PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1733, 20 June 1862, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, Junk 17, 1862.

The Speaker took the chair at 3 o'clock, Present, 18 members.

The Crows Lands Commissioner moved the adoption of the following resolution, — "That in furtherance aud extension of the views of the Select Committee on the •' Ann Wilson," as expressed in their Report to the effect that an amicable and equitable adjustment of accounts should be made between this Province and Messrs. Gladstone & Co. ;--The Superintendent of the Province is hereby fully authorised to make such a definite proposal to Messrs. Gladstone in view of the above object as may upon a review of every interest aud particular appear to him consistent with the best interest of the Province, aud also as calculated to secure not ouly an amicable but a prompt settlement ; such proposal to be made without prejudice." Agreed to. Mr. Duncan moved, — "That this House considers it desirable to consider the late ruling of the Hod. the Speaker in relation to the voting of members on the question of personal interest. " Carried nem. con. Mr. Allison moved,—" For a Select Committe to enquire into and report upon the pecuniary interests of Messrs. Rhodes, Turnbull, Taylor, Hunter, and Watt in Bonded Stores : and to state whether it is sufficient to warrant the Speaker in ruling that they could not vote, on the motion of Mr. Duncan for rescinding the vote of £2500 for buildiug a Queen's Warehouse. Such committee to consist of Messrs. Borlase, Wallace, Spinks, Ciawford and the Mover." A long discussion ensued, of a very animated character, after about two hours debate, chiefly on points of order, the following resolution was, on the motion of Mr. G. Crawford, substituted for the original motion:— "That this Council is of opinion that the interests of Messrs, Rhodes, Taylor, Turnbull, Watt and Hunter, were not of that direct and immediate character as to disqualify them from voting on the 12th instant." This amendment was put from the Chairman and carried unanimously, The Wanganui Race Course Bill was then re-considered in Committee, and the amendments recommended by the Superintendent in Message, No. ]I, agreed to. Bill reported with amendments, read a third time and passed. The Report of claim on J. Plimmer's Committee was then taken iota consideration and adopted. The Compensation Committee's report wag adopted. The Council then adjourned until 3 o'clock on Thursday. Thursday, Jctne 19. The Speaker took the Chair at 4 o'clock. Present— Messrs. Allison, Turnbull, Duncan, Watt, Johnston, Woodward, Brandon, Fitzherbert, Allen, Spinks, Rhodes and Carter. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. NOTICE OP MOTION. The Hon. J JoHMsroNgave notics of motion, "That this Conncil considers it desirable that the Bills intended to be submitted to it by the Executive should so far a 9 practicable, be printed and placed in the hands of its members one month prior to its meeting in session. And further, that this Council considers it desirable that the Hon. the Speaker should endeavour during the recess to make arrangements for the delivering of tha Motion and Order paper of the day to its, members at or before noon on each, sitting day." Mr. Johnston said — he wished the motion'of which he had given notice could have been discussed and agreed to before the Council was prorogued — but being told the prorogation was to take place in a few minutes — he accepted to give notice of motion for so distant a day in order to have the motion recorded on the minutes of the House and to induce the action be sought for. WELLINGTON ATEN.EUM. The following letter from the Secretary of the Wellington Athenaeum was received ,and readTo the Speaker of the Provincial Council of Wellington. SIR, In pursuance of a motion pas3ed by the President and Committee of the Wellington Athenauni and Mechanics Institute, I have the honor on behalf of the President and Committee, to convey through you to the Provincial Council their thanks for the very liberal grant passed by them | in aid of the Wellington Atheusaum &c, and they trust that it^will effectually enable them to place the Institution in a favorable position, capable of creating attraction, and affording instruction to its members and the public. ,^1 have the honor to remaiu, Sir, T Your's respectfully, H. F. Logaw. Hon. Sec. Wellington Athenaaum. Wellington, Juno 17th, 18G2. PROROGATION. His Honor the Superintendent entered the Council a few minute* after 4 o'clock, the members rising on his entrance, and prorogued the Council with the following address. Ma. Speaker akd G-entmsmex op ths Provincial Council. I beg to intimate that I have assented on behalf of the Governor to the following Acts, viz : An act to empower the Superintendent to erect a Toll Gate at Kai VVarra Warra. An Act to make provision for the payment of a Salary to the Auditor and Deputy Auditor. An Act t« provide for the preservation and protection of Trigonometrical Stations and Survey marks . An Act to provide for the management of the General Cemetery at Wanganui. An Act to appoint Commisionera to adjust the amounts payable by the Provinces of Wellington and Hawko's Bay in discharge of the Loans raised by the Province of Wellington as originally constituted. An Act to appropriate the Revenue of the Province of Wellington for the Quarter commencing the Ist day of January, 1862, and ending the 31st of March then ensuing. An Act to provide for the management of the Educational Reserves. An Act to vest in a Board of Wardens for the management of Local Public Works and matters, the management of the Streets, Sewerage, and preservation of the health the inhabitants of the town of Wanganu

