PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

Evening Star, Issue 3512, 26 May 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

Tuesday, Mat 2G. Several petitions were received. The Waste Lands aed Immigration Committee reported—On the petition of twentyeight residents of Hyde, who prayed that an additional block of land might be opened under the deferred payment system—that it is desirable to open another block, nearly all the land recently thrown open having been applied for, but that while not justified from the evidence before them, in recommending the special block asked for, strongly recommend the Government to declare such block as may be considered advisable convenient to the iand occupied by the petitioners. On the petition of eighty-fourjownera of lan 4, occupiers of agricultural leaseholds, and settlers in thi districts of Crookstou and L’uapeka, who prayed that additional land might be opened for settlement in the districts of Crookston an ! Tuapcka—that it is clesirable another block, under the agricultural lease system, should be opened, all the available laud being taken up; but that, while not justified from the evidence before them, tho special block a-ked for, a rongly recommend the Government to declare snch blocks ai may be deemed advisable, convenient to the land occupied by the petitioners. The Committee on the Cattle Ordinances kc , reported as follows :—“ Your committee have found during their investigation of the subject that there are very c.implicated laws in existence regarding the branding regulations. They therefore recommend that the aws on, the subject be codified, that the re gistratio i of brands should be controlled by one head department, where the general registry should be alone kept, but that distinct officers should be appointed to whom applications to register brands could be made fer the purpose of being transmitted to the head officer for approval and final registry; that parties already having registered brands should be entitled to a priority of new registry, according to date their original registry; that greater powers should be provided to insist on the registering of all brands used for cattle and horses ; that a heavy penalty should be enforetd against any person using an unre gistereo, brand ; that power should be given to the Chief Registrar or any person employed by him to impound unbrandod cattle or r S e ou aa enclo*ed lands or roads, and that all oaitlo or horses so should, it sold, be branded with a registered pound brand, as also the registered brand of the purchaser, before leaving the custody of the poundkeeper; that drovers and others Ira-,, veiling with cattle or horses should furnish a Justice of the Peace or some other au-' thsrized person with a list of the number tended to be driven, whereupon tho justice of the peace or other authorised person shall K lve a certificate to be carried by the person in charge of such cattle or horses, and produced for inspection at the request of any authorised person. Iu conclusion, your committee would strongly urge the necessity of the Government giving the subject, during the recess, their serious consideration, and that an Ordinance, embodying the, above suggestions, for the better regulation of branding, be submitted to the Council next session.’'

Message No. 13 was read as follows: The Superintendent submits for the consider 3' ion of the Provincial Council the desirability of setting apart the following blocks of land, for settlement oa deferred payments Hokonui on run No. 116, 1,000 acres on run 119 a, 2 700 acres on run 112, 1,550 acres on run 195 a, 200 acres on run 207 a, 1,000 acres on run 146. Taringshire district: 2,000 acres on rua 214, 625 acres on run 133, 1,700 i^ re . s . 011 rUQ Wairiro district; 1,950 acres on run 153, 880 aores oh run 133. Waiau district; 760 acres on run 15Ca2, 1,160 acres on , run 165, 2.580 acres in Oteramika Hundred, 3,000 in Newnder ditto, 3,500 acres in Forest Hill ditto, 3,651 acres in Oreti ditto.” Message No. 12 transmitted a list of names ot Volunteers who claim remission of pur-chase-money on land. Tho Superintendent went on to say—“ It will be recollected that m the session of, 1871 the Provincial Conned resolved that for tne future such grants, if made, should be subject to certain conditions Applxcatian was made to the Colonial Executive and Parliament, with a view of amendmg the Volunteer Land Act accordingly, however, the Act remains as it was’. The bupermtendent would be glad to have the opinion of the Provincial Council on the subject.’’

The Sawyers Bay Land Leasing and Roslyn Institute Ordinances were read, a first tune.

Ihe Secretary for Lanes and Works moved—Thatthis Cnuncilhaving had under its consideration his Honor’s Message \0.9 relative to the setting apart blocks of land withm the licenses to occupy land and leases thereof on deferred payments may bo granted either exclusively ‘ or within which the land snail be open for license or lease as aforesaid °r F Ba * e on i mtnc diate payment,’ approves of the recommendations therein contained and respectively requests his Honor to set apaat the following blocks of land for that purpose in terms of the 47th section of the ‘ Otago Waste Lands Act 1872.’”—Carried without any debate.

Mr JSazlkt moved-“ That the Hospitals Ordinance be amended so as to provide that

the Hospital Surgeon shall be elected by subscribers who have paid their subscriptions of not less than 20s at least three months before the day of election; and that the Central Hospital Committee of every district be empowered to appoint polling places for such election in such centres of population as may to them seem desirable. ’ Mr Ballexs'tein in moving that the Ordinance should be amended in the direction of giving to the Hospital Committee the power to elect the surgeon, said that ho was sorry to have to state that present it was frequently the ease that drinking men were chosen because the publicans had such great influence on the goldfields. The committees, as a rule, were composed of the best men in the district. The amendment was accepted by Mr Hazlett and agreed to. Air M ‘GLASHANmoved—“Thattbe petition of a number of laud owners in the Pine Hill sub-division of the North-east Valley Road District, praying that a portion of that district be severed from the North-east Valley Eoad District, and annexed to the Halfway Bush Road District, be referred to the favorable consideration of the Government.” Mr Green suggested that the word “ favorable” be struck out. The petition was signed by fifteen persons, and about 116 could be got to sign one of tbo very opposite nature. The motion, as amended, was agreed to, Mr M -Dermic's motion—“ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting- that all that parcel of land in the Province of Otago, containing by admeasurement 179 a lr 16p situate in the North Harbor and Blueskiu Dissnct, being sections numbered respectively 1, 2, and 97, on the map of the said district, be set apart as a Wat*r Reserve for the town of Port Chalmers”— was carried bv 19 to 10. Mr Hallenstein moved—“ That a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to the General Government to erect a substantial Court-house and gaol at Queenstown ” Carried. Mr Ireland moved-” That in the Opinion of this Council, the reading of the Bible in the Public Schools of this Province should not be compulsory, but that the School Committees, with the sanction of the £ducat ! on Board, should have the powet to permit the reading of the Bible, subject to the restrictions contained in the Education Ordinance,’* He said some members had said his resolution did not go far enough—that he should hive moved that the reading of the Bible in the Public Schools should be discontinued altogether.- (Hear.) It was his intention origi“j • t .°, haTe 80 proposed, but had been advised by a hon. member, to whose opinion he attached great respect, that if he attempted to do away with the reading of the Bible without first giving a trial to the system now propped, he had no chance of carrying his motion. - . The motion was a tentative one, aud gave to the Province the opportunity to continue Bible reading, or to discontinue it, as the people thought better. According to the census of 1871, there were 56,000 Protestestants and 13,493 Roman Catholics, heathens, and those who declined to describe themselves. It was in justice to these 13.493 persons that the resolution was proposed, Protestants laughed at the idea of infallibility; but to enforce the reading of the Bible was to enforce that doctrine, because the effect would bfe te say that the Bible was infallible. (Left sitting.)