Provincial Council.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XV, Issue 759, 16 February 1867, Page 3

Provincial Council.

TUEDSAY, FEBRUART 5.

The Council met at 2 p.m

Present : — The Speaker, Provincial Secretary, Messrs. Veale, Upjohn> Elliot, Kingdon, Lawrence, Atkinson, Burton, Gledhill, Free, Mace, and Brown. j

The minutes of the previous sitting wore read and confirmed.

"A Bill lo authorise the raising of a loan to erect a bridge over the Waiwakail'p river" was read a Second and passed tnrough Committe with several alterations and new clauses. [The amended bill will be found in another column.]

The report of the.Ooramitte was made an order of the day for next sitting.

" A Bill to vest the revenue arising onfc of a portion of the Educational Beservos ia tie Town Board of New Plymouth" was j-ead a second time, and Committee on the Bill made an order of the day for next sitting. The Conncil then adjourned till Tuesday, 12fch February, at 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Fbbkuary 12.

The CoUnoil met at 2 p.m. All the members present except Messrs. Brown, Lawrence, Looncy, and Mace.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The Speaker read the following correspondence frora>Messrß. Gilbert Kerr, and Co. to His Honor tho Superintendent; relative to tho Iron Sand :—: — 3, Abchurch-lano, Lo 'don, December 1, 18G'6:

Sir, — We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 1 datod Wellington, 17th September, intimating that tho Committee of the House of Representatives appointed to consider the claims of Messrs. Morsheail and Samuel to tlieleaso of the iron sand at Taranaki, had decided th'afc these geutleroan had no claim to the same. The copy of the report is duly at har.d. We further observe that" you were applying to the Colonial Government for a lease to the Provmcial Government of all portions of the beach where the sand exists not already in the hands of the Provincial authorities.

Wo have now to convey to you the gratifying intelligence that the futther experiments in smelting the sand have taken place since wo last bad the honour of addressing yon, resulting *=o su<Jce3sfullyj that we believe the solution of the question may bo considered definitely ReUlud. Tho enclosed copy of a letter addressee! to our Mr. Koi r by the 'Secretary of the com (..any, will convey to you the exact position in which thoy nvw stand. The copy of Dr. load's report referred to, has not yet been handed to us, but wo liHve 3e n it, and wo may nieution that it is o:.coeJt' g\y Si'.ti-'sctory. Dr. Moad has boen m communication with Jlr. Abel, and we have requested tho latter gentleman to write to you by this ii'iiil giving iii-5 opinion. Tho company appear fully prepared to ibllw the matter up, and they will bond ont o duly qualified agent to irunago the lease with the Provincial Government in accordance witi> tho viett'3 impressed in your letter from Wellington.

You will no doubt be pleased to hear that negotiations are now going on with Mr. Martin, whereby he will accept shares in the compaoj', anil a noiniiinl royalty of sixpence per ton, iu^tead of a royalty of five shillings per ton, under tho present arrangement.

In nny case, however, tho company have full possession of the patent, and we beikve tlu-re is no doubt that the matter will be prosecuted with vigour as soon as a favourable concession has been granted by the Government. Mr. Pitcaim, who called upon us in August last with a n jte of introduction from your Honour, has not since favoured us witli a visit. In accordance with your v. iohes, we afforded him all the information in our powei respecting the then position of tbe matter, and

stifed thai wo should be happy to introdueo him to the directors nnd others interested in the present company, :h ho raig'it co-operate with them in ; ihoir oflbit to work out tho scheme successfully. [ Wo aro, therefore, all the moro surprised that we have not hoard from him on tho subjoct. f We shall h.ivo to advise, you again about this imj portant matter next mail. In tho meantime we hope we have afibrled you sufficient information to bring tho matter before tho Provincial Council. We are mnlving enquiries about mineral lubricating oils and hopa to scud you information on tho subject by next ir.ail. The mail :>it P.inima., duo two days ago is only telegraphed ut Southampton this afternoon (Sat'iri day), aud as tbo mails have to be fumigated, ov/ing to yellow fever being on bo.ird, wo aim 1 1 not got tho letters in timo to acknoivloJgo them by this opportunity. We have the honour to be, Sir, j Your most obedient eerviiuc^, j Gilbert Kerk & Co. j His Honor tho Superintendent, Tarnuaki. London, 30th Nov., 1866. Dear Sir,— Tho "New Zea.and Iron and Steel Co." would thank yon to convey to tho Superintendent and Provincial Council ofTaranaki the resolution oonao to by the Boiird to send oufc- an ageut by the next mail for the purpose of negooiating a ■ lease of the iron sand in that Province. You are aware that the Company was formed nearly a year ago to purchase and work a patent, for tho only process yofc discovered whereby tho titaniforous iron sand can be su, cited with commercial success. The financial ombarrasssmonts which took place soon afenvards induced tho company to suspend proceedings, but the necessary capital being now forthcoming, and tho oflioaoy of the smelting process having been fully confirmed by recent experiments conducted in tho presonco of Dr. Noad (the eminent metallurgist) whose report ia enclosed, it has been agreed to erect two blnst furnaces with their appliances in Turanaki if, aud so soon as, a satisfactory arrangement can be made for a lease of the sand. We as,k you to put those particulars before the provincial authorities in order that they may understand why the late delay Las arisen, and that they may be assured of the position and intention of the 'company to carry oat their object with I vigor and promptitudo, bo soon as their agent has ' reported the favourablo issue of his mission to the colony. I am, &c, (Signed) Gusi'i Jordan, ■Secretary. G. Kerr, Esq. The report of tho Committee on the Waiwakaiho Bridge Loan Bill was brought up and adopted, and the 'Bill was then read a third timo and passed. The Provincial Secretary brought forward certain regulations for shootiug or othot wise destroying wild cattle, in accordance with tho provisions of the " Wild Guttle Ordinance, 1567," but the Consideration thereof was postponed till next sitting. The Council then went into Committeo on cc A Bill to vest the revenue arising out of a portion of the Educational Reserves in tho Town Board of New Plymouth," which passed without amendment, and was iinaily read a third time. Several ol uses in tho Roads and Bridges Bill wore considered in Committee, after which the Council adjourned till Tuesday, 20 Ji Febvuary.