PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF OTAGO.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 15, 9 August 1873, Page 7

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF OTAGO.

CONSTRUCTION OF BAXLWAXS. In a previous issue we stated that the Provincial Government had submitted to the Council certain proposals for the construction of railways in the Province. An amendment was moved by Mr Donald lieid, but the Government opposed the amendment, which was rejected by the House. After a greal deal of discussion the Government ultimately succeeded in carrying their proposals in the following form :— (1.) That the main line from Waitaki to luvercargill should be at once completed right through ; that the cost of construction should be provided out of the " Public Works and Immigration Loan; ' that application be made to the General Government accordingly, aud that failing such provision being made by the General Assembly during its present session, the Provincial Government is hereby requested and authorised to proceed with the construction of the line from Clutha to Mataura, and from Dunedin to Moeraki, both lines to be submitted to public tender ; the first to paid for out of the proceeds of land contiguous to the line, such land to be reserved from sale pending the construction of the line ; the second to be paid for by the sale of 500,000 acres of pastoral land, in terms of section 150, "Otago Watte Lands Act, 1872." The concurrence of this'

%£&.SiJ&J!&* ""^* * w " lim ' ""' •" *»"' a 11 of W railway from Oamaru to the vauey ot the Waiareka, a distance of, 15 miles, be at once constructed a Y c ™* n <rt«ceed,ing,£3 1,000; said cost to be defrayed from the •aie ot tH),000 acres of pastoral land, in terms of section 150, " Otago Waste Landa Act 1872," such land to be situate in the Northern district. (3.) That the light line of railway already commenced be at once completed from Riverton to Orepuki, in length 16 miles ; estimated cost of construction £40,000, payment to be made in land in alternate sections on either side of the proposed line, at current value, i hat » ™»c of railway between Kivcrton and Otautau, in 2R?JSL» * "' alrea<Jr surveyed, be constructed at a cost of £40,000, payment to be, mode in cash or land, at the option of the vrovernment. * (5.) That, a light lino of railway to connect the Otautau lino with tiie InTercargiU and Wmton Railway at Wallacetown junction, a distance of 14 miles, be constructed at a cost of £20,000, payment to •Tp x mu Caßh Z* lan< *' at the °P tion . of the Government. , H ■ rhafc T a , bra nch line be constructed from the Southern trunk hue to Green Island coal pits and meat preserving works, and that - *v 5.°?- . Su P e «nt<-'ndent be requested to place the sum of £6000 on . tn 2 ■ B9hm ates for this purpose. a S.'