Provincial Council.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VII, Issue 320, 18 September 1858, Page 3

Provincial Council.

Wednesday, September 15.

Present, all the members except E. M. Sunley and H. H. Wood. B. Brown in moving that in the opinion of the Council the Executive are hound to produce the original papers relating to the Tenders sent in for the direct trade between New Plymouth and Sydney, and to the several Tenders and Specifications of Mr Brooking for the erection of a Bridge over the Waiwakaiho river, stated that he sought to obtain this expression of opinion by the Council, considering that a motion for a Committee of inquiry into those contracts, would lead the public to infer that grounds existed for the current report that the tenders accepted differed from those sent in ; that a motion if cairied would amount to a vote of censure on the whole of the Executive. Members were unable to contradict the report referred to, not having seen the papers applied for. The present Executive expected the Council to endorse their acts, and yet withheld information to which members were entitled. If a member ventured to exercise his own judgment and to express opinions at variance with those of the Executive, he was charged with bringing the Council into discredit, with bickering, and with personal motives. The Executive presumed to treat members as school boys, refusing information on personal grounds, and telling them that if a majority decided against them they would not furnish the papers. So long as he (Mr Brown) remained a member of that House- he would, whenever he saw the Executive deviating from a straightforward course remind them of it, undeterred by threats of resignation of a " New Plymouth Ministry." The Provincial Secretary rose to order. The motion of the member for Omata was contrary to the Standing Orders, which required that a motion should be for papers to be laid on the table. The Speaker ruled that the motion was perfectly in order, merely callfng for an expression of opinion by the Council and did not ask for any paper or document. Mr Gledhill seconded the motion, whatever might be the lesult of this motion he thought the matter should be cleared up. He had been credibly informed that papers relating to the Waiwakaiho bridge had been removed from the Provincial Secretary's office for a period of 48 hours during which period a party who applied for information was unable to obtain it. P. Elliot should oppose the motion because he thought that a Committee of inquiry would better effect the end desired, it was un-English like to condemn the Executive unheard. W. Bayly would support the motion, because he maintained that members should not submit to be told that the Executive are not bound to and will not produce papers relating to the expenditure of money voted by the Council, members were clearly entitled to see all papers. (Continued in Supplement.)

