THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 298, 10 September 1908, Page 9

THE COUNCIL.

BILL PASSED. The Speaker of- the Legislative Council took the chair at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. ' The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Empowering Bill was read a third time and passed." .SECOND BALLOT BILL. The Second Bill was received from ,tho House? of, Representatives, and read a first The second reading was made an order,of-Ihe day for; to-morrow. - SELECT COMMITTEES. — The Hon\l)r. CQLLINS moved thai a select committer be'appointed to inquiro into the matter of, the registration . 0f.., births and deaths, .aqd report to Council" on. the same; tlio'Committee to consist of tlio.Hojis.. Captain Baillie, Camcross,. George',' Luke, Paul, Sinclair, and the mover: with power to • call for'persons, papers, ahd'records. The motion was carried. ■'*' .On the motion •of cthe Attorney-General (Hon. Dr.-Findlay)' the following weje appointed a.-select committee .on the Pawnbrokers': -Charges;-.; Anstey, Beehan, Callan,r Macdonald,. Paul, Stevens, and tho<mover: ...I . FINAL STACES. Tho Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill and tlie-Town ! Boards- Act -Amendment Bill were- read a-third timo and passed. The Westporti-. Harbour Board Loan- Bill was put through committee without amendment, read a'third time,-and passed;': -"' CHRISTCHURCH CITY BETTERMENT ' BILL. • The . Hon. fC^LOUISSOr-(Canterbury) moved the'second reading of'.the Cliris'tchurch City Bett|prffient : Bill,' w-hich ,(as already, ex- . plained Jin-., the 'Lower House) proposes ,to make parties .. .benefited by street-widening works bear..'a proportion of the'cost. . The motion , was carried. ' CHRISTCHURCH SANITATION BILL. ( LANDLORD AND TENANT. The Christchurch City Sanitation Empowering Bill was further considered in committee. .. The Hon. : C. LOUISSON moved to substitute for 'section 8 new clauses providing for an apportionment of the cost of sewer connections betw.een the "owner and the occupier of premises concerned. He explained that the casual occupier would not have to' pay anything, under th*o new provisions, but the . lessee w-hose lease had one year or more to . run would have to pay one-tenth of tho cost for every unexpired year of .his lease. Thus, if tho cost of the' work were £20, and the lease had five y.ears to run, the lessee would pay. £10 in yearly ..instalments of £2, and would also pay two shillings a year interest.' ; The owner, would have to pay the balance at the expiration of the lease. Ho would; point out-.that: at present tho City. Council charged the occupier one pound a year for emptying,pans, or 10s. in .the suburban area. .The tenant would be relioved of this charge-as-soon as the' connection ivas made.- .- . .' An Amendmsnt Carried. The Hon. G: JONES moved to amend new clause 8 in tho direction of making tho tenant pay one-twentieth (instead of onetenth) of the cost.'of connection. ' The Hon. C. M. LUKE stated that under a similar Act referring to' Wellington 5 por cent, per annum on the cost of construction was payable by' the owner. He saw no mention of tho tenant in tho Act mentioned. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL pointed out that in the Wellington. Act. "owner" meant any person whose name appeared on the valuation roll in respect of the property. After further discussion, Mr. Jones's amendment was. .carried .by 21 votes \ against 7. Tho samo member then moved a further amendment to-relieve tho tenant of the payment of interest. ' The Hon. J. ANSTEY suggested that tho tenant should pay five: per cent, per annum on tho amount for tho timo being unpaid-! This was j accepted by Mr. Louisson, but was not put; to the vote, as he subsequently agreed to a suggestion to report progress, and refer tho Bill ito one of tho Local Bills committed;. , . . This course-was adopted. DESTITUTE, PERSONS AMENDMENT BILL. The Destitute Persons Amendment Bill was committed. Tho Hon. -J. R. SINCLAIR (who. had charge of the Bill) moved nkw clauses providing that when a grandparent or grandchild of a destitute person is sued for maintenance such grandparent' or grandchild may apply for a summons against any near rolative,, and the magistrate shall not inako an order against the grandparent or grandchild, if tho summons is served -and tho person summoned is proved.to be capablo of maintaining the destituto person. Tho amendment was adopted, and the Bill reported. COUNTIES AMENDMENT BILL. Tho Counties Amendment Bill (Hon. J, R. Sinclair) was committed and a now'clause was added, enabling tho number of ridings in any county to be increased t-o any number not exceeding twelve, by Order-in-Council, in accordanco with a resolution of tho county council. ■ • LOCAL BILLS. Tho Canterbury College" Empowering Bill, Lincoln Road Board Empowering Bill 7 Now Plymouth Harbour Board' Empowering Bill, Opunake Harbour Bill, and Inangahua County-Empowering Bill wcro read a second time. The Council rose at 4.55 d.iii.