\ sha5 ha « tlie follovrin g branch railways be commenced next year, and that the Government be requested in the meantime to obtain the ?SIfA7f UP^ 7 -f and ( eS - im ' te ' viz -=-Waipahee to Tapanni, main W«*L™« n Kaitangata m«n trunk line to Outram, Palmeraton to Waihemo, Otautau to Nightcap coalfield. «-♦ « J? UowiD S was a ! 80 adopted as an alternative resolution to the nrst one given above : .w £ ha t in * h9 °P inion , of this Co »^cil the General Government tfl ;? tO # FT* fco , take im m^iate steps to construct the XS*^Moerokihneoi railway, being 'a highly important por£on of the Mam Trunk Line, and o Q o Which there can be no doubt ftpn-r^ 6 P* 6 " 6111 " 1 " 1 *^ ; and further, that failing the Sit'Tt 116 ? 118 . 111 sition to «ndertake its immediate SES? * 'the^rovinciul Government be requested to obtain SrfU gp( i WerS?On J th ?, moßt f wourabte terms possible, so as to enable them to proceed wrth its immediate construction. ♦oW JKr regard „V > *° completion of the main trunk line from Wai*W>«f^ Ca I glI1 ', fhe^ neral Gowrnmenfe has already announced it intends to ask authority from the Assembly to fill up the gaps edln co le gm ' Whi ° h Bre ° aU3ing 8 ° m " eh aaxie & to *™' PBOCLAMITIOI^ OF NEW HTJSDBED3. tow»iS.°S? q Tff Whic^ P roToked a lar «c amount of discussion ySUEj i° S6 lr ßlOn Waß the P r °P° Bal .of the Government to pi™l a ,m «ev M . o l aa^ Hun(3red 8 throughout the Province The X^LS^W - r ° U !f ° OUnCII iQ the 8ha P* of ?he follow Sf TonfraS * h p e + Su permtendent :-"The Superintendent desirea §£„EX a hS PlOTincial Co ««^ recommending His £ termSof « f?OVof ?OV op m °J tt v prOClaim three new Hundreds as (Slows. anSf * ction96 of the • Otago Waste Lands Act 1872 :-(!) 20 000 acres i«i runs 185 and 260; (2) 10,000 acres in runs 74 and lbl ; (3) 15,000 acres in runs J37 and 123 " BideratJ o °n * 'SfJW*^ ° f th °- Goveruine °t were taken into consideration, the folWmg contingent motions, proposed by Mr SaSnr7 ag w ed , t0 J~; 1 ' That thiß Counci l recommends the BSSfi^^S^p^ be Japart t0 be deSr^ o°trfhe m n^ v this »atte°r aL°?, PP ° 3iti ° n i hh ° WeV ° r ' BU PP OrteS the m this matter, and the resolution was carried intact. The first hundred pwposed-20,003 acres in runs 185 and 260-is o,i mJ ?rl me *nl an *r et ™r thQ Lee and Dee P Sfcreams the TaieriJfs furaiahfd * P <° iSft** Beco ' ld - h^ed the following information 2£ iuiSwan«ilfiWi a?r 181 8 *\ be . Bel ? cted i° the Wyndham Valley ou runa 74 and 161. Tins land begins immediately eaat of the Mokoreta aiidVlnfK« 7 eat from Lawrence on to the Beaumont ferry T I™ T) ' aUd » lnte «eotod by the main interior road from Lan,enc e . The summit evel of the ground is 1300 feet above Z }■' ":- ut , ono-hali 'the land is plou-hable. .. In connection with this block, there is also thi block of 5,000 acres on deferred payments; in all; 20,000 acres for settlement.'' XAJSTD OS DEFBBEED PAYarENTB iHiiiii» ±$ua m o o ; (9) 5000 acres m fiuns 123, and 137 On the 23,-fl T,,l^ « »»ouiion was "brought down by the OoJSmanf, ad^ ateeho Igrdie Council approving of the recommendations contained !fa f£.