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(Continued from third page of Paper.) The Provincial Secretary remarked that the Executive had never refused to produce any papers required by the Council ; the member for Omata was in the habit of attacking the members of the Executive in language "(to quote the words of Mr Roebuck) unbeseeming an English Gentleman, and to convince that member that the Government would be treated with becoming respect, information had been refused to him individually, which would not have been withheld from the Council. The rumours afloat respecting the Tenders for the Waiwakaiho bridge, had now by the inferences of that member been converted, into a direct accusation, taxing the Executive with having tampered with the Tenders. Not content with this, the member for Omata pretended that he was unwilling to censure the whole of the Executive by a committee of inquiry, which they were ddtermiued to haye — could any course be more insulting? Members had actually got up a Crusade against the Executive out of doors, and now feigned a tenderness for their reputation. Whatever the Council might decide the Executive, and he spoke for the whole body including the Superintendent, would not produce the papers. Mr Lethbridge should vote against the motion which could do no good the Ministry having de~ clared they would not produce the papers, but he •would support a Committee of inquiry into both conttacts. Mr Hulke should support the motion, he denied that any attempt had been made to charge the Executive with fraud, but it could not be concealed that favoritism had been shown by the Executive to the contractor for the Waiwakaiho bridge, that a fair field had not been afforded to other competitors! that the plan and specifications had been removed for 48 hours from the Secretary's office, for which reason he considered the Executive were bound to produce the papers and prove that no improper use had been made of them during the time they weie out of the office. The Provincial Treasurer contended that it was contrary to the practice of the House of Commons to produce original papers. That much inconvenience might result from allowing contracts to be deposited on the table of that house to which so many individuals had access. Some of the bondsmen might possibly take advantage of such irregularity and tear off their signatures from a bond and the security be rendered invalid. It was necessary and right that Provincial documents should remain uner the eye of the officers intrusted with their safe keeping. Mr Atkinson should vote against the motion as he considered that it would embroil the Council 1 with the Superintendent, he was of opinion that the Executive had had blame wrongly attached to them. Mr Brown in reply would remind the Provincial Secretary that he had taunted the Member for Omata with the accuracy with which the Herald reported his speeches. He (Mr Brown) was content to be judged thereby whether or not he could fairly be charged with habitually using language in debate unbeseeming an English gentleman ; in remaiking on measures he invariably intended his remarks to apply to the official not to the individual, and he never carried disputes which arose in the course of debate beyond the precincts of that Council. An attempt had been made to implicate the Superintendent in the affair of the Waiwakaiho bridge contract. It was well known his Honor had nothing whatever to do with the accepted tender, being absent at Auckland. He (Mr Brown) was not in the confidence of the Superintendent but he had that faith in his impartiality and integrity that he daie vouch that any paper which could expediently be produced to satisfy existing doubts would not be withheld by his sanction, and if any paper had been tampered with, which he (Mr Brown) did not mean to insinuate had been the case, he would pledge his honour that the Superintendent would not withhold it to screen his Executive. The Prov. Secretary had referred to a ' crusade against the Executive.' Fancy the member for Omata, in imitation of Peter the Hermit, preaching a crusade against the " New Plymouth Ministry," and the members for the Grey & Bell armed cap -a-pie, lance in rest, shouting Omata a la rescousse, charging the Provincial Treasurer and the Provincial Seoretary of New Plymouth. [Prov. Sec.-— Question !] He thanked the Provincial Secretary for the word, it was indeed a question of ridicule. One member had characterised it as an Via -Englishlike to condemn the Executive without being convinced of their guilt j ' he (Mr Brown) maintained that no criminal accusation had been brought against them, they had been charged with favouritism, and thought proper to convert possible inferences into direct accusation. Another member thought that inquiry was needed, but voted against the motion because the Executive would not submit to the decision of the Council if adverse to them. The member for the Grey & Bell thought if the motion were carried it would embroil the Council with ,the Superintendent, would not the refusal of his Honor to produce papers required by the Committee equally involve him t The Prov. Treasurer had stated the inexpediency of allowing original public documents to be removed out of the departmental offices to which they appertain ; he 'had stated the necessity of always keeping them nuder the eye of the officer tq whose care they are intrust- j cd. No doubt our good and faithful servants were carrying out this principle when they removed them from the Secretary's office to their private dwelling to prevent the possibility of any alteration being made. He again, in bringing forward this motion, disclaimed any personal motives, but thought that the public were entitled to the information sought by him. ' The motion was put and lost. ) The first clause of the Bill appropriating the sum of £5,478 13s. 4d., but excluding the sum of £500 for the Waiwakaiho bridge, was put and carried. Tho Provincial Treasurer moved a new clause, No. 2. And be it further enacted that if no session of the Provincial Council shall be commenced before the 28th day of February, ,1869, a sum equal to one fourth part of the sums hereinbefore appropriated for defraying the salaries, allowances and contingencies of the establishment of the Provincial Government of New Plymouth respectively for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1858, may be issued and applied out of the Revenues aforesaid for defraying the charges of the like salaries, allowances contingencies and services respectively from 31st day of Decembei, 1858, until the 31st day of March, 1859. The Provincial Secretary explained the object of this clause was to prevent inconvenience to members, during the harvest time,

Mr Brown regretted that this new clause should have been introduced at the eleventh hour, the inconvenience to which members might be exposed by meeting one day even during harvest should be endured rather than relax the sole check the Council possessed on the Executive, the control of the Provincial purse. The unofficial members possessed very little power, and he advised them not to part with it, he should vote against the clause. Mr Gledhill should not oppose it. Messrs Bayly, Elliot and Hulke severally signified their intention to vote against it, and the Provincial secretary then requested permission to withdraw it. The House resumed. On the motion of W. C. King seconded by _R. Greenwood, tho house passed a resolution sanctioning a minimum road rate of one peppercorn in the Tataraimakadistrict for the year commencing May, 1859, Notices of Motion. Provincial Secretary to move that a select committee be appointed to enquire into the proceedings taken by the Provincial Government under the resolution of the Provincial Council, approving of the expenditure of £2,600 for the erection of a bridge over the Waiwakaiho river, with power_ to call for papers, persons, and things 1 the committee to consist of H. A. Atkinson, W. Bayly, P. Elliot, E. L. Humphries, and W. C. King, to report on Wednesday, the 29th Sept. R. Brown to move for a committee of inquiry into the contract entered into by the Provincial Government with Thomas Dixon, master of tho schooner Kate Kearney ; the committee to consist of W. C. King, H. A. Atkinson, W. Bayly, J. C. Sharland, G. Y. Lethbridge, and the mover ; to report on Wednesday, the 29th Sept.