A lengthy meeting of the Council took place on the 17th inst. On the question Of salaries—Mr. Whitehead having stated ho thought a distinct promise had been given that the increase in the salaries of subordinate officials should be made ax from January 1901—the Colonial Secretary said he had' searched Hansard most carefully and could not find anything in the nature of a distinct promise, bue he hoped the Governor would see his way to make further representations to the Secretary of State on the subject. Mr. Whitehead and Mr. Chater having endorsed this wish, ELE. the Governor said he would with pleasure bring the matter before Mr. Chamberlain. Several Bills were advanced stage, and the Council then went into Committee on the Supply Bill, When the item of Governor and Legislature came on, Mr. Whitehead moved the reduction of the vote by $100, intimating that ho did so to raise a discussion on the Cochrane Street collapse, and spoke on the subject, commenting on the insufficient staff of the Public Works Department. The Colonial Secretary replied, and stated, in the course of his remarks, that Mr. Ormsby, late Director of Public Works, had said that the staff was quite sufficient, with a few slight changes, which were' subsequently carried out. The Governor spoke at some length, referring to the fact that he had appointed a Commission to inquire into the subject, and went on to say it was impossible to have a staff large enough to relieve architects of their responsibil ties. Mr. Whitehead did not press amendment, and the vote was passed. On the vote for the Colonial Secretariat. Mr.
Whitehead also moved a reduction of $100. on the ground that the income estimated from the Colonial Secretary's report on the now territory in 1899 had not been realise ed, and said he would like to know when the new territory revenue would come up to the estimate. This brought both Sir Henry Blake and Mr. Lockhart to their fect, and explanations were given to the effect: that the difficulty had arisen iding the tenure of land and the Crown Rent to be paid. This question was being worked out by the Land Cour:, and eventually the money laid out would be returned with interest. The expenditure, principally for roads and police stations, had been absolutely necessary, and would not need to be repeated. The amendment was not pressed and the vote was agreed to. The member for the Chamber also pursued the same course with regard to the Public Works Department and the Legal Department, finding opportunity in the former case to pass some caustic comments on the condition of the roads, which the Colonial Secretary admitted were deserved; and with regard to the latter, he asked the Attorney General ited without permission.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.