Provincial Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 458, 3 November 1869, Page 2

Provincial Council.

♦ Tuesday, Nov. 2. The Speaker took the chair at 5 o'clock. The following members were present: — Messrs Lee, Matson, Dixon, Moore, Jollie, Fyfe, Buchanan, Hall, Hillyard, Webb, Delamain, Wynn Williams, Wilson, Peacock, Maskell, Hornbrook, Gray, J. S. Williams, Rhodes, A. Duncan, Ormsby, Knight, Macpberson, Brown, Mallock, Montgomery, Inglis, Hawkes. peacock's wharf. Mr Hall moved — " That there be laid on the table a copy of the agreement between the Provincial Government and the preprietors of Peacock's Wharf, referred to in the resolution of this Council of the 13th May last, together with a copy of the draft of the deed which has been prepared with a view of giving effect to the agreement in question. The motion was agreed to. COMPENSATION. .Mr Knight moved — " That this Council agrees to the recommendation of the Committee appointed to inquire into the claim of Mr William White." The motion was agreed to on the voices and without discussion. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION. Mr Wilson moved— "That this Council will indemnify his Honor the Superintendent to the extent of £150, to be handed in equal amounts to the three Agricultural and Pastoral Associations of Christchurch, Northern, and Timaru." The Council went into Committee on the resolution. The Committee divided on the call of the hon. the mover. Ayes, 11 j Noes, 14. The motion wbb therefore lost.

BROKEN METAL. Mr Wilson moved — " That his Honor the Superintendent be repectfully requested to grant to the Christchurch City Council fire hundred yards of broken metal, for the purpose of repairing the main thoroughfares of the city." Mr Jollie said that the Government had no objection to offer against the resolution, which was put and agreed to on the voices. whaling. Mr Macphekson moved — " That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable to encourage the prosecution of whaling, and for that purpose to make £500 of the bonus for encouraging manufactures available to any whaling company that may be established in Canterbury and which shall export from any port of Canterbury 100 tuns of whale oil the produce of whales taken by the Company in one season." Mr Maskell proposed, as an amendment, that the figures £200 be substituted. The amendment was agreed to. The resolution, as amended, was agreed to. MESSAGE. The Speaker announced a message from his Honor the Superintendent, transmitting the Appropriation Ordinance, No 2, 1869. The Bill was read a firat time. GOLDFIELD BEWAHD. Mr Wilson moved — " That this Council will indemnify his Honor the Superintendent to the extent of £500, if paid for the discovery of a payable goldfield between the Waitaki and the Rakaia ; and also to the extent of a further sum of £500 if paid for the discovery of a paying goldfield between the Hakaia and the Hurunui." The lion, member said that this was a resolution which had been overlooked. It should have been brought forward at an earlier period of the session ; but to prevent its being overlooked altogether, he had Veen induced to table the present motion. In the previous session, Mr Potts had succeeded in getting the small sum of £200 on the estimates for this purpose. If that vote had amounted to £1000, he believed that it would have occasioned greater energy in prospecting. Hitherto, Canterbury had offered a smaller reward for the discovery of a goldfield than any other province in New Zealand, but he hoped that such would no longer be the case. It was well known to hon. members that many persons were at present engaged prospecting in different localities, and he hoped that every encouragement would be held out to them by the Council. Mr Wyns Williams moved an amendment to the effect " That both rewards (for North and South) should be offered, leaving it to the Council to decide upon the person or persons who were entitled to receive them." Mr Wilson accepted the amendment, which was put and agreed to without discussion. LAND ON THE PLAINS. Mr Rhodes moved, " That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable that all lands which may hereafter be sold on the plains, in such districts as may be determined by the Provincial Council, should be sold subject to a right on the part of the Government to take a certain per-centage of the same, for the purpose of the construction of watercourses leading from the principal rivers, the holders receiving compensation at - the price of £2 an acre for the land so taken; that such right . shall remain in force for a period of twenty years from the time of the granting of the land; that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to take steps to have provision made during the next session of the General Assembly for giving effect to the above resolution." The resolution was agreed to. THIBD READING. The Provincial Representation Ordinanca, 1869, Amendment Bill, 1869, was read a third time and passed. WEST COAST HAIL. Mr Hawkks, without notice, asked upon whom the onus lay in respect to the alteration of the West Coast mail service. Why had a weekly mail to Hokitika (taking three days to do the journey) been substituted for a twice-a-week mail (talcing two days to do the journey)? He bad heard that the difference in the tenders amounted to only £600. Mr Jollie said the hon. member had stated a fact which he (Mr. Jollie) was not cognizant of previously. This was entirely a General Government matter. The only thing which the Provincial Secretary had to do with it was this : — He was requested to open the tenders in the presence of the Postmaster. The tenders were opened in the presence of his Honor the Superintendent and Mr Grubb. What was done afterwards, he (Mr Jollie) did not know. APPROPRIATION BILL. This bill passed through all ita stages. PROROGATION. The Superintendent entered the Chamber and addressed the Council as follows : — Mr Speaker and Gentlemen, on behalf of his Excellency the Governor, I have assented to the following Ordinances : — ■ The Wairewa and Sefton Township Reserves Ordinance, 1 869. The Rangitata Opihi and Temuka Bridges Tolls Ordinance, 1869. The Mechanics' lnstitute Timaru Reserve Ordinance, 1869. The Diversion of Roads Special Ordinance, 1869. The Appropriation Ordinance, No. 2, 1869. I have reserved for the signification of His Excellency's pleasure thereon, The Provincial Council Representation Ordinance, 1869. Gentlemen,— l will lose no time in taking the necessary steps for the initiation of the Public Workß which you have determined upon. It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that you have decided that immigration shall be carried on concurrently with these works, and that you have seen fit to make such provisions for the purpose as will enable the

English agent to make engagements during the present financial year, which will take effect in the year ensuing, upon it. It only remains for me to thank you for the attention you have devoted to the business which has been brought before you. I now declare this Council prorogued till Tuesday, the 4th day of January, 1870.