Wednesday, October 24.

West Coast Times, Issue 343, 29 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

Wednesday, October 24.

Amongst the papers which have been laid on the table by the Provincial Secretary is a very bulky volume of correspondence f awarded by Mr Sale.

In accordance with a decision come to yesterday, the House met to-day at two o'clock, with the intention of sitting until half-past five, and then adjourning until seven. There was however, still no government business brought down, and the Notice Paper was disposed of in about an hour. There were one or two motions of some interest to your side. Mr Blight, in accordance with notice given the previous day, asked the Provincial Secretary —

Whether any steps had beeu taken by the Government to prevent the enforcement of the notice given by Mr Commissioner Sale to the occupants of certain sections on the Police Eeserve, Hokitiktv, to remove then- buildings before the 25th instant, under penalty of having them demolished by the police ?

He said he had to apologise to the Provincial Secretary for putting the motion formally, and thought it proper to state that on Monday morning he had waited on Mr Stewart, and represented tn him strongly the case of the persons whose interests this notice threatened, when he was met most promptly by the assurance that orders should be telegraphed to stay proceedings. As the whole subject, however, was one of great importance, which would probably engage the early attention of the House, he was anxious that every step taken in connection with it should be made a matter of public record, and had therefore placed the question on the Notice Paper. Mr Stewart stated iv reply, that iv accordance with the promise ho had made to the hon. member, he had telegraphed to Mr Sale, instructing him to suspend proceedings. Mr Bright asked whether he would be in order iv laying on the table certain petitions which had been signed for presentation to the Assembly, and which contained much information, which he was desirous the House should be in possession of.

The Speaker ruled that the hon. member would not be in order.

Mr Maude would, suggest that the hon. member should give notice of motion of his intention to ask leave to lay the papers on the table.

Mr Bright said that he would adopt the suggestion and give notice of motion. Thursday, October. 25. The House has sat unusually late tonight and the proceedings have been of much more interest than has hitherto been the case. I shall .confine myself almost entirely to West Coast matters, leaving you to glean your other news from the papers.

Mr Barff had yesterday given notice of the following question : — " Whether any steps had been taken to appoint a commission to revise the Canterbury Goldfields Regulations r" The question was answered to-day after a fashion ; but on Mr Barff complaining that the reply did not at all meet his enquiry the Provincial Solicitor admitted that he had mistaken the drift of the question, and said he would be better prepared to answer it to-morrow. The commission to which Mr Barff referred was the one promised by Mr Moorhouse to revise the Canterbury Regulations ; the Executive thought it had reference to the General Government Goldfields Regulations. To day Mr Barff gave two notices of motion, one of which I could not catch from my place ; the other was to introduce a Bill for leasing terraces.

I supply you with the following, from notes furnished me by a friend in the reporters' gallery.

PRESENTMENT OF THE WESTLAND GKAND JURY.

Mr Bright asked —

If a copy of the presentment made by the Grand Jury to his Honor Mr Justice Gresson at the last sitting of the Supreme Court at Hokitika, has been laid before the Government ; and if so, whether any steps have been taken to cause ell'ect to be given to its recommendations.

The hen. member said, that in asking this question he wished to make one or two remarks. On the occasion of his Hon^r Mr Justice Gre&son's visit to Hokitika, to preside at the last sitting of the Supreme Court there, the Grand Jury deemed it a suitable opportunity for bringing under the notice of » the Executive Government certain matters which they had no means otherwise of communicating either to the General Government or the Provincial Executive. The Grand Jury, therefore, prepared a very elaborate statement, setting forth these matters, and his Honor Mr Justice Gresson promised to communicate that statement, not only to the General Government, but also to the Provincial Executive. The representations made by the Grand Jury were of extreme importance as to the matters referred to ; but nothing had been heard since as to the intentions of thcGovornment respecting them. He had, therefore placed the question on the paper in order to elicit some public information.

The Provincial Solicitor, on the part of the Government, said that the presentment referred to had been brought under its notice, and a copy had likewise been sent by his Honor to the General Government. With regard to those matters which were under the control of the General Government he might state that they had been considered to some extent in the General Assembly. That portion referring to the Court House had been considered by the Provincial Executive, and measures would be taken to remedy the evils complained of. As to the Registration of Deeds, he would state that no steps could be taken in that matter without an entire alteration of the present system. The whole subject of the presentment, however, was not being lost sight of.

HOKITIKA GAOL.