An Act to provide for the Management of the Race Courses in the Wanganui and Rangitiki Districts. An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to District Highways. An Act to make further provision relative to Slaughtering Cattle within the City of Wellington. An Act to amend and consolidate the Law relatting to Scab, Catarrh, and Sheep Inspectors. An Act to provide for the management of certain parcels of Land in the City of Wellington. An Act to provide for the establishment of a Board of Commissioners, and for making and repairing of roads and streets and other public Works in the City of Wellington, An Act regulate the traffic on Public Highways. An Act to appropriate the Revenue of the Province of Wellington, for the year commencing the Ist day of April, 1862, and ending the 3 1st of March, 1863. And further 1 have reserved the Act. "To ' authorise the Superintendent to raise a further Loan of Twenty-ftve Thousand Pounds," for the Governor's assent. While I assent to these Acts, I confess that a few of them contain provisions which I should have been glad to have seen modified ; still considering that they have all been subjected to the most searching disciission and that some of the most important are in a great degree the result of the Council's own mature deliberation, having been either framed by Select Committees or introduced by private members, I have felt it my duty to yield my own opinions and cheerfully to acquiesce in your decisions. . By the Highway Act yon have swept away three Acts, passed in different Sessions and containing conflicting provisions, have remedied grave defects, and supplied many omissions which have hitherto seriously impeded the full working of the Highways' system. By the Scab Act you have also got rid of three Acts dispersed in different Blue Books, and byavailing yourselves of the more carefully prepared enactments of other Provinces, have, I believe, succeeded in framing a measure admirably adapted to attain the object in view, the eradication of a disease which has proved most detrimental to one of the most important interests of the Province. I earnestly -trust that in future Sessions other Acts will in the aatne way be consolidated and simplified; so that all your laws may be made both intelligible and accessible to those upon whom the duty of carrying them out dovolves. However great the reluctance hitherto manifested by the inhabitants of thiacity to take upon themselves the management of their own local affairs, still, I feel assured that in the Town Boards Ace, you have by the simplicity and inexpensivenesa of the machinery you have devised , by the limitation of the powers and duties conferred upon the Commissioners, by restricting the rate to be levied to a very moderate amount— by constituting a single Board for the whole city, and by the equal representation you luve given to the three wards into which it is to be divided, thereby ensuring an equitable expenditure of the rates, removed most of the objections urged againat previous Acts, while, at the same time, by your proposal to hand over to the Commissioners the rents of the Town Belt and to contribute out of the Public Revenue a sum equal to the amount raised by the rates, you have held out such powerful inducements to bring the Act into operation, that if its provisions are only fairly explained and understood, I think we may reasonably anticipate that the inhabitants will readily avail themselres of the advantages and privileges it confers upon them. With respect to the Wanganui Streets, Sewerage, and Drainage Act, seeing that it has been drawn up in strict conformity with the views of the Wanganui Representatives, and that it gives all the power which the constituents have repeatedly asked for, I have no doubt that the Act will be regarded by them as one of the greatest boons yet conferred upon their important and thriving settlement. Important as are these measures, the present session has been equally distinguished by the ample provision you have made for the execution of public works in almost every part of the Province, and for the fair and impartial manner in which you have distributed the large funds which have been at your disposal ; and though you have been obliged to supplement the Surplus revenue available for public works, by a further Loan of 4>25,000, yet you will by some of the works proposed, create a revenue more than sufficient to meet the annual interest on a much larger amount. I have now, on behalf of th<a Province, to tender you my thanks for the earnest manner in which, during a protracted session, you have api plied yourselves to the discharge of your onerous duties, my own personal thanks for the kindly feelings which you have in many ways evinced towards myself, and to express my hope that when you again assemble, you will find no cause to regret the. large amount of confidence you have reposed in the Government. 1 now declare that this Council do stand prorogued. I. E. Feathekstow, Superintendent. Superintendent's Office, 19th June, 18G2.