCIAL TREASURER: I did not say so. ; I said that the ledger had uot been posted since the Ist April. Mr VOGEL: If the books had been p-sted, why were. not the returns furnished at once. He would only ask the House ti compare the state of the public accounts as presented to them, with the way in • which they woulcl be kept in a private establishment : ™^ b™£; ?-' he statement was, that an amount of L 225.000 had been spent sine? the Ist April; but that the items could not be furnished-to the House in less than three weeks. He c;u!d scarcely conceive the frightful state of confusion in which the bjoks must have fallen, if such was the case. 3He could only conceieve that some -" of the amounts had not been entered "at all; and that they woeld have to bs entered "up in some way or other. _ He conceived that the expenditure being unauthorised, the accounts ought to have befn 'kept with the nio-'e minuteness. The Frovincwl Secretary treated the Hous; to one-of what might be-called his characteristic inaccuracies He said that members coucl gather from the Estimates an id^a of tlie amounts expended without authorisat:on. But theEstimates simply referred to the amounts proposed to be voted, wmcb could be ni guide to member, lrue, .here were columns showing the sums voted last session and the amou.:t^ ex-ended; but they simply came up to the ml of the financial half yea? the Slbt March He wanted to learn if the Housi were to be told specifically what sums had been expended since that neriod T). P Provincal Treasurer had held out a vagus Lope that before the passing of the -Estimates honorable members would ba told how mufhhad heen expended and how much had not. Rut if this could be done in a day or two when . the Estimates enme on, he asked that the House should be tolclheiorehan-i, if the Estimates were not to be forced through the House, how much of th-: items to be authorised had been expended and how much . had not been. To do otherwi c would be a truly unconstitutional proceeding; and to !-anct:on it would be to lose sight of the p; ivileg* sof the House. They were told that the amount of expenditure incurred since the la>t day of-March, and, therefore, without the authority of the Council was L 224,000. honorable members might not be aware how large a proportion this formed of the whole Estimates. The total amount asked for appeared to be 1838,000; but that total included a number of special appropriations—including sums which appeared to have been put in to make the financial position of the Province aopear worse tban It really was. He had gone through the Estimates and taken out these special appropriations. Let it be understood that he did not complain of any of those items. He simply said that they were appropriations untouched,-of wbich nothing wh tsver had befn spent.- He would read those items :- Steamer for Pilot Service, L 730 0; ditto for West Coast L 8300; stem dredge, Ll2 300; telegraphs, L.B,oloand LIB.OOO -by an inaccuracy this sum h-4 been tv. ice set down, but he would allow for it • Water Works, L 35,000; fortifications, L 20,000: bridce? L 27.000 ; jetties, L 4400 (he believed none of this expenditure had been incurred); Posl; Office,

