NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume VI, Issue 597, 14 July 1863, Page 5

NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

i FRIDAY, JULY 10. ~. The Council met this morning at... o'clock. ■■_. There were present: The Speaker, the Provincial Solicitor, Messrs. Elliott, Kelling, Kingdon, Butler MRae, Harkness; Goodman, Sauhders, Simmonds, Parker, MacmahonT^Baigent, Pollock, and Dodson. . " THE COAL-FIELDS LEASES BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. MAP OF THE PROVINCE. , , On the motion of Mr; Elliott the Council agreed to request the Superintendent to have such additions made to the General Map of the Province that hung in the Council Chamber as recent surveys will admit of, and that these additions be made before the next sittings of the Council. .■,;... BUTCHEEs' PETITION". On the motion of Mr. Goodman, a select committee was appointed to consider the petition of the butchers of Nelson, praying for the establishment of a slaughterhouse on the mudflat, as the existing.one, nearly three miles from town, .was. most expensive and inconvenient. BBIDGES FOE THE BIVEBS.—PEESONAL AXTEEOATIONS. _ Mr. Macmahon moved That this council being fully impressed with the urgent necessity of erectiong the bridges for which they have so unanimously voted the funds, request that his Honor the Superintendent will be pleased to direct that the same be proceeded with y with the least possible delay.—He urged the necessity of having these bridges erected without delay, referring to the great traffic which took place across rivers they were intended to spaivthe delays occasioned by floods, and the danger to and loss of TlfeTwhlch -frequently attended the attempts to cross the river. Mr, Pabkeb seconded the motion.

Mb. Ekjott proposed as an amendment the appointment of a select committee to consider the character of the bridges to be constructed, in order to enquire whether iron or wood was more suitable material. He argued in favor of iron bridges as being more durable, and although costing more in erection, they were in the end cheaper. He had been told that the wooden brigde over the Wairoa was not sufficient-, and that some portions of its timbers would certainly require to be replaced by new wood within seven years. What he was desirous of was that so large a sum as that voted for bridges, (£10,000,) should be properly expended. He thought the opinion of the Provincial Engineer should be taken on the subject. He now had some experience in bridges; the bridge: over the Wairoa had been constructed on his plan, and he was able to give an opinion to guide the coinv cil. The money was a large sum 5 and if bridges were to be built he wished to see the money spent on a durable structure. ■ ■ ' ■' :

Mr- Habkness seconded the amendment. ' . . Mr. Thompson opposed the amendment. This'he said was the last season of the year for fellipg timber, and if much more time were allowed to.pass it would be too late for cutting it. Too little attention had hitherto been paid to the proper time for felling. As for the comparison between wood and iron, he con-' tended that iron was far too costly. There was in New Zealand timber sufficiently durable to last for many years, for some of the woods were hard and lasting. (Hear, hear.) He thought it inadvisable to set aside the material produced by the colony, and to spend money in importing other material which was more expensive. That was not the way to advance the growth of a colony. If the timber were felled at' a proper season it would last for a long time. .-. ~ " . ; Mr. Baigent said the time for cutting JimbJMv was fast passing away, in another monthr6rso.it would he J too late. He was iavorable to the appointment of a-. committee. As for what had been said about the Wairoa bridge, it maybe true that there was some timber in the bridge which ought not to have been there, but there was no doubt the builders had made an excellent bridge and deserved great credit for thenwork.

My. Kingdon opposed the amendment, as a committee would cause delay and the loss of time. '■- Mr. Satjndebs also opposed it. When the bridge oyer the Wairoa was under consideration several designs of iron bridges with their cost were submitted to a select committee, and after a full and patient inquiry the committee decided in favor of a wooden bridge. An iron bridge over the Waimea river would be far more expensive than a. wooden bridge. Mr. M'Rae said that iron bridges were not very suitable in many parts of this country. Where iron bridges were constructed it was necessary that they should be built on very solid material. In this case we could only build on timber and would require long reaches of timber building before the iron pari could be used. ■ ■*■

Mr. Pabker thought it strange that this-amend-ment should be brought forward. Mr. Elliott, the other evening had censured Government for not proceeding -with great works intended to open up the country, and now he objected to the expenditure of what in comparison was a very trifling sum for the express purpose of better opening up the country, and rendering communication between settled districts less difficult and dangerous than" it was at present. Why did not the hp.n., gentleman bring this forward at the tims the money was voted, Then was the proper time for such art amendment,"and not" now (hear, hear). The amendment showed how very easy it was for a person to find fault, and yet do the very thing himself. If this amendment was carried it would stop any action in the matter. The hori. gentleman lately said there was plenty of excellent material in the country suited for building puvpores, and %Wfls*ty»lt«f Wm\ bwrts vwft ]Mt«.W7 Iwg

