WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3948, 20 October 1875, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[By Telegraph,] (From our own Crn'r^pondant.) . , IVlllixoxon, October ‘2O, Ihe Municipal (. orpuration Lo.n 8.1 l was further eonside.ed in committee of the Legislative Council on Monday, and tlru veiy nearly considered out of existence, no withstanding that its principle was allirme.l on the second reading and that its leoomniittal was merely an accidental circumstance. Mr Wat orhouse made such an amendment in the 4th dame as to vender it still more acceptable. The amendment was to the clfoct that the sanction of ratepayers should be obtained to the borrowing td tiny sum of aim ey ky corporations, Mr Johnston, however, could see no locomnn'iidatiun in the Bill, which, in his opinion, gave to corporate bodies citing-rous powers! he moved that progress be reported, and could not be peivu dud to wi(lullaw his motion. Ihe motion to repent pi ogress eras car* ried, being votid tor by nine 'I he peaker voted uuiniemionully on the w-rong side, and cm tlie Chairman reporting progr.ss, Mr aterlnmse moved that the Bill la; committed on luesday. Tin was done with no belter result, fo ■ yesterday the Council Py 11 to 10 threw cut tue Bill. ihe Pillowing were the reasons assigned by the House of lie, resema'ives for disagreeing to the amendments by the legislative Council in the tiuiiediu Borrowing Bill :~(1 ) 'The Corloiatiou have power under the Provincial Uidinaiices to bonow E200,000 The Bill, theiefo.e, as yiassi d by the Council, tin ugh intitieu “Ijorrowm' Powers Ex.etisk.n Bui,” iloes not, in fact, inco asu tlieboir wing powers oi the Coiporation, though it offers belter sicmity to the enditors ut th- Corporation, (2.) >. -f the sum of 1 2 U,OUO wnich the Corporaiion has power to borrow under tlie Provincid t b uinames tibout 1 1*-0,000 has already been ra mu and i xpeimed. (3.; fuitbersum of L20.J,i100 in addition to th s sum of LIOO.OOO ahoiuly expeu cd wdl hj required in or er to ciiry out die following ecessary public works :-—{//) i iraiuu;.e oi tlu outlying p. rtions oi the Pity, w ide!) m ih. ir pi«.sent state ura veiy uangviHii-i m die health of the inhabitants, Cadmated coat L4O, i 0u ; \b) completion of tii- formation, kerb.ng, ami c. Anne ling of the streets, estimated cost EIO.OO ; (t) wioenmg of Piiuces street, estimate i cost i.30,000, showing that a sum ol L80,(J00 in uddition to the suuy of Llou,odo already* raised and expended is necessary for the above mention d works alone. (4) flic gt-ueiiil Bill inti’ulei “ Municipal Corporations i.oaus Bill,” now before tlie Legislative Council, applies only to ■ orporatiuiis established under " Thu . uuicipal Corj orations Act, 18/0.” Its provisions, therefore, are of no advantage to the Corporation of Dunedin, which is cm Etituted under a special Act.

Messi s Macaudre w, Ivei J, and Bradshaw, mans for M.e House, make further replies rv the Otago Laud Bill: f hat while agreeing that it is dcsiraule tuat good agricultural laud should be opened for occupation ou deterred payments yet practically it is that it is only iu ex’ eeplional cases, and when the lands me of especial value, that more t! an the unset prico has been realised when lauds have been open tor sale ; and although in some cases land adj niiiug to deferred payment sections have realised high pncis, it ought to be renumber. d hat an inoie.sed price = as Ijcmi obtained—(l ) hfoigli the desire of occupiers of dtfeued payment section-. to secure a freehold section alongside ot their oeferrea payment allotments; (-.) oMiNg to the literal C"iuj> usutiuu (>rovuled oytho “Utago Waste Lands -A ot, 1872 " for mipivvc meats effected by pastoral tenants ou heir runs. It is louud ih .t llie best of tho kui..s arc improved by fencing, for which com* peusation lias to be p,dd, and as tho seclions on t\ bioii these iniprovemciits huve