Ld800; lighthouses, L 12,300 ; Market Place. 1950) monument t> Captain (.'argill, L:2000 : purchase o runs, L 500 0; filling un Market Reserve, LIO.OOO Harbor KndowmenU, L' 25,000 ; Town Board of Cailmers, L2OOU ; Storekeeper's Department, LllOO School houses, 1,29,000; Hospitals, LlO 000; polio Station, Lll,ooo. including tlu last three items tliere would ha L33'l.o'Jo on the Eitima'es for specia works. Bat, to be safe, he would omit the 1 59.00( winch those items represented, because he might b< told tliat they hid be n pardv expanded; and thei hi had L 274.030 fbr proposed v.tes, no-Dart of whicl rQn Q »ee" exPeiKlef). Deducting that ■ from tin LSao,6li, there would be left, far current and departmental expanses, LSQ 1,648, of which no less thai L' 225 000 hai been already expended. So thai n-arly one-half of the whole amount askel for,tli? year had been expeniecl duriig the last four months aad a half, without, authorisation. We were coming to the season when ro-id works should be cirrie-1 or vigorously; but instead of having inouey for thai purpose, it would appear that the sums av.-iila'-le were nearly expanded— hrown away in fact. He bad specially urged that tlnre should be a d.t died statement of tha money spent and to be spent on public works. The unauthorised expenditure since the 3lst March, had been nofc for sbort of L2OOO per diem Take an analogus caso. However urgent it mii>ht ba that works should be carried oa here, it would net be pretence I that the necessity wis less urgent for operations in th? North. Did the House ihink that the General Government wou'd dare—if he might use ihe word—to come before the As-embly ami ask them to vole the war expenses, without giving the particulars of tbem ] 'They would not venture to do so ; ancl he could not help admiring what he must call the temerity of -the-Pro-vincial Executive — the profound con'fi lencs, the implicit faith they placed in the' Home—when they ventured to. refuse the return for whicli he asked at the previous sifting.- He .might appeal to tha Speaker as to what was the .universal, custom in such cases; and he■ coald not help characterising the difficulty raided as to- furnishing the return, as something ;very like humbug. The Provincial Secretary had condescended to give to country members something like a strong inducement to aid hira in refusing tbe return, by saying that if it was voted, they would be kept im attendance onthe House three or four weeks longer than otherwise. But he (Mr Vogel) said that the return would save time. For with ast itement ofthe unauthorised expenditure before them, the House might either vote an indemnity to the Superintendent, or take the violent ourse of refusing to do so, which no hoaorable member could contemplate. All such items could be passed-in o ne schedule; aud the. House would ony -have to deal with the items- that-.remained-to be expended. He could make allowance seeing the short time the Provincial Secretary had been in office, for the absurd amount of ill temper shown hy him in holding out the assurance that if the return was granted he would bave to deprive the country of his valuable services, as a member of the Executive. Tliere was nothing in tbe state of the books that could reflect upon tbe. honorable member; and for himself, he (Mr Vogel) wished to repeat that he had no factious feeling in making the motion. He wished the House to so into Committee in order that the honorable the Speaker might give the House the benefit of his great Parliamentary knowledge. That honorable "gentleman would be able to state that such returns-were never refused; and also that during his regime the books were so kept tint he could not conceive why three weeks should be required for putting the House in possessson of the details of the unauthorised expenditure. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said that having put the Estimates before the House, as he found them prepared by his predecessor, and having made enquiries as to the time that would be required to prepare a return to satisfy the honorable member, he was led to believe that it -would be so long that it would neaessitate a virtual adjournment ofthe House. He never objected, upon principle, to such a return bring furnished; but he did say that, circumstance 1 as the Government were to require a return that would take three weeks in preparation, was not a course that would be conducive to the interests of the Province. He admitted that a statement of the unauthorised expenditure ought to be before House at the earliest possible date; and he did not think it was desirable the House should go into Committee to discuss the question of its product jn. He thought the remarks of the hoaorable member as to the books, amounted to an unde-erved reflection upon a most meritorious officer of the Government. Mr VOGEL: It was simply on the assumption that three weeks would be required for the return. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY had more closely -investigated the matter during the day; and he could state that a ' return of the expenditure -up to the" previous night say except as to L 30.000 advanced to the Roads Department, cDuld be prepared and laid, on the table within two. days. The L 30,000 would call for some trouble ia going into details, and could be dealt with- in a supplementary estimate. He was willing to do his utmost, supposing tbe ileiise should consider that such a statement as he had indicitsd would be satisfactory.— (Heai'ihear. The PR VINCIAL TREASURER wished tc ssy that the statements of the honorable member foi Waikouaiti were fallacious in moie ways than one; bat it-might not now be necessary to go into the question. - After some further discussion, the motion was, b\ permission, withdrawn. RETURNS. The PROVINCIAL TREASURER laid on the table returns respecting the road from Saddle Hit. to West Taieri. The cost of.metalling could not be separated from that of formation, as" both werj lei in one contract.to Mr M'Kenzie. He had also on the table ritirns as to the road from Dunedin tc Taieri Ferry, '"- REPORTS. Extension of time was granted for bringing up tin reports from Special Committees onthe Civil Service. Goid Fields Representation, anl Cemeteries ant temetery Reserves. THE BANK AGENCY. The PROVINCUL TREASURER laid on th< table copies cf correspond, nee respecting the nego tuitions with the Union Bank. It hat been sen! down as complete ; but lie suspected that it was no' quite so. If such proved to be the case, any addi tional document should be produced as soon as possible. - r The correspondence will he found inextenso ir another coluuiu. THE LAND KEIOI.UTIONS. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY introduced ir Commiitee the resolutions on the Land, of which hi had given notice. He stated, as before reported that he could not be responsible for all the detai's' and he gave a sketch of the Report o tiie Committee appointed last sejsion, an< of the substance of the ' "res;lutiom tlienif elves. It woul ibe well, perhaps, if discussion was taken, generally oa the hrst resolution, wlrel was as follows -..— -'That the .Regulations for the sale, letting, au< disposal ol (he Waste Lands ofthe Crown within th Province of Otago are unsuited to the presntcircum stances ot the Province, aud that their amendment i: therefore necessary in the. manner provided by th< fojlo-.vingßeso'ulions. .-.— Mr JOHN CARGILL proposed the resolution of which he had given notice, and explained that thi principal difference between them and those sub • muted by the Government was that he advocatet absolute sale at a sufficient price. There was a very long discussion. In reply to Mr VOWEL, Major RICHARDSON declined to submit an^ series of resolutions at present. Tin mover of such it they displaced those brought by the Governmeni would have to form.a Ministry, if called upon; am that was the last thing he desuvd to have to do. II would move to omit from the first clause the word after necessary." After much discussion, Mr MACANDREW moved— "That the Chairman report progress, and as] leave to sit again tomorrow." This was agree! to. m^o^ CAVDBBW' S^e notice that he woul. move at the next sitting, leok? B SLJ hV he SreSt object towards which al Selv nJ 1 ( -espectto land should converge, is th womin- *T! 01l of tlle countt7 by men- and S?k i tliat;' c cxhtin Z Jand"regulations pnHed t& M Wh,° lea-r- re 1 ada Pfced t° tto d scretion 3 n m, u' lst2l,sd iv the wisdora an< emboded ?r P t'Udel *'le , I ' ondifcio^ of purchase '•2nd Tn, t «,^ eßei l r? Bulfltionß are enfoiCed uJvt Ai (oubts have arisen regardinc th St^tm c• e nndnditio!,S' and "S tl.e'gSSSfS &SthSnfl m^y Pm-chases have bee, eneccu under tlie influence of such doubts a npn.i Ct UMtt mtl; oduCed tbe effecttfsefinffi doubt sat rest; provided the action of suchcE shall not be retrospective. 5' NEW BILLS. The following bills were laid on the table •— A Bill to enable Auctioneers to act as Appraisers! levying Distress. m<"»eisi A Kil to make provision for the Supply of Water t the city of Dunedin. Each was read a first time and ordered to b printed; and the second reading was made an orde or the next sitting.

Each was read a first time and ordered to be printed; and the second reading was made an order or the next sitting.

•, ito several oruers or me aay were postponed ; and j- , -^ous" adjourned, at half-past ten, until four »i o clock next day.