PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2820, 8 April 1869, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6. j The Speaker took the Chair at 3 o'clock. lOXTON AND NGAWnAKARATT ROAD. Mr SMITH said the question on this matter standing in his name was answered by the motion brought down by the Government. Mr HALCOMBE moved — "That any moneys raised by tho Foxton Road District for tho purpose of opening up the road from IToxton to iVgawhakiiviui may during tho presenb financial year be met by the Government by a double equivalent to bo expended in the purchase of land by the .Board." He said tho Government was exceedingly anxious to meet the settlers in this matter, inasmuch as considerable expense had been already incurred with this view. The actual distance sis the crow flies between Ngawhaknrau and JToxton is thirteen miles, and it must bo seen that until this particular piece of road is accomplished, the main lino of road is practically stopped dead. He would ask leave of the Council to amend hio motion by leaving out the words "by the Foxton Road District," as he found there 1 would be a small space of ground in the very worst part of the road entirely left, by confining the operations of this motion to the 3?oxton Road Board. It was almost necessary, he said, for the Government to open this line of road, as a means of communication with Manawatu and the surrounding districts, as tho want of the lino militatod very much against the settlement of the district. It would be only doing a justice to the settlers of tho Manawatu, who had bought land at a very high price. The motion, he said, was an entirely exceptional one, and although a slight departure from the general practice, was calculated to bo of great benefit to the province at large. Some discussion took place as to the exact tenor aud scope of tho motion. Mr RENALL said if tho Council were going to work in that way, and gave equivalents in land to any sum raised by a road board, would ib not be better to adopt a more general system. Mr SMITH reminded tho hon. momber that the Council had already recognized the principle ; and he would say that the resolutions he had brought down were much more applicable than this motion. Ho hoped tho Council would be allowed to try this motion as an experiment, and thus ascertain how the principle would work. Mr MILNE said it would be a most judicious thing to adopt some plan of opening up the Manawatu ; but it would not be wise to institute a general course in that respect. Mi' READING; Baid it wouldf not be wise to

confine the thing to the district of Foxton, but to allow it to extend throughout tho Manawatu district. There werß other districts also where it was desirable roads should be constructed on the same principle. Mr WATT in supporting the motion, said the Bettlers of that district had been led to expect something from the G-overnmenb which they had never received, and he thought this the only present means in their power by which to make up for the broach of faith. Mr MASTERS thought the motion should be more general in application. Mr RHODES "agreed with the spirit of the motion, and thought it would be an excellent thing if extended to the province generally ; but he did not think a double equivalent sufficient ; it out to have been at least a triple one ; and be would move that as an amendment. Mr GALLOWAY wished to mate a further amendment with the view of making the motion apply generally in the province, but was ruled out of order, as it was reviving a question which had been disposed of on a previous evening. Mr HALOOMBE hero explained how the Manawatu was an exceptional case, which unlike all the other country districts, had not only not received its due, but had received no assistance whatever, and was consequently entitled to especial consideration ; how the opening of this line of road between. Foxton and Ngawhakurau would, by completing a main line of road, would be really an economical and beneficial work to the whole province. Some further discussion ensued as to the precise application of the bill, when Mr Rhodes' amendment was put and negatived. HESSA&E. The Speaker read a message from his Honor the Superintendent recommending that a sum be placed on the estimates to meet the claim of Henry Stilling. Mr HALOOMBE explained that the sum of £62 was already included in the liabilities. ORDERS OF THE DAT. The resolutions of the Committee were read a second time and concurred in. The Volunteer Free Grants Act Amendment Bill was read as amended ; read a third time and passed. The Council then adjourned until five o'clock. On resuming. MESSAGES. I Tho Speaker read messages seven and eight, just received from his Honor. SUSPENSION OP STANDING- ORDERS. Mr HALCOMBE moved the suspension of the standing orders during the remainder of the j session. Agreed to In committee. Mr BRANDON explained the alterations suggested by his Honor's message in the Reclaimed Land Bill, and in the Manawatu Racecourse Bill. Tho two bills as amended were reported and agreed toAPPROPRIATION BILI>. The SPEAKER announced to the Council the receipt of another message (No 9) from his Honor with the draft of a bill entitled an Act of Appropriation of the province of Wellington from the Ist day of April, 1869, to the 31sfc March, 1870. Some discussion ensued on Mr SMITH moving that some sum of money be put on the estimates for the purpose of carrying out or giving effect to the resolution passed that afternoon. On the explanation of Mr Halcombe, he subsequently withdrew his motion, and the Appropriation Bill was advanced through all its stages and passed. VOTE OP THANKS TO HIS HONOR MR .TUSTICE JOHNSTON. Mr HALCOMBE proposed a vote of thanks to his Honor Mr Justice Johnston for hie courteousness in placing the building at the disposal of the Provincial Council during the session, which wa9 unanimously given. MESSAGE. Another message having been read from his Honor, stating that he had placed