been made are sold with the value of improvements on them, the pe ce realised is apparently higher, but in reality a portion of the price is only repayment for improvements. As there la no ) ropoeal made in the Bill to dispose of any land at a price less than 20a per acre, it is satisfactory to find that both Houses are agreed on this point, and as the question of classification can be dealt with nt any thn • uud‘-r the exiting Act, it do* s not appear to be necessary to make any special provision to meet the case at present. If there was any probability that the provisions of tho Act would he evaded by nersous who “had no other purpose than to take their chance for a prize in a lottery vvith a view to the sale of their right of selection,” it would be a good reason for fixing a higher price; but to obviate Ibis objection provision might be inserted in the Bill to require applicants at the time of lodging their applications to make the declaration provided in the 5-1 th section of this Act. The system of the ballot has been found to work well in Otago, whore it has been in operation for many years for dc-lc-r,min-ing the priority of selection of agricultural lease applications within goldfields, The system of deciding the light of priority of selection by auction as between applicants was attempted, but it gave so much dissatisfaction that, it had to be abandoned and the system of the ballot again reiorted bo. Under the system of auction the loml fide settler is placed at a great disadvantage, beoause_ having expended time and money in examining and choosing an allotment which he may consider suitable he is at auction to ascertain tho value of the land, but others arc enabled to take advantage of his labor, knowledge, and experience of selection without incurring expenses. Such a course, if adopted, must be injurious to land ihp selectors. Hint as the Act of 1853 was noli passed to meet the case of land sold on deferred payments, it does not appear to have any special bearing in this case. The Council insisting on their amendments, the Bill has to bo abandoned. Th-rc was some warm talk both in the Council and the House yesterday. In the House Sir G. Grey made a hi-ze, uttering the wildest statements, at which Major Atkinson laughed immoderately. This fairly incensed SirGaorge, who savaacly attacked the Ministers. Major Atkinson replied that such extravagant statements widen, if true, should put Ministers _on the roads only deserved to be received with laughter, arid he would always laugh when Sir G. Grey made them. Mr Montgomery continuing to press Major Atkinson for i fonnaiimi, which in one shape or other had bven pioviously given, the latter said the member for Akaroa must frame an answer for himself; whereat Air Montgomery accused him of impertinence. Major Atkinson then refused to give Air Alontgomery any further inform?.’ion.

Before the i omraittee finished its sittings Mr George MB.ean complimented the Treasurer on the admirable statements ho had made during the session, the like of which would never bo received from fc>i> J. Vogel, who rather desiied to keep i cople in the dark as to the accounts i f the Colony. Mr Reynolds replied that great injustice was done to Sir d. Vogel, who on all occasions gave ihe fullest infoimillion It was not tight for the hon. member in Sir J. Vogel’s absence to make midi a statement. MrM 4 Lean repeated it, and sad hr considered himself perfectly justified in doing SO, In the Council, Mr Waterhouse objected to the control which had been exercised on the financial agents at Home. Air Holmes spoke highly of Dr Featherston, and the reverse of I Sir J. Vogel. He said it was ns plain as noonday to his mind that had Sir Julius be--u .alone in negotiating the loan it would undoubtedly have gone into the hands of Missis Rothschild at BS. Dr Pollen thought Mr Holmes Would at some futuie (ime be of opinion that he had said more than ho ought to have said. (Nothing could be more unfair, more unjust, and with less of the tnuh than the itisiu ations he had made regarding Sir J. Vogel. Ho absolutely and entiiely repudiated the statement, which was utterly unworthy of a gentleman holding the position of Mr Hohm s Mr Holmes then said —“I have d-cunv. rds to back me up.” Dr Pollen said that there was no document that would support such an asset tion for one sin do moment, and he -was sorry his hi-u. friend had spoken so of an absent man. The Public Accounts Committee recommend that notice should ha given to determine the present agreement with the Bank of New Zealand, and that teudeis should bo invited from all the banks to take the Colonial accounts. With respect to Mr Bridge s evidence, the Petitions Committee reject the imputations against Sir J. Vogel, and stale that his inferences are absduiciy unwarranted and without foundation. The re; ort was received with cheers. A bare quorum of members was present. There is a general Might of members to-day. Sir George Grey, Mr Fitzherbert, and Mr Bunny go south by the All.h.n on Sunday.