GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 743, 14 July 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

—o—(Condensed from Dunedin dailies.) The Stamp Amendment Bill is mostly technical. It provides that officers of tho Government and managers of banks may sell stamps in certain cases without being licensed. Appeal from tho Deputy Commissioners is allowed, and tho latter may refer doubtful points to hoad-qarters. Mortgage debt on charge to bo deducted when assessing tho duty on tho value of property settled. The Csth section of last session’s Act repealed. The d uties on duplicates or counterparts fixed as when it does not amount to 2s Cd tho same duty as tho original instrument; in other cases 2s 6d. Bankers’ letters within tho Colony and letters of credit granted here for sums payable out of the Colony are exempted ; as also are fire and life assurance policies. Bills o; exchange and promissory notes payable at sight or on presentation to be deemed payable on demand. By the Coroners Act ot seven clauses every R.M. is to be a coroner. The number of jurors at an inquest is not to exceed seven. In special cases, as of a difficulty in obtaining seven, four will do, and if it is impossible to obtain a jury, power is given to do without one, in which case the Coroner has to transmit a statement of his reasons for holding an inquest without a jury. Coroner’s fees 'are to be abolished. It is intended by Mr Pearce to move in the direction of making it compulsory to hold to inquests as to fires.

One point in the policy of the Government is understood to be that where the interest and working expenses on any railway works are not covered by the receipts from the same the deficit will be made good trom the land fund of the Provincial district in which such deficit may occur, and that the laud fund of one Provincial district will in no case be applied to the relief of any other.

The Education Board Bill constitutes districts, and gives the Governor power to divide a district. The first Board for Otago shall be the present Board, and it will hold office till February 1, 1877, after which the Governor appoints two persons, the Judge of the district one, and not fewer than five or more than twelve persons are to be elected. This Board has the general supervision, local committees pel forming the functions imposed by the Ordinance. A fee of LI per year is imposed for every child between seven and seventeen, but not more than L 3 yearly for a family. Clause 50 provides for compulsory education. All children between six and fifteen must be sent to school. The penalties for breach of this are, on conviction before a justice, 5s for ihe first offence, and 20s or seven days’ imprisonment for every similar offence. The Board makes an annual return to the Minister of Education. The board of Otago comprises the following districts, each of wh'oh returns one member of the Board : Dunedin, Waitaki, Waikouaiti and Mount Ida, Port Chalmers, Dunedin suburbs, (which comprise the electorates of Roslyn and Caversham), Taieri, Bruce and Tuapeka, Clutha and Waikaia, Duustan and Wakatip, Invercargill town, Mataura and Riverton. All reserves, &c., are vested absolutely in the Board.

The qualification of voters for members of Education Boards is the same as for the House of Representatives, and the members are to be elected triennially. There is reason to believe that the educational districts are a guide to the proposed counties, The Goldfields Bill (Mr Shepherd's) of last session is sure to be repealed. Sir J. Vogel yesterday stated that the opinions of Superintendents, that of Westland excepted, were unfavorable to bringing the Bill into operation. Mr Macandrew denied that he gave any adverse opiuiou. The Premier moved the second reading of the Municipal Corporations Act, explaining its provisions. There was a general concurrence in the principles of the Act, but there was a strong desire expressed that the different constituencies of the Colony shou'd be afforded an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the Act and offering suggestions as to amendments, while exception was taken to many of the details. The Government expressed its willingness to consider many of the objections raised, and concurred in the desirability of not hastening its passage through committee, but deprecated the apparent desire of many hon. members to postpone everything. As long as they had something to go on with they would not hurry the Bill, but they wanted to get on with the business. Mr De Lautour will ask what items of revenue are included in the ordinary goldfields revenue from each field, exclusive of the gold duty to be handed over to the local governing bodies for expenditure; and if it is the intention of the Government to create local governing bodies for mining districts within counties, or are the local governing bodies to which the goldfields revenue is to be paid the county councils. Seventeen Otago men assembled in caucus to-day. Mr Reynolds was asked, but he did not attend. Messrs Pyke, Manders, and M'Lean w'ere not asked. All were unanimous for separation. It is understood that 20 will agree to this, Mr M'Lean alone objecting. Messrs Bastings, Larnach, Macandrew, Hodgkinson, and Reid are appointed a Committee to confer with the representatives from other Provinces to see if separation cannot bo carried. Tho Financial Statement proposals swallow up the land fund, and take tho railway profits. Mr Stout urged that, it Otago revenues were not secured, Otago members should withdraw from the Assembly, and not participate in voting spoliation. The Canterbury members are beginning now to see that abolition means confiscation of land fund and railway profits, while towns and cities out of the subsidy must support Hospitals and Benevolent Asylums. The difficulty of the Opposition lies in the fact that none are inclined for office.