Mr Bright asked —

By what authority prisoners under committal, and awaiting trial in the Hokitika gaol, are compelled to wear convict clothing. He said that on visiting the gaol, he found that men who were committed to take their trial were, on the day following such committal, arrayed in a convict garb. He had placed this question on the Notice Paper because there was a doubt with whom the responsibility of the internal arrangements and discipline of the gaols rested. Lately he had

been informed that these matters rested with the Sheriff. This was, however, most unsatisfactory, as considerable doubt prevailed as to who really was the Sheriff. It was understood that one gentleman had been aj>pointe 1, and held the warrant in his pocket, but refused, for various reasons, to take the oaths of office ; and that the previous Sheriff, having sent in his resignation, was waiting its acceptance, and in the meantime declined to perform any but the most necessiry and urgent official acts. He hoped some information would be given on the subject.

The Provincial Solicitor iv reply, said that the Government were not aware of any of the circumstances alluded to by the hon. member. As to the appointment of Sheriff, Mr Sale, as he had been requested to do, exercised the duties of that office ; and as such, had the prisoners under his control. With regard to the particular matter alluded to by the hon. member, the Government would cause enquiry to be made, and would lay the result before the House. He thanked the hon. member for the information he had given.

IIOIvITIKA RESEItVES.

Mr Bright moved —

That there bo laid on tho table copies of all memorials that have been transmitted to his Honor the • Superintendent from holders of sections in Hokitika, with reference to reserves and tho regulations for the disposal of town lands.

The hon. member said that as he apprehended no opposition would be made by the Government to furnish these returns, he would not enter into any lengthened observations on the subject. Ho was not desirous of wearying the House with Westland affairs, but there were several questions of considerable interest to the district, and especially to the town which he represented that would have to engage the attention of

the Council ; he considered it would be better that each matter should be considered in its entirety, rather than in a succession of desultory debates, and he begged, therefore, to move for these returns as a contribution to a mass of documentary evidence which would be of great assistance to the House.

Mr Barff seconded the motion

The Provincial Secretary said that many of the documents asked for were already on the table of the Ilou^e Others, however, had come in very lately, which he trusted to be able to lay on the table to-morrow. The motion was put and passed.

REPLY TO THE SUPEKINTEXDEXX's

SPEECH

An address, in reply to the Superintendent's speech, was moved to-day by Mr Montgomery, duly seconded, and passed without further debate. The following is the text of this document as it was carried :—: —

REPLY TO THE 1 ADDRESS,

The Provincial Council thank your Honor for the address with which your Honor opened their Twenty-sixth Session.

The Council consider that the unavoidable delay in their meeting has not been prejudicial to the interests of the province.

The Council will give all consideration to your Honor's desire that the Session shall be a brief one, and will be prepared at a subsequent Session to enter upon more extended legislative action than can be undertaken at present.

The Council are gratified to find that the subject of Pre-emptive Rights will be brought before them, with a view to suggesting amendments to be made by the General Assembly, of the Land Regulations relating to those rights.

The Council will give their best attention to any proposals for the bridging of the principal rivers, including tho Hurnnui and the Waitaki, and will assent to any vote proposed by your Honor for the purpose, if the necessities of the case, the advantages derivable from such a course of action, and the welfare and true policy of the province should demand it.

The Council will be prepared to concur in any just measure having for its object the recognition of Southern claims in the adjustment and distribution of revenue. The Council will duly consider your Honor's proposal to hand over to the Municipal Council of Timaru the Steam Landing Service at that port.

The Council are pleased to welcome amongst them an increased number of representatives from the goldfiekls, and anticipate considerable advantage from their advice and assistance iv legislating for that important district.

Tho Council are not yet in possession of all theinfoi'maiion necessary to a perfect knowledge cf tho state of the Finances of the Proviuce. TLey trust with your Honor that the Government will successfully, aud without embarrassment, carry out all the works at present in progress. Aud they will exercise i strict economy iv tho appropriation of the public revenues, as a accessary' precaution against financial difficulties.

The Council regard the improved aspect of affairs in tho Northern Island as justifying the confident hope that the settlement of the native question at no distant day will remove all obstacles to the development of Middle Island resources, and thus piomote the furtherance of the true duty of the provinces, the woi'k of colonisation.

The Council aye gratified to learn that tho Tunnel is progressing so fast to completion, and that the line from Lyttelton to the Selwyn will be ready for traffic within nine months.

Any proposal from your Honor for providing wharfage iv Lyttelton for shipping in connection with the railway, will receive that consideration which tho importance of tlic= subject demands.

