The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, DEC. 15, 1865.

Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 815, 15 December 1865, Page 2

The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, DEC. 15, 1865.

Ik the Provincial Council this afternoon, The Speaker took the chair at 12 nooa. Mr Haughton asked the Provincial Secretary —"What regulations are in force with regard to the duration of Publicans' Licenses on the Ooldfields ?" The Provincial Secretary replied that at present the licenses -were annual, but he was not sure whether they were issued from a particular date. The whole question was under the consideration of the Government, and probably tome arrangement would be come to which ■would be satisfactory to the public in general en the Goldfields. In reply to Mr Stevenson's question—" Under which class of District Roads the road between blocks 3 and 4, East Taieri Road District should be placed, as classified by the Select Committee | on Rads and their Construction, Session 17 ?" the Provincial Treasurer stated that it should be considered a main District Road. Before proceeding to the motions on the paper, Mr Hepburn, without notice, asked the Government if their attention had been called to a letter which appeared in the Dxily Times of yesterday (extracted from the Inverness Courier) And if so, whether they intended to take any steps to counteract the calumnies it contained ? The substance of the Provincial Treasurer's reply was that the attention of the Government bad been called to the letter in question, but that the statements made were in themselves so grossly false and absurdly at variance with wellknown facts that they did not think it worth while to take any further notice of them. The Speaker, Mr Dillon Bell, and several •ther members expressed, in strong terms, the sense of disgust with -which they regarded alike the letter and the anonymous writer of it. The Provincial Treasurer said that, after the remarks made, it might perhaps be as well that steps should be taken to ascertain from the Editor of the paper the name of the writer who bad contributed the letter in question. The suggestion was generally approved of by the members of the Council, and the subject dropped. Mr Thomson's motion—"That it is expedient to exclude the Waihola Hundred, the South Tokomairiro Hundred, and the Clutha District bo far as not declared infected, from the operation of the Proclamation of 10th October last of bis Honor the Superintendent of Otag' ', for preventing the spread of the disease called Pleuropnuemonia ; and that an Address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that he may be pleased to give effect to this Resolution " —was put and lost. It was subsequently moved by Mr Burns, and seconded by Mr Adam, with the following addition, in order not to prevent properly inspected cattle from being driven along the main South Road :—" Provided no case of Pleuro-pneumonia has existed within said district for the last two years." The motion, as amended, was, upon a division, lost, the ayes being 7, noes 13. Mr Blair moved, and Mr Stevenson seconded —"That in the opinion of this Council it is to amend the ' Fencing Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1855,' in so far as to make it compulsory on Proprietors or Tenants, before fencing, to give adjoining Proprietors or Tenants notice of their intention to do so.'' —Carried. I MrREiD moved, and Mr Stevenson seconded —"That in -the opinion of this Council, the Toll-gates should .be erected on the various metalled Main Roads >in such manner as to realize a revenue from such roads proportionate =to the sum expended in the formation of the aatne."—Carried, Mr Hau&hton's motion, seconded by Mr

Mouat —"That the Resolution of this Council on April 24, 1860, 'That the Report of the Select Committee on Religious and Educational Trust Property be adopted,' be carried into effect without delay," was upon a division, passed, the ayes being 12, noes 8. Council left sitting.