Provincial Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 735, 30 September 1870, Page 2

Provincial Council.

The first session of the new Council was opened to-day at 2 p.m. The following is his Honor's speech :— Mr Speaker and Gentlemen, — " Circumstances render the opening of this, the first session of the newly-elected Council, one of peculiar interest to the province. " The legislation which has recently taken place in the General Assembly of the colony will largely concern the future interests of the province and the colony, and affect your deliberations to a greater extent than on any previous occasion. " I propose to indicate generally the principal points in which the position of the province will be affected by the measures which have been adopted by (he General Assembly, and in respect of which acton will be required by you during your present session. " Under the " Payments to Provinces Act, 1870," the amount payable to the province out of the Consolidated Fund during the current year will exceed by £25,000 the amount which would have been received under the financial arrangements previously in force in the colony, and of this sum £8000 is set apart under the provisions of the Act for division among the Road Boar Is in accordance with a scheme to be proposed by the Superintendent, and approved by the Governor in Council. You will be asked to affirm, by resolution, the manner of distribution which you may consider the most equitable to the several districts of the province. " Under the 'Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870,' your opinion will be sought as to the railways which ought to be constructed within the province under the powers conferred by the Act, in order that resolutions on this subject may be forwarded for the consideration of the General Assembly in iis next session. " The same Act contemplates that the introduction of immigrants into the province should be conducted by the General Government on the request of the Superintendent, and in such numbers as may be recommended, and provides that regulations for the conduct of immigration and for the nomination of immigrants by persons resident in the province, should be made by the Governor at the request of the Superintendent. I shall take occasion to obtain an indication of your opinions on this subject. " Under the • Railways Act, 1870,' authority has already been given for the construction of portions of the Great Northern and Great Southern Lines of Railway, and for the portion of the Souhern Trunk Line between Timaru and Temuka, but the outbreak of war in Europe is likely temporarily to postpone the execution, by the colony, of these works. From correspondence that will be Uid before you, you will learn that I have requested the Colonial Government to give me an assurance that such liabilities as may b: in -urred by the provinco in the execution »;' tuuse wurks will be a'dup'C'l on certain

conditions by the colony. The reply of the Colouial Treasurer is such as warrants the belief that the colony will reimburse the province for any expenditure it may incur for this purpose within the limits prescribed by the Kailways Act. " You will no doubt agree with me that no time should now be lost in pressing on the works on the Northern Railway, as previously authorised;by you. Tenders have already been accepted for the formation of the line as far as Papanui, and orders have been sent to England for rails, and for the ironwork of the bridges. " I have every conßdence that the initiation of this, and other works, together with the introduction of population which is now taking place, will have a most beneficial effect in reviving the commercial prosperity of the province. " It is a matter for congratulation that at a time like the present, when great difficulty is likely to prevail elsewhere in obtaining money on reasonable terms, the province is able to proceed with the work of colonisation. " Should the General Government, during the current year ba, in a position to recoup the expenditure which tha province may incur upon the Northern R lil way, you will be asked to authorise the more speedy construction of the larger harbour works In Lyttelton which will be necessary to meet the increased traffic upon the railways. I regret that the uncertainty which of necessity prevails as to the time which tliß initiation of the plans of the Government will take pace, prevents me recommending, as I should have wisher!, the immediate diversion of funds for these larger works ; but, under any circumstances, I think that an immediate outlay should be incurred to meet the requirements cf the shipping during the ensuing wool and grain season. " You will be asked to make such provision as will secure the continuace of immigration in the event of the General Government taking no action in this direction, and I feel no doubt that all future engagements, if not those for which liabilities are already incurred, will, if the province desire it, be brought under the terms of the 'Immigration and Public Works Act.' " Careful Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the ensuing year will be placed before you in the course of a few days. In the meantime, it will be satisfactory to you to know that the Ordinary Revenue for the past year has exceeded the amount which it was estimated to reach, by a sum of about £SOOO, and the I and Revenue for the same period has exceeded the estimated revenue by about £1898. During the current year the province will receive, as I have already pointed out, a considerable accession to its Ordinary Revenue, and there is every reason to believe that the proceeds of land sales may increase, having in view the price which will probably be obtained in England for the shipments of last year's grain, and the'facilities of acceßS to land, hitherto unsold, which will be afforded in the bridging of rivers and extension of railways during the current year. "A sum of about £20,000 may be anticipated from the released sinking funds. Correspondence on this subject will be laid before you. " The principal change in the form of the estimates, as they will bs submitted to you, is that it is proposed that provisions for the current expenditure on education should be made out of the ordinary revenue, instead of out of land revenue. " You will be asked to make more liberal provision than heretofore under this head, principally in the direction of offering larger salaries to the teachers of schools, who have hitherto in many cases received most inadequate remuneration for tneir services. " You will also be requested to consider the advisableness of vesting the management of the Educational Reserves in a body of Trustees. " The bridge over the Rakaia has been rnpidly progressing during the past year, and the province may well congratulate itself on the success which has so far attended the attempt to bridge one of its dangerous rivers by a simple and comparatively cheap structure. " The prevalent opinion that the course of the river would be injuriously affected by the piles on which the bridge is to be erected, and that it is necessary to maintain a great width of span between the piers has not proved to be well grounded, and I am of opinion that if arrangements can be made with the contractor it is desirab'e to lessen the width of tach span by the insertion of another pier, and so to strengthen the bridge that it will be available for railway traffic. " You will be asked to consent to the bridging of the Hiver Ashburton with a light bridge, and this, with the bridges over the Haugitata and Waitaki rivers, the former of which is authorised and contracted fcr, and the latter sanctioned by an Act of the Assembly, will complete the most important links of communication between the different parts of this province and that of Otago. " You will also be asked to sanction the erection of a bridge over the S.-lwyn on the main Hue of road which passes through the Ellesmere district. " During the past year the main road to the Peninsula, by way of Little River, has been formed for some distance, and you will be asked to supplement the provision that has been already made for the purpose by a further grant. " A new line of road has also been laid out from Pigeon Bay to Akaroa, and is now in course of formation. " The General Government has consented to establish a District Court, which shall hold periodical sessions in, Timaru, and thu» supply what has been a great want to the inhabitants of that district. " I have directed various papers to be laid on the table, selected from those which have been presented to the General Assembly. I would especially call your Attention to the rc^xirt of a J< iut Committee of .Loth Hour t

