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NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE,

(PROVINCE OF NELSON.)

Published by Authority.

All Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official Signature thereunto annexed, are to be considered as Official Communications made to those Persons to whom they may relate, and to be obeyed accordingly.

ALFRED GREENFIELD, Provincial Secretary.

VOL. XVI. NELSON, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1868. No. 31.

PROROGATION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

SPEECH of His Honor the Superintendent on the Prorogation of the Eighteenth Session of the Nelson Provincial Council, on the 20th June, 1868.

MR. SPEAKER AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL,—

I have assented, on behalf of His Excellency the Governor, to the following Acts:—

"An Act to provide for the Leasing of Public Wharves in the Province of Nelson."
"An Act to repeal the Cattle Slaughtering Act, 1863, and to make other provisions in lieu thereof."
"An Act to regulate the Sale of Spirituous Liquors, Ale, Beer, Porter and Wine, on the Goldfields of the Province of Nelson."
"An act to repeal the Cattle Trespass Act, 1866, and to make other provisions in lieu of Scab in Sheep."
"An Act to make provision to prevent the spread of Scab in Sheep."
"An Act to appropriate the Revenue of the Province of Nelson for the year ending 31st March, 1869."

I have reserved for the signification of His Excellency the Governor's pleasure thereon,

"An Act to authorise the Superintendent to sell or lease certain lands granted for public purposes, situated in the district of Amuri, in the Province of Nelson."

A Bill shall be prepared for the consideration of the General Assembly, to amend the Nelson, Cobden, and Westport Railway Land Act, in accordance with the resolutions you have agreed to on the subject; and in the event of the measure becoming Law, I will take such steps as appear to me to be best adapted to secure the attention of capitalists in England.

I am glad that on reconsideration you have determined not to interfere with the immediate leasing of the Brunner Coalmine on the River Grey, as soon as lessees can be met with who are prepared to lay down a railway from the mine to Cobden at once, and to develop the resources of the property in an efficient manner.

As regards the relation of this mine to the question of the proposed railway from Nelson, I do not think the possession of it would be considered by capitalists in England to be of serious importance in connection with an undertaking involving the expenditure of a million of money.

I thank you for authorising me to enter into a contract for the construction of a Dry Dock in Nelson Harbor, and for voting a sum for that purpose, which although not so large as I should have wished to see appropriated for so important a provincial work, out of our present large revenue, will probably be as much as it will be necessary to expend during the current financial year.

I congratulate you and the Province on your ultimate concurrence in my proposal to devote to public works the £12,000 appropriated in a former Session towards the liquidation of the Provincial debentures due on the 1st of next month, from the payment of which, otherwise than by the gradual operation of the Sinking Fund, the Province was released by the "Public Debts Act" of last Session of the General Assembly. The Colonial Government is now prepared to meet the payment of the debentures from Colonial Funds in accordance with the law. It may be well that I should mention for your satisfaction and that of the public, that had the Ministry persisted in ignoring the provisions of the Public Debts Act so far as regards the Nelson and Marlborough debt, I had made arrangements for the due payment of the whole amount of £29,000, so that default on the part of the Colony to fulfil its engagements would not have been allowed to injure the credit of this Province.

I now declare this Council prorogued.

OSWALD CURTIS,
Superintendent.