PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2192, 17 May 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

At this a r ternoon’s sitting, Mr Haughton presented a petition from 109 farmers resident in the Lake Wakatip district, praying the Government to select certain lands out of Messrs Boyes Brothers’ run, without further investigation, Mr Shaud presented the following ; “ Petition of employers of labor humbly sheweth : That that they are frequently in want of suitable labor, aud find difficulty in obtaining it. That they are aware that many men are now travelling about the country oeelfing employment, and while some go north others are coming Iroin the north {ip the south, showing an niter want of information as to the requirements of employers. That an organised system is much needed, by which employers and employed may get into immediate contact in the different centres of the Province. ’That the telegraph system gf the country affords admirable facilities for this purpose, at slight expense. That your memo i ilists are prepared to subjpit a plan to carry out the object in vie v. Your petitioners therefo"o pray that your honorable Council will be pleased to take the matter into favorable consideration, with a view to taking such steps in the interests of the employers and employed as may seem fit to your honorable Council, and your petitioners, &c.” Both petitions were received. Mr Haughton brought up the report of the Committee of Reference on the Port Chalmers Railway Bill. The Committee reported that they had examined counsel for the promoters of the undertaking, and counsel for persons whom Irnds were affected by the Bill, as so far as it appear* d lo the Committee, there are persons actually opposed to the construction of the line as proposed, every objection urged being of a nature which could be met by a monetary compensation. The Committee had however found it necessary to amend the Bill in certain particulars, and the amendments so made had been accepted by the promoters of the Bill, and the Bill as amended the CViniuittee recommended to the favorable consideration of tl*e House. It made ample provision for the protection ot public as Ave’l as private interests, The Committee took into consideration the petition of certain shipowners and others presented by Mr "dbbald, and the committee were of opinion that the petitioners had no just cause of ohjec'ion, hut considered that the ques- ! tion raised by them was one of policy, which j was disposed of in Session 25 ; aud therefore ' the Committee did not fe.ej. themselves called 1 upon to deal with it. Mr Thomson rose tq move his resolution on the Laud question, when a division was called for on the motion “That the House go into committee on the resolu Hons. This proposition was lost by 17 to 13, the division list being as follows: —Ayes, Allan, Barr Brown, Clark, Gillies, teller, Haughton, Henderson, Hutrheson, Mitchell, Molisou, Mosley, Monat, Murray, Kcid, ijluvud -L, Shepherd, Thomson, Noes,

Ashcroft (teller), Driver, France, Fraser, Green, Hughes, Main, M'Dermid, MMndoe, Seaton, Shaud G., Taylor, Turnbull (teller). Mr Thomson then moved his resolutions as follows ; “That the action taken by the General AssemWy in passing the 1 Otago l^undreds Regulation Act ’ is a departure H un the rule which has hem invariably adopted in all previous legislations in reference to the land law's of the Province, and is an invasion of the privileges which have hitherto been enjoyed and exercised by the Provincial Council, viz.—that of initiating and practically determining all legislation affecting the Waste Ilands ot the Province ; this Council therefore hereby records its protest against the course pursued by the Colonial Legislation in passing the Act in question.” “ That in regard to said Act, and the resolutions of last session concerning it, this Council is of opinion, with the view of enabling the new Council aud the new Assembly to deal wdth the whole question of the Waste Lands of Otago, untrammelled wdth vested rights, that the Hundreds Act should be rescinded, that the Assembly should take no action on the resolutions of last session, and that there should be no further legislation on the subject of the Waste Lauds during the present Parliaments of either the Provincial Council or the General Assembly.” “ That an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to introduce a Bill into the House of Representatives to give effect to the opinion of this Council that the Hundreds Act should be rescinded, and that Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Council, forward a copy of the above resolution to bis Excellency the Governor, the Legislative Council, and the House of Representatives.”