The cordial understanding subsisting between your Honor's Government and that of the adjoining Provinces of this Inland, is a subject of cougratulation, and, the Council trust, may lead to real co-operation iv all neccssnry measures for their joint benefit and that of the colony at large. The Council join heartily with your Honor in deeply regret tiug that Mr Selfe, our old and faithful friend, as your Honor truly calls him, has found it necessary to resign the English Agency of this Province, which he has conducted with so much zeal and ability for tho last few years.

The Council beg to assure your Honor of thoir desire cordially to co-operate with your Honor in giving eH'ecfc to any measures conducive (o the welfare and prosperity of tho province, which your Honor may submit for their consideration.

Iv moving the address, Mr Montgomery dwelt at some length on the desirability of cementing the connection between the two districts of the province by a policy of conciliation. One or two warm discussions took place in committee, especially on the clause singling out the southern districts as having special claims to "just measures." The opposition to tho clause was not, however, pressed to a division.

When the motion was put by the Speaker, on the House resuming, that the report of the committee on the address be adopted, Mr Bright spoke with some warmth and energy. He said in effect, that he would not give his assent to that paragraph of the reply which stated that the interests of the province had not suffered in any way from the postponement of the session, for he represented a district which had suffered most materially in several important interests from the procrastination which had taken place with reference to the meeting of the Council. With reference to the paragraph which had set forth that the Council entirely concurred in the suggestion of his Honor that the session should be brought to as early a close as possible, he felt still further difficulty. He came from a district for which, hitherto, legislation had done scarcely anything. He could quite understand the anxiety felt by some hon. members to depart to their homes so soon as the necessary financial provision was made for carrying on the Government. But he would remind hon. members that there was this material difference between the one side of the province and the other., There, they were a consolidated people, possessing all the advantages of an old established machinery of government, whilst on the other side they had none of these advantages. In fact he could not look upon that magnificent hall, worthy to be the birthplace of laws intended to be permanent, without being painfully reminded of the difference between the people on that side aud the community by whom he and his colleagues had been sent there. With all their wealth, they wanted the first organisation of government. Bearing in mind the long period during which the people of Westland had been looking forward to the meeting of this Council — remembering how anxiously they had before looked forward to the election of. a new Superiuteutendent, and, subsequently, to the return of his Honor from Wellington, in order that the Council might be called together, lie di:l feel it to be his imperative duty to urge upon that House, to urge upon the Executive, and to urge upon his Honor, not to bring this session to a premature close without considering those great interests of Westland which they had sent him and his colleagues to press upon the consideration of the House. They represented no factious party — they had no desire to obstruct the action of the Government. , They came to that House to endeavor to secure effective reforms of a practical character, and he did most earnestly express the hope that the opportunity now afforded would not be lost", of meeting the claims of a district, the people of which had looked forward with deep anxiety to the present session of the Council, as of a body by which justice, long asked for, would at length be afforded to them. (Cheers.)

The adoption of the report was then put from the Chair and carried.

RALE OF "WEST COAST LANDS.

Mr Johnstone has given notice of the following resolution on this subject, to be moved to-day :—: —

To move that, iv the opinion of this Council it is expedient and urgently necessary to open up for selection, under the Waste Land Regulutions of the Province, all the unsold Waste Lauds of the Crown in that part of the Province of Canterbury called Wcstlaud (exeeptiug such as are now in actual use and occupation as goMftelds), and that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to take duch steps as may be necessary to effect that object without delay.

It was intended by the West Coast I members to meet this motion by a special • amendment to be moved by Mr Barff, but I understand it is the intention of the Government to make such a statement when the motion comes on as must necessitate either its withdrawal or its being negatived without debate. I am enabled to state that the Government have a laud scale policy of their own ; aud that the minds of the West Coast members have beeu sorely exercised within the past few days. Onei thing all may be certain of, and that is, that the present session may not be barren of fruits whatever the quality and flavor may be.

Some interesting balloon ascents have lately been made by Mr Cox well, particularly those from the Crystal Palace ou June 12th and 25th, on which days tho rate of travelling indicated a more rapid movement of the atmosphere than we are apt to associate with the breezes of June. On tho 12th Mr Coxwell and Captain Woodgate ascended at 4 30 from Sydenham, and in less than eight minutes crossed the Thames just below Woolwich. The balloon descended at 5.20, nearly ten miles beyond Chelnisibrd. On June 25 the same gentlemen started from the Crystal Palace at 6 p.m., and after passing over Epsom Downs and Guilford, landed on Elstead inclosure, which is over thirty miles from the Palace. But on June 12, more than forty miles were accomplished in fifty minutes.