THE
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 are to be obeyed accordingly.

ALFRED GREENFIELD, Provincial Secretary.

VOL. XVII. NELSON, THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1869. No. 22.

PROROGATION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

SPEECH of His Honor the Superintendent on the Prorogation of the Nineteenth Session of the Nelson Provincial Council, on the 27th May, 1869.

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 amend the Education Act, 1863."
"An Act to amend the Nelson Scab Act, 1863."
"An Act to provide for the payment of a Salary to Thomas Brunner, as Consulting Surveyor."
"An Act to appropriate the Revenue of the Province of Nelson, for the Year ending the 31st of March, 1870."
I have reserved the following for the signification of His Excellency's pleasure thereon:—
"An Act to determine the number of Members of the Provincial Council, and to appoint Electoral Districts in the Province of Nelson."
"An Act to amend an Act to authorise the Superintendent to guarantee Interest upon the capital to be expended in the construction of a Patent Slip, or Dry Dock, at the Port of Nelson."
"An Act to authorise the Superintendent to appropriate part of the Public Reservo at Motuoka for a Public Cemetery."

I am glad to find that you concur with me as to the mischievous consequences to all parts of the Province which would follow from the establishment of the South-west Goldfields as a separate Province or County.

I congratulate the Province on the passing of the measure I proposed to you for the reduction of your numbers, and the re-adjustment of the representation. I think the operation of the Act cannot fail to effect a marked improvement in the conduct of the business of the Province.

With respect to the resolution passed by you on the 18th instant, relative to the departmental expenditure, I will remark that it appears to have escaped your recollection, that what you now propose should be done and which you urgently recommend, had been thoroughly done before the Council assembled, and that the result was a saving to the Province, not proposed, as your resolution describes it, but in actual operation, of £5000 per annum in salaries, and £4000 in departmental contingencies, making a total reduction in our departmental expenditure of upwards of £12,000 a-year.

Should any circumstances occur to render further reduction practicable, precisely the same course will be pursued.

In reference to some small reductions in salaries and departmental contingencies, amounting in the whole to £791 5s, which you have made during the passing of the Estimates, I must observe that so far as they are composed of vexatious reductions in the salaries of public servants, made without enquiry, and apparently without regard to the duties required, or to the remuneration deserved, I think their effect can only be to discourage zeal and faithful service, and that they will mostly not tend to promote the cause of economy.

I cannot by any means concur in the propriety of the course you have taken in refusing to contribute towards the expense of the Volunteers. I think that it is desirable in all countries that a portion of the population should be trained to arms, and that the wholesome occupation for their leisure hours which that training affords to the young men of the Province is a consideration sufficient in itself to justify the expenditure of the very moderate sum which has hitherto been devoted to its encouragement.

The various other resolutions you have passed shall, so far as they recommend action on the part of the Executive Government, have my attention; but some of the more important of them have reached me so recently that I have not had time to consider to what extent it would be practicable or desirable to carry them into effect.

I now declare this Council prorogued.
OSWALD CURTIS,
Superintendent.

Printed under the authority of the Provincial Government of the Province of Nelson, by NATION and LUCKIE, Waimea-street, Nelson, Printers for the time being to the said Government.