with evidence taken on the subject of colonial industries. " The Colonial Government has, at my instance, requested Dr Haast, through the Colonial Geologist, to make a complete and detailed geological survey of the Malyern. Hills, with the view of obtaining further information as to the extent and value of the coalfields in that district. " You will be asked to give assistance to the Association which is prosecuting investigations as to the best method of producing a lucrative article of export from the native flax. " The establishment of manufactories for the preservation of meat has already had a marked effect on the prospects of the grazing and pastoral interests, by providing a certain market for surplus stock, and the facilities which have been afforded for the storage and prompt shipment of grain in the Port of Lyttelton have had a most beneficial effect in bringing into favourable notice the grainproduciog powers of the province. " The Museum building, the erection of which the Council sanctioned at my request in the year 1863, is this day open for your inspection for the first time. I trust that a further effort will now be made to build a Laboratory in connection with the Museum, and to afford encouragement by lectures of a practical character to the pursuit of science. " I here take occasion to express my high sense of the indefatigable zeal and industry of Dr Haast, through whose exertions the province has become possessed of collections of such high value, and of an institution which will, I trust, annually possess larger attractions, and become of greater importance in relation to the education of the country and the development of its material resources. " A full report on the working of the railways will be laid before you as soon as the year's accounts are completed. " The manner in which the traffic and management of the line has been conducted reflects great credit on the general manager and those employed under him. " I may state, ia anticipation of the report which will be presented to you, that the actual revenue for the year ending September 30 has amounted to £53,000, or about £4000 in excess of the estimated revenue for that period. " 1 he working expenses for the year have amounted to about 58 per cent upon the gross receipts, a result which, as compared with that on other lines of railway, must be deemed satisfactory. The total outlay on what may be termed the capital account of the railways amounts to £611,360, ani the nett profit on the current year's working, after deducting working expenses and maintenance, as well as a contribution of 5 per cent on the gross receipts to the Renewal Fund, is £19,243, or a little more than 3 per cent on the total capital expended. " These results not only justify the anticipations of those who initiated the railway system of the province, but they are sufficient indications of the further advantages which may be gained by the extension of those lines. '• In tbese railways the people of this province have a property of their own creation, which, if prudently managed, would of itself be sufficient security to continue and maintain a system of railway communication throughout the province. " Gentlemen, in entering upon a fresh term of office, I may be permitted to express my hope and confidence that the action of the Government of this province, guided by your counsel, may tend to the advancement of its best interests, in no less a degree than has been the case under my predecessors. " Our prosperity in the future may depend largely upon the action of another Legislature, but your deliberations, though they cannot oontrol, may materially promote and assist the welfare of the province and the colony. " I now declare this Council open for the dispatch of public business. " W. Roixeston, " Superintendent."