Soj:eS 0 j:eX a t g tr«to. requeBfcing Hia Hoaor to take the »t »*<*- SBOFOSED ABOLITION OF THB HIGH SCHOOL *, wi the ?? d J filf^l FiBll mo J e £ the follo ™g series of resolution* : IZ S « P 8 « Bttlbh9h ™ nt . of Grammar Schools in the various parts of the Province renders it unnecessary that the Dunedin Hi"h School for Boys should be continued at the public expense • And whereas the maintenanceof the said school at the expense* £c Stat2 involves anexpenditure for which there ia no equivalent return and prevents the establishment in Dunedin of one or more ProprieSrr Schools of a class quite equal to if not superior to the hShSS which there is good reason to believe would otherwise be establishedand whereas it is expedient that there should be provided a normal W & 8Cl !? 01 fO « te f cl !f 8 \ combin^ with a fourth olementwy scht.ol.in Dunedin : Resolved-lst. That the High Schdol for bov?K discontinued and that adequate compensation be paid ?o th fie?, for loss of office. 2nd. That the High School buildings be apSEdto Uie purpose of a Training and Elementary Scheol as aforesS 3rd That the Rector's residence be either sold or leased to any iad vidiaf or proprietary desirous of establishing a high class school for boys urion a suitable scale. 4th. That one of the Dunedia District Schools be SSI V° th . erankof » a™™, School, in te ™ 9 of tUe Grammar School Ordinance and a portion of the expenditure heretofore appropnated to the High School, be appropriated to this purpose " tI,P v* T^" 1 11! 1 .P ro P uOBed u O8ed an . amendment o« thesa resolutioas, with the object of shelving the quesMon for another year, in order to enable hon. members to fully consider the question. Before a discussion ook place Mr Pi 6 h withdrew his resolutions, it beiug understood thS the subject will be brought before the Council at its next session. BNCOXTEAGEMENT OF TBEE PIANIINe On the 22nd July, Dr Webster brought down certain regulation under the Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Acts, for ado S pTon by the Council. The regulations were submitted in consequeL of a resolution previously passed by the Council, affirming the desirability of bringing the Province under the operation of the Acts referred to. The following are the conditions by compliance with which it i 9i 9 proposed that Ot.igo settlers may reap the advantages of this liberal measure :-l Tha planting m respect of which a |rant of land under the Act is claimed neßd not bj in one block, but may be in saveral XS O1 \ th t* am °?r pcv F—*- The > ad P lant «d must be securely , fenced.— i. It must have been devoted to planting for at least twoyears. (Section 2of tho '« Forost Trees Planting EnSurtement Act Amendment Act 1872" provides that "if root crops are cultivated among the forest trees planted in any land, such land shall not; bvwason only of such crops being cultivated, bo deemed to be n<& devoted only to purposes of planting.")-*. The trees mart be in a vigorous and healthy state when the grant of land ia applied for.-5! Tue number of trees planted must bo at the rate of not less than 500 peracre._6. The trees must be of an average height S tw fee? except. » the case of gum, wattle, poplar or willow, which must be o! an average height of six feet.-7. As soon ns the land is fenced and the trees planted, a report must be sent to the Secretary for Landr, who wil cause inspection of the same to be made; from the date of which if duly certified, tho two years wiTl be calculated.~B. The amount of the land order to be I ued under authority of section 4 of the Amendment Act 1872, in reanoct of every acre of land planted, shall be L 4 9s. The fulfilment of the conditions above prescribed shall bo ascertained and shall be certified £ the form* annexed by an officer appointed by the Superintendent: Upon the receipt of such certificate, the Superintendent may either issue h,s own certificate to the Waste Lands Board, or he mayTh" tnmks fit, cause further enquiry to be made into the facts of the case! [Form of certificate :-I, A J3, do hereby certify, after personal in Ten S" °« ft 1 *^ 10 " 8 . made b 7b 7 CD ' tha? *™ oTlaod ha?e been planted by him, in accordance with the statements coutaiued in the application of 187 , that the conditions imposed wider term of "two years" named in the above rules, to "ten * years " These regulations are framed by the Superintendent for the guidance wil ?h«^T an , d9 B ° ard m th^ S matter ' The ob i«* of «'» alteration treep a Si Q g! Venfcanypei ' 80QUS1US tho land Mother purposes than xi on , t EEMINA TIOIf OP THE SESSION. On the 29th July the whole of the estimates, were passed and the a>i r S P. e * k f and Gentlemen- On behalf of the Governor on the assected to the following Ordinances passed by you .— ApoTOnriation P^n^ 88 Q P l ttM , Ul l,^ erBin th 6 foll °™»' bil-'s passed by you ,- Reserve \tvfi lebe ,. E " han e c BUl ' orth Sha S Valley^chool MhSZ, a ' D " ncdm Keserves Management Bill, Invercargill Mn^^f^M^ 1^ 11^ 111811 ' BU1 ' Kacccour.se Reserve Management Bill, Invercurgill Hospital Eejerves Management Bill,

Bill, Education Reserves Management ond Leasing BUI, Roads Diversion gill, Fort Chalmers Reserves Management Bill, Zakanui Harbor Board Bill, InvercargiU Racecourse Reserves Management Bill, Winton Racecourse Reserves Management Bill, Oamaru Hospital Reserve Change •BUI. Uentlemen, I have to congratulate you on the amount of .business which has been disposed of in a romparatively short apace of time. I trust that the result of your deliberations may be largely conducive to the public interest. T have te assure you that it will be the earnest endeavour of the Executive Government to give practical ettect to the various important proposals which have been sanctioned y y ?. U l 1 re *PectßP ectß the Proposed expenditure for the year, I may «ay that the main estimates of expenditure were framed upon the bases of the probable revenue, with due regard to the requirements and equitable claims of the various localities throughout the Province. In accordance with your resolutions, a considerable amount has been placed on the Supplementary Estimates. It will be obvious, however, that the extent to which those resolutions can be given effect to, will depend entirely upon the extent to which the actual may exceed the estimated receipts during the year. It is will that this should be perfectly understood. Gentlemen— Thanking you for your attendance, I now declare this Council prorogued, and it stands prorogued accordingly.