upon the estimates the sum of £1000 towards the Foxton and Ngawhakarau road, to be expended by the Coun- j cil ; he Council immediately referred ifc to a Committee of Supply. * The first clause of tho Appropriation Act was altered, the sum placed upon the estimates, agreed to. VOTE OP THANKS TO THE SPEAKER. Mr HALCOMBE having proposed a vote of thanks to the Speaker, for his uniform courtesy and impartiality during the time ho filled the chair of the Council, ib was found necessary, in order to make the vote a substantial one so that it should appear in the records of the Council that another member should temporarily assume the chair. Mr LttdliAM accordingly took the chair, and the vote was duly given and recorded. PROROGATION. His Honor the Superintendent then entered the Council chamber and read tho following speech : — Mr Speaker and Gentlemen ok the Pro-' vinoial Council — I beg to intimate that I have on behalf of the Governor assented to the following Acts, viz. ; — An Act to enable the Superintendent to sell certain lots of the Reclaimed Land without again being put up to public auction. An Act to amend the Volunteer Free Grants Act, 1867. An Act to Appropriate the Revenue of the Province of Wellington for the year commencing the first day of April, 1869, and ending the thirty first day of March, 1870. And I have reserved for the signification of his Excellency's pleasure — An Act to provide for the Management of the Manawatu Race Course. An Act to readjust the Representation of the Province of Wellington in the Provincial Council. Ib would have been gratifying to me before closing the present session if I had boon able to an- i nouncethatsomeprogresshadbeenmadein quelling the rebellion, and in re-establishing those friendly relations between the two races upon which mainly depends the future of this island ; but iv spite of the official despatches which are from time to time published, proclaiming victories, and predicting the speedy annihilation of those in arms against her Majesty, we have yet to learn, that a single decisive blow has been struck either on tho East or West Coast. Te Kooti on the former and Titoko Waru on the latter, far from being conquered, are still to all intents and purposes masters of the position. They are being constantly surrounded but never are surrounded. We are constantly told that they are so completely hemmed in that their escape is impossible, and yet they ever do escape withoub serious loss. They suspend and resume active operations just as they please. And in order to hold our own wo are compelled to rely not on ouv own purely Colonial Forces but almost exclusively upon the friendly natives, whose allegiance f.o the Crown has for some time past been gi'adually sapped and imdermined and is still being daily alienated by the action of the Government. That we are dependent upon the friendly natives is sufficiently proved by the constant transport of them from the West to the East Coast and then from the East to the West Coast. I repeat what I said in my opening 'address that this is a most dangei'ous game to play when the stake at issue is the lives of ouv fellow settlers in the outlying districts. Feeling so strongly as Ido on this subject, it has been a source of great relief and gratification to me thatyou have so thoroughly endorsed my views by your rejection of the reso- ' lution submitted to you in opposition to them. Backed as I believe your opinion will be by the G-eneral Assembly, there is every reason to hope thatthe lmperial G-overnment will not much longer calmly and unconcernedly look on the massacre of her Majesty's subjects, but that they will by public opinion and feeling at home be forced to afford such assistance as will speedily pub an end to a war whioh is fast becoming one of extirminatiop, and which if much longer continued will

render peaceful relations between the two races well nigh impossible. While I scarcely think it was fair to the electors of the province to submit to an expiring Council, and in the absence of a single petition in support of it a resolution condemning existing institutions and proposing organic changes, I feel assured that the refusal of the Council to entertain the proposal, " that in the opinion of the Council the existing system of Provincial Government is no longer suitable to the requirements of the Province,'*., will not only be hailed with satisfaction by the '"" community at large, but I fear that the attempt to obtain such an expression of opinion will be viewed by them as an act of treachery — an attempt to steal a march upon them. It would indeed be strange if men by whose exertions the large powers of self-government conferred upon the colony in 1853 had been mainly won, and under which the whole of this province has been so completely opened up and settled, should be willing to relinquish them, to betray the rights and liberties of their fellow settlers confided to their keeping, and to place them under a Central Government which has hitherto so signally failed to discharge its own proper functions, and which has brought the whole colony to the very verge of ruin and destruction. In view of the G-eneral Assembly meeting in May or Jur.e, I think you will probably agree with me that as soon as the Bolls of the Mew Electoral Districts have been formed, it will be advisable that no delay should take place in dissolving the present Council. Though you have granted supplies for a year, I have no doubt that the Superintendent will not hesitate to convene the Council whenever tho necessity may arise for having recourse to it. I have now simply to thank you on behalf of the province for the consideration you have during four sessions, given to the measures brought before you, and to repeat my personal thanks for the kind ' courtesy ever evinced towards the head of the Executive. I now declare that this Council stand prorogued. I. E. Feathebston, Superintendent. Superintendent's office, 6th April, 1869.