Provincial Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 47, 8 July 1868, Page 3

Provincial Council.

TmsflDAY, iTui.y 7. Tho Bpunkor took tho chair at 15 o'clock, Tho following members woro present— Mennni Aynsloy, Knight, lector, Konnaway, Bolflold, Dlxon, Moore, Mntoon, Johrnttono, Wyldo, A. Duncan, Buchanan, Waeekorlo, Williams, Montgomery, Jolllo, Zeo, Hornbrook, Ilawkofl, Gray, Mankell, Davis, BuckIcy, llhodufi, Hargroavcß, Illllynrd, Dolamnln,, J, S. Wllllains, fltowart, Wilson, and JtySo, Mr (Tni/i/TR Inld on tho tnblo correspondence with tho JJnnle of Now Zealand, nnd I)r; Hector's report on tho WMnwikarirl, In reply to a question from Mr Wyldo, Mi JolHo luid on tho table a return fdiowlng for what amount, at what rate, and In what ofllco tho Govcrnmonfc proporty is Innurcd. MrJou/no, In reply to a motion by Mr Brown, laid on tho table a roturn showing tho allocation of money voted last flosHlon to tho several llond Hoards. Mr JouAWf In ronly to n motion by Mr Brown, declined to lny on tho tnblo tho nppllcations for tho office of. Provincial Engineer, Mr Wi Wir.MAMft obtained k-avo to bring in a bill for tho provonlion and suppression of pleuro-pneumonla j also, a" hill for tho dlvorsion of! rnnds on tho lino of tho Great flouthorn Jtnilvvny j nleo, a leasing bill, for loading rosorvc-H at tho Chrlatchurch Hallway Btfttloi'. Mr Montoomkrt, In moving that tlw Counoll resolve itßolf Into Committoa of Supply, rinid that ho intended only, Jf tho Counoll would consent to It, to hhlc In ooinmltteo during thin Hitting for iv num of monoy for collecting agricultural fltatlntksfl, The census of last year, when published, would ahow tho number of acres under cultivation thin year, nnd tho different kinds of. grain that Ifl nown to each aoro i nnd 111 tho comnilttco would voto thin 4Jr>oo wbioh tbo Government now nflked, they would 1)0 enabled to collect fltntifillcn with regard to tho number of acres under crop In tlio month of Hoptcni • l)or or October, nnd it would then depend entirely on tho ncimon wo havo m to tlio calculation to bo made, Hay in January, reupoctlngthe amount of produce that will bo available for Hale nnd export. Tlioexpondlturo In connection with tho flupprcflHlon of plouro-pneu« monla wnfl pufc down In the supplementary estimates at £1000, This money wns required to meet current expenditure until tho money to bo rained under tho bill nhould bo availablo for tbo purpoocs of appropriation. A num of X'ifioo wan uloo put ((own for tho erection of a Huprcmo Cowrt-honsoi Many people connld<!fi!d that the Council Chamber might niißWor exiromcly well, hut thero woro nrgumontn both for nnd against that view. Tho monoy put down for Wniinnkiiriri defence workff would not bo exponded, of course, unless Its expenditure was nbflolutolynoeeiiHary, With regard to tho item forJTlmaru and Gladfltono IJoard of Worka, X21,380, ho would explain that XI OO,OOO wn» placed to tho credit oil tho province at tho Bank ot New Zealand by tlio General Qovornniont, X50,000,0f which war taken In March last to pay tho draft of X/ 50,000 duo in London in that month. Tho balance £MO,OOO, wns plnccd to our oredlt htro n flliorf- llmo ago In tho Hank of Now Zealand, Tho Colonial Government wished tho Provincial Government to pay over to tho Tlmaru and Glndntona Hoard of Works nn nmount proportlonnto to the nmount they would havo received hud X190.000 worth of dobontnroß lieon sold, lie came now to tho Item XlB,/100, plnccd on tho estimates for all outotanding claims nnd plnnt thnt might bo required for tho working of tho rnllwny, nnd now in tho hnndn of tho contractor*, Hut boforo going Jnto that matter, )jo wlbliwl to claim tho nttontion of tlio IToufle whllo ho statod what tho Govcrnmont had dono sinco tho Council mot in April last. Tho prcßont Govornmcnt found tbomflclvcfl ouccooding to an nrrungo> )ment mmlo by a provlouu Govornmunti no, doubt with the hent Intention*, but by which arrangement tho Govornmcnt found It very dlfllcult to got an early a completion of the worku ns was dofllrnblo. In order thnt the Houflo might know oxnetly what thnt arrange' ment was, ho would rend a paragraph bearing upon it from tho contractors, or tralllc managcrH ns they aro now, to tho then Secretary for Public Works. (.Nead.J There was n considerable amount of ncgociution between tho then Govcrnmont and Messrs liolmci and Co,, rcH| ccting tho torms on which tho trnille might bo managed. [Head,] Now, ho must oxproufi bin regret that nt the llmo tho tradlo w/iii opened there was no cxpresa ngrccmont with renpect to tho time at which tho line flhoiild bo ilnltthcd— tho tlmo at which it flhould bo taken ovor, nnd Uio condiliona on which it Hhould bo taken ovor, ho as to provent tho occurrence) of complications hero* after, Ho rcgrottcd very' much that complications had nriscn, (JTcttr, , hear,) It would havo boon bettor It everything had lioon m prorlflo that tliooo complications could

not havo oooiirrod. (Hoar, hoar.) As It was, tlio proaonc Govornmcnt, considering tbo soa/ion nnd tho great fnoonvonlcnoo and loaa to tho public which would ensue, hud no oilier alternative left thorn than to continue the arrangonionfc entered Into between tho provlous Qovorninonfc nnd llolmos nnd Co. f Hoad corrcflpondonco botweon Holmos and Co, nnd tbo Government, with regard to tlio taking ovoi 1 of (lie lino,] 110 would not no iv go into tlio quoAtlon as to what tlio Government think la tlio vnluo of tlio oontrnc* tors' olnimHi Tho hon. mombor rofcrrod nt oonaldomblo length to tho contract for tlio construction of tlio LyltoUon and Ghtflutolmrcli Railway, and to tho Itomfl making up tlio oontrnctors' claims on tho Government for X22,/Jof), nnd ntntod that unloos i.f olmos nnd (Jo. could bring forward further proofn, tho Governmont thought that thoir clalma flh.MUd not ho paid, (Heat 1 , hoar,) Tho JTohbo wont into Committoo of Supply,! and tho item of, MW for ivgrlcuHurtvl »tnti«tk'.rf was jiaoflcd, Progi'Oflg was ronortod, with leavo to flit ngnln next Hay. Mr Stkwawd wked ilia Government wlio wan responsible for keeping tlio Great North llond in ropnlr. Mr JoMiin nnld tho matter rested with tho Hoad Hoard In whoso district thopnrt rofcrrod to lny. Nollcon of motion woro given, nnd tho lloubo adjourned.

Tho following doouinonts woro read by Mr Montgomery, in tho Provincial Council, last ovonlng :— «