PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 19 December 1872, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY. I A bill was received from the Superintendent to alter tho law with regard to tko sale of liquor at cattle sales, cricket matches, regattas, and other .public amusements, so as to extend the time for which, on payment of the license, a publican con sell liquors at those places from, seven days to a mouth. Tho bill was sent down chiefly to carry out the praver of a petition presented to the Council in reference to the sale of liquor at the cattle market: The bill was opposed by several 'lion members, and finally withdrawn, bv Mr Sheehan. .. Mr Shepherd asked the Governmont if they had ascertained from Mr ThomaSi Bußsell whether he would consent to act as a member of the Education' Board, he having been elected bv tho Council. Mr Lusk said the Government had not received an official reply from Mr Russell, but he (Mr Lusk) was disposed to think that he would not consent to net.

thanks to the speaker. ilr Lusk moved, {l That this Council,. at tho close of this its 28th session, desires, before the dissolution of the Council, to record its strong appreciation of the manner in which tho lion Mr Speaker (George. Maurice O'Rorke, one of the members for Ouehunga) has discharged the duties of bi& office ; and hereby thanks Mr Speaker for those services, and for liis uniform imnartiality and courtesy towards the members of th a Council." Hj referred in very high terms to the ir inner in which Mr O'Rorke had fulfilled tlie duties of' Speaker, and said that they were indebted for the efficient working of the institution to that knowledge, urbanity, and desire to make everything work as smoothly and efficiently as possible, which had always characterised his occupation of the chair. He thanked Mr O'Rorke personally for the great assistance ho had received from him when he first became a inomber of the Government. - - Mr Sheehan, Mr Creighton, and Mr Cadman each supported the motion in a few appropriate remarks, Mr Creighton observing that the manner in which the Speakor had fulfilled the duties of the chair had raised the Councils a higher position than that of any other deliberative body in

t! Air 0 S wanson suggested that the motion should bo presented to the Speaker in the form of bh_address-sigre I by.the members of the Council. (Hear, hear.) Tho Speaker in acknowledging the vote said he could not feel otherwise than flattered fit the tribute of thanks gn-en. to him that dav, and.he could assure the Council that thore was no other public body in New Zealand whose recognition of what they had been pleased to term his services could be more H'ghly prized by him than that of tho Auckland Provincial Council. Associated with the Couucil for upwards cf 15 years, he felt tho vote came from persons who knew him well. Commencing his career in tho Council on the lowest step of t'lo ladder, ho might, had he been vainglorious, have boasted when they elevated him to tho -chair; but he felt at the time, ancl:he had always felt since, that he owed that honour to their kindly feelings towards hira, and not to nnv ability or fitness he had displayed at the time for discharging the duties of Speaker, lie had always been aw ire that no tact or ability of his would have enabled him t) perform the duties with satisfaction to himself and to> the public, were it not for the_ prompt obcdienco and the ready acquiescence in. his decisions which had always. been shown by the Council. Ho was extremely grateful to them for that co-operation, far jif his career as Speaker had been- successful it was due to the kindly manner in whieh they had always accepted his decisions. It was true that the door of tho Council was open to party men, and ho could not acquit himself of having been actuated in political matters by party spirit, but it had been his eamcst desire at all times to divest himself of party spirit when he entered the Speaakcr'a chair, to the utmost of his ability, to hold tho scales impartially between the contending parties. It .at any'time during his term of offico ho had done anything bordering on harshness, he hoped the Council, would accept i the assuranco that it was never done with intent to wound the feelings of nnv individual member, but from a desire to preserve the dignity and decorum of the Council, a body "which -was dearer to him than any otherjpublic institution' in the colony. It wss right that he should also express his thanks to the various departments in the Executive Councils with whom he had had to deal during his term of office. In no'c.ise had any Superintendent or any Executive made the slightest attempt "to interfere with his functions, and' he thanked the.present'gehtlemeri and their predecessors for their consideration. ' 'Whether 1 it should be his lot to preside there again he could not say. An election had to be cone through,' and of his constituents took the same kindly view ©f his conduct ns the Council had done it was probable that he would again meet many of them oil the loorof the House'after the dissolution. But whether that Tfi>w mo or not, there was one thing ho looked upon with a great deal of prid'e, ancl tltut was that, irliofchor ho was there or not, there" would be no lack of men fit to take the chair, many of them young men whom he had sees trained up in the Council', and' who, as they were all aware, would perform the duties- with credit to themselves, and to tho Council, so that he had .no feeling of despair that the chair would not be as worthilv filled hereafter. With those romarks he ter - dered them his warmest thanks for the voto they had given him, oml/ if he had anything to regret, it would be that lie had not; a "little more time, to express more sincerely his respect for them ono and all. (Loud cheers.) On the motion of Mr Sheehan, it was ordered that tho vote of thanks bo embodied in an address, which, after being signed by the members, should be presented to the Speakor. PBOROGATIO.V.

His Honor the Superintendent entered the Chamber at balf-n ist 4 o'clock, and read the following speech :— "Mf Speaker and Geatlomen of the Provincial Council; I thank you for your attendance and the attention you have given to public business during the present eession of the Provincial Council. Especially I thank you for the Education Act which you have-passed. If fairly worked, it will, I believe, be productive of great good to the province, and remove from the province the imputations which have, hitherto been made against it of apathy in respect of education. Your resolutions in reference to various public worksI have already transmitted to the Colonial Government for its consideration; and that your resolutions as to the expenditure of public moneys.will have the careful consideration of myself and my Executive. ■- Your resolution declining to authorise any increase of expenditure for police purposes will prevent my complying with your desire to resume the entire provincial management of the force. At the same time I can assure you that,' under existing circumstances, I have as absolute control, for all practical purposes, as I could have were the grained material provided by the Provincial instead of the General Government- Your resolution as to thetime of dissolution of the Council has my concurrence, and will receive my support. On behalf of his Excellency the Governor I have assented to'tho following Aots passed by you, namely :—The Kaiwha Road Act, 1872; the St Stephens : Road Act, 1872 ; .the Appropriation Act, 1872 ; the Industrial School Act, 1872 ; and'theOruawharo Eoad Act, 1872. And I have reserved for the signature of his Excellency's pleasure thereon—The Representation Act, 1872; the Hauraki District Eire.Rate Act, 1872; the City Endowments Leasing Act, 1872; the Taupo Road Act, 1872; and the North Shore Reserve Act, 1872. I shall endeavour to see that the supplies voted by you will be carefully administered. At the close of this, the last session of the present Council, the last session on which we shall probably meet in our respective relative positions, I feel bound: to express to you my conviction that ; I was .in error in accepting the system called responsible Government in the conduct _of provincial administration. That system cannot he carried out ill its integrity under au elected Superintendent, if he docs' liis 'ftuty to those' who elect him } and my experience of if prows W ihe-'that it'tends- only So delay *n& expense in the conduct of public affairs without.counterbalancing advantages,.an'd±hat itdestroys, by dividing, that responsibility to the peopleVhich should attach directly to every public servant I now declare this Council stands prorogued, and it is prorogued accordingly.—THOMAl B. Giliibs, Superintendent.".-,