Provincial Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 564, 11 March 1870, Page 3

Provincial Council.

The last session of the present Provincial Council was opened at 2 p.m. to-day. Prayers were said by tbe very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch. The following members were present: — Messrs Tancred (Speaker), Westenra, Hall, Gray, Webb, Kennaway, Sheath, Willcox, Buchanan, Knight, Fyfe, T. S. Duncan, Inglis, Wynn Williams, Rbodes, Jollie, Johnstone, Hawkes, J. S. Willliams, and Montgomery. message. The Speaker read a message from his Honor the Superintendent, intimating that Messrs Sheath, Willcox, and Westenra had been elected members of the Council during the recess. The new members, thereupon, took their seats. Ms honor's speech. His Hokor the Superintendent then eutered the Council Chamber, and delivered the following address *. — "Mr Speaker and Gentlemen,— " I have called you together for a special session, previous to the meeting of the General Assembly, to ask you to determine upon the line which you consider the best for the Northern Railway, in order that an Act may be obtained from the Colonial Legislature authorising tbe taking of the necessary land and the construction of the work. " Resolutions will be submitted to you embodying the views entertained by the Government of the course which should be adopted. (S Bearing in mind the economy and advantage of keeping tbe railways under our management, and the improbability that any company or contracting firm would be likely to enter upon the undertaking, and to provide

a large proportion of the necessary funds on terms which would be advantageous to tbe province, I am of opinion that you will do wisely to determine upon proceeding with the railway with the funds which the province has already at its disposal; and that you may do this with a reasonable prospect of being able to carry on the line to such a point as will largely promote the interests of the Northern Districts, I am further of opinion that if a system is adopted by which the work will be divided by the Government into separate contracts, the country will obtain the advantage of greater competition in the distribution of the work, which will thus be brought within the reach of a larger number of contractors, and the Government will have it within its power to arrange for the performance of the work so as not to interfere with the ordinary industries of the country. "In connection with this subject, I cannot let tbis, our last meeting, pass without drawingyour attention to two matterswhich may be regarded as corollaries upon the extension of our railway system. The first is immigration, and the second the enlargement of our wharfage accommodation. •' In regard to the first, the experience of the late harvest renders unnecessary any argument to show that unless more labour is introduced into the province, the area of cultivated ground will be contracted instead of enlarged, and our trade and commerce be brought to a stand-still. I have it on reliable information that tha breadth of cultivated ground, including English grasses this year, will be 218,680 acres, against 145,000 acres of the last year, and the estimated amount of grain this year is 3,276,458 bushels, as against 1,490,682 bushels of last year, being more than double last year's produce. " To enable the producer of this article of exportto compete with other grain growing countries, it will be necessary that he should have a reasonable certainty that he will be able to obtain labour to gather in the results of his year's toil, and that be will have facilities of transport and shipment at a cost which will leave him a margin of profit. <■ I must therefore again press upon your consideration the necessity of making a provision, which shall extend over a period of years, for the introduction of population into the province. Nothing but stagnation can be the result of neglecting our duty in this respect. " I believe that there is a very common feeling in favour of the General Government undertaking this work. " I will not there speculate as to the probability of the counsels of the colony issuing in any immediatety satisfactory results in the promotion of immigration. I trust they may. Under any circumstances, I believe that the colony will not refuse to help those who have the means of selecting a good class of immigrants to carry on the colonisation wh'ch alone can enable it to struggle with the terrible incubus of debt resulting from Native disturbances in tbe North Island. " I accordingly propose, with your consent, to ask the Colonial Government to borrow for the province the sum of £30,000, to be expended solely in immigration over a period of three years, the interest and sinking fund of the loan to be paid by the province. " Should the Colonial Legislature assent to this proposal, and the moneys be judiciously spent, I feel confident that tbe expenditure would react upon the land sales, aud enable us to proceed with the extension both of wharfage and of internal communication. " Since the last session, I have heard from Mr Selfe of his willingness to hand over £3000 of the Sinking Pund of the Immigration Loan, and I bave given directions for the expenditure of the sum of £10,000 voted by you for the purposes of Immigration. " I trust that you will affirm the desirableness of maintaining a general immigration of labour adapted to the wants of the province,

leaving it to the Executive to modify from time to time the classes of immigrants to suit the requirements of the province. " The manner in which Mr Of ty well het despatched the ships which have arrived during the paßt year, and the care he has taken in the selectionof immigrants, is deserving of great praise, and convinces me that he will be able, with some assistance, to carry on a larger immigration should you determine upon it. Since the beginning of January in last year six ships have arrived, with a total of some 700 adults, and in every instance I have had reason to be thoroughly satisfied with the arrangements made. " A draft bill will be transmitted to you, providing for the management of cemeteries. The law, as lam advised, does not allow the Superintendent to convey public cemeteries vested in him under the •• Public Reserves Act, 1854," to the different religious denominations, and the bill which will be laid before you is intended to carry out the pnrpose of the resolution passsd by you on this subject in the month of April, 1868. "It is not my intention to propose any other measures bf general importance during the present session, as a future Superintendent and Council will no doubt have to meet before the termination of the financial year, on tbe close of the next session of the General Assembly. As it will be necessary that the elections should be over before that time, and as it is inexpedient that they should be proceeding while the Assembly is sitting, I have, in accordance with wbat I understood to be your wishes, requested his Excellency to direct a dissolution to take place at an earlier date than that at which the present Council would be dissolved in the ordinary course. " I now declare this Council open for the dispatch of business." His Honor then withdrew. PAPERS. Mr Jollie laid the following papers on the table : — Report on the progress of the Breakwater, Officers Foint, by Gr. Thornton, Esq., Provincial Engineer. Reports on the Northern Railway line, and the bridging of the rivers along the line of route, by Geo. Thornton, Esq., C.E., Railway Engineer, and Messrs W. B. Bray and T. S. Tancred, Civil Engineers, accompanied by a plan showing the alternative lines. Letters from his Honor the Superintendent to H. Selfe Selfe, Esq., from SOth October, 1869, to 9th Feb., 1870. Letters from the Provincial Government to A. O. Ottywell, Esq., Acting Emigration Agent, from 27th Nov. 1869, to 18th Teh., 1870. Bank tenders for Government account, aud correspondence relative thereto. Correspondence on the subject of Victorian railways. Correspondence relative to claim by Government for refund of interest charged by the Bank of New Zealand. Notices of motion having been given, the Council adjourned until 5 p.m. on Tuesday next.