PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 618, 13 June 1866, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, WELLINGTON.

Wednesday, June 6. Tlis Speaker took the chair at 5 p.m. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. SMALL FARM ASSOCIATION. Mr. llalcombe moved, —“ That a Select Committee be appointed to consider the regulations of the proposecUSmall Farm Association, of the Hutt .and Wellington, submitted to His Honor the Superintendent, to consist of Messrs. Borlase, . Masters, Ludlam, Wal'ave, Watt, and the mover.” Mr. Ludlam said that in lieu of referring the matter to a Select Committee, ho would move as an amendment, —“ That a copy of the rules and regulations for tlie Small Farm Association, as prepared by tlie Hutt and Wellington Committee, and submitted to the Superintendent, should be sent down to the Council by the Superintendent, with the opinion of the Government upon them.” He did not do this from opposition to the Government, but to get the very fullest consideration from the Council on the matter, as he thought it was not one which could be dealt with in a Select Committee. The reference of this to such a Committee would cause also a delay in the debate, and another point was that several hon members allowed themselves to be guided too much by the report of Select Committees. Those interested in this matter had laid their views in the most candid manner before the Superintendent, and they had a right to have the opinion of the Government on them. Mr. llalcombe said that the Government would not have the least objection to take the amendment, as they were very anxious to have the matter fully discussed by the Council. The amendment was then put and carried. The {Council then adjourned an hour for refreshments. On the Council ro-assembling at eight o’clock, Mr.'Wallace called attention to the state of the Houso, a 3 there was not a, quorum. A delay of a quarter of an hour elapsed before there was a sufficient number in the Houso to form- a quoruiti. The Orders of the Day were then proceeded frith. WHARF AT WANGANUI. Mr. Bryce moved, —That His Honor the Superintendent bo requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £2OO towards the erection of a wharf opposite the Marketplace in the town of Wanganui. Carried. SIANAWATU LAND PURCHASE.

The House then resumed, and the Chairman reported the resolutions. The Provincial Solicitor moved, —“ That the House do go into Committee to consider the raising of a loan of £25,000 .in debentures at a short date, for the purpose of purchasing land at Manawatn.” The motion was carried, and the House resolved itself into a Committee. Mr. Brandon then said he would ask the Committee to agree to the desirability of the introduction of a Bill to authorise the raising of a loan of £30,000, for the purchase of the Manawatu-Rangitikei block, and land in the 40 mile bush. This money would be raised by debentures for short periods, which would be as a collateral security to those who might advance the money. They would, of course, have to obtain the consent of the General Assembly to this loan, but he thought they would meet with no opposition there. It was decided some time ago that, in raising loans like this, the provinces should lay aside a portion of their territorial revenue as security for their repayment. What they wanted now to do was to be able to give, an equivalent equal to about 10 per cent, on the purchase money ; and, by thus setting aside part of the proceeds of the land towards the liquidation of these debentures, they would be guaranteeing the pay-

ment of them within the proposed time, and he had no doubt that the amount of tlio loan would be repaid in twelve or eighteen months, if they obtained that sale for the land which they anticipated. They hope to wipe out their debt as soon as possible. One point to which he would wish to call the attention of the Council was that they could not be charged by previous creditors with haying obtained money on securities on which they had a prior claim, as, if they did not obtain the loan on this land, they would never have been able to purchase it, and, therefore, creditors could not say-that they had the first charge on it. They thought that 20 per c.ent. of the land purchased would be ample to liquidate the debt. With these remarks he begged to move—“ That leave be given to introduce a Bill to raise a loan of £30,000 oil debentures at short dates for the purchase of land in the Manawatu, and in the Forty Mile Bush.” The motion was carried. The Council adjourned at 10.45. Thursday, June V, 18G6. The Speaker took the chair at 5 p.m. The minutes of the last meeting were road and confirmed. WANGANUI RIVER. Mr. Bryce moved that the House go into Committee for the consideration of the following resolution, —“ That His Honor the Superintendent be requested to place on the Estimates the sum of £1,500 for piling the right bank of the Wanganui River, and improving the navigation thereof.”

The resolution was carried, after which The House resumed, and the Chairman reported the resolution.

Friday, June 8, THE PRICE OF LAND

The Provincial Secretary moved that in tlio opinion of this Council all agricultural lands in the province shall be sold by public auction, after survey, at an upset price of £1 per acre. In doing so, ho, on behalf of the Government, deprecated the intention of at all unduly pressing the matter upon the consideration of the Council, but it was ■necessary that honourable members should be put in possession of the opinions of the Government. There were three matters in his motion to be considered : first, the sale by auction of all the agricultural lands of tlie province ; secondly, their sale after survey and thirdly, tli e alteration in the upset price of the land. He wishod it to be borne in mind that when mentioning agricultural land he alluded more particularly to the Manawatu Block. He would first speak as to the price of the land. In making the price too low land would be put into the; hands of speculators, and, on the other hand, by making it too high, the man of small capital would be unable to settle .in the province. The question as to price of land was one on which hardly two persons would be found to agree. Some would say that by raising the price of land, the small settler receives encouragement, and others would observe, “ why should the small settler now be called upon to pay a largo price for bis land, when for the last fourteen years it has been selling cheap.” .In his own opinion the real question was purely the financial one —what does the land cost the province, and what can the province afford to dispose of it at. He felt convinced tliad when the Council estimated the cost of surveys, say at 4s peracre, and considered the large sums of money which would have to be expended by the Government in roads and public works* they would come to the conclusion that the province could not afford to sell an acre of the Manawatu Block under £l. He could only tell them that if the land was to be ]Sut at 10s it would only realise £IOO,OOO, and would consequently leave a clear loss to the province of £40,000 ; and he wonld also say that unless more was got for the land it would be impossible to carry on the works of the province necessitated by its increasing population and consequent additional requirements. Again, if the price of the land was not* increased the only other way by whiclf to meet the growing expenses of the province would be either by taxation or the raising of additional loans, and if difficulty was then experienced in borrowing money it would be largely increased as the estate diminished. Another reason for raising the price of the land was that the land itself had increased in value. He wanted to hear the question discussed, but it was only his duty to say that the result of the debate would in no way alter the views held by the Government with regard to Small Farm Associations, who should not purchase any portion of the Manawatu Block unless at £1 an acre. The hon. member closed a long speech amidst loud cheers. Dr. Allison, without remark, seconded the motion. Mr. Borlase moved the postponement of the debate until Wednesday. Mr. 11. Pluirazyn seconded the motion, which was put and carried. The Council then adjourned at half-past six until five o’clock on Tuesday evening.