NEW BILLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1550, 11 July 1885, Page 2

NEW BILLS.

We are indebted to the Government Printer for copies of a nurab-r of Bills 1 now before the Bouse of Representatives. The following abstract of the proposed I measures may be of interest to our readers. I SCHOOL COM WITTE ES ELECTION. 1 (Major Steward) —The School Com- I mittees Election Act, 1885, is to be read t with and as part of the Education Act, J 1877 It provides for the e'ootion of \ School Committees on the last Monday in * April in place of the last Monday in < January. It repeals cumulative voting ; 1 every elector may exercise as many votes ) as there are persona required to be elected, ■ but no elector rhall be entitled to record more than one vote for anyone candidate. If a member of a School Committee be absent without leave during three consecutive months from all meetings of the Committee, such person shall cease to be a member of the Committee. BIBLE-READING IN SCHOOLS. (Mr W. B, Stewart)—The Bible reading in Schools Act, 1885, sanctions the daily reading, without comment, of a portion of the Bible in public schools. The time during which such reading shall take place shall bo at the beginning or at the end of the meeting of the school, and shall be inserted in a time-table to be approved of by the Committee. Any scholar may be withdrawn by bis or her parent or guardian during such reading without forfeiting any of the other benefits of the school. DISTRESS. (Mr Garrick) —The Distress Act, 1885, provides that no person shall distrain or levy for rent due in respeot of auy lands, messuages, tenements, or premises, the goods, chattels, or property, other than agisted stick, or any person or persons, save and except of the person or persons owing such rent. All goods and chattels being the property of any person owing rent, and of and over which such person has given a bill of sale, shall, for the purposes of distress for reut, be deemed to be the property of the person owing such rent, if such goods or chattels be found in or upon the land, messuage, tenements, or premises in respect of which such rent is due at the time the distraint for such rent i is made. The personal and family clothing, the bedclothes, bedding, and tools of trade are declared to be absolutely exempted from being sold, seized, taken, or levied upon under any distress for rent. No person shall be entitled to distrain at any one time for more than six months’ rent. * FISHERIES ENCOURAGEMENT. ' (Hon Sir Julius Vogel)—The Fisheries Encouragment Act 1886, provides that * the Governor may, by order in Council from time to time, set apart upon the i coast line of New Zealand, or of any bay, ' harbor, estuary, saltwater creek or other ■ Inlet of the sea, any Crown lands for the f purpose of the formation of fishing towns 3 or fishing villages. In order to encourage * the production and curing of fish for exi port, the Colonial Treasurer may, during the next seven years after the passing «f j this Act, without farther appropriation , by Parliament, pay outof the Consolidated Fund to any person who shall prepare canned fish for export, and actually export the same from the colony, a bonus or bonuses upon the quantity of canned fish z prepared and exported by such person. * PLURALITY OP VOTES. (Sir George Grey)—The i lurality of Votes Act, 1885, provides that no elector 9 shall at any election of members of the r House of Representatives vote in respect * of more than one electorate; and any 7 person voting in respect of more than one r electorate shall be guilty of an offence. Any person guilty of an offence under 9 this Act shall be liable, on conviction be--1 fore one or more Justices of tne Peace, to 9 imprisonment for any term not exceeding * twelve months.

BANK-NOTE SECURITY. (Mr Dargavilla)—The Bank-note Security Act, 1885, provides that the banknotes issued within the colony by any bank shall be a first charge upon the assets within the colony of such {bank ; and the bolder of any such note or notes shall be entitled to be paid out of such assets the full amount expressed to be re presented by such note or notes, iu priority of all other claims of a different nature aga nst such bank arising after the passing of this Act. All bank-notes issued within tne colony shall rank equally for payment. coroners’ juries abolition. (Mr uuinness) The Coroners’ Juries Abolition Act, 1885, provides that notwitb standing anything contained to the contrary m the Coroners Act 1867 (hereinafter called the said Act ”), it shall not be necessary at any inquest or inquiry held by or before any Coroner, Deputy Coroner or other officer by virtue of his office that such inquest or inquiry shall be taken and made by jurors, as provided by the said Act, but. every Coroner shall hold every such inquest or inquiry sitting alone, and every finding by such coroner sitting alone upon any such inquest or inquiry, without a jury, shall have the like force and effect in law as a verdict found by a jury on any inquest or inquiry would have had under the provisions of the said Act. (To be continued )