" »™_ . — --■ .. 7 — ft time. He also referred to the deeisiou" v of ;tlie^^BCtf^^ committee which preferred wooden to irombri&e&O^ "f' Mr. Kelmjtg- opposed the appointment of "a cbm-^— raittee. The Council had full confidence in^ttieiPro-** '- vincial Engineer, and couldleave the matter tofhim^Cl; The Council did not want more committees.- <li"Vadr-^'" already sat too long, and the members-were 'anxious^to get home to their ovn business. Committees'had^ protracted the business last year, and they.threatened' i to do the same this. ' -*-"X '• *'* Mr. Macmahon said that he did not expect'Wfimi' • such an amendment proposed by Mr. Elliott" wh"o "< - was one of those who made a boast of their spirit' of 0^ progress, and was always talking of carrying on great." * and costly schemes. Yet when something in the way ' of real practicable progress was proposed, he attempted ' to throw difficulties in the- way. The Council had" " unanimously voted this money for works of great importance and very much wanted and this motion was " just like Mr. Elliott now. He does not like to make it appear that he is really opposed to such satis- - factory progress as the building bridges over difficult ' rivers, and so he brought forward an amendment ' which pretended to be for enquiry, but which was * really intended to stop the work altogether. It was a piece of manoeuvring which he had almost termed chicanery. All the information that was wanted could •, be got from the committee that had formerly considered the subject; and the only effect of this cony ' mittee would be to delay the work. Mr. Eelioct rose to explain. He was sorry to see motives attributed to him in the manner that had been done by Mr. Macmahon, who questioned the honesty of his intentions. He could not allow such a charge to pass, because, if true, it was to be presumed that he was supporting a dishonest proceeding. He should be sorry to find a practice of imputing motives springing up in this Council j it was one which had hitherto been avoided, and he trusted that it would not be permitted, but that gentlemen, when they stated their object in making any motion or state- • ment, should not be charged with want of truthful-" • ness and sincerity. • ' -vi . The SPEAKEB,thought what Mr. Elliott /aid was *" right. Mr.. Macmahonwas pui;' of "order in'jffl* re-"'' marks he made, inasmuch as he imputed motives ' which implied a charge of want of truthfulness ' ' Mr. Maomahoit said if the 'Speaker ruled that'he was wrong, he of course regretted it; but he would still maintain that he had a perfect right to form" an ' opinion of the motives actuating a person, but whether he had a right to express them in the house was another thing: The opinion he held he would still maintain ; but perhaps his mode of expressing it .was out of order, and no doubt he had not made a proper choice of words. As the Speaker had declared him out of order, he regretted having made the statement the way he did, and he apologised to the house accordingly.. .' Mr. Elliott's amendment was then put. The house divided:—For the amendment, s—Messrs. Elliott, M<£ ae-ir flarimess ' Baigenfc > and Pollock. • Against ■ it, 7—Messrs. Kelling, Eongdon, Thompson, Goodman, Parker, Macmahon, and the Provincial Solicitor. Mr. Dodson declined to vote. The amendment was therefore lost. i

The Provincial Sohcitob said the Council must not expect the works referred to the motion to go on ■ immediately because the vote had already passed. It • should be remembered that the Council had voted much more money than the Government had' or expected to get, and the motion appeared to mean that ; other necessary works that are urgently required should be stopped in order that the bridges over the Motueka and Waimea rivers should be proceeded with. Although the estimated revenue had been put down on paper, the Government might not get it fov the next nine months.

; .Mr. Elliott moved as another amendment to add the words to the motion " but so as not to interrupt the progress of other necessary public works." He said that many people assumed that because there was a large surplus over from last, Government had got all the money in the chest, and had nothing more to do than spend it. This was a mistake, as much of the money had already been spent in forwarding the works undertaken by the G-overnment. He was surprised his first amendment, which sought for only reasonable information, should have met with so much opposition. It would not necessarily have caused any delay. He had been twitted with finding fault with Government for not'bringing forward in£ portant measures until late in session, while he was bringing forward this proposition for, a .committee. He contended that it was the business of the Government to bring forward the enquiry he had moved for and denied that it was the business of any private member. He was totally opposed to the principle, referred to by some members, that because a wooden bridge would employ people in this colony, and use the material products of the country, that therefore it should be built in preference to an iron bridge which would last a longer time. This was false political economy. He believed the more expensive bridge to be the more economical one.

Mr. Thompson spoke of the dangers and delays caused by unbridged rivers on frequented lines of road. It was little use to have well gravelled roads leading to rivers without bridges, as the traffic was * often stopped entirely. It would be better to be • allowed to struggle on any how if we had bridges on the way, than have a road without a bridge over the rivers.

Mr. Pabkee referred to Mr. Elliott's remarks, and their contradiction of his speech at a public meeting some time since, when he had scouted the idea of Government having no money to make a railway at a cost of two or three hundred thousand pounds. He then stated it was all nonsense, there was plenty of money, and all that was wanted was out of door pressure on the Government. And now he opposed a good scheme that was very much .wanted.: The truth was wherever there was a chance of Mi\ Elliott's gaming out of door popularity by advocating a large expenditure of money on a soheme that was known little about, he was sure to make an outcry for it; but any little matter that was really beneficial and practical, and'had little popularity about it, he seemed inclined to oppose. He had, however, not the least objection to this second amendment, and would vote for it.

Ht.Macmahon also would agree to the amendment, and the motion then passed.

. PEOTECTION OF liTVE STOCK. Mr. Dodson moved that a Bill be brought in for the better protection of stock. He said that there was a system which prevailed of parties going out shooting cattle which were supposed not to be branded, and some were shot which wero really branded. He contended that people should bo prohibited from shooting, in the open air at all events. He knew cases of persons shooting cattle in a swamp which was now private properfcy,Vand in one case the bullet went within a few inohes of a man's Head, and" another within-a rod1.- It should be provided &at all persons who kill beasts should liave them lolled in to a properly enclosed yard, and the skinrehould be * retained some time! . , . "

The motion was agreed to.. On the motion of Mr. Habkness a committee waa appointed to consider E. Husbands petition for payment of a fee. The Council then adjourned;