THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 2116, 14 May 1875, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Dunedin, "Wednesday 1 In the Provincial Council last evening, in moving the Hundreds resolutions, the Provincial Secretary said that it was pro posed to recommend the proclamation of 325,000 acres into new Hundreds. The selection had been, made without regard to the individual affected, and simply with the view of securing the most suitable land. The largest area in one block was that situated, at Otakarama, Landslip Hill, South GHenkenich and North GHeukenich, in the one block forming an area of 66,000 acres. Through that block was being constructed the railway from Clutha to Mataura, and there was a good ordinary road through the district. The Government had reason to believe that this would be a suitable block for agricultural settlement, and if it were opened with a limited area of land under the deferred payment system, through it, the block could not fail to be taken up very readily. The Tapanui Hundred, comprising 14,500 acres, was a block of very superior land, and contained some of the remaining level land at the foot of the Blue Mountains and part of the land adjoin- ,

ing the Heriot Hundred.^ The Kingston Hundred, containing B(j©p^a<%§^»f!pf|fl§ adjacent to the railway^ nowjbeing^Ma^o-^ c< ' between Invei^argilU^cl Kingston, Xhe~* : ; land in the Cl^lterhilHunidrlad was also '% of very superior equality: It was invmediately adjoining V the large block ttf £ 60,000 acres coin prised in ;the Landslip _^ and North aii^ South- G-lenfeenich Han^. S|? dreds. In* that Ideality there were* " altogether some 86,000 acres. The debate was adjourned till next day The principal business this afternoon was the Hund reds and Deferred Payments Resolutions, which passed without debate. In introducing the latter the Provincial Secretary made a vigorous speech, condemning it as a blot upon our representative system that crotchety individuals to whom the circumstances of the Province were unknown should have the power to impede settlement. On the Harbor Board Ordinance, Mr ) McDerraid divided the Council on the ' i first two clauses, with the result of, in the one case, 33 ayes, and in the other, 36 ayes against two noes. Thursday. Mr Turnbull made the financial statement last evening. He stated that it did not require a lengthy explanation. He considered that the province had made steady progress, aud the fiaaaces were in a healthy condition. At the commencement of the last financial year, there was a balance in favor of tbe province on the general account of £83,416 lls lid, and a further sum in the treasury of £20,174 1 17s 4d, to be applied in payment of special works outside the votes against the provincial revenue. He had received as general provincial revenue, ,£455,275 ~ 7s Gd ; also from the Colonial Govern- ! ment, £2540 4s 3d, which left a balance ■ in favor of the province. After making up accounts in connection with the capita- ! tion grant, and the interest, &c, on the " consolidated loaDa— adding all the . amounts together— the grand total on the debtor side of the balance sheet, for which the Treasury has to account, is £604,389 Is, of which £89,748 4s lOd 1 has to be applied to ppecific purposes, and the balance of £574,640 16s 2d, was available towards votes of last sessiou. The receipts have exceeded the estimates " by £66,516 13s 4d, the excess arising J mainly from sales of Crown land. The J Road Board subsidy had slightly increased on account of the estimated alteration in the number of the population, by which tbe distribution of the ' General Assembly grant of £50,000 for the whole colony is regulated. Crown } lands had exceeded expectation by 1 £55,696 7s lid, and the assessment on stock had come short nearly £12 000. The gold export duty had fallen off, but the goldfields revenue had increased. ', Harbor and jetty dues had been very 5 considerably in excess of their anticipations, and tolls on roads had also yielded nearly £900 more than estimated. The ' Government lands and buildings were 1 stated at £25,000, and the actual receipts had been £10,854 8s lOd. The sales had, 1 however, exceeded that by about £12,000, 3 but being payable by instalments, the whole sum had not yet reached the I Treasury in cash. The education receipts p. showed a large deficiency. Licenses I Bhowed a considerable reduction, and it was difficult to account for this except on ! the assumption that the alterations in the \ Licensing Act have had the effect of closing a considerable number of places licensed for the sale of liquor. Railways I showed a very satisfactory excess on the estimated amount. Turning to the expenditure, on the credit side of the balance sheet there had been spent in the general service of the province, including Road Board subsidy, £523,249 13s 4d. \ A sum of £43,207 4s 9d on account of special works had been expended, and after deducting that from the total revenue, there remained a credit balance of £76,385 9s, of which £11,408 10s 2d waa in separate accounts for special works, and £64,976 183 lOd was available for appropriation for the current year. Summing up all the items they amounted to ■ £565,236 14s 6d, which added to the balance in hand at the commencement of the year of £64,976 18s lOd, gave a total available amount of £630,303 13s 4d to be dealt with. The proposed expenditure amounted to £741,593. This however included sufficient to cover all railways under contract, but on this latter account it would be impossible to spend during the present year anything like the whole sum. Probably there would remain unpaid on these and other works in progress which cannot be completed and passed in the current financial period, a sum of fully £100,000. Stamp duties amounted to £66,384. It is stated that the revenue will amount from all sources to £565,326, and it was expected that sales of Crown lands would realise £150,000. The receipts from railways would probably be £100,000. £10,000 had been put down as coming from the sale of the Invercargill broad gauge railway plant, which it had become necessary to dispose of in consequence of the alteration Of the gauge. The Sydney Government had agreed to purchase it. Mr Turnbull concluded by saying :— If this province is to maintain its position as the leading one in the Colony, it will be better to leave railways unmade, however much we may value them as aids to progress and prosperity, than make them at the sacrifice of our public estate. The Provincial Council, which guides the destinies of the province, should, in. my opinion, strain every nerve to tide over, without selling pastoral lands, the few yeara till the present pastoral leases expire, and then those in power would be free and unfettered to make such arrangements whereby not only a moat valuable system of settlement would take place, but a large and certain source of revenue would be secured to the public treasury for all time coming. The first item on the estimates was agreed to, and progress reported. The Council adjourned at 10.30 till seven to-nighfc, on accoant of the luncheon by the Council to t ! )e Governor at two , o'clock.