NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 506, 20 May 1869, Page 2

NELSON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING AND ADVERTISING-. There having been no less than £2250, in all, voted during last session of the Provincial Council, for stationery, printing, and advertising, and there being no iesstlian £IOOO placed under the heading " South-West Goldfields," and £720 under the heading " Miscellaneous " for printing, advertising, and stationery, on the Estimates placed before the Provincial Council by the Government this year, a somewhat lengthened discussion took place, with the view of obtaining information on these points, it being generally known that not more than one tenth of these amounts ever has been or is intended to be expended in stationery, printing, and advertising on the SouthWest Goldfields. [Though referred to in our leading columns, we must omit the discussion till our next issue.] WEST COAST AFFAIRS. The following motions by West Coast members were not referred to in our previous reports : MOORISH GEAR FOR CHARLESTON. Mr Hen nelly moved, " That his Honor be requested to place on the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £2OO, for mooring posts and lines, for Charleston Harbor." Mr lleid seconded the motion, and it was agreed to after a division. BRIDLE TRACK NEAR CHARLESTON. Mr Heunelly moved, " That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to authorise the survey of a bridletrack from the coast line, as convenient to Charleston as will be found practicable, inland to the Little Grey, and to ascertain the estimated cost of cutting and making such track." He said the construction of such a track would concentrate the diggings and prove of great benefit. Mr Donne seconded the motion, which was agreed to. HARBOR MASTERS' SALARIES. Mr Donne moved to reduce the pay of the Harbor-Master of Westport, by £6O; and also moved to raise that of the Harbor-Master of Charleston, by £SO, but both motions were unsuccessful. MR LIGHTBAND's COMPENSATION. The Select Committee appointed to take into consideration the claim of Mr Lightbaud recommended the giving of £45 Compensation to Mr Lightband, who had claimed £126, for the loss he had sustained. Mondat, May 17. PETITION OP J. W. LYNCH. Mr Donne brought up the report of the Select Committee on the petition of J. W. Lynch for compensation. It recommended that the petitioner should be paid three months' salary, on the ground that his superior officer, Mr Warden Broad, had telegraphed to him that he was to ,be retained in the service of the Government. [Mr Donne was to move the adoption of this resolution of the Committee on the following evening, but we are given to understand that it is likely to meet with some opposition, as some of the members are of opinion that there is no just ground for any

claim, the telegram from Mr Broad being considered to have been one of a private nature.] MINTING AND ADVEBTISING. Mr Donne moved that His Honor the Superintendent be requested to furuish the Council with a detailed account of the expenditure of .£1225 voted last year for Stationery, Printing, Advertising, and Contingencies under the heading South-West Goldfields. Mr Hennelly seconded the motion, which was agreed to. ENDOWMENT FOB NELSON INSTITUTE. Mr Beid moved the rescinding of the resolution passed by the Council on Thursday night on the notice of Dr Irvine, respecting the setting apart of 1000 acres for the endowment of lectures and evening classes for the Nelson Institute. He pointed out that the result of carrying this motion was,as had been anticipated by many of tho members, the production of several similar applications for the country districts; that either a motion upon some general scale of endowment should be carried ; or thatthe whole matter should be allowed to drop. The motion was agreed to by a majority of ten to five. Mr Wastney's motion for the grant of 25,000 acres for the endowment of public libraries and institutes all over the province was adjourned. The rest of the evening was taken up with a long discussion on the Scab Act, and thereafter the few items in connection with that Act upon the Estimates were passed, which concluded the estimates as recommended by